General Questions
What is the ECO One Stop?
The ECO One Stop is a joint application that provides eligible grant applicants with a simplified, single point of entry for various climate and environmental resilience grants. This integrated process includes:
- Expression of Interest (EOI): An optional, but highly recommended, initial step to share your project idea and receive early feedback.
- Centralized Grant Application: A single application to be considered for multiple funding opportunities.
- Strategic Funding Identification: EEA will work to match as many projects as possible that advance climate resilience and environmental priorities with the most suitable funding source.
Why did we create the ECO One Stop?
The ECO One Stop is an action created under the ResilientMass Plan aiming to increase access to climate resilience and environmental protection funding across the Commonwealth. This action was informed by feedback from EEA’s Community Climate Advisory Council (CCAC), as well as focus groups and surveys conducted with various stakeholders including municipalities, Tribal Governments, regional planning agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
Which grant programs are participating in the ECO One Stop?
At this time, the ECO One Stop encompasses the applications for the following grant programs. The list may grow in the future.
- EEA Dam & Seawall
- EEA MVP Action
- CZM Coastal Resilience
- CZM Coastal Habitat & Water Quality,
- EEA Cooling Corridors
- DER Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance
- EEA Planning Assistance
What is the timeline for the ECO One Stop application process and its awards?
- Optional Expression of Interest (EOI) Period: September 8, 2025 – October 28, 2025
- Formal Application Period: Expected early 2026
- Award Notifications: Expected summer 2026
Who is eligible to apply through the ECO One Stop?
The following types of entities are eligible for one or more of the grants in ECO One Stop. Please see a chart below, or on the ECO One Stop webpage, for what types of entities are eligible for which grants.
- Municipalities
- Districts
- Public Boards or Commissions
- Tribal Governments
- Regional Government or Planning Agencies
- Certified 501(c)3 Nonprofits
- Public or Private Schools or Universities
*Non-municipality applicants to MVP Action, aside from Tribal Governments, must apply for projects that align with an MVP plan and include a letter of support from the municipality/ies related to the project.
**Projects applying to CZM Coastal Resilience must be located in a Massachusetts Coastal Zone.
***Projects applying to CZM Coastal Habitat and Water Quality must be located in a Massachusetts Coastal Watershed. Non-municipality applicants must be directly partnering with a municipality.
What types of projects are appropriate for submission to the ECO One Stop?
The ECO One Stop supports a wide variety of projects focused on climate resilience, environmental protection and restoration in Massachusetts communities. Project types that may be a good fit for one or more of the grants covered by the ECO One Stop include, but are not limited to:
- Culvert or small bridge upgrade and removal
- Dam removals
- Energy resilience
- Land acquisition
- Regulatory updates such as municipal bylaw and ordinance updates that reduce climate risk, protect natural resources, or improve water quality
- Relocation or retrofit of critical infrastructure
- Social resilience and public outreach
- Stormwater management (e.g. green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, structural Best Management Practices)
- Tree planting projects
- Wetland restoration
- And more!
Can I still apply to the ECO One Stop grants outside of the One Stop system?
The ECO One Stop is the only application for the participating grant programs. The benefit of the ECO One Stop is that you can be considered for multiple grant programs at once if your entity and project type are eligible for more than one program.
Can applicants be awarded funding from multiple ECO One Stop grants?
Yes, applicants who apply through the ECO One Stop will be considered for funding by all of the participating grant programs for which they are found eligible, and in rare cases may receive awards from multiple grant programs.
Is a match required for ECO One Stop grants?
All of the grants participating in the ECO One Stop require a 10% match of the grant amount of either cash or in-kind contributions. Exceptions to these match requirements apply for Tribal governments and designated rural and small towns.
How do I know which grant programs my project is best suited for?
If you are unsure which program(s) your project is best suited for, you can fill out an Expression of Interest to receive direct feedback from EEA staff on your project and which grant program(s) might be the best fit. Outside of the EOI process, you can review our ECO One Stop grants catalogue to learn more information about each of the featured grants to assess which one(s) align best with your project.
Do different participating grant programs have different maximum funding limits? What are the funding limits for the different grants?
Each grant program has its own funding limits. You can find detailed information about the funding limits for each grant in the ECO One Stop Grants Catalogue.
Where can I find more information about the individual grant programs included in the ECO One Stop?
The ECO One Stop Grants Catalogue provides detailed information about each of the participating grant programs including what types of projects it funds, who can apply, funding duration, funding amount limits, indicators of a strong application, and any specific information reviewers will look for in response to particular application questions. We highly recommend referring to the Grants Catalogue throughout the EOI and application processes to understand which grant programs may be the best fit for your project and what criteria those programs will look for in your application.
Additionally, once the formal application period begins in January 2026, we highly recommend reviewing the upcoming ECO One Stop RFR for additional details about each of the programs and their review criteria.
Are applicants limited in how many different applications they can submit through ECO One Stop?
No, applicants can submit applications to ECO One Stop for as many different projects as they would like.
