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Coastal Resilience Grant Program

Find information on these Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) grants to advance local and regional efforts to address coastal flooding, erosion, and sea level rise.

Massachusetts coastal communities face significant risks from coastal storms, flooding, erosion, and sea level rise—challenges that are exacerbated by climate change. To help address these issues, CZM administers the Coastal Resilience Grant Program to provide financial and technical support for local and regional efforts to increase community understanding of coastal storm and climate impacts, evaluate vulnerabilities, conduct adaptation planning, redesign and retrofit vulnerable public facilities and infrastructure, and restore shorelines to enhance natural resources and provide storm damage protection. Managed through CZM’s StormSmart Coasts program, grants are available for a range of coastal resilience approaches—from planning, public outreach, feasibility assessment, and analysis of shoreline vulnerability to design, permitting, construction, and monitoring. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Coastal Resilience Grant Request for Responses (RFR) is now closed.

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Updates

NEW: Expression of Interest for FY 2027 Coastal Resilience Grants Due October 28 as part of the new ECO One Stop process

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has launched the new Environment & Climate One Stop (ECO One Stop) to simplify the grant application process for climate resilience and environmental resilience projects in Massachusetts. By consolidating multiple applications into one streamlined process, ECO One Stop allows applicants to apply to multiple grants through a single application. For FY 2027, CZM grant programs will be part of ECO One Stop. The optional, but highly recommended, Expression of Interest (EOI) allows applicants to provide a summary of a project idea and receive early feedback from relevant grant program staff before the formal application period begins in early 2026. Submit an EOI through this simple online form from now through October 28. Potential applicants can submit up to four EOIs (i.e., four project ideas). 

EEA is hosting two ECO One Stop informational webinars (each will cover the same content). CZM encourages grant applicants and partners to register for and attend one of these webinars:

The webinar will be recorded and posted to the new ECO One Stop website, which also includes an FAQ page that will be expanded to answer questions from the Q&A portion of the webinars. An additional set of webinars will be scheduled in January 2026, just before ECO One Stop releases a Request for Responses (RFR) on COMMBUYS and opens for formal applications. If you have any questions about ECO One Stop for Coastal Resilience Grants, please email patricia.bowie@mass.gov. 

New Grants Management System

All CZM grant applications must be submitted through EEA’s Grants Management System (GMS). In FY 2027, to apply for Coastal Resilience Grants, submit an ECO One Stop grant application through the GMS.

FY 2025 Grants Awarded 

On October 16, 2024, EEA and CZM announced the FY 2025 Coastal Resilience Grant awards. The funding was awarded to Barnstable, Brewster, Falmouth, Hanover, Hingham, Hull, Marblehead, Marion, Marshfield, Revere, Salem (2), The Nature Conservancy, Wareham Land Trust, Westport, and Yarmouth. Please see the CZM Press Release for more information.

Who is eligible and what types of projects are funded?

The Coastal Resilience Grant Program is open to the 78 municipalities located within the Massachusetts coastal zone, certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and Massachusetts tribal governments.

Eligible Coastal Resilience Grant projects must fall within one (or more) of the following ECO One Stop project categories: 

