funding opportunities to explore.

November 4, 2026

Applications Due January 21, 2027 | SCS Engineers Can Help You Get Started

Communities looking to assess, clean up, and revitalize underutilized or potentially contaminated properties have new funding opportunities to explore. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its Fiscal Year 2027 Brownfields Grant Guidelines, opening the next round of competitive funding.  These grants can help communities identify and assess potentially contaminated properties, plan for redevelopment, and carry out cleanup activities that support economic development, environmental improvement, and community revitalization.

The application deadline for all FY2027 Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant opportunities is January 21, 2027.

EPA is offering five Brownfields grant opportunities for FY2027:

 Community-wide Assessment Grants: These grants help communities develop and prioritize site inventories, conduct Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, engage the community, and plan for cleanup and redevelopment.

• Maximum request: Up to $500,000
• Grant period: Up to four years
• Appropriate for communities beginning or expanding their brownfields redevelopment programs

Assessment Coalition Grants: Coalition grants allow one eligible lead entity to partner with two to four additional eligible entities to address brownfield properties across multiple communities. This is an excellent opportunity for regional partnerships and smaller communities that may not have the resources or capacity to manage an individual EPA grant.

• Maximum request: Up to $1 million
• Grant period: Up to four years
• Coalitions must include at least one non-lead member that has never received an EPA Brownfields MARC grant or whose most recent grant period of performance ended in 2015 or earlier
• Target areas must include at least three distinct municipalities or jurisdictions

Community-wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes: These grants support statewide and Tribal brownfields initiatives, including identifying, assessing, and planning for the cleanup and reuse of brownfield sites.

• Maximum request: Up to $1 million
• Grant period: Up to five years
• Eligible applicants include states, federally recognized Tribal Nations, eligible intertribal consortia, and qualifying Alaska Native entities
• These grants have distinct eligibility and funding provisions

Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants: RLF grants provide communities with funding to establish or capitalize a revolving loan fund that can provide loans and subgrants to eligible borrowers for brownfield cleanup. As loans are repaid, the funds can be reinvested in additional cleanup projects, creating a continuing source of local redevelopment funding.

• Maximum request: Up to $1 million
• EPA anticipates approximately 10 awards
• Applicants must provide a 20% cost share
• At least 50% of the total award amount, including the recipient’s cost share, must be used for loans and associated eligible programmatic costs
• Entities with an existing RLF cooperative agreement are not eligible to apply for this competitive funding opportunity, but may be eligible for supplemental funding through EPA’s separate process

 Cleanup Grants: Cleanup Grants provide funding to eligible applicants to address contamination at brownfield properties they own. These grants can help communities move from assessment and planning into actual remediation and site reuse.

• Maximum request: Up to $500,000
• Grant period: Up to four years
• Applicants may submit only one Cleanup Grant application per competition cycle
• Applicants must own the property by January 21, 2027
• A 20% cost share is required
• Applicants proposing to address only one brownfield property may request a waiver of the $500,000 limit and seek up to $650,000. EPA will consider these requests individually and anticipates approving them only in very limited circumstances.

EPA is not offering a Multipurpose Grant solicitation for FY2027. Communities interested in combining assessment, planning, and cleanup activities should evaluate the other available grant opportunities and determine which best aligns with their project goals.

FY2027 Program Changes and Requirements

There are several changes this year that applicants should understand before beginning an application.

Return to Annual Appropriation Funding Requirements: FY2027 grants are funded solely through annual congressional appropriations to EPA’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program.  One important restriction is that site-specific Assessment Grant activities generally may not exceed $200,000 per site per grant, subject to the applicable statutory funding provisions and exceptions.

Return to 20% Cost Share Requirement for Cleanup and RLF Grants: Cleanup and RLF applicants must provide a 20% cost match based on the federal grant amount.  Eligible contributions may include cash, labor, materials, or services.  For example, a $500,000 Cleanup Grant requires a $100,000 cost share.  Certain eligible government entities serving populations of 50,000 or fewer, Tribes, eligible Tribal entities, and nonprofit organizations may request a hardship waiver. EPA will evaluate waiver requests individually and expects to approve them only in limited circumstances.

