2025 South Florida Program | EPA I R4 SFL 2025 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA I R4 SFL 2025 01

The 2025 South Florida Program is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) focused on improving water quality and aquatic habitat across the South Florida ecosystem. The program is specifically limited to projects carried out within the 16 counties that overlap with the South Florida Water Management District, so proposals need to be clearly tied to that geography and the ecosystem restoration needs in that region. Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement, which typically means EPA expects an active partnership role during the project period rather than a simple pass-through grant relationship.

The EPA is prioritizing demonstration projects that produce tangible, practical outcomes, especially efforts that use applied science frameworks and are designed to advance, test, and scale future interventions. In other words, the program is not just looking for planning documents or purely theoretical work; it is looking for on-the-ground or operational projects that can show measurable results and help build a roadmap for broader implementation. Strong proposals will likely be those that can show how a tested approach could be expanded or replicated to support longer-term restoration and management objectives in South Florida.

A central expectation of this opportunity is scientific and statistical rigor in evaluation. Projects should include well-designed studies, surveys, research, investigations, and/or monitoring that allow outcomes to be assessed credibly. Where it makes sense for the type of work being proposed, EPA is looking for pre- and post-project monitoring and data collection, along with dissemination of results, so that the work contributes to the broader evidence base used by EPA and its partners. The intent is not only to measure whether a project worked, but also to generate follow-on research questions and insights that improve future decision making related to restoring water quality and aquatic habitat in the South Florida ecosystem.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under the title "2025 South Florida Program" with Funding Opportunity Number "EPA I R4 SFL 2025 01" and CFDA (Assistance Listing) number 66.484. It is categorized as an environmental funding activity and is open to "Others" as eligible applicants, which generally indicates eligibility extends beyond only state or local governments (applicants should verify the specific definitions and eligibility requirements in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, particularly Section 2, which is referenced in the description). The original application closing date is March 16, 2026. EPA anticipates making about 12 awards, and the maximum award amount (ceiling) is $1,000,000 per award.

Overall, this funding opportunity is geared toward applied, results-driven work in South Florida that can demonstrate measurable improvements or actionable learning, backed by rigorous evaluation and monitoring. Competitive projects will typically be those that combine practical restoration or intervention activities with solid study design and clear plans for collecting, analyzing, and sharing data that can guide future restoration strategies across the region.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment, iij sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2025 South Florida Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.484.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-01-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-03-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for EPA I R4 SFL 2025 01

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