EPA Grants for Climate and Environmental Justice Initiative in Maine
Request for Proposals and rolling applications are open now!
First round of applications are due February 14, 2025.
Environmental Justice for New England is a Thriving Communities EPA federal grantmaking program that aims to counter historical disinvestment in communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis including communities of color, immigrant communities, Indigenous communities, low-income, and rural communities. The grant program aims to break down barriers to access federal funding for climate and environmental justice projects. $48 million is available for New England states to address a wide range of environmental issues.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) and application are available now for the Environmental Justice for New England grant making program. Click here to learn more. Navigate to the Grants tab at the top of the page to view the Request for Proposals and to submit your application. The application can be submitted in written, audio, or video format. The RFP will soon be available in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
Eligible applicants include:
Community-based and grassroots Nonprofit organizations (includes fiscally sponsored projects)
Local governments
Tribal governments
Native American organizations
Institutions of higher education
Philanthropic and civic organizations with nonprofit status
Tiers and Funding Levels
click the plus (+) sign to learn about each funding level. RFPs will soon be available in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. We will add them here when available. Please email ejgrantsnewengland@hria.org if you or someone you know needs materials in one of these languages.
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Up to $150,000 for up to one year for Assessment Projects. View the Request for Proposals here.
May, but not required to, address multiple environmental issues. These will be fixed cost awards, based on deliverables, cost reimbursement or a combination of both.
Examples include but not limited to: Research • Sampling • Testing • Monitoring • Investigations • Surveys and Studies • Community surveys and focus groups or other forms of community engagement.
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Up to $250,00 for 1-2 years for Planning Projects. View the Request for Proposals here.
May, but not required to address multiple environmental issues (e.g., air quality, water contamination, toxic substances). Can include plan formulation, partnership development activities, community engagement and public education to address those environmental issues. These will be cost reimbursement grants with payments available on a monthly basis.
Examples include but not limited to: Planning • Partnership building • Developing communications and outreach plans • Developing curricula, toolkits, or guidelines • Developing social media content, producing videos, or printed materials • Hosting events and gatherings • Building or strengthening partnerships and collaboration • Creating local advisory committees • Engaging in public review or comment periodsDeveloping or updating disaster resilience plans, emergency preparedness plans, or other community planning and visioning efforts • Coordination with community stakeholders to address environmental issues • Training activities for community organizations and community members • Projects and activities to spur community involvement (e.g., cleanups of vacant lots) • Smaller land purchases and acquisitions that require less than half of the total amount of subgrant funding
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Up to $350,000 for up to 2 years for Implementation of Projects. View the Request for Proposals here.
May, but not required to address multiple environmental issues These will be cost reimbursement grants, with payments available on a monthly basis.
Project Development: will support implementation of feedback from community planning and research. Projects may have educational and outreach components but must focus on developing tangible community assets or providing defined community benefits. Examples: • Strengthening cumulative impact, public health, or environmental justice protections • Increasing access to healthy food Reducing the use of pesticides or toxic substances • Cleaning up contaminated sites • Conducting healthy home assessments; increasing energy or water efficiency in homes or buildings • Developing community energy or water efficiency programs; installing water filters • Developing community gardens • Creating community resilience hubs • Installing green infrastructure projects; • Creating internships or implementing workforce development programs • Up to 50% of the grant can be used for relevant property acquisition or purchase.
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Up to $75,000 for six months to two years for the Seed Fund. View the Request for Proposals here.
These will be fixed cost awards, based on deliverables.
Community-based organizations eligible for this category are defined as those that are comprised of four or less paid fulltime staff members (or the equivalent with more staff; stipended volunteers do not count) at the time of application and are located in and/or works in a community identified by the Climate Justice and Economic Screening Tool (CJEST) as disadvantaged in or have rationale for why they are on this map. For example, trainings, community meetings, development of a report. If you are seeking to apply for this type of grant, stop here and see the RFP and Application for the Seed Fund. Also please reach out to discuss your application if you would like to discuss your proposal.
Register for the informational webinars
Introducing EPA Environmental Justice Grant Opportunities
Thursday, December 12, 10am-11:30am
Register here
Introducing EPA Environmental Justice Grant Opportunities
Monday, December 16, 12-1pm
Register here
How to prepare for grant submission
Thursday, January 16, 12-1pm
Register here
How to submit a grant proposal
Wednesday, January 29, 12-1pm
Register here
Questions? Need Assistance?
MEEA’s Communications Coordinator Emory Harger is on the EJ for NE governance council and is here to support anyone interested in accessing this funding. Email them at emory@meeassociation.org and they can point you in the right direction.
Land Peace Foundation, a Wabanaki-led organization, is EJ for NE’s Anchor Organization for applications in Maine and is also a resource for support.
Email the EJ for NE program directly at ejgrantsnewengland@hria.org
Sign up for a consultation with the New England Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center.