Updated Cleanup Grant Ownership Requirements: Applicants must demonstrate that they own the property proposed for cleanup.  For fee-simple ownership, applicants must provide the deed recording date. If the deed has not yet been recorded, applicants must cite the applicable state or local law establishing that ownership has been conveyed and attach a copy of the deed.  Other ownership arrangements or property transfer methods, such as quitclaim deeds, nominee agreements, or long-term leases, must include supporting documentation and be approved by EPA as functionally equivalent to fee-simple ownership.

Updated Site Characterization Requirements: EPA has revised the documentation required to demonstrate sufficient site characterization for Cleanup Grant applications.  Applicants are no longer required to submit a letter from the state or Tribal environmental authority confirming sufficient site characterization. Instead, the applicant must affirm that an Environmental Professional has certified that sufficient site characterization exists for remediation to begin, or that the necessary characterization will be completed before the grant is awarded.  This is an important consideration for communities that may need additional environmental assessment before moving forward with cleanup.

Earlier Community Notification and Public Meeting Requirements: Cleanup Grant applicants must hold a public meeting no later than seven days before the application deadline to discuss the draft application, including the draft Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA), and consider public comments before submitting the final application.

For the January 21, 2027 deadline:

• January 7, 2027: Latest date to publish the community notification advertisement if the public meeting is held January 14.
• January 14, 2027: Latest date to hold the public meeting.

The notification must provide information about the availability of the draft application and ABCA for public review, how to submit comments, and the date, time, and location of the public meeting. Applicants must retain dated documentation of the published notice.  This requirement makes early preparation especially important.

Start Preparing Now: EPA Brownfields Application Resources and Dates

View the guidelines, application resources, FAQs, and webinar information: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/marc-grant-application-resources

EPA is also hosting upcoming webinars focused on the FY2027 narrative criteria:

• November 9, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. ET: Community-wide Assessment, Assessment Coalition, and State and Tribal Assessment Grants.
• November 12, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. ET: Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup Grants.

How SCS Engineers Can Help

Preparing a competitive EPA Brownfields grant application involves much more than completing forms.  Successful applications require a clear redevelopment vision, eligible sites, well-defined project scopes, realistic budgets, meaningful community engagement, and a compelling explanation of how the proposed activities will benefit the community.  SCS brings extensive experience supporting communities throughout the brownfields grant process, from early project identification and funding strategy through application development, environmental assessment, cleanup planning, and redevelopment.

Our team can assist with:

• Funding strategy and eligibility: Evaluating potential applicants and properties, identifying appropriate grant opportunities, and reviewing eligibility requirements.
• Project identification and prioritization: Identifying brownfield properties and aligning assessment and cleanup activities with community redevelopment goals.
• Application development: Preparing grant narratives, developing project scopes, establishing timelines, and preparing competitive budgets.
• Environmental technical support: Conducting or coordinating Phase I and Phase II ESAs, developing cleanup strategies, and preparing ABCAs.
• Community engagement: Supporting public outreach, stakeholder coordination, and community involvement requirements.
• Grant implementation: Providing technical and programmatic support to help communities successfully manage and implement funded projects.

Early planning can make a significant difference. Starting now provides time to evaluate sites, confirm eligibility, develop realistic project scopes, coordinate partners, and prepare a competitive application before the deadline.

Let’s Talk About Your Brownfields Project

Whether your community is considering its first EPA Brownfields grant application or looking to expand an established redevelopment program, SCS Engineers can help you evaluate the opportunities and develop a strategy that aligns with your goals.

Have questions about the FY2027 guidelines or want to discuss a potential project?

• Reach out to Melissa Schick, National Partner for Brownfields and Redevelopment Funding at SCS Engineers.
• Find a Brownfields professional in your state for help.