Boating Infrastructure Grant Program (BIGP)

The Boating Infrastructure Grant Program (BIGP) provides essential funding for the construction and maintenance of boating facilities for transient recreational vessels 26 feet and longer. Established under the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998, it supports projects in all U.S. states and territories, ensuring public access and enhancing boating infrastructure. Eligible activities include docks, fueling stations, and environmental assessments, promoting safe and accessible boating experiences.

This program was created under the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 to provide funding to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (States) for the construction, renovation and maintenance of boating infrastructure facilities for transient recreational vessels at least 26 feet long that are operated, leased, rented, or chartered primarily for pleasure.
The purpose of the BIG is to construct, renovate, and maintain boating infrastructure facilities for transient recreational vessels at least 26 feet long. Projects completed using BIG funds must provide public access.
Eligible activities
Examples of potentially eligible activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Boat slips, piers, mooring buoys, dinghy or courtesy docks, day docks, and gangways;
• Fuel stations, restrooms, showers, utilities, laundry facilities and similar amenities;
• Lighting, communications, buoys, beacons, signals, markers, signs; security features;
• Floating or fixed breakwaters, wave attenuators, sea walls and other improvements that provide a harbor of safe refuge;
• Planning, permitting, engineering, cultural, historic and environmental studies or assessments necessary to construct boating infrastructure;
• Equipment and structures for collecting, disposing of, or recycling liquid or solid waste from eligible vessels or for eligible users;
• Retaining walls, bulkheads, pilings, living shorelines;
• Debris deflection structures, water hazard removal;

Dredging necessary to fulfill the purpose and objectives of the project can qualify as an eligible action only if all dredging-related actions do not exceed $200,000 in Federal funds;
Maintenance of facilities during the project period;
Repair or restoration of roads, parking lots, walkways, or other surface areas damaged as a direct result of BIG-funded construction;
Information and education materials specific to BIG or a BIG-funded project that credits BIG as a source of funding;
Recording the Federal interest in BIG-funded real property; and
Administration, coordination, and monitoring of BIG awards.

Eligibility

Who May Apply: Public and private agencies that provide transient tie-up (15 days or less) opportunities for large recreational boats 26 feet or greater in length.The maximum Federal award under BIG Tier 2 – National is 75 percent of the total allowable project cost up to $1.5 million.

Ineligibility

Ineligible ActivitiesComplete a project that does not provide public benefits, for instance, a project that is not open for use by the public;
Implement or support law enforcement activities;
Significantly degrade or destroy valuable natural resources or alter the cultural or historic nature of the area;
Support operations of a BIG-funded facility including routine custodial activities, service worker salaries, facility administration, utilities, rent, taxes, or insurance;
Develop a State program plan to construct, renovate, or maintain boating infrastructure;
Acquire land or any interest in land;
Construct, renovate, or maintain roads or parking lots, except as described at 50 CFR 86.11(a)(1);
Construct, renovate, or maintain boating infrastructure for: stores, food service or other retail businesses, lodging, facility administration or management;
Construct, renovate, or maintain facilities for boat transportation, storage, repair or other services;
Purchase or operate service boats to transport boaters to and from mooring areas;
Conduct certain marketing activities that do not focus on BIG or the BIG-funded facility (see 50 CFR 86.16(a)(8);
Purchase supplies and other expendable personal property not directly related to
achieving the project objectives; or
Support other activities that are inconsistent with the purposes of BIG or that are inconsistent with Federal Cost Principles (see 2 CFR part 200, subpart F).