Grants for State, Local & Tribal Governments

Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery · Amount varies

California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) offers this grant to public agencies and tribal governments to clean up illegal solid waste dumping on farm and ranch property in California, covering costs like disposal, equipment, personnel, and public education for site remediation projects lasting about two years. Only public agencies and tribal governments may apply directly; private landowners are not eligible applicants even though the sites may be privately owned. The application deadline is October 7, 2026.

Department of Transportation · $50K–$700K

This Caltrans grant funds transportation planning projects for public agencies and tribal governments in California — not nonprofits, businesses, or individuals — with awards ranging from $50,000 to $700,000. Eligible projects must have a clear transportation nexus and generally support regional sustainability, greenhouse-gas reduction, and multimodal planning goals tied to SB 1 funding. Applications are due October 9, 2026.

Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation · $750K–$4.5M

Nonprofits, public agencies, tribal governments, community-based organizations, and public higher education institutions in California can apply, but only as part of a coalition — every application needs a Lead Applicant plus at least one Co-Applicant. It funds heat-related infrastructure planning and demonstration projects ($750,000–$1.2 million) or implementation of already-planned heat infrastructure ($3 million–$4.5 million). At least 40% of funding is reserved for projects benefiting Disadvantaged Communities, with 10% of that share going to Severely Disadvantaged Communities. Applicants must first submit a Pre-Application Interest Form via Submittable (window closes July 21 or August 11, 2026) before the Full Application is due October 13, 2026.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH (NCI) UH2/UH3 award funds both analytical and clinical validation of molecular, cellular, or imaging biomarker assays for cancer detection, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and treatment response. Eligible applicants include higher-education institutions, nonprofits, tribal governments, and federal agencies; clinical trials are not allowed and applicants should already have assays that work on human samples. Foreign organizations and the foreign components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, though some foreign components are allowed. No specific award amount is stated in this record.

National Institutes of Health · Up to $250K

This NIH (NCI) UH3 award funds the clinical validation of already analytically validated molecular, cellular, or imaging biomarker assays for cancer detection, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and treatment response, using specimens from clinical trials or studies. Eligible applicants include higher-education institutions, nonprofits, tribal governments, and federal agencies; clinical trials are not allowed and early-stage technology development is out of scope. Applicants must already have an analytically validated assay, which narrows who can realistically apply. Foreign organizations and foreign components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply; stated funding is around $250,000.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH (NCI) award funds revision applications to clinically validate biomarker assays that were originally developed through existing NIH-supported research grants, meaning applicants generally need an active or prior NCI-supported assay to revise. Eligible applicants include higher-education institutions, nonprofits, tribal governments, and federal agencies; clinical trials are not allowed and early-stage technology development is out of scope. Because it builds on prior NIH funding, eligibility is effectively narrow. No specific award amount is stated in this record.

National Institutes of Health · Up to $500K

This NIH (NIGMS) R25 supports organizations developing educational and skills-training programs for the biomedical research workforce, with activities open to the broader research community and spanning career stages from undergraduates to faculty and staff scientists. Eligible applicants include higher-education institutions, nonprofits, tribal governments, faith- or community-based organizations, and federal agencies; independent clinical trials are not allowed. Foreign organizations and the foreign components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components are not allowed. Stated funding is up to about $500,000.

Agricultural Marketing Service · $250K–$1M

This USDA Agricultural Marketing Service program funds collaborative multi-state partnerships that enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops through projects addressing regional or national issues such as food safety, plant pests and disease, research, and marketing. Eligible applicants are federally recognized tribal governments, state governments, public and state-controlled higher-education institutions, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits other than institutions of higher education. Projects must benefit two or more states or territories. Awards range from about $250,000 to $1,000,000.

National Institutes of Health · Up to $300K

This NIH (CounterACT) R01 funds basic research on how chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, and pesticides affect the nervous system, aimed at understanding toxicity mechanisms and identifying therapeutic targets. Eligible applicants include higher-education institutions, nonprofits, tribal governments, faith- or community-based organizations, and federal agencies; clinical trials are not allowed. Foreign (non-U.S.) organizations and the foreign components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. The award appears to be roughly $300,000 in stated funding.

Bureau of Land Management · $30K–$220K

This Bureau of Land Management program funds Qualified Youth Corps organizations to run natural and cultural resource projects on public lands employing youth ages 16 to 30 (veterans up to 35), including tribal members. Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible, so this is aimed at nonprofit/qualified youth corps entities. Note an important restriction: applicants seeking to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act must instead apply under a separate companion NOFO (15.243). Award amounts range from about $30,000 to $220,000.

Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery · $1–$375K

This California program funds Tire-Derived Aggregate (TDA) infrastructure projects — retaining walls, stormwater/low-impact-development work, slope stabilization, landfill leachate and gas collection, and similar applications — with awards ranging from $1 to $375,000. Eligible applicants include California local governments, special districts, public school districts, state agencies, UC/CSU/community colleges, qualifying tribal entities, 501(c)(3)/(c)(4)/(c)(6)/(c)(10) nonprofits, and for-profit businesses that are California-based or have a California operational presence. Private elementary and secondary schools are excluded even if organized as nonprofits, and applicants without a California connection are not eligible. The deadline is October 16, 2026.

Environmental Protection · Up to $75K

Pennsylvania's Coastal Zone Management Grant funds studies, planning, and minor construction within the Delaware Estuary and Lake Erie Coastal Zones, with a maximum award of $75,000. Eligible applicants are limited to local governments, area-wide/regional planning agencies, incorporated nonprofits, educational institutions, conservation districts, and port/public authorities operating within the coastal zone — other entity types will not be accepted, and this listing is marked closed.

Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development · $50K–$500K

The Quantum FAST Challenge, run by California's Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, funds two kinds of projects: education/workforce development to build a quantum-technology talent pipeline, and applied use-case demonstrations pairing researchers and students with industry partners. Listed eligible applicant types are 'Other Legal Entity' and 'Public Agency' — standard nonprofit and small-business categories aren't explicitly named, so organizations outside government or an established legal-entity structure should confirm fit with the funder before applying. Awards range from $50,000 to $500,000, with applications due 2026-10-20.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF INCLUDES program funds collaborative, national-scale efforts to broaden participation and build inclusive infrastructure in STEM, supporting pilots, consortia, alliances, network connectors, and conferences. Eligibility is relatively broad: for-profit organizations including small businesses, nonprofit non-academic organizations, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, and federally recognized tribal nations may apply. No specific award amounts are listed. This is a research and capacity-building opportunity open to a range of organizations, though not to individuals.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH X01 opportunity provides access to biospecimens (urine, plasma, serum, genomic DNA) and related data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study rather than direct research funding. It is aimed at investigators at universities, research institutions, and similar eligible organizations, including various minority-serving institutions and tribal entities. Foreign (non-U.S.) organizations and foreign components are not eligible. No award amounts are listed; this is a resource-access mechanism for researchers, not a general grant for nonprofits, businesses, or individuals.

Community & Economic Development · From $100K

Pennsylvania's Community Development Block Grant program funds community development activities, but is invitation-only for municipalities pre-identified under Act 179 of 1984 — it is not open to general applicants. Funding starts at a minimum of $100,000, with no stated maximum. Applications are due October 30, 2026.

Dept of Environ Conservation · Up to $5M

This grant is open only to government entities and tribal organizations — nonprofits and businesses do not qualify. It funds Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling Coordination (MWRC) projects, covering education, promotion, planning, and coordination work, with awards of up to $5,000,000. Applications are due October 30, 2026.

Fish and Wildlife Service · $25K–$3.9M

This US Fish and Wildlife Service program funds land conservation projects in the Highlands Region of CT, NJ, NY, and PA, where a state, county, or municipal entity acquires land or land interests from willing sellers. Only the Lead State Agency designated by each Highlands state's Governor may apply, so eligibility is restricted to those specific government agencies (funds may be subawarded to counties or municipalities). Awards range from roughly $25,000 to $3.85 million, and the program covers up to 50% of project cost, meaning a non-federal match is required. Nonprofits, businesses, individuals, and most organizations cannot apply directly.

U.S. Dept. of Treasury RESTORE Act Program · Up to $120.2M

This Treasury RESTORE Act Direct Component opportunity funds non-construction activities tied to Gulf Coast restoration, mitigation, workforce development, infrastructure planning, tourism, and related eligible uses. Only state and county governments may apply. Awards can be very large, up to roughly $120 million. Some projects may involve a non-federal cost-share for other federally funded programs, though cost-share is described as optional here. Nonprofits, businesses, individuals, and researchers are not eligible to apply directly.

Fish and Wildlife Service · $25K–$2.3M

This US Fish and Wildlife Service program is the Base Funding round of the Highlands Conservation Act, funding land conservation projects in the Highlands Region of CT, NJ, NY, and PA. Only the Governor-designated Lead State Agency in each of the four states may apply, so eligibility is narrowly restricted to those government agencies (funds may be subawarded to counties or municipalities). Each state may request up to about $2.29 million, with awards from roughly $25,000 upward, and the program funds up to 50% of project cost, requiring a non-federal match. Nonprofits, businesses, and individuals cannot apply directly.