Assistance Listing 11.429
Marine Sanctuary Program
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Department of Commerce
The verdict for a small nonprofit
Worth applying, even as a first-time applicant. 52% of awards go to organizations new to this program, and nonprofits win 40% of them.
Based on 54 new awards in FY2023–25. Organizations under $1M in revenue won 29% of the awards that went to nonprofits. The median award is $99,857. Expect about 84 days between posting and deadline.
- First-time winners
- 52%
- of new awards, last 3 FYs
- Nonprofit share
- 40%
- 17% higher ed · 16% gov't
- Under-$1M orgs
- 29%
- of nonprofit awards
- Median award
- $100K
- $90K – $2.6M middle half
- New awards, FY2025
- 11
- $28M committed to them
- Usually posts
- Nov
- annual · 84-day window
Open right now under this program
Nothing open · from Grants.gov, checked every 10 minutes
Who won in FY2025
Largest recipients by dollars. From USAspending.
| Recipient | Type | State | Awards | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redacted DUE to PII | Individual | CA | 8 | $1,127,760 |
| University of Wisconsin System | Higher ed | WI | 4 | $387,369 |
| Michigan Technological University | Higher ed | MI | 4 | $356,506 |
| Redacted DUE to PII | Individual | NC | 3 | $465,300 |
| Redacted DUE to PII | Individual | HI | 3 | $435,700 |
| Cascade Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group | Nonprofit | WA | 3 | $381,402 |
| Eastern Michigan University | Higher ed | MI | 3 | $320,000 |
| National Marine Sanctuary Foundation | Nonprofit | MD | 2 | $59,762,506 |
| Feiro Marine Life Center | Nonprofit | WA | 2 | $18,000,000 |
| Marin County Office of Education | Government | CA | 2 | $530,000 |
New awards by fiscal year
Awards first made in each fiscal year; dollars are the total committed to that year's new awards over their life.
| FY | New awards | Committed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35 | $3.4M | $80K | $62K – $99K |
| 2022 | 35 | $49M | $100K | $80K – $169K |
| 2023 | 28 | $4.0M | $143K | $99K – $174K |
| 2024 | 15 | $19M | $100K | $79K – $144K |
| 2025 | 11 | $28M | $100K | $90K – $2.6M |
Past rounds
Every announcement under this listing that Grants.gov still lists. Use it to plan next year.
| Posted | Closed | Window | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-30 | 2025-04-14 | 105 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2025-29638 · 2025 Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training |
| 2024-10-23 | 2025-01-31 | 100 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2025-28878 · 2025 NOAA Hawaii Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program |
| 2024-09-27 | 2025-02-14 | 140 d | NOAA-ONMS-NFS-2025-28612 · FY25 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program |
| 2023-11-08 | 2024-02-01 | 85 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2024-2008257 · 2024 Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training |
| 2023-11-03 | 2024-03-01 | 119 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2024-2008201 · Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) for Indigenous Communities 2024 |
| 2023-11-03 | 2024-02-29 | 118 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2024-2008196 · 2024 NOAA Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program |
| 2023-11-01 | 2024-01-31 | 91 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2024-2008250 · The 2024 NOAA Hawaii Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program |
| 2023-10-23 | 2023-12-20 | 58 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2024-2008244 · FY24 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program |
| 2022-12-19 | 2023-02-23 | 66 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2023-2007548 · 2023 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program- Build Capacity for Implementing Climate Literacy in Classrooms |
| 2022-12-19 | 2023-03-01 | 72 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2023-2007760 · Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) for Indigenous Communities |
| 2022-11-23 | 2023-02-07 | 76 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2023-2007704 · 2023 Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training |
| 2022-10-24 | 2022-12-22 | 59 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2023-2007653 · FY23 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program |
| 2022-06-28 | 2022-09-20 | 84 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2023-2007351 · 2023 NOAA Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program |
| 2021-12-14 | 2022-02-18 | 66 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2022-2007153 · 2022 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program |
| 2021-11-15 | 2022-02-04 | 81 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2022-2007128 · 2022 Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training |
| 2021-10-19 | 2021-12-14 | 56 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2022-2007101 · FY22 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program |
