Guidelines for Brownfield Assessment Grants (Community-wide Assessment Grants)
🏛 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Nov 14, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for government entities, Federally recognized Tribes, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations addressing brownfield sites. Eligible applicants can request up to $500,000 to assess, inventory, and plan cleanup and reuse of contaminated properties. Sites must meet CERCLA brownfield definitions, and activities must include site assessment work (not cleanup). Applicants must meet all threshold eligibility criteria outlined in the full announcement Section 2.B.
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Program description
This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities to prevent, inventory, assess, and plan for the cleanup and reuse of brownfield sites. Eligible entities include government organizations, Federally recognized Tribes, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Please see Section 2.A. for the complete list of eligible entities. Applications must meet all threshold eligibility criteria in Section 2.B. to be considered eligible to receive a Community-wide Assessment Grant.
Assessment Grants provide funding for developing inventories of brownfield sites, prioritizing sites, conducting community involvement activities, conducting planning, conducting site assessments, developing site-specific cleanup plans, and developing reuse plans related to brownfield sites. A portion of the Assessment Grant funding must be used to conduct site assessments. Assessment Grant funds may not be used to conduct cleanup activities. Community-wide Assessment Grants are appropriate for communities that are beginning to address their brownfield challenges, as well as for communities that have ongoing efforts to bring sites into productive reuse.
Applicants may request funding up to $500,000 to address sites contaminated (or potentially contaminated) by hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants, including hazardous substances comingled with petroleum, and/or petroleum. To be eligible for Brownfield Grant funding, sites must meet the definition of a brownfield site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) § 101(39) and site eligibility requirements as described in the Information on Sites Eligible for Brownfields Funding under CERCLA § 104(k). For the purposes of this funding opportunity, the cost of site-specific activities carried out at each approved, eligible site may not exceed $200,000 per site. EPA will determine site eligibility after the award of the grant throughout the project period.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Application narrative
- Budget and budget justification
- Site inventory or listing
- Community involvement plan
- Proof of organizational eligibility (501(c)(3) letter, tribal status, or government documentation)
- DUNS number and SAM.gov registration
Program contact
- 👤 Dannell Brown Grants Specialist
- 📧 brownfields@epa.gov
- 📞 202-250-8872
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 66.818 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$12,400,000
-
$12,400,000
-
$10,350,000
-
$8,050,000
-
$7,400,000
-
$7,400,000
-
$6,500,000
-
$5,500,000
-
$5,000,000
-
$5,000,000
Top States by Funding
- ME 13 awards $50.3M
- MA 8 awards $37.3M
- MO 4 awards $20.9M
- WI 5 awards $17.0M
- IL 4 awards $16.9M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 66.818). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $315,984,874 | |
| 2025 | $280,184,637 | |
| 2026 est. | $292,000,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for these assessment grants?
Government organizations, Federally recognized Tribes, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits can apply. Applicants must meet all threshold eligibility criteria in Section 2.B of the announcement.
What activities can grant funds support?
Funds support inventories, site prioritization, community involvement, planning, site assessments, cleanup plans, and reuse plans. A portion must go to site assessments; cleanup itself is not eligible.
What is the maximum funding request?
Applicants may request up to $500,000, with per-site costs not exceeding $200,000.
Is cost-sharing required?
No cost-sharing is required for this grant.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is January 21, 2027 (fixed date, not rolling).
💡 Tips for applicants
- Read Section 2.B carefully. All threshold eligibility criteria must be met or your application will be ineligible.
- Budget a portion of funds specifically for site assessments, as required by the program.
- Document site locations and their CERCLA brownfield status before submitting; EPA will verify later.
- Include strong community involvement plans in your narrative—EPA values engagement in assessment grants.
- Demonstrate how you'll prioritize sites and move properties toward productive reuse, not just assessment alone.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Failing to meet threshold eligibility criteria in Section 2.B before applying. Not allocating sufficient grant funds to actual site assessments. Requesting cleanup activities, which are ineligible under Assessment Grants.
Similar grants
- OPEN FY27 Guidelines for Brownfield Assessment Grants (Assessment Coalition Grants) — Environmental Protection Agency
- OPEN FY27 Guidelines for Brownfield Assessment Grants (Community-wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes) — Environmental Protection Agency
- OPEN FY27 Guidelines for Brownfield Cleanup Grants — Environmental Protection Agency
- OPEN FY27 Guidelines for Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grants — Environmental Protection Agency
- OPEN Grant-Funded Brownfield Assistance — Ohio Environmental Protection Agency