Grant Basics
Who is eligible to apply?
BIG Program funds are available to public and private agencies and marinas and other facilities that provide transient tie-up opportunities for non-trailerable (26' or over in length) recreational boats.
When is the application deadline?
The application deadline is August 1. The BIG Program is funded through the Wallop Breaux Trust Fund. All grant proposals for both Tier I and Tier II projects, are due to the ODNR Division of Watercraft, ATTN: BIGP, 2045 Morse Road Building A-2, Columbus OH 43229-6693, by August 1.
Where do funds come from?
Authorized by Congress during the summer of 1998, The Sport Fishing and Boating Safety Act authorizes this competitive grant program. Funds come from the Sport Fish Restoration Account of the Aquatic Resources (Wallop Breaux) Trust Fund. The funds result from a Federal excise tax on fishing equipment and motorboat fuels.
How are funds awarded?
All funds are awarded to an appropriate State Agency as a reimbursement grant. For Ohio, The Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft is designated as the administering agency for the BIG Program. The Division of Watercraft encourages local units of government and private facilities to participate in this program by submitting grant requests for transient facilities.
These federal funds can be used to reimburse up to 75% of the approved project costs. The remaining "matching" funds must come from state or local sources. For projects with local units of government and private facilities, the local partnering agency will provide the matching funds. The local partnering agency constructs the project, pays the contractor, and is reimbursed up to 75% of the invoice costs by the Division of Watercraft.
Two levels of funding within BIG Program
There are two levels of funding within the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program:
Tier I: An annual maximum of $100,000 is available to each applying state under the Tier I portion of the BIG Program. States must submit projects that meet program requirements, but they are not competing for the funds against other states. Tier I is designed for smaller projects that add transient boating infrastructure to the area.
Tier II: The remainder of the BIG Program annual funding ($8 million nationally, less whatever is awarded under Tier I) is typically awarded to larger projects under Tier II. Tier II projects that qualify at the state level are then competitively judged at the national level. Top scoring projects are awarded an eligible for funding status by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Awarded projects are fully funded as long as funds are available.
Please note: While both tiers of the BIG Program are very competitive; the level of national competition within Tier II is especially high. Successful projects are of a superior nature and are submitted with very thorough applications. To be competitive in Tier II, we recommend that even the best projects be submitted with a substantial percentage of matching dollars.
We recommend that if you are considering applying for a Tier II project that you contact us early in the application process so that we can provide assistance on the details of your application.
When can the project begin?
Applicants cannot start a project until entering into formal agreement with ODNR. No reimbursement will be given for any work performed prior to entering into a formal agreement with ODNR. The formal agreement is a document (see sample agreement) signed by both the grant recipient and the Director of the Department of Natural Resources. Any costs incurred prior to the Director signing this agreement are the responsibility of the applicant and will not be reimbursed by ODNR. ODNR will send the applicant a fully executed agreement with a formal letter stating permission to proceed with the project. Although each agreement/contract is negotiated separately, a sample agreement is provided for reference. |