The Clean Water Initiative Program (CWIP) releases notice of funding opportunities from CWIP through our CWIP Grants Notification Listserv as well as through the Vermont Business Registry. CWIP no longer updates this website with funding opportunity announcements.
Please note that with few exceptions, CWIP is transitioning to use more Funding Program Administrators. As such, funding opportunities from CWIP announced through these channels are likely not appropriate for individual clean water projects seeking funds. If you have a potential clean water project that needs funding, please contact the Funding Program Administrators for the applicable Funding Programs listed below. The CWIP Funding Policy lists eligible grant and sub-grant recipients.
What is a Funding Program Administrator:
Funding Program Administrators may also be called block grantees, block grant administrators, Clean Water Service Providers, or pass-through entities. Funding Program Administrators are selected by CWIP through a competitive process to administer funding on behalf of CWIP in alignment with their responsibilities outlined in the CWIP Funding Policy. Funding Program Administrator(s) will independently release funding opportunities seeking specific project proposals from project proponents. They independently set up processes and schedules for project solicitation, prioritization, and selection in alignment with DEC and CWIP guidance. Funding Program Administrator(s) may vary in where, when, and how they announce funding opportunities.
The selected Funding Program Administrator(s) and their grants websites are listed below.
Currently Active Clean Water Project Development, Design, and Implementation Funding Programs
| Funding Program | Funding Program Purpose | Geographic Availability | Funding Program Administrator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Water Workforce Capacity Development Initiative Block Grant |
Support and invest in the capacity of our clean water partners in Vermont, both current and potential, in an equitable and inclusive way to address unmet capacity needs and ensure a strong partnership network that continues to efficiently deliver high quality and high priority clean water projects. |
Statewide | Watersheds United Vermont |
| Dam Removal Design/Implementation Block Grant | Support design and implementation of selected priority water quality Dam Removal projects from the DEC Watershed Projects Database to achieve measurable improvements to Vermont's water quality. | Statewide | Watersheds United Vermont |
| Design/Implementation Block Grant | Support design and implementation of clean water projects that reduce sediment and nutrient pollution, including phosphorus from runoff and soil erosion that discharge into Vermont's rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. This block grant is projected to sunset by 2024. | Statewide |
Mount Ascutney Regional Commission |
| Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Community Formula Grant | Assist MS4 communities with MS4 permit compliance to reduce the adverse impacts to water quality of a discharge or stormwater runoff. Grant recipients must use the grant to design and/or implement eligible stormwater management practices to help with MS4 community make progress towards phosphorus reduced targets assigned within their Phosphorus Control Plans. | N/A - Must be an MS4 community | N/A |
| Project Development Block Grant | Help project implementers line up high priority clean water projects that Clean Water Service Providers and their associated Basin Water Quality Councils (BWQCs) can consider advancing through Water Quality Restoration Formula grant funding, or that can be pursued through the Water Quality Enhancement Grant Program or other water quality grants. Learn more about Project Development. This block grant is projected to sunset by 2024. | Statewide |
Addison County Regional Planning Commission |
| Water Quality Enhancement Development, Design, and Implementation Block Grant | To support the development, design, and implementation of priority water quality enhancement projects. View the Water Quality Enhancement Grants Summary document to learn more. | Statewide (Prioritized outside Lake Champlain and Lake Memphremagog basins) |
Mount Ascutney Regional Commission |
| Water Quality Restoration Formula Grant | To award grants to Clean Water Service Providers to meet pollutant reduction requirements through funding clean water project assessments, identification, development, design, implementation, operation and maintenance. | Lake Champlain and Lake Memphremagog basins | |
| Woody Riparian Buffer Planting Block Grant | To support projects that establish, and steward forested riparian buffers. | Statewide |