North American Wetlands Conservation Grant Opportunities

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) authorizes competitive, matching grants for public-private partnerships to advance projects that further the goals of the NAWCA. Projects funded through the NAWCA Grant Program work towards the long-term protection, restoration and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated upland habitats for the benefit of waterfowl and other migratory birds, consistent with objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) and other international obligations. These efforts address the needs of wetland-dependent species throughout their life cycle, while also benefiting people by improving water quality, flood control, and recreational opportunities.

United States

U.S. Standard Grants

The North American Wetlands Conservation Council (NAWCC) reviews and selects Standard Grant proposals to recommend to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) for final approval.

Amount: $250,001-$3 million for projects located in the United States.
Cost Share Requirement: 50% federal/50% non-federal match (a 1:1 ratio). For example, applicants requesting a $1 million grant would need to also contribute at least $1 million in partner funds (from nonfederal sources) towards the project.
Funding Cycle: semi-annual (2 application cycles per year)

ATTENTION: U.S. Standard Grant Cycle Change

The North American Wetlands Conservation Council has approved changes to the U.S. Standard Grant application cycles starting in Federal fiscal year 2026 (FY26). This change will better align with the timing of Federal fund availability – ideally reducing the time from application to award issuance. The next notice of funding opportunity will be March/April 2025.

Changes for FY26:

Cycle 1 (2026-1)Proposals Due: July 10, 2025

Cycle 2 (2026-2)Proposals Due: February 26, 2026

Due to the cycle swap, the "old match" rule will be extended for a one-time period and NAWCA will accept matching contributions from up to 3 years prior to the application for FY2026.

For more information or questions about NAWCA U.S. Standard grants, contact: dbhc@fws.gov

Resources for NAWCA U.S. Standard Grant Applicants

U.S. Small Grants

Each year, the MBCC pre-approves an amount of funds available for U.S. Small grants. The Commission delegated selection and funding authority for these grants to the NAWCC, who is also responsible for developing policy that affects the grant application and administration processes.

Amount: up to $250,000
Cost Share Requirement: 50% federal/50% non-federal match (a 1:1 ratio). For example: applicants requesting a $250,000 grant would need to contribute at least $250,000 in partner funds (from nonfederal sources) towards the project.
Funding Cycle: annual

For more information or questions about NAWCA U.S. Small Grants, email: nawca_smallgrant@fws.gov

Resources for NAWCA U.S. Small Grant Applicants

An image of an adult Canada Goose with four chicks. — **TIP:** To make your proposal more competitive, mention any and all NAWCA priority species that will benefit from your project. A full list of priority species is in the proposal instructions. Pictured: Canada goose, a priority NAWCA species.

NAWCA Mexico

Amount: $10,000-$1,000,000
Cost Share Requirement: 50% federal/50% non-federal match (a 1:1 ratio).
Funding Cycle: annual

For more information or questions about NAWCA Mexico Grants, email Andrea Grosse: andrea_grosse@fws.gov

Resources for NAWCA Mexico Grant Applicants: English

Resources for NAWCA Mexico Grant Applicants: En Español

NAWCA Canada

Amount: $200,000-$10,000,000
Cost Share Requirement: 50% federal/50% non-federal match (a 1:1 ratio)
Funding Cycle: annual

For more information or questions, email: NAWCA Canada Grants Coordinator, Callie McMunigal at callie_mcmunigal@fws.gov

Resources for NAWCA Canada Grant Applicants

Map of Migratory Bird Joint Ventures boundaries in North American

Image Details

Application Assistance

All applications must be submitted through our project management system GrantSolutions. This process requires a user account, an Unique Entity ID (UEI) and an active registration in the “System for Award Management” (SAM).

If it is your first time using GrantSolutions.gov or if you haven't procured a UEI and SAM registration, initiate preparations as soon as possible to avoid delays or complications in your application process.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to work with the Migratory Bird Habitat Joint Venture in their area for guidance early in the process.