Office of Insular Affairs Opens Application Season for Technical Assistance Grant Funding

WASHINGTON – The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) today announced that applications for fiscal year 2025 funding under OIA’s Technical Assistance Division has opened. Applications can be submitted to www.Grants.Gov through assistance listing number 15.875.

The announcements for funding include the Technical Assistance Program (TAP), the Maintenance Assistance Program (MAP) and the Coral Reef and Natural Resources (CRNR) Program, which includes Invasive Species funding, all now open with a deadline of March 12, 2025. The announcement for the Brown Treesnake (BTS) program will open in December 2024 and interested individuals should continue to monitor www.Grants.gov.

Applications for funding through the Office of Insular Affairs under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law program remain open until October 31, 2024. While an initial amount of $2.5 million in funding for the territories was announced in September, a second and final review of applications will be considered under Activity 6 - Invasive Species, Activity 8 - Revegetation of Mined Lands, Activity 9 - Native Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration, and Advancing the National Early Detection and Rapid Response Framework: Early Detection Surveillance for Asset Protection.

“We encourage as wide a variety of applications from the Insular Areas as possible for this fiscal year 2025 funding,” said Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Carmen G. Cantor. “However, we continue to prioritize applications that address climate change, energy and natural resources.”

TAP, MAP and CRNR funding are made available for short-term projects intended to meet the needs of the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as the freely associated states – the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds are available only to support projects in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

It is anticipated that the other competitive financial assistance program provided through OIA, Energizing Island Communities, will be announced early next year.

Eligible applicants for TAP, MAP, CRNR, BTS and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding are detailed in each announcement. For more information and to apply, visit www.Grants.gov and use Assistance Listing #15.875. While the deadlines listed are October 31, and March 12, 2025, it is highly recommended that applications be submitted as early as possible. Applications will be reviewed once OIA receives full-year appropriations. Applications related to public safety and emergencies may be reviewed early, prior to the deadline. All funding decisions will be finalized by September 30, 2025.

The Assistant Secretary of Insular and International Affairs and the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) carry out the Secretary of the Interior’s responsibilities for the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, OIA administers and oversees federal assistance under the Compacts of Free Association to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. OIA also administers a discretionary Technical Assistance Program for all the insular areas. Find information about OIA and its work on www.doi.gov/oia, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

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