USDA NRCS Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (WMBP)
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
$100,000–$1,000,000
Grants of $100K–$1M to wetland mitigation bank sponsors, including small businesses, for banks serving agricultural producers.
WMBP provides competitive grants to bank sponsors to develop and establish wetland mitigation banks for use by agricultural producers who need to comply with wetland conservation (Swampbuster) provisions. Eligible sponsors include small businesses and for-profit entities that own or control suitable land. NRCS is making $3 million available in FY 2026 for approximately seven awards. Priority is given to banks in states with significant wetland-compliance demand.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $100,000 – $1,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Most awards fall between $150,000 and $500,000, scaled to the size of the proposed mitigation bank, credit demand, and leverage from the sponsor.
- Deadline
- FY2026 NOFO closed September 8, 2026; next NOFO not yet posted
- Status
- closed
- States
- Nationwide
Who qualifies
- State and local governments, federally recognized tribes, nonprofits, universities, and for-profit organizations including small businesses
- Applicant must be a bank sponsor that will develop and establish a wetland mitigation bank for agricultural producers
- Bank must serve producers with wetlands subject to Food Security Act conservation-compliance provisions
- Priority is given to banks in states with significant numbers of individual wetlands, wetland acres, and conservation-compliance requests
- Active SAM.gov/UEI registration required
Who is not eligible
- Entities that do not own or control suitable land for wetland bank development
- Banks intended primarily for non-agricultural mitigation buyers
- Projects that do not meet NRCS wetland mitigation banking standards
How it compares with other federal grants
Of the 109 federal grants we track, the USDA NRCS Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (WMBP) has the 50th-largest published amount ($1M, the same as the median across the 99 that publish one). Applying takes about 67 hours by our estimate, close to the 80-hour median. It needs no cash match, though 37% of federal grants do. Like 92% of federal grants, it needs SAM.gov registration.
- Top amount
- $1M · 50th largest of 99
- Median, federal grants
- $1M
- Hours to apply
- About 67 · peers' median 80
- Cash match
- Not required · 37% of peers require it
- SAM.gov
- Required · 92% of peers require it
Source: the GrantCompass catalog of 770 US programs. Browse grants in the catalog.
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Restoration, creation, or enhancement of wetlands for mitigation credits
- Site preparation, earthwork, and water-control structures
- Native vegetation establishment
- Monitoring and adaptive management during the development period
- Long-term site maintenance and protection
- Engineering, design, and permitting costs directly tied to bank establishment
Ineligible expenses
- Land acquisition (sponsor retains ownership; grant does not buy land)
- Credit marketing or sales activities
- Costs incurred before award start date
- Activities not directly tied to bank establishment
How to apply
-
1
Assess site and market demand
Identify land suitable for wetland restoration, creation, or enhancement and confirm demand from agricultural producers needing compliance credits in your state or service area.
~12 hrs
-
2
Register in SAM.gov and Grants.gov
Obtain or renew UEI and active SAM.gov registration, then complete Grants.gov registration. Start early; registration can take several weeks.
~4 hrs
-
3
Prepare bank-development proposal
Draft the project narrative, wetland banking instrument, credit methodology, budget, and environmental documentation. Show long-term site maintenance and credit-release schedule.
~40 hrs
-
4
Submit via Grants.gov by September 8, 2026
Upload the SF-424, narrative, budget, and all required attachments. Submit at least 48 hours before the deadline.
~3 hrs
-
5
Negotiate grant agreement and establish bank
If selected, execute the grant agreement and begin bank development. NRCS reimburses eligible costs as incurred.
~8 hrs
Target the 11 priority states listed in the NOFO and secure pre-award letters from local NRCS state offices or Farm Service Agency staff confirming producer demand — demand evidence is often the decisive scoring factor.
Deadline & timing
Posted July 23, 2026. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. SAM.gov/UEI registration is required. Priority states listed in the NOFO include Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
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Required documents
- SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance
- Wetland mitigation bank proposal and banking instrument
- Line-item budget and budget narrative
- Site characterization and hydrologic design
- Credit-release schedule and long-term maintenance plan
- Evidence of landownership or control
- Active SAM.gov UEI and registration
Related programs
This program is not taking applications today — these are
Alternatives computed from the live GrantCompass catalog on November 1, 2026 — all 170 open grant programs · filter the database.
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Last updated October 30, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.