2026 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: Conservation Planning Assistance (Nontraditional Section 6)

About this funding opportunity

Support the development of new, or the renewal or amendment of existing, Habitat Conservation Plans and Conservation Benefit Agreements (formerly referred to as Safe Harbor Agreements and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances).

The Conservation Planning Assistance Grant program provides funding to States to support the development of new Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) and Conservation Benefit Agreements (CBAs; formerly referred to as Safe Harbor Agreements and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances). Funding may also be used to support the renewal or amendment of existing HCPs or CBAs. The development of HCPs that include only candidate or at-risk species (i.e., no federally listed species covered by the HCP), such that the HCP would be in place if the species is listed, is also supported through this program.  Funding may be used to support development and planning activities such as document preparation, public outreach, baseline species surveys, habitat assessments, and inventories. The preparation of environmental compliance review documents, such as National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), is also an eligible use of grant funds. For CBAs, outreach, coordination, and administrative costs associated with the implementation of permitted agreements is also an eligible use of funds this year. Please Note: Applicants to the 2026 Nontraditional Section 6: Conservation Planning Assistance grant program must submit a proposal through this State opportunity. CDFW will not forward proposals to USFWS that were not submitted through this solicitation. This is a federal grant program administered by the State. Federal conditions are subject to change. The timeline for the FY2026 US Fish and Wildlife Service Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: Conservation Planning Assistance Grants Funding Opportunity is set by the US Fish and Wildlife Service; it is unknown when that funding opportunity will be released. Proposals must be reviewed and approved by CDFW Regional staff. Contact your CDFW Region to coordinate on proposals. CDFW Regions will submit proposals to nccp@wildlife.ca.gov. Resources for this solicitation are based on the FY2025 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: Conservation Planning Assistance funding opportunity announcement from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (F25AS00184) and FY2025 CDFW requirements.

Topic areas: Circular Economy and Sustainability, Public Policy and Governance.

Funding amount

This grant provides $1-$1M in funding, up to $1M per award.

Deadline

Applications are due Aug 14, 2026. Confirm the exact closing time on the official program page before applying.

Who can apply

This opportunity is open to the following applicant types:

• SME
• Startups
• MidCaps
• Large Company
• Individuals
• NGOs
• Public Authorities

Eligibility

Includes State and local government agencies; private entities; institutions of higher education, including public, private, state colleges and universities; 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations; Native American tribal organizations. Private entities will require a different agreement type. Contact your CDFW Region for further information on these agreements. Statewide voluntary conservation efforts.

Agency

2026 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: Conservation Planning Assistance (Nontraditional Section 6) is administered by Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), listed via Department of Fish and Wildlife.