  1. Coastal regulatory updates - Projects to develop, amend, and implement coastal regulatory updates (e.g., local ordinances, bylaws, standards, zoning) to reduce the exposure of existing and future development and infrastructure to coastal storm damages and climate impacts.
  2. Coastal land use planning - Projects that evaluate resilient land use strategies and proactively plan and adopt measures to reduce the exposure of existing and future development and infrastructure to coastal storm damages and climate impacts. Projects that facilitate retreat of vulnerable development and infrastructure and reduce future development in hazardous areas are highly encouraged.
  3. Seawall upgrade or removal - Engineering and construction projects to upgrade or remove vulnerable municipally-owned seawalls.
  4. Coastal culvert or small bridge upgrades or removals - Engineering and construction projects to upgrade or remove vulnerable municipally-owned culverts for the primary purpose of providing increased resilience to flooding impacts.
  5. Social resilience and public outreach - Projects that develop local and regional support for the implementation of proactive resilience actions. Projects may increase community or regional understanding of coastal storm and sea level rise impacts, raise public awareness of proactive shoreline management approaches, and build effective partnerships to develop and maintain support for the implementation of proactive actions.
  6. Relocation or retrofit of coastal critical infrastructure - Engineering and construction projects that adapt vulnerable public facilities and infrastructure (e.g., port and harbor infrastructure, wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, and critical municipal roadways/evacuation routes) to reduce long-term coastal flooding and erosion impacts due to higher tides, greater storm surges, and more intense precipitation. Projects that relocate public facilities and infrastructure outside of hazardous areas and restore coastal resources are strongly encouraged.
  7. Coastal wetland restoration - Projects that evaluate suitability, design, permit, construct, and/or monitor non-structural approaches that restore or enhance natural systems to provide erosion and flood protection services provided by public beaches, dunes, coastal banks, salt marshes, shellfish, and other habitat types. Projects must be on publicly accessibly property and specifically address current erosion and flooding impacts of public facilities and infrastructure and be able to adapt as sea level rises (e.g., build up or shift landward).
  8. Other - Applicants may propose projects that evaluate vulnerable public facilities and infrastructure or conduct regional vulnerability assessments that align with ResilientCoasts using best available techniques, data, and climate projections (e.g., sea level rise and precipitation). 

What projects have been funded?

What resources are available to help identify issues and develop resilience strategies?

CZM encourages applicants to review the following information when developing a proposal for this grant program:

  • CZM Grant Viewer - This interactive map provides information on Coastal Resilience Grant projects. Pop-up boxes provide details on each grant award and information can be sorted by grant program, category (such as construction type, design & permitting, habitat restoration, and more), and year that mapped data are available.
  • EEA Climate Grant Viewer - This viewer shows MVP Planning and Action grants as well as other grant programs offered through EEA that work to build local resilience. To find climate vulnerability assessments, select the MVP Grant Program section of the viewer, choose the Planning Grants tab, and then click on a community to open a pop-up box with a link to “More info.”
  • MassGIS Environmental Justice Viewer - This interactive map identifies Environmental Justice populations (i.e., low income, minority, and English isolation) throughout Massachusetts.
  • CZM Coast Guide Online - This online map includes public access sites that are owned by government agencies and non-profit organizations along the coast.
  • Massachusetts Climate Change Clearinghouse - This website provides access to climate change adaptation resources and a map viewer, which includes sea level rise projections and Massachusetts Coast Flood Risk Model (MC-FRM) layers. Applicants should review sea level rise projections and MC-FRM layers and specify which scenarios are being utilized.
  • 2023 ResilientMass Plan - This 2023 plan is an innovative State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan and identifies strategies and specific, measurable actions state agencies can take to address risks to the human health and safety, communities, critical assets and infrastructure, natural resources, governance, and economy of the Commonwealth. This plan aims to ensure the Commonwealth is prepared to withstand, rapidly recover from, adapt to, and mitigate natural hazard events. The 2023 ResilientMass plan is the 5 year update to the 2018 State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (SHMCAP) and integrates data, information, and findings of the 2022 Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment.
  • ResilientCoasts - This website includes information on the ResilientCoasts Initiative including public meetings and materials to date. Presentation slides include the goals of the initiative.
  • Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report - This 2011 report provides a broad overview of climate change impacts and includes a coastal chapter with a range of potential strategies to address sea level rise and coastal storms.
  • Massachusetts Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Viewer - This interactive viewer displays community facilities and infrastructure along the Massachusetts coast that are vulnerable to coastal flooding from sea level rise and storm surge.
  • StormSmart Properties fact sheets - These fact sheets provide information on a range of measures that can effectively reduce erosion and storm damage while minimizing impacts to shoreline systems. The techniques currently covered are:
  • StormSmart Coasts - This website includes additional information on assessing the vulnerability of coastal properties to erosion and flooding, tools for local officials to improve coastal floodplain management, options for coastal property owners to effectively reduce erosion and storm damage while minimizing impacts to shoreline systems, information on landscaping options for controlling erosion and storm damage, interactive maps of erosion along the Massachusetts coast, and more.

