The NC Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Coastal Management (DCM) is accepting applications for FY2027 funding through the North Carolina Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Program. The BIG Program provides competitive grant funding to construct, renovate and maintain boating infrastructure serving transient recreational vessels 26 feet or longer.
The BIG Program in North Carolina was administered by the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) from 2002 to 2024. Administration of the program has since transitioned to the Division of Coastal Management (DCM), which has been awarded federal funding to develop and implement the program in North Carolina.
Funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, the BIG Program helps improve public access to North Carolina's coastal waters while supporting recreational boating, tourism and local economies.
Eligible applicants include public and private marina owners and operators, local governments, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education and other entities that own or operate eligible boating facilities within North Carolina's 20 Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) counties. Eligible projects may include transient docks, piers, gangways, mooring buoys, breakwaters, wave attenuators, utilities, restrooms, showers, pump-out facilities, dinghy docks, signage and other boating infrastructure that directly benefits eligible transient recreational vessels.
DCM is accepting applications for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 funding opportunities. Tier 1 awards provide up to $300,000 in federal funding per project within North Carolina, while Tier 2 awards provide up to $1.5 million in federal funding and are nationally competitive. DCM will evaluate and rank eligible applications before submitting the highest-ranked proposals to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for consideration.
Application deadline: Friday, Aug. 28, by 5 p.m.
Applicants should review the Request for Applications (RFA) for eligibility requirements, application instructions, submission information and additional program information on the North Carolina Boating Infrastructure Grant Program website.
DCM will host an informational webinar to review the application process, eligible projects, program requirements, evaluation criteria and answer questions.
Webinar: Wednesday, July 15, 3 –5p.m.
For questions about the North Carolina Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Program or the application process, email NCBIG@deq.nc.gov.
For questions about grants issued prior to 2024, please contact the Division of Marine Fisheries.