Technical Assistance and Training for Rural, Small and Tribal Municipalities and Wastewater Treatment Systems
🏛 Environmental Protection Agency
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education providing technical assistance and training to rural, small, and Tribal communities.
Eligible applicants must be able to serve municipalities, publicly owned treatment works, and decentralized wastewater systems. Applicants help communities plan projects, develop financing strategies, build capacity, and achieve Clean Water Act compliance.
Infrastructure construction projects are not eligible. This funding supports planning, training, and technical assistance only. Cost-sharing is not required.
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Program description
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications under the authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 104(b)(8) to provide Technical Assistance and Training for Rural, Small and Tribal Municipalities and Wastewater Treatment Systems. The program supports small, rural, and Tribal communities’ efforts to identify water challenges, develop plans, build technical, financial, and managerial capacity, comply with CWA requirements, and access water infrastructure funding.
Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity under the Clean Water Act, EPA will achieve greater protection of public health and the environment through an increase in trained water sector personnel, access to funding and financing for wastewater treatment facilities, and Clean Water Act compliance. This action advances the Administration’s priorities, including to Make America Healthy Again, by improving water quality and reducing exposure risks, and enabling responsible economic growth for small, rural, and tribal communities through improved wastewater infrastructure. In partnership with States, Tribes, and local governments and grounded in sound science and the law, EPA will deliver cleaner water, stronger infrastructure, and long-term environmental stewardship for all Americans.
The proposed activities support the Agency’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative’s Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American. Priority Areas identified in this opportunity are:
(1) Technical assistance and training for rural, small, and Tribal municipalities for planning, developing and acquisition of financing/funding for eligible projects and activities.
• Technical assistance and training for rural, small, and Tribal publicly owned treatment works and decentralized wastewater systems to help improve water quality and to achieve and maintain compliance.
(2) Technical assistance and training focused specifically on Tribes for planning, developing and acquisition of financing/funding, to help improve water quality and achieve and maintain compliance, and/or to support emerging contaminants project development.
(3) Information dissemination, technical assistance and training focused specifically on decentralized wastewater treatment systems to support planning, development and acquisition of financing.
Eligible entities for this grant program include nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education that can provide technical assistance and training to rural, small, and Tribal municipalities, publicly owned wastewater treatment works, and decentralized wastewater treatment systems. Assisting systems with their technical, managerial, and financial capacity to achieve long-term compliance is a key priority for the Agency. Infrastructure construction projects such as repairing water or sewer lines, adding new equipment, or upgrading, retrofitting, or rehabilitating existing equipment are not eligible for funding under this announcement.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Standard application forms (SF-424, SF-424 Supp., SF-LLL)
- Project Narrative/Statement of Work
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Letters of Support from partner organizations
- Organizational capacity documentation (staff credentials, past project examples)
Program contact
- 👤 Dannell Brown Grants Specialist
- 📧 RuralSmallTribalNOFO@epa.gov
- 📞 202-250-8872
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 66.446 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$17,260,335
-
$14,740,000
-
$10,740,000
-
$6,000,000
-
$5,000,000
-
$4,000,000
-
$4,000,000
-
$3,000,000
-
$3,000,000
-
$3,000,000
Top States by Funding
- DC 5 awards $29.3M
- NM 5 awards $24.9M
- OK 5 awards $24.7M
- WA 2 awards $4.5M
- HI 1 awards $4.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 66.446). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $579,695 | |
| 2025 | $49,298,759 | |
| 2026 est. | $51,000,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Nonprofits and higher education institutions that provide technical assistance and training to rural, small, and Tribal municipalities and wastewater systems.
What activities are eligible?
Technical assistance, training, planning support, financing guidance, and capacity building. Infrastructure construction and equipment purchases are not eligible.
Is cost-sharing required?
No. This grant does not require a cost-sharing match.
What is the funding range?
The total pool is $25.5 million. Individual award amounts vary; check the full NOFO for specifics.
When is the deadline?
August 14, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Focus your narrative on the specific communities you serve: rural, small, or Tribal populations. Emphasize geographic or demographic reach.
- Demonstrate your organization's capacity to deliver training and technical assistance. Include staff credentials and past outcomes.
- Connect your work directly to Clean Water Act compliance and water quality improvement. Use specific metrics or case examples.
- Address all three priority areas if possible: municipal planning, Tribal-specific support, and decentralized wastewater systems.
- Partner with state agencies and Tribal nations early. Collaborations strengthen your application competitiveness.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Proposing infrastructure construction or equipment purchases. This program funds technical assistance and training only. Failing to clearly demonstrate capacity to serve rural, small, or Tribal entities specifically. Vague descriptions of how your training improves compliance and water quality outcomes.
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