However, due to EEA staff capacity to provide feedback before the RFR is posted, applicants may only submit up to four EOIs for different projects. If an applicant has more than four different projects for which they are interested in submitting ECO One Stop applications, we recommend prioritizing the top four projects for which the applicant wishes to receive feedback as your EOIs.
Is there a limit to how many of the ECO One Stop grant programs my project can be eligible for?
No, there is no limit to how many of the ECO One Stop programs a single project can be eligible for. We expect that many projects may be eligible for multiple programs at once.
Should applicants with projects that are eligible for multiple grant programs base their budget on the highest or lowest maximum funding limit?
Each grant program will maintain its own maximum funding limit. Information on funding limits for each grant can be found in the Grants Catalogue. For applicants applying for consideration by multiple grant programs, it is recommended that applicants be mindful of the differences in funding limits across grants when putting together their proposed budgets. In addition, applicants should understand that projects with budgets that fall within the funding limits of multiple grants may be more competitive for multiple grant programs.
In rare cases a large or regional project may be considered for awards from multiple programs if the budget requested exceeds a single program maximum amount.
Will all of the participating grant programs in ECO One Stop now be run on the same timeline?
Yes, all seven of the grant programs participating in the ECO One Stop will run on the same award timeline. Below is the expected timeline for all programs:
- October 28 at 11:59pm – Expression of Interest (EOI) period closes
- Late October 2025 through early January 2026 – EOI feedback calls take place
- January 2026 – Formal application period opens; RFR posted to COMMBUYS
- March 2026 – Formal application period closes; review begins
- June 2026 - Announce awards
Where can I watch the recording of the informational webinar?
Click here to watch the recording from our October 1 informational webinar and view the webinar transcript.
Who can I contact if I have questions while completing the Expression of Interest (EOI) or formal application?
Prior to posting the formal application (expected January 2026) you may submit any questions to ecoonestop@mass.gov.
Once the formal application opens, the Request for Responses document posted to Commbuys will outline the process and timeline for submitting questions. Answers will be posted to Commbuys.
Questions About the Expression of Interest (EOI) Process
Is the Expression of Interest (EOI) required?
Participation in the EOI process is strongly encouraged for all applicants. However, EOI participation is not required to apply through ECO One Stop.
Is there a PDF version of the EOI form available so that applicants can view the full set of EOI questions before filling out their form?
Yes, click here to view a PDF of the full EOI form.
Will the EOIs be submitted through the same portal as the formal application?
No, the EOI form will be submitted through a Microsoft Form. The formal ECO One Stop application will be submitted through EEA’s Grants Management System (GMS) once the formal application period opens in January 2026.
Who will be in attendance at my EOI feedback call? How is that decided?
Upon receiving your EOI, representatives from each of the ECO One Stop grant programs will review your answers to understand which programs might be the best fit for your project. In your feedback call, one representative from each of the grant(s) your project is a good fit for will be present to discuss your project and give details about their respective programs.
When will my EOI feedback call take place?
EOI feedback calls will be held between the end of October and early January. In the weeks after you submit your EOI, you will receive an email from the ECO One Stop team inviting you to schedule your 30-minute feedback call via a Microsoft Bookings calendar. You will be offered a selection of times on a Monday and Wednesday approximately two weeks from the date when you are sent the invitation. These emails will be sent out on a rolling basis, so don’t worry if you do not hear from us immediately after the EOI period closes.
Are Regional Planning Agencies and other non-municipality applicants limited to submitting only 4 EOIs? Does this depend on if the entity is the actual applicant versus if they are applying on behalf of a municipality?
Based on staff capacity, EOI submissions are limited to four per applicant. Therefore, each municipality can submit up to four EOIs themselves, and other non-municipal entities can also submit up to four EOIs each.
If a non-municipal applicant has more than four projects for which they would like to submit an EOI, they may have their municipal partner submit the EOI instead, which would then count toward that municipality's four EOI cap. The applicant who submits the EOI for a project is not obligated to be the same lead applicant who submits the formal application.
Questions About the ECO One Stop Application
When will the full formal application questions be available?
The full ECO One Stop application will be made available in January 2026 when the formal application period opens.
Will there be a PDF version of the RFR and full application questions so that applicants can view the full set of questions before filling out their application in GMS?
Yes, a PDF version of the full application and RFR will be made available when the RFR is posted in January 2026.
How will ECO One Stop applications be reviewed?
Each application will be reviewed and scored separately by review teams for each participating grant for which it is deemed eligible. Each grant program’s review team will have access to an applicant’s full application including all general and program-specific questions and attachments. Review teams for different grant programs may use different scoring criteria when evaluating the same applications.
Questions About the Grants Management System (GMS)
Within the Grants Management System (GMS), can multiple people from the same organization collaborate on one application?
Yes. Users in the same organization will be able view and edit their application(s). In addition, applicant organizations will be able to invite consultants such as grant writers or engineers to assist them with their application(s).