FY26 EPA Brownfield Grants Applications due January 28, 2026 - CCLR provides Cost-Free Application Review!

EPA solicitations for Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup (MAC) grants are open. CCLR’s expert grant review team is ready to see your FY26 brownfield grant application! Last year, 91% of selectees in EPA Regions 9 and 10 received CCLR’s cost-free support, securing $30.9 million in funding for brownfield reuse!

• Email your FY2026 EPA Brownfield Grant Application narrative to marcreview@cclr.org
• Drafts should be complete and within 2 pages of the page limit. 
• Attach your application in Microsoft word (doc/docx) format.
• Name the file: APPLICANT NAME_STATE_GRANT TYPE_Review Request. (Exp. City of Whoville_OR_Cleanup_Review Request) 

CCLR will also provide feedback on your Narrative Information Sheet, Threshold Criteria Response, and other application materials upon request.

All applications will be reviewed on a first come, first serve basis. We recommend you send your draft by Jan 14th to ensure two rounds of edits. Applications received after Jan 14 may receive only one round of edits. Contact CCLR to let us know that you plan to apply, and submit your application as soon as possible to ensure it is reviewed.

Learn more about available funding and grant review on CCLR’s U.S. EPA Brownfields Grants page. Explore helpful resources from EPA on its MARC Grant Application Resources webpage.

Visit KSU TAB’s resources page to explore helpful hints guides to support your EPA grant application. And KSU's TAB EZ is a free online tool to generate a template for your EPA Brownfields Grant.

Recordings of two EPA webinars on minimum grant requirements and narrative criteria are now available on the MARC Grant Application Resources page.

EPA’s Tips for Writing the Narrative

• Read the entire Guidelines for the grant type for which you’re applying.
• Write as though the reader knows NOTHING about your community.
• Avoid using acronyms and technical/organizational jargon.
• Respond to the criterion where asked.
• Number pages and enumerate/identify the criterion.
• Address ALL criteria in Section 4.C. If a criterion, or part of a criterion, doesn’t apply, state that and explain why.
• The quality of the response is extremely important (see Review Criteria in Section 6.C.).
• Organize attachments, for example:
• Attachment A: Threshold Criteria Attachment
• B: Documentation of Eligibility
• Use the Application Checklist in Section 4.A. Interactive checklist also available on the MARC Grant Application Resources webpage. *Do not submit the checklist with your application*
• Readability is important! Advise 1” margins; 12 pts font; Times New Roman/Arial/Calibri font. 

Cleanup Grant Community Notification Requirements: Cleanup grant applicants must hold a public meeting before submitting your grant application, and publish a community notification at least 14 days before the application is submitted to EPA. For FY26 applications, the last date to do this is January 14, 2026. Learn More on WVU's Community Notification Page

New on CCLR’s Blog

2025 Brownfield Reuse Milestones: Last year 8 projects supported by CCLR and brownfield grants held grand openings and 4 additional projects broke ground.

How Brownfields Strengthen Green Building Goals, Sebastian Harrison's reflections from the International Greenbuild Conference

Join CCLR as a Member Company

CCLR members support our mission to champion the beneficial reuse of brownfields. Corporate or nonprofit members also benefit from visibility, recognition in our programs and events, opportunities to collaborate and speak at events and webinars, and a platform to help shape the future of brownfield reuse. Get your whole team involved! Join before March 31st to be showcased in our April Membership Appreciation Campaign!

Learn More

Honolulu Area Rail Transit hosts grand opening for Segment 2 of its elevated rail system

Segment 2 started hosting passengers in October 2025, connecting three new stations to Honolulu’s Skyline transit line. The City of Honolulu used EPA Brownfields funding to assess site conditions along the route. Congratulations to the City and community for their achievements in sustainable, local transit!

Homeless Garden Project: A Guide to Transitional Employment and Therapeutic Agriculture

California nonprofit the Homeless Garden Project developed this book as a "how to" for any organization looking to utilize farming or gardening as an avenue to address homelessness in their area. In collaboration with the City of Santa Cruz, which received a $387,600.00 ECRG site-specific investigation grant, the Homeless Garden Project is planning an expansion into Pogonip Park after remediating 20 acres of land contaminated with lead from historic skeet shooting use. Congratulations to this project which exemplifies how brownfield remediation supports community and environmental health!

Save the dates! 2026 Brownfield Conferences in Arizona and Nevada

CCLR is excited to announce two state conferences in Arizona and Nevada! Get ready to explore state specific brownfield basics and build a toolkit to revitalize vacant, underutilized, and abandoned properties. 

Arizona Brownfields Conference, April 29 & 30 in Tucson

Buy Tickets and Learn More

Nevada Brownfields Conference, May 6 & 7 in Las Vegas

Learn More

Community Land Trusts 101 - from the California Community Land Trusts Network

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 12:00 p.m. PT

Want to learn more about community land trusts (CLT)? Join this online workshop on CLT basics, the CLT landscape in California, some CLT strategies for acquiring and preserving housing and more! Read more and register.

Grow America’s Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Office Hours

Join Grow America for open office hours for your EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund. Bring your questions, opportunities, and challenges regarding Brownfields financing and redevelopment. 

Open Office Hours (2 hours)

Topic: EPA RLF Staff Succession PlanningﾠWednesday, January 21st, 2026:

3-5pm ET/12-2pm PT;ﾠRegister

Open Office Hours (2 hours)

Topic: RLF Loans and Sub-Grant ProductsﾠWednesday, February 18th, 2026:

3-5pm ET/12-2pm PT;ﾠRegister

Open Office Hours (2 hours)

Topic: Davis-Bacon and Your EPA RLﾠWednesday, March 18th, 2026:

3-5pm ET/12-2pm PT;ﾠRegister

Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI)

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. Grants are due March 12, 2026. Read more.

US Department of Transportation Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant Program

Grants for surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact. Applications due February 24, 2026. Read the notice of funding opportunity.

California Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program

Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program (SPP) Round 5 - $188.5 million has been appropriated in the 2025/26 State Budget. Subscribe to the Office of Grants and Local Services Listserv and visit the program website for more information.

EDA Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Grants — Rolling Deadline

The U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (PWEAA) programs provide grants of up to $5 million to support economic development, foster job creation, and attract private investment in economically distressed areas of the United States. Read more. 

For more information about how Sustainable Strategies DC can help your community with an EDA PWEAA application, please contact Nicole Marion at 202-261-6011.

From Next City: The Next Round of Opportunity Zones Is Coming. New Data Shows How Cities Can Help Get Them Right New research finds most Opportunity Zone dollars flow to neighborhoods that were already booming. As governors redraw the map, local communities can help zero in on the “Goldilocks” zones.

Smart Growth America: Brownfield to Brightfield Mapping Tool this interactive mapping tool combines brownfield sites from EPA’s Re-Powering data with other metrics to help identify site readiness for renewable energy generation. 

The Community Lattice Analysis of Brownfields Costs (ABC) is an interactive data tool that allows users to explore the assessment and clean-up costs of past, EPA-funded brownfields projects to inform their own project budgets.

United States Military Bases with Toxic Exposure

This mapping tool shows various toxins and related diseases for military bases across the United States. Created by Hill & Ponton, Veterans Disability Attorneys.

Developing Affordable Housing on County-Owned Land

Developed by the National Association of Counties and Smart Growth America, this guide outlines how counties can strategically use their own vacant or underutilized land to help address the nationwide shortage of affordable housing.