Urban & Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Grants

The Forest Service making up to $1 billion available in Urban and Community Forestry competitive grants for investments that:  

• increase equitable access to urban tree canopy and associated human health, environmental and economic benefits in disadvantaged communities

• broaden community engagement in local urban forest planning

• improve community and urban forest resilience to climate change, pests and storm events through best management and maintenance practices

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

The Forest Service is requesting proposals from eligible entities that are working to provide equitable access to trees and green spaces and the benefits they provide. The funding opportunity is open to proposals spanning a broad range of investments working at a community, regional, and national scale.

• Minimum funding amount for projects is $100,000

• Maximum federal funding limit is $50,000,000. All funding agreements will be for a period of 5 years.  

All federal grant funds are to be matched at least equally (dollar for dollar) with non-federal match. Match-waivers are available for proposals that deliver 100% of the funding/program benefits to disadvantaged communities.

Learn more about the upcoming funding opportunity and how to apply by watching a webinar recorded on March 29, 2023 (43 min.).

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) - Summary Text (PDF)

How to Apply

Register on SAM.gov

Organizations wanting to apply for these grant opportunities must have an active registration and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov.

Creating a first-time registration on SAM.gov may take several weeks or more to complete. Therefore, ensure you apply for your SAM registration early.

Apply at grants.gov

Search for 2023 Inflation Reduction Act for Urban and Community Forestry grant opportunities on Grants.gov using the opportunity number: USDA-FS-2023-UCF-IRA-01

Applicants will be assessed in the following areas:  

• Alignment with Justice40 and the Inflation Reduction Act legislation, State Forest Action Plans, and Final Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan priorities

• Technical merit

• Capability and capacity to carry out the proposed work within the grant period

• Measurable results or outcomes

• Budget and cost-effectiveness

Before you apply, review the eligibility requirements in the following section. 

All application materials must be received on the grant application website by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time June 1 2023. Visit grants.gov for more details. 

Review eligibility requirements

Eligibility requirements (click to expand/collapse)

Webinars

Please register early to receive details about each meeting in your email, including the link on how to join.  These webinars will be recorded and the links posted to this website and the IRA-UCF grant application website.

• April 18 (Recorded) - Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Webinar Series: Inflation Reduction Act funding for the Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program, Funding Opportunity and Eligibility, Application Portal and Tools.

• April 25 (Recorded) - Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Webinar Series Part 2: Inflation Reduction Act funding for the Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Budget Resources Information and Online Application Portal Instructions.   

Get Help

For questions related to information contained within the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc., email:  SM.FS.UCF_IRA@usda.gov

NOTE: Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.    

For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.   Forest Service staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.