Program Overview

EPA’s Brownfields Program provides funding to help States, Tribal Nations, communities, and nonprofit organizations prevent,
inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield sites. A brownfield site is defined in CERCLA § 101(39) as real property
where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance,
pollutant, contaminant, controlled substance, petroleum, or petroleum product, or is mine-scarred land.

A key focus of the Brownfields Program is ensuring that residents in communities historically affected by economic disinvestment,
health disparities, and environmental contamination have the opportunity to benefit from brownfields redevelopment.

What the Assessment Coalition Grant Supports

Assessment Grants provide funding for developing inventories of brownfield sites, prioritizing sites, conducting community
involvement activities, planning, site assessments, site-specific cleanup planning, and developing reuse plans related to
brownfield sites. A portion of Assessment Grant funding must be used to conduct site assessments.

Assessment Coalition Grants are designed for one lead eligible entity to partner with two to four eligible entities
that do not have the capacity to apply for and manage their own EPA cooperative agreement and otherwise would not have access to
Brownfields Grant resources.

Eligible Activities

Funded activities may include:

• Developing and maintaining inventories of brownfield sites
• Prioritizing sites and developing strategies to move sites toward reuse
• Community involvement activities to support transparent decision-making
• Planning activities related to brownfield sites
• Conducting environmental site assessments (required use of a portion of funds)
• Developing site-specific cleanup plans
• Developing reuse plans tied to redevelopment outcomes

Cost Sharing Requirements

There is no cost share or matching funds requirement under this program.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include the following entity types (subject to the NOFA’s detailed definitions and requirements):

• General Purpose Units of Local Government
• Land Clearance Authorities or quasi-governmental entities operating under local government supervision/control
• Government Entities created by a State Legislature
• Regional councils or councils of governments established under governmental authority
• Redevelopment Agencies chartered or sanctioned by a State
• States
• Federally recognized Indian Tribes (and eligible Intertribal Consortia, subject to EPA policy)
• Alaska Native Regional and Village Corporations, and the Metlakatla Indian Community (see FY26 FAQs referenced in the NOFA)
• 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under 501(a)
• LLCs/LPs structured entirely under eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit ownership requirements (as described in the NOFA)
• Qualified community development entities as defined in IRC section 45D(c)(1)

Note: Individuals, for-profit organizations, and nonprofit organizations that are not tax exempt under section 501(c)(3)
are ineligible to receive Brownfields Assessment Grants.

Funding Details

• Total Funding Available: $58,700,000
• Maximum Award: $1,500,000
• Application Deadline: February 27, 2026

For full eligibility rules, application instructions, and official updates, applicants should review the EPA FY26 guidelines for
Brownfield Assessment Grants (Assessment Coalition Grants) on the official posting (e.g., Grants.gov and EPA Brownfields guidance).

How LEC Partners Supports EPA Brownfield Assessment Coalition Applicants

LEC Partners supports communities, public agencies, and nonprofit-led coalitions pursuing complex federal funding opportunities.
For coalition applications in particular, successful submissions typically depend on clear partner roles, credible site pipelines,
and an implementation plan that is realistic to manage under a cooperative agreement structure.

• Eligibility review and coalition structuring support (lead entity + partners)
• Site pipeline development, prioritization approach, and readiness screening
• Scope definition for assessment, planning, and community engagement activities
• Risk and compliance considerations tied to cooperative agreement management
• Narrative development aligned to program objectives and community outcomes

Our approach emphasizes feasibility, defensible assumptions, and implementation readiness—so the application reads as a plan that can
be executed, not just proposed.

Questions We Often Get About Assessment Coalition Grants

Further Reading

LEC Insights

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