What is the proposal deadline (and other important dates)?

The FY 2026 Coastal Resilience Grant application period is now closed. Applications were due by June 18, 2025. Project awards are expected to be announced this fall.

The FY 2027 ECO One Stop Expression of Interest (EOI) period is now open through October 28, 2025. Applicants interested in applying for Coastal Resilience Grant funding for projects starting in FY 2027 are strongly encouraged to submit an EOI form. To submit an EOI, please see the ECO One Stop website. The ECO One Stop RFR is expected to be released in early 2026. 

What is the anticipated level of funding?

CZM anticipates applicants will be able to request up to $2,000,000 in funding per project. Ten percent of the grant request will be required for all applicants. Exceptions to the match requirement may apply to Tribal governments and designated rural and small towns. Match may be cash or in-kind contributions or a combination of the two provided by the applicant and direct project partners.

What do proposals typically include?

Specific proposal requirements will be provided in the ECO One Stop RFR. Previous proposal requirements have included the following:

  • A brief description of community’s current vulnerability and approach to management of erosion and flooding hazards including any climate adaptation efforts.
  • A description of the issue(s) or problem(s) and the need for assistance.
  • A detailed description of the proposed project that identifies the project type, as well as the selected sea level rise scenario(s), if applicable, and how the project will benefit the public and public interests.
  • A description of the transferability of the proposed project (i.e., how the project approach, techniques, and products can be used by other coastal communities facing similar issues).
  • A detailed timeline with anticipated completion dates for the project.
  • A detailed budget and explanation of how the funding and technical assistance provided by CZM and other project partners will ensure success of the project. Applicants must provide 10% of the grant request with in-kind services and/or cash. Exceptions to the match requirement may apply to Tribal governments and designated rural and small towns.
  • The name of a qualified individual who will serve as the local project manager and point of contact, along with resumes for the local project manager and other staff who will work on the project.
  • Support letters from all relevant local boards, departments, commissions, and other partners that include their commitment to participate in the project as necessary.

How do I apply?

Proposals seeking Coastal Resilience Grant funding will need to complete an ECO One Stop application through EEA’s Grant Management System (GMS). The application will be available once the ECO One Stop RFR is released (anticipated in early 2026). To access the GMS for the first time, grant applicants must create a username and password and have their profile validated, which could take several days to complete. See EEA’s Grants Management System web page for details.

Contact Information

For more information or general programmatic questions, please contact the grant program staff. CZM can help potential applicants develop project ideas up until the RFR for the grant year is released. Please contact the grant program staff and the CZM Regional Coordinator for your community for project technical assistance (email is the preferred contact method):

Grant Program Staff

Patricia Bowie
Coastal Resiliency Specialist
patricia.bowie@mass.gov
Phone: (617) 890-9147

CZM Regional Coordinators

Kathryn Glenn
North Shore Regional Coordinator
kathryn.glenn@mass.gov
Phone: (617) 947-9169

Joanna Yelen
Boston Harbor Regional Coordinator
joanna.m.yelen@mass.gov
Phone: (617) 845-7962

Jason Burtner
South Shore Regional Coordinator
jason.burtner@mass.gov
Phone: (617) 694-1767

Stephen McKenna
Cape Cod & Islands Regional Coordinator
stephen.mckenna@mass.gov
Phone: (617) 872-1680

Sam Haines
South Coastal Regional Coordinator
samuel.haines@mass.gov
Phone: (617) 694-8235

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