Green Infrastructure Funding and Technical Assistance Opportunities
Lack of funding is consistently cited as a barrier to implementing green infrastructure. However, because green infrastructure projects offer multiple benefits, they can qualify for a variety of federal, nonprofit, and local funding sources. Technical assistance programs can help communities prepare and apply for this unprecedented funding.
On this page:
Federal Funding Opportunities
There are many federal funding sources for green infrastructure, but most are intended to fund specific phases of a project. Explore the table below to learn about different federal funding opportunities. The Navigating Federal Funding for Green Infrastructure and Nature-Based Solutions (pdf) table summarizes federal funding opportunities prepared by the Green Infrastructure Federal Collaborative.
Resources on Obtaining Funding
There are several federal, nonprofit, and local resources to help communities explore the available funding options for green infrastructure projects and stormwater programs. The resources below are divided into four categories on this page:
- Funding Green Infrastructure Projects
- Financing Stormwater Programs
- Obtaining Technical Assistance
- Using State Revolving Funds
Funding Green Infrastructure Projects
Community-Based Public-Private Partnerships and Alternative Market-Based Tools for Integrated Green Stormwater Infrastructure: Guide for Local Governments. This document details how local governments can develop community-based public-private partnerships for green infrastructure using emerging market-based tools.
EPA's Environmental Finance Center Grant Program. This program includes 29 Environmental Finance Centers (EFCs) across the country that provided technical assistance to help communities access federal funding for infrastructure projects that improve public health and environmental protection.
EPA's Financing Alternatives Comparison Tool (FACT). This tool helps identify the most cost-effective method to fund a water infrastructure project. FACT produces a comprehensive analysis that compares financing options for the projects by incorporating financing, regulatory, and other important costs.
EPA’s Water Finance Clearinghouse. This tool is a one-stop-shop for all community water finance needs. The Clearinghouse allows users to search a database with more than $10 billion in water funding sources and over 550 resources to support local water infrastructure projects, including green infrastructure.
EPA’s Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center. The Center is an information and assistance hub, helping communities make informed decisions for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure to protect human health and the environment.
Financing Stormwater Retrofits in Philadelphia and Beyond. Developed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, this report describes Philadelphia's innovative stormwater billing structure and how it sets the stage for innovative financing mechanisms that can underwrite the capital costs of green infrastructure retrofits.
Financing Stormwater Programs
EPA’s Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Municipal Handbook, Funding Options. (pdf) This guide in EPA's Municipal Handbook series discusses two of the most common funding options that communities use to fund green infrastructure: stormwater fees and loan programs.
EPA’s Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Municipal Handbook, Incentive Mechanisms. (pdf) This guide in EPA's Municipal Handbook series describes incentives that municipalities can offer to promote implementation of green infrastructure on private properties and reduce stormwater management costs.
EPA Region 1 – Funding Stormwater Programs. (pdf) This fact sheet supplements a review of common stormwater funding mechanisms with examples from two New England cities.
EPA Region 3 – Funding Stormwater Programs. (pdf) This fact sheet supplements a review of common stormwater funding mechanisms with examples from three Mid-Atlantic cities.
Getting to Green: Paying for Green Infrastructure, Finance Options and Resources for Local Decision-Makers. (pdf) This report summarizes various funding sources that can be used to support stormwater management programs or finance individual projects. Each type of funding source is illustrated by several municipal programs and contains a list of additional resources.
Increasing Funding and Financing Options for Sustainable Stormwater Management. This report by Center for Neighborhood Technology identifies innovative funding and financing mechanisms to support communities working to improve their stormwater infrastructure.
Local Government Stormwater Financing Manual: A Process for Program Reform. This manual developed by the University of Maryland’s EFC provides a process model for local government leaders to finance stormwater programs.
Obtaining Technical Assistance
EPA's Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA). This free program can help communities plan and design projects, obtain funding for stormwater projects, and develop funding mechanisms through rates and revenue analyses and financial planning support.
Using State Revolving Funds
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Eligibility Handbook. This technical support reference handbook answers DWSRF eligibility questions for states and interested stakeholders.
Financing Green Infrastructure: A Best Practices Guide for the Clean Water State Revolving (CWSRF) Fund. (pdf) This technical support reference illustrates a variety of incentives state CWSRF programs use to encourage implementation of green infrastructure practices.
Financing Options for Nontraditional Eligibilities in the CWSRF Program. This technical support reference looks at the varied types of financial assistance available to the CWSRF programs that can be deployed to fund eligibilities that do not fall within the realm of traditional gray infrastructure.
Green Infrastructure Policy for the CWSRF Program. This memorandum establishes a national policy that promotes increased CWSRF financing for green infrastructure projects.
Navigating Green Infrastructure Maintenance with Capitalized Establishment Costs. This report shows that appropriately treating the green infrastructure establishment period as capital costs can allow projects to get CWSRF financing for the establishment period.
Overview of CWSRF Eligibilities. This technical support reference details the many projects that are eligible to receive assistance through the CWSRF program.