Upcoming Funding Opportunities
Maine Public Working Waterfront Infrastructure Fund
The Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and the Maine Office of Community Affairs will be seeking applications for the Maine Public Working Waterfront Infrastructure Fund. The purpose of this fund is to adapt existing public working waterfront infrastructure to reduce vulnerability to climate change, sea level rise, coastal flooding, and other impacts. Projects could include elevating, strengthening, or relocating existing infrastructure, or other activities that will make public working waterfront infrastructure more accessible to commercial and recreational users and functional in future conditions.
Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund
The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) will be seeking applications for the 2026 Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund. The purpose of this fund is to provide one-time funding to municipal, tribal, and infrastructure districts to adapt their critical infrastructure to reduce vulnerability to climate change. The goal of this program is to reduce the existing infrastructure risk to climate change impacts, such as sea level rise, increased precipitation, and other related climate risks, and provide increased resilience. All projects are encouraged to utilize nature-based solutions (NbS) and/or a combination of green (natural) and gray (structural) solutions (hybrid) where applicable; however, NbS is not a requirement for this program. Eligible properties include publicly owned infrastructure in municipalities, tribal communities, and infrastructure districts. This grant is federally funded, and therefore, privately or state-owned infrastructure are not eligible to apply.
WORKSHOP RECORDING
Community Action Grant
Community Action Grants can?support two categories of climate action by?communities: 1) actions from the Community Resilience Partnership List of Community Actions, an approved list of?climate mitigation and adaptation activities that align with the strategies of?Maine Won’t Wait, and 2) other projects proposed by a community that support capacity building, planning, and implementation projects.?
The List of Community Actions offers?guidance for communities starting on climate plans and?incentivize a baseline level of climate action across the state. The two grant options provide?flexibility?by allowing communities to choose actions from the list?that are most relevant and feasible, while also providing support for community climate and energy priorities that may not appear on the List of Community Actions.
Northern Border Regional Commission - Catalyst Program
The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Catalyst Program is the primary competitive grant through NBRC, featuring grant opportunities in the spring and fall. Pre-applications for the 2026 spring round are due on February 27, 2026. Successful pre-applications will be invited to submit a full application, which is due on April 17, 2026. Eligible applicants (local governments, secondary and career technical centers, nonprofits, federally recognized and Indian Tribes) and their partners are encouraged to attend. For-profit entities, LLCs and other entities that are not a 501(c) are NOT eligible to apply for Catalyst Program funding.
NBRC is a Federal-State partnership for economic and community development that certain counties in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York are eligible to participate in. This partnership was created to address economic transitions through strategic investments. Lincoln County entities became eligible to apply for NBRC funding in 2025, following the congressional reauthorization of the program. In the first year of eligibility, the towns of Boothbay Harbor and Waldoboro received grants for municipal water improvement projects. For this round of grants, eligible entities in Damariscotta, Dresden, Jefferson, Somerville, and Whitefield are required to provide at least 20% match of the full grant amount, while entities in all other municipalities require at least a 50% match.
WORKSHOP RECORDING
Maine Coastal Program Habitat Restoration Planning Grant
This grant opportunity provides funding for planning, design, and/or engineering for habitat restoration, resiliency, or coastal acquisition projects for municipalities or unorganized areas, Tribal governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or Regional Planning Councils. Projects must be completed by December 31, 2027. Email questions by February 16 to mainecoastalprogram@maine.gov with the subject line “Habitat Restoration – Questions.”
Working Waterfront Access Protection Program
Through a competitive application process matching funds are available to assist commercial fisheries businesses, co-ops, municipalities, and other interested parties in securing strategically significant working waterfront properties to protect vital resources that support commercial fisheries. Funds can be used to purchase property dedicated entirely to aquaculture and commercial fisheries use, or for mixed use properties where the portion used to support commercial fishing business can be clearly delineated and its use secured. There is a strong preference for projects that protect and secure the use of existing, established fishing facilities and access sites over projects that involve development of new access sites and facilities.
2026 Climate Smart Communities Initiative
CSCI awards provide funding and technical assistance to advance community-based climate resilience in US communities or regions that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The total grants budget is $1.5-2 million, and grants typically range from $75,000 to $115,000 based on the scope of work proposed in the application. CSCI anticipates awarding between 16-20 grants for the 2026 cycle.
The program prioritizes funding for communities that include historically disinvested populations at increased risk to climate-related impacts. It is open to US-based project teams composed of a climate adaptation practitioner and representatives from a local or regional government entity and a community-based organization.
Living Shoreline Planning Series
This would result in free planning and design work for a living shoreline with broader implications for how to replicate projects moving forward through education on scoping and permitting.