Boating Infrastructure Grant Program

The Boating Infrastructure Grant Program is a federally funded initiative administered in North Carolina by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Coastal Management, on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Established in 1998 through the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, the program operates as a user pay and user benefit model, using excise taxes and related revenues generated from boating and fishing activities. The program is designed to strengthen boating infrastructure nationwide, with North Carolina serving as the state-level administrator responsible for soliciting, reviewing, and submitting applications for federal consideration. The primary purpose of the program is to fund the construction, renovation, and maintenance of infrastructure that supports transient recreational vessels that are at least 26 feet in length. These vessels are defined as those that use marina facilities for 15 days or less. Eligible projects must improve public access to boating facilities and may include development of docks, slips, mooring systems, utilities, restrooms, fueling stations, waste disposal systems, and other amenities that directly support transient boating activity. Projects must be located at publicly or privately owned marinas that are open to the public and situated within North Carolina coastal counties. Funding is offered through two tiers. Tier 1 is a state-level competition with a maximum federal request of 300000 dollars per project, while Tier 2 is a national competition with a maximum request of 1500000 dollars. Both tiers require a minimum non federal cash match of 25 percent, and in kind contributions are not allowed. Applicants are encouraged to exceed the minimum match to improve competitiveness. Funds may only be used for eligible project costs that are necessary, reasonable, and directly tied to supporting transient recreational vessels. Certain activities such as dredging, land acquisition, administrative costs, and general marina operations are explicitly ineligible. Eligible applicants include private marina owners or operators, local governments, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education, provided they own or operate an eligible marina facility. Applicants must demonstrate legal control or operational authority over the project site and must commit to maintaining the facility for its useful life. Facilities must remain open to the public, comply with accessibility standards where applicable, and provide reasonable user fees that support ongoing operations. The program also requires compliance with federal environmental regulations, permitting processes, and long term operational obligations. Applications must be submitted electronically to the Division of Coastal Management by the stated deadline and must include several required components. These include a title page, a project summary form, a detailed project narrative, maps and drawings, a budget narrative, and supporting documentation. The project narrative must address the need for the project, expected outcomes, benefits to transient boaters, implementation approach, timeline, and compliance considerations. Evaluation is based on federal ranking criteria such as demonstrated need, cost effectiveness, access to destinations, partnerships, innovation, and environmental stewardship, as well as state specific considerations like participation in the Clean Marina Program. The application cycle for the fiscal year referenced in the materials is currently open, with proposals due by August 28, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Following submission, the state conducts an eligibility and ranking review before forwarding top applications to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for final funding decisions. Projects selected for funding must complete environmental compliance and permitting before funds are obligated. Once awarded, projects typically must be completed within a three year performance period and are reimbursed based on documented eligible costs. For additional information or assistance, applicants may contact the North Carolina BIG Program Coordinator or use the program email provided by the Division of Coastal Management. The program also offers informational resources such as applicant guides and webinars to support prospective applicants in preparing competitive proposals.

Demonstrate strong need for transient boating infrastructure and clearly quantify demand; provide cash match above minimum to improve ranking; ensure project readiness with permits and design progress; align proposal with federal ranking criteria including access benefits and environmental stewardship