Deepwater Horizon-RESTORE Grant Program

The Deepwater Horizon-RESTORE Grant Program is a Florida funding opportunity supported through the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act, commonly known as the RESTORE Act. The RESTORE Act is a 2012 federal law enacted following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and established the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council. The Council approves and manages funding derived from Deepwater Horizon civil and administrative penalties across the five Gulf Coast states. Council-Selected Restoration Component funding is periodically approved through Funded Priorities Lists, or FPLs, which may later be amended to add funding or modify previously approved activities. This funding round is associated with the Council's fourth Funded Priorities List, the 2026 FPL, and provides funding for projects and programs in Florida. Eligible applicants identified in the FAQ include counties, municipalities, Water Management Districts, state agencies, special districts, and non-governmental organizations that can demonstrate competency in meeting 2 C.F.R. Part 200 requirements. Eligible project activities are defined through the RESTORE Council's Funded Priorities List under Florida Programs. The opportunity distinguishes between Category 1 planning projects and Category 2 implementation projects. Planning activities may include data collection and analysis, surveying, feasibility studies, cost estimates, engineering and design, and permitting. Implementation activities may include construction and land acquisition. Implementation funding is not approved until planning activities are complete and required environmental compliance has been documented, and implementation projects require a RESTORE Council vote to amend the Funded Priorities List before funding can be approved. A total of $77.6 million is identified for Florida across three programs. The Florida Gulf Coast Resilience Program has $8 million in Category 1 approved funding and $12 million in Category 2 prioritized funding, for $20 million total. The Florida Gulf Coast Tributaries Hydrologic Restoration Program has $5.042 million approved and $7.563 million prioritized, for $12.605 million total. The Florida Water Quality Improvement Program has $18 million approved and $27 million prioritized, for $45 million total. The FAQ does not establish a minimum or maximum amount that an individual applicant may request and does not state an expected number of awards. Matching funds are not required. Applicants may leverage other resources through co-funding or other leveraging arrangements. When co-funding is needed to achieve project objectives, selected sponsors must identify the sources, amounts, and project elements supported by the non-Federal share and ensure costs are allowable, allocable, and reasonable under 2 C.F.R. Part 200. Proposals are submitted through the Protecting Florida Together Grants page and associated project portal. The FAQ states that the project portal was set to open July 1, 2026, while the solicitation is responsible for specifying the portal web address and final proposal deadline. The FAQ does not provide that closing date. Once the portal is open, a Word version of the application questions is expected to be available on Protecting Florida Together. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, notice of intent, or other pre-application gating requirement is identified in the FAQ. Applicants may sign up through the Water Quality Dashboard Preference Center and GovDelivery Deepwater Horizon updates to receive program notifications. Proposals are first screened for eligibility and then evaluated using the applicable selection criteria. The FAQ does not reproduce those criteria or assign scores or weights. There is no specific date for award announcements. Selected applicants will be notified individually by the program and listed on the Deepwater Horizon website. If selected, DEP will work with the applicant to develop a work plan, project schedule, and project budget and will request a project map and project shapefiles. Planning projects may require an amendment to DEP's federal award and may undergo an independent Best Available Science review. Implementation projects require applicable Best Available Science review, adequate Environmental Compliance documentation, and a RESTORE Council vote to amend the FPL and move Category 2 funds into Category 1 before implementation funding is approved. Federal processing can extend the project timeline because RESTORE Council amendments, Best Available Science review, and environmental compliance procedures may take significant time. After the Council has amended the FPL and/or federal award as applicable, DEP will develop and execute a subrecipient agreement with the project sponsor. Work cannot begin until applicable environmental compliance requirements have been satisfied and the subrecipient agreement has been fully executed by both parties. The FAQ does not provide a defined performance period or recurring annual application schedule. It also does not provide a named program contact, email address, or telephone number. Applicants should therefore rely on the solicitation and Protecting Florida Together grant portal for the final deadline, complete application requirements, and any additional administrative details.

Demonstrate competency in meeting 2 C.F.R. 200; for implementation projects, complete planning and applicable environmental compliance before implementation funding can be approved; account for potentially significant Best Available Science and RESTORE Council amendment processing time; where co-funding is used, clearly identify funding sources, amounts, supported project elements, and allowable, allocable, and reasonable costs