| 2021-06-02 | 2021-09-09 | 99 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2022-2006929 · Great Lakes B-WET program FY22 |
| 2020-12-17 | 2021-02-16 | 61 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2021-2006749 · 2021 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program |
| 2020-12-17 | 2021-02-15 | 60 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2021-2006747 · 2021 Pacific Northwest Bay-Watershed Education and Training |
| 2020-06-09 | 2020-08-21 | 73 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2021-2006522 · Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program FY21 |
| 2019-10-08 | 2019-12-13 | 66 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2020-2006254 · 2020 Pacific Northwest Bay-Watershed Education and Training |
| 2019-10-07 | 2019-12-13 | 67 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2020-2006239 · FY20 Dr Nancy Foster Scholarship Program |
| 2019-10-02 | 2019-12-11 | 70 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2020-2006237 · 2020 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program |
| 2019-05-07 | 2019-07-12 | 66 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2020-2006058 · Great Lakes B-WET Program FY20 |
| 2019-01-31 | 2019-04-05 | 64 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2019-2005886 · 2019 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program |
| 2018-10-19 | 2018-12-21 | 63 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2019-2005862 · 2019 Pacific Northwest Bay-Watershed Education and Training |
| 2018-10-18 | 2018-12-17 | 60 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2019-2005832 · FY19 Dr Nancy Foster Scholarship Program |
| 2018-05-29 | 2018-07-23 | 55 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2018-2005606 · FY18 Deep-Sea Exploration, Characterization, and Education in National Marine Sanctuaries Using Telepresence |
| 2018-05-21 | 2018-07-27 | 67 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2019-2005603 · Great Lakes B-WET Program |
| 2017-10-17 | 2017-12-15 | 59 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2018-2005412 · 2018 Pacific Northwest Bay-Watershed Education and Training |
| 2017-10-11 | 2017-12-20 | 70 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2018-2005385 · 2018 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program |
| 2017-10-04 | 2017-12-08 | 65 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2018-2005346 · FY18 Nancy Foster Scholarship Program |
| 2017-04-04 | 2017-06-02 | 59 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2018-2005158 · Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training Program (B-WET) FY18 |
| 2016-11-01 | 2017-01-04 | 64 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2017-2005088 · 2017 Pacific Northwest Bay-Watershed Education and Training |
| 2016-10-20 | 2016-12-09 | 50 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2017-2005070 · FY17 Nancy Foster Scholarship Program |
| 2016-09-20 | 2016-11-18 | 59 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2017-2005059 · 2017 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program |
| 2015-12-11 | 2016-02-11 | 62 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2016-2004700 · 2016 Pacific Northwest Bay-Watershed Education and Training |
| 2015-11-04 | 2016-01-29 | 86 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2016-2004696 · FY16 Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training Program |
| 2015-10-14 | 2015-12-16 | 63 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2016-2004702 · 2016 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program |
| 2015-10-05 | 2015-12-10 | 66 d | NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2016-2004680 · FY16 Nancy Foster Scholarship Program |
Common questions
How hard is it to win a grant under 11.429?
Worth applying, even as a first-time applicant. 52% of awards go to organizations new to this program, and nonprofits win 40% of them. Based on 54 new awards in FY2023–25. Organizations under $1M in revenue won 29% of the awards that went to nonprofits. The median award is $99,857. Expect about 84 days between posting and deadline.
How much does Marine Sanctuary Program award?
In FY2025 the median new award was $100K; the middle half ran from $90K to $2.6M. 11 new awards were made, with $28M committed to them.
When does 11.429 usually post?
Over the last several years, new rounds most often posted in Nov with about 84 days to apply. The most recent round posted Dec 30, 2024.
Who runs this program?
Department of Commerce (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Assistance Listing 11.429 on SAM.gov describes the authorizing statute and standard terms.
Sources: USAspending FY2021–25 award archive (2026-10-06); Grants.gov Search2 (fetched 2026-10-28); IRS EO BMF (fetched 2026-10-28). Award counts are new awards by fiscal year of first action. Shares are computed from award counts, not dollars; the under-$1M share covers the 90% of nonprofit awards that matched an IRS revenue record. Recipient type comes from the award record's business-type codes. Always confirm details in the official announcement.