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The PPM Blog

EPA Brownfield Funding Opportunities: What’s New for 2026?

Contributed by Jolene Brown, Grant Writer, PPM Consultants

In July, EPA announced some updates for the 2026 Brownfields Grant cycle. For communities nationwide, this opens fresh possibilities for tackling environmental challenges and boosting local economies. With a decade of experience navigating EPA grants, I am here to break down what is new this year in five key grant categories: Community-wide Assessment (CWA) Grants, Assessment Coalition Grants, Community-wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes (CWAGST), Cleanup Grants, and Multipurpose Grants.

Community-Wide Assessment Grants
CWA Grants support communities in assessing and planning for brownfield reuse. No changes were announced for CWA Grants. Funding limits remain at $500,000 per application, and the performance period is still up to four years.

Assessment Coalition Grants
Coalition grants encourage partnerships between entities to maximize brownfield assessment impacts. This category of grants had the most changes from last year.

  • Increased Funding Cap: Coalition grants can now reach up to $1.5 million, up from $1.2 million in 2025, enabling larger collaborative projects. The performance period, up to four years, remained the same as 2025.
  • Eligibility Changes: In 2025, only specific entities such as state or county governments and regional councils could serve as coalition leads. For 2026, those restrictions were removed, allowing any eligible coalition entity to serve as lead, which simplifies the coalition-building process.
  • Defined Target Areas: Coalition members must specify clear, non-overlapping target areas across at least three different municipalities or jurisdictions.
  • Lead Member Authority: The lead entity must have legal authority (via laws, ordinances, or written agreements) to use grant funds for activities outside its own geographic boundaries if those areas belong to coalition partners. The requirement for legal permission was clearer and more direct this year.

Overall, these enhancements simplify collaborative projects and help ensure equitable resource distribution.

Community-wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes (CWAGST)
CWAGST Grants specifically assist states, federally recognized tribes, and native corporations in addressing brownfields. Just like with CWA Grants, no changes were announced for 2026 CWAGST Grants. Funding limits remain at $2 million per application, and the performance period is still up to five years.

Cleanup Grants
Cleanup Grants turn contaminated sites into valuable community assets. Funding remains the same as 2025, either $500,000 or up to $4 million, to address one or more brownfield sites. Here is what is new and important in 2026.

  • Enhanced Site Documentation: Applicants must provide clear and sufficient site characterization by June 15, 2026.
  • No Cost Share Requirement: Using similar language as in 2025, EPA announced that a 20 percent cost-share may be required, but is waived for (Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup) MAC Grants in 2026 per the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. While oddly worded, the takeaway is there is no cost-share requirement in 2026.

Multipurpose Grants
Multipurpose Grants are perfect for communities looking to address specific revitalization areas, like neighborhoods or commercial corridors. Like CWA and CWAGST Grants, no changes were announced for 2026 Multipurpose Grants. Funding limits remain at $1 million per application, and the performance period is still up to five years. Also, the $40,000 match is still not required, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

diagramUnderstanding the Spending Milestone Requirements
While not new for 2026, the spending milestone requirements are important to understand. For CWA, Assessment Coalition, CWAGST, and Multipurpose Grants, EPA requires that current recipients demonstrate they have drawn down and disbursed a minimum percentage of their existing grant funds by October 1, 2025, to apply for new funding. CWA, Assessment Coalition, and Multipurpose Grants must show 70 percent of each current cooperative agreement has been spent. CWAGST Grants must show 60 percent of the current cooperative agreement has been spent.

These thresholds apply regardless of whether the applicant is seeking the same grant type again, another type of Assessment Grant or a Multipurpose Grant, or applying for an Assessment Coalition Grant as a lead or non-lead member. However, these milestones do not affect eligibility for Cleanup Grants. Cleanup Grant applicants must instead meet separate site-specific eligibility and ownership requirements.

Final Thoughts
The 2026 EPA Brownfield Grant cycle offers exciting potential to transform environmental liabilities into thriving community assets. With these updated guidelines and substantial federal support, there has never been a better time to take action.

If you are thinking of applying or need help crafting a successful strategy, I am here to help. I have seen firsthand how these grants can create meaningful, lasting community impacts.

Stay informed, plan strategically, and seize these exciting opportunities!

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About the Author
Jolene is a Brownfield Specialist at PPM Consultants in Pensacola, Florida. For 10 years, she has helped communities secure EPA Brownfields funding by crafting their redevelopment story and organizing goals into clear, fundable strategies. She also enjoys photography, graphic design, web development, and cheering from the sidelines of her local youth baseball community.

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