National Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program (BREP) - FY2025 | NOAA NMFS FHQ 2025 28846

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS FHQ 2025 28846

The National Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program (BREP) - FY2025 is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA (National Marine Fisheries Service), focused on practical, engineering-based solutions that reduce bycatch in U.S. fisheries. The program is designed to move beyond general conservation research and instead support the development, testing, and refinement of real-world technologies and fishing practice changes that can be adopted by fisheries and used by managers. The underlying goal is to help fisheries operate more selectively by catching the intended species while avoiding or minimizing the unintended capture of other fish and protected wildlife, and while also reducing damage to sensitive habitats and invertebrate communities.

BREP places strong emphasis on reducing bycatch of fish as well as protected species, including Endangered Species Act-listed fish, marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles. It also explicitly includes efforts to reduce impacts to invertebrates and habitat-forming organisms such as sponges, deep-sea corals, and shallow (tropical) corals. In addition to preventing incidental capture in the first place, the program is also interested in projects that reduce the harm that occurs when bycatch does happen, including approaches that lower injury and mortality during capture and after release (post-release mortality). In practical terms, this could include gear modifications, changes in deployment or retrieval methods, deterrent devices, escape panels, alternative hook or net designs, improved handling and release tools, or other engineered solutions that can be demonstrated to reduce interactions and improve survivorship.

A key point in this opportunity is that projects should lead to outcomes that can directly influence management needs of federally managed living marine resources. That means BREP is looking for work that is relevant to fisheries management decisions, compliance needs, or measurable conservation outcomes tied to federal management frameworks. Projects that can generate usable results for managers, such as validated performance metrics, clear guidance for implementation, or evidence that supports adoption in a specific fishery, are aligned with the stated intent of the program.

This opportunity will be administered as a cooperative agreement, which typically means NOAA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period compared with a standard grant. While the specific form of involvement can vary, applicants should generally be prepared for coordination with NOAA staff, potential collaboration on project design or evaluation, and structured reporting or data-sharing that helps ensure the results are applicable to management and program goals.

The opportunity number is NOAA NMFS FHQ 2025 28846 and it is listed under CFDA (Assistance Listing) 11.427. The program sits in the Environment, Natural Resources, and Science and Technology research and development space. The funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-09, with an original application closing date of 2024-12-13. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $350,000. The posting indicates “ExpectedAwards:” but does not provide a specific number in the source data provided, so prospective applicants would typically confirm anticipated award counts and total available funding in the full announcement.

Eligibility is broad and includes individuals, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, foreign public entities or foreign organizations, and state, local, and U.S. territorial governments, as well as Alaska Native and Indian tribal governments. A clear restriction is that federal agencies or federal instrumentalities are not eligible to receive federal assistance under this notice. In short, the program is open to a wide range of academic, industry, community, and governmental partners, as long as the applicant is not a federal entity, and as long as the proposed work is aimed at practical bycatch reduction or reduced harm from bycatch with outcomes that are meaningful for federal fisheries management.

• The DOC NOAA - ERA Production in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program (BREP) - FY2025" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.427.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-12-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $350,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NOAA NMFS FHQ 2025 28846

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