🚨 Funding alert:
Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant Program (EPA-OW-OWM-26-03) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Water, Office of Wastewater Management
EPA is offering up to $10.8 million to strengthen career pipelines and expand access to workforce opportunities across the drinking water and wastewater sectors. EPA anticipates making up to 15 cooperative agreement awards, with three-year project periods and a particular focus on workforce development in rural, small, and tribal communities.
🔧 What it supports:
Funding supports internships, registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, postsecondary bridge programs, water-sector education and work-based learning, regional workforce collaborations, and training for decentralized water workers such as private-well and septic-system professionals. Awards range from $250,000–$1 million for Project Areas 2–4 and $1 million–$7.8 million for Project Area 1.
🎯 Key focus areas include:
• Project Area 1: Internships, apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and postsecondary bridge programs for skilled water utility trades
• Project Area 2: Water workforce education and career exposure for elementary, secondary, and higher education students
• Project Area 3: Regional industry/workforce collaborations addressing recruitment, retention, unemployment, and retirement-driven vacancies
• Project Area 4: Education and training for decentralized water workers
Applicants must select one Project Area and address geographic reach and an innovative approach.
💡 Why it matters:
EPA notes that roughly one-third of the water-sector workforce may be eligible to retire within 10 years, while increasingly advanced technologies are creating demand for specialized skills. This funding creates a significant opportunity to build scalable career pathways, strengthen employer-education partnerships, earn industry credentials, and connect more people with stable water-sector careers.
📌 How to apply:
Applications are due October 5, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET through Grants.gov. Applicants need active SAM.gov registration, a UEI, and a Grants.gov account. The Project Narrative is limited to 20 pages and must address the selected Project Area, geographic area, innovative approach, partnerships, transfer of results, measurable outcomes, milestones, budget, organizational capacity, and past performance. Questions to EPA are due September 14, 2026.
👥 Who should consider this:
Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, public works departments/agencies, and nonprofit organizations, including nonprofit community colleges, labor organizations, professional/service organizations, and training and educational institutions.
The New Growth Team can help organizations assess fit, develop the right partnership and workforce strategy, and provide grant writing support to build a competitive federal proposal. Click here to reach out for a quick conversation about positioning your organization for this EPA funding opportunity.