Community Flood Planning

Reduce current and future coastal and precipitation-based flood risks through proactive planning (Outcome 2)

Important Notice for Applicants:
The Community Flood Planning grant is open for applications only located within Maryland’s Coastal Zone. Note that this funding opportunity is supported though federal funding and the availability of funds may change.

The Community Flood Planning grant is a financial assistance opportunity designed to help local communities understand, plan for, and mitigate the impacts of coastal, tidal, and precipitation-induced flooding.

The Community Flood Planning program supports projects that prioritize:

Actionable data - The program funds flood-focused assessments, plans, or strategies to inform land use decision-making and future green or grey infrastructure at the community, county, or municipal level.
Policy upgrades - The program provides resources for local governments to confidently adopt higher standards, update zoning laws, or implement effective adaptation strategies.
Scientific alignment - The program encourages decision-making informed by the latest science and data sources for either or both short (1-10 years) and long (10+ years) term flood impacts.
Design and implementation - In addition to planning, funding can cover best management practice siting, recommendations, and conceptual designs, which helps position local priority projects for implementation.
Community engagement - The program encourages outreach to help governments gather feedback from residents, especially those vulnerable to flood impacts, and supports building better buy-in for future initiatives.

Solicitation Details

Maximum request: $125,000

When is this proposal due?
December 11, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. EST

When is funding available?
October 1, 2027

How much funding is available?
Proposal requests typically range from $40,000 - $100,000 for projects that will be a maximum of one year in duration. If awarded, applicants should be open to either receiving direct financial support or technical assistance through a Watershed & Climate Services selected provider.

Who is eligible to apply?
County governments and local jurisdictions

Where can my project(s) be located?
At this time, eligible projects may only be located within Maryland’s Coastal Zone (see map for details). Since these are planning projects, the project area can encompass both public and private lands.

What kind of projects are supported by Community Flood Planning grant?
The Community Flood Planning grant seeks to help local governments understand and enhance their capacity to plan for coastal, riverine, and precipitation-based flood events. Flood impacts may be at the community, county, or municipal level and may be the result of current or projected high tide flooding, changing sea levels, riverine flooding, and/or an increased incidence and severity of precipitation events.

Proposed projects can support risk and vulnerability assessments to understand current and future exposure, identify and incorporate adaptation strategies into current planning processes, and develop conceptual designs or engineered solutions.

Applicants that are addressing flooding caused by tidal waters or sea level rise are strongly encouraged to use Appendix A of the Guidance for Using Maryland’s 2023 Sea Level Rise Projections report to determine flood risk tolerance and sea level rise estimate for long term projects.  Projects addressing precipitation-induced flooding should be consistent with the trends described in the Northeast chapter of the Fourth National Climate Assessment and illustrated for the project’s target area through the Projected Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) Curve Data Tool for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and Virginia. Proposed projects can plan for either or both short (1-10 years) and long (10+ years) term flood impacts.

Project outcomes and deliverables must result in risk-reduction strategies and/or higher regulatory standards that propel the implementation of identified on-the-ground adaptation projects (see program change under project review criteria).

Proposed projects should reference the jurisdiction’s nuisance flood plan, flood mitigation plan, and/or other related planning processes to show how it aligns with current context, initiatives, and goals.

Applicants are encouraged to use the MyCoast: Maryland tool/app to document current impacts and changes over time.

MyCoast App Tutorial

How is my proposal reviewed and selected for an award?

Proposal Completeness: All sections of the proposal were satisfactorily completed.
Problem and Need: The proposal describes a significant local need to address a problem resulting from present and/or future flood impacts.
Appropriateness of Proposed Work: The proposed project presents a technically and financially-feasible approach to address the defined problem and identify short-term and long-term solutions.
Use of Resources and Tools to Assess Future Conditions: Proposals addressing sea level rise provide a completed Appendix A from the Guidance for Using Maryland’s 2023 Sea Level Rise Projections. Proposals describe which tools and resources were used to develop the proposed approach.
Advances Flood Risk Reduction or Adaptation Strategies: The proposed work fits into the larger context of community efforts to reduce flood risk and impacts.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement: The proposal describes how the project will engage the local community and/or appropriate stakeholders, including the government body that has to adopt or approve the final deliverables. The proposal describes how the applicant intends to address the needs of those most vulnerable to coastal flooding and with fewer resources to address adverse impacts.
Partners: Partners are identified and have demonstrated a commitment to participate.
Program Change and Readiness to Proceed: Proposals commit to achieving a program change, which could be a change in local programs, policies or decisions that reduce vulnerability to flood impacts. The proposal demonstrates clear intent to advance any recommended/identified solutions.

What are the Required Attachments?

A Transmittal Letter on official letterhead that is signed by an executive who is authorized to request funding on behalf of the applicant organization.
Letters of support from county or town council, town administrator, county executive, and/or the decision-making body that will adopt the project outcome. Letters of support from partners are also appreciated.
Complete Budget Table.
Complete Appendix A using the Guidance for Using Maryland’s 2023 Sea Level Rise Projections (for coastal projects).
Communication and Engagement Strategy

Contact:

Leah Sheppard
[email protected]
(p) 410.260.8718