The Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) is pleased to announce several new changes to the PPBEP Community Grant Program in the 2025-2026 award cycle. The PPBEP Community Grant Program will fund action projects that serve to restore, preserve, connect, inform, and educate.
The PPBEP Community Grant Program anticipates awarding $250,000 in total funding to help restore and protect our waters. Award amounts will range from $10,000 to $75,000. Local governments or nonstate entities (educational institutions and 501(c)3s) are eligible to submit a proposal for projects located within the Perdido and/or Pensacola watershed within Escambia, Santa Rosa, and/or Okaloosa counties.
PPBEP Community Grant updates include:
Extended Award Period
We are pleased to announce that the grant implementation period will be extended to a 15-month timeframe beginning October 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2026. Due to this longer implementation period, funding cycles will occur every two years; after the 2025-2026 cycle, the next call for applications will not occur until 2027-2028.
Voluntary Pre-Application
A Voluntary Pre-Application will support prospective Community Grant applicants by offering PPBEP staff feedback ahead of the full application period. While submission of a Voluntary Pre-Application does not guarantee funding or selection, it can help applicants strengthen their proposal by incorporating feedback in their full application.
Longer Application Period
In order to allow applicants more time to submit a pre-application, incorporate feedback, and collaborate with partners, the pre-application period will open on March 3, 2025. Applicants that submit a pre-application will receive feedback by May 15th. The full application will open on July 1, 2025 and applications are due by 11:59 PM CT on July 31, 2025. Funding for the Community Grant Program for Fiscal Year 25-26 is contingent on appropriation from the Florida Legislature. Commitment of funding for FY25-26 is not guaranteed until the state budget is approved by July 1, 2025.
The Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) is a stakeholder-driven, science-based organized charged with restoring and preserving the Pensacola and Perdido Bay Systems, and their associated watersheds. PPBEP is guided by a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), which serves as a blueprint for the restoration and preservation of the area and waterways. Through these actions, PPBEP’s vision is to create a healthy and sustainable environment, economy, and community.
The funding opportunity includes seven eligible project categories that align with the Estuary Program’s CCMP: Water Quality, Sedimentation, Habitat Restoration, Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Watershed Awareness and Education, Resilience, and Participatory Science. Over the past four years, PPBEP has awarded over $1 Million to 41 projects in the community.
For additional details and to apply, please visit https://www.ppbep.org/what-we-do/communitygrants
