Coastal Program Planning Grants Applications Due January 5

Grants totaling $550,000 are available to support local or regional planning projects that prepare coastal communities and critical public infrastructure for future hazards and storms and to advance community resilience planning.

The funding is available through two grants programs, the Shore and Harbor Planning Grant and the Coastal Community Grant, both supported by funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) annual grant to Maine Coastal Program.

Awards of up to $50,000 for individual applicants and $75,000 for group applicants will support priorities such as long-term coastal hazard and risk assessments, designing resilient infrastructure, improving public access to the coast, and improving land use planning and local ordinances to address future hazards. The Program Statement with application instructions can be found on the Maine Office of Community Affairs website.

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 5, 2026. All applications must be submitted via email to: melissa.britsch@maine.gov.

All questions regarding the Program Statement must be submitted by email to melissa.britsch@maine.gov by 5:00 p.m. on December 15, 2025. Responses to all questions will be compiled in writing and posted on the Maine Office of Community Affairs website by 5:00 p.m. on December 22, 2025. Only those answers issued in writing on this website will be considered binding. 

Eligible applicants include counties, municipalities, unorganized territories, tribal governments, and Regional Councils in Maine’s Coastal Zone. Successful applications must address one of the Priority Categories listed in the Program Statement.

Applicants may submit more than one application if the projects fall into distinct priority categories. For single applicants, the maximum award is $50,000 and the minimum award is $5,000. Groups of eligible applicants (e.g., two municipalities) may submit applications for collaborative projects with a maximum award amount of $75,000. Grants are anticipated to be awarded in the first quarter of 2026, and projects must be completed and deliverables received by March 31, 2027. A non-federal match equal to 10% of the total grant request is required.

For more information visit the Maine Coastal Program at https://www.maine.gov/dmr/programs/maine-coastal-program/grants-and-rfps or the Department of Agriculture, Conservatipn and Forestry Municipal Planning Assistance Program web page at https://www.maine.gov/dacf/municipalplanning/index.shtml.