Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program | F16AS00007

Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00007

The Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program is a discretionary U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funding opportunity that supports on-the-ground habitat restoration and conservation projects, primarily on private lands, through voluntary and incentive-based partnerships. Instead of a regulatory approach, the program focuses on cooperation: it offers both technical expertise and financial support to help landowners and partners restore, enhance, or protect habitat that benefits fish and wildlife, with an emphasis on federal trust resources (species and habitats the federal government has specific responsibility to conserve). Funding is awarded using cooperative agreements, which generally means the Fish and Wildlife Service remains actively involved in project planning and implementation rather than simply providing a pass-through grant.

A central feature of the program is its field-driven structure. The PFW Program is implemented by more than 250 full-time staff working across all 50 states and U.S. territories. These staff collaborate with local partners, stakeholders, and other Fish and Wildlife Service programs to identify geographic focus areas. Focus areas are priority landscapes where the program concentrates resources to make the biggest habitat gains for federal trust species. Within these areas, the program develops habitat conservation priorities and builds project work plans that are strategic, science-based, and strongly shaped by Service field staff input. Projects funded under this opportunity are expected to advance the agency mission, support biological diversity, and follow sound scientific biological principles.

Applicants are encouraged to align proposed projects with the program's strategic plans, because those plans guide what types of restoration or conservation actions are prioritized for funding. The opportunity also strongly advises prospective applicants to contact the appropriate regional PFW office before applying, since regional staff can confirm whether a proposed project fits current priorities, identify relevant focus areas, and help shape a competitive proposal that matches local conservation needs and program capacity.

In terms of eligibility, the program is broad and open to many applicant types, reflecting its partnership-based model. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; individuals; for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits). The funding activity category is environment and natural resources, and the assistance listing (CFDA) number is 15.631. The funding opportunity number is F16AS00007.

For award characteristics, the listed award ceiling is $500,000. The opportunity information also indicates a very large volume of expected awards (5,000), which is consistent with a nationwide program that funds many relatively localized habitat projects implemented through field offices and partner networks. The original closing date shown for this posting was 2016-09-30, and the record creation date was 2015-10-14, meaning this specific announcement reflects that time period; however, the program itself is an ongoing Service effort that may be reissued under updated announcements and priorities over time.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.631.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-09-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5,000 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for F16AS00007

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