On September 24, 2025, Maine Coastal Program moved to the new Maine Office of Community Affairs (MOCA). Please refer to the MOCA website for all future information about Maine Coastal Program. The contents of this website will migrate to the MOCA website in early 2026.
FY2026 Grant Program
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FY 26 Program Statement (PDF)
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FY26 Questions received and answers (to be posted December 22, 2025)
The Maine Office of Community Affairs’ Maine Coastal Program (MCP) and Municipal Planning Assistance Program (MPAP) are seeking applications for coastal planning grants totaling approximately $550,000. The two grants covered by this announcement are the Shore and Harbor Planning Grant and the Coastal Community Grant. Funding for these planning grants comes from the Maine Coastal Program’s annual grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 5, 2026. All applications must be submitted via email to: melissa.britsch@maine.gov.
All questions regarding the Program Statement must be submitted by email to melissa.britsch@maine.gov by 5:00 p.m. on December 15, 2025. Responses to all questions will be compiled in writing and posted on the Maine Office of Community Affairs website by 5:00 p.m. on December 22, 2025. Only those answers issued in writing on these websites will be considered binding.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include municipalities, unorganized townships, and Tribal Governments in Maine’s Coastal Zone, as well as coastal Regional Councils. Coastal Regional Councils may submit applications on behalf of coastal municipalities, townships, or Tribal Governments. Projects that include partnerships are strongly encouraged.
For single applicants, the maximum award is $50,000 and the minimum award is $5,000; applicants may submit more than one application if the projects fall into distinct priority categories. Groups of eligible applicants (e.g., two municipalities) may submit applications for collaborative projects with a maximum award amount of $75,000. Grants are anticipated to be awarded in the first quarter of 2026, with an expected start date on or after February 23, 2026. Projects must be completed, and deliverables received by March 31, 2027.
The FY26 grants will provide resources on a competitive basis for projects that fall into the following Priority Categories:
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Conduct an assessment of the long-term hazards and risks from changing ocean conditions, storm surge, and flooding either community-wide or at critical public infrastructure, such as at boat launches, lifeline roads, etc. Collaborative projects that address regional hazards are encouraged.
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Design and create plans for resilient infrastructure either community-wide or at critical public facilities, such as at boat launches, lifeline roads, etc.
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Conduct needs assessments for use of and access to public waterfront facilities, and develop harbor management plans, mooring plans, inventories of public water access points, or plans to improve access over time. Collaborative projects that address regional needs are encouraged.
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Legal work to identify lost or contested public rights-of-way to coastal waters, such as beaches or intertidal mudflats
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Identify hazard-prone locations to integrate land conservation and public access planning, guiding development away from sensitive areas. This could include low impact development, resilient land use planning, coastal resource conservation, and planning for nature-based projects like living shorelines to manage the impacts of increased precipitation and stormwater, as well as beach, dune, marsh or bluff erosion. Collaborative projects that address regional needs are encouraged.
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Review and recommend changes to municipal land use laws or create plans to address current and future coastal hazards, including sunny day flooding, shoreline erosion, and coastal storms and storm surge. This could include conservation plans to reconnect floodplains, allowances for salt marsh migration, identification of living shoreline protection areas, completion of the Maine Flood Resilience Checklist, and updating zoning regulations to include higher freeboard requirements and other flood mitigation measures. Collaborative projects that address regional needs are encouraged.
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Assess, plan, and implement projects to reduce water quality impacts from polluted runoff in Non-Point Source Priority Watersheds listed by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection as Impaired or Threatened Marine Waters or Impaired or Threatened Streams with emphasis on shellfish growing areas.
Program Goals
The Shore and Harbor Planning Grant program provides resources on a competitive basis for shoreline access planning, waterfront and harbor planning, identification and resolution of waterfront use conflicts, and planning, feasibility, and design efforts for resilient waterfront infrastructure. Shore and Harbor Planning Grant projects are often well prepared to compete for construction funding through other sources.
FY 2025 Grantees
- Blue Hill: Sea level rise and storm resilient public wharf design
- Chebeague Island: Understanding and mitigating coastal erosion in Casco Bay’s Island Communities
- Jonesport: Henry Point working waterfront
- Kittery: Pepperrell Cove working waterfront resiliency assessment
- Monhegan Island: Resilient redevelopment of Monhegan Island’s public wharf
- Vinalhaven: Vinalhaven working waterfront infrastructure preliminary design and engineering report
Example Projects, Maps, and Funding Summary
Example projects and additional information about funded projects starting in Fiscal Year 2011
Map of funded towns
More Information
- This technical assistance program has been in continuous operation since 2000.
- For more information, please contact Melissa Britsch.