FY2021 Marine Debris Removal | NOAA NOS ORR 2021 2006587

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS ORR 2021 2006587

The FY2021 Marine Debris Removal opportunity is a discretionary federal funding program run by the Department of Commerce through NOAA, specifically NOAA's Marine Debris Program within the Office of Response and Restoration (National Ocean Service). It is authorized under the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1951 et seq.) and is designed to support locally-driven projects that assess, remove, and prevent marine debris in ways that directly benefit coastal habitats, waterways, and NOAA trust resources. Rather than focusing primarily on planning or education alone, the core emphasis is on on-the-ground debris removal actions that lead to measurable, long-lasting ecological improvements.

Projects funded under this competition are expected to produce quantifiable environmental outcomes, such as improved habitat conditions and reduced threats to living marine resources. NOAA signals its highest priority for efforts that target derelict fishing gear and other medium- to large-scale debris, reflecting the fact that these items can cause persistent harm through entanglement, habitat damage, and ongoing "ghost fishing." Beyond removal, projects are also encouraged to build public and stakeholder awareness about where marine debris comes from and what impacts it has, and to contribute useful information about debris composition, distribution patterns, and ecological effects. In practice, this means proposals that pair removal with documentation, monitoring, or data collection that improves broader understanding of the debris problem align well with the program's intent.

Awards are made as cooperative agreements, which generally indicates NOAA expects a more active federal role than a standard grant, potentially including collaboration, technical input, or coordination during implementation. For FY2021, NOAA anticipated up to $2.5 million total available across the competition, with an expected eight awards. While the overall pool is relatively large, the typical federal share per project is much smaller, commonly ranging from $50,000 to $150,000, and the stated award ceiling is $250,000, suggesting NOAA is aiming to fund multiple practical, field-based projects rather than a small number of very large ones.

Key administrative details include the funding opportunity title "FY2021 Marine Debris Removal" and the opportunity number NOAA NOS ORR 2021 2006587. The CFDA listing is 11.999, and the activity categories span environment, natural resources, and science and technology/research and development. The opportunity was posted July 15, 2020, with an original closing date of December 4, 2020. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with clarification referenced in the notice's additional eligibility information, which usually means a range of non-federal applicants may be allowed depending on the specific solicitation language (for example, nonprofits, local governments, tribes, universities, and certain other organizations), but the precise eligible applicant types would need to be confirmed in the full announcement.

Overall, this opportunity is aimed at practical marine debris removal projects that can demonstrate clear ecological returns, especially where removal addresses major debris sources like derelict gear, and where the work also helps communities and resource managers better understand and reduce marine debris over time.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2021 Marine Debris Removal" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.999.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 15, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 04, 2020. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NOS ORR 2021 2006587

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