About

This program provides funding to governmental entities for professional and technical services necessary to produce a high quality RRG grant application which leads to a project that conserves, manages, develops, or protects Montana’s renewable resources.

The DNRC will be accepting RRG planning grant applications starting August 18th, 2025 at 8am.

Before applying, please read the RPG Application Guidelines.

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Eligible Applicants:

  • Cities, counties, or other political subdivisions
  • Tribal governments in Montana
  • Divisions of state government 
These governmental entities have included cities, towns, counties, conservation districts, irrigation districts, joint boards of control, and state agencies

Eligible Projects:

Eligible funding types are specified in MCA 85-1-602. Grants may fund the following types of projects: 

  • Feasibility, design, research, and resource assessment studies. 
  • Preparation of construction, rehabilitation, or production plans. 

Examples of Eligible Projects:

  • New Preliminary Engineering Reports meeting the requirements of the Uniform Application for Montana Public Facility Projects
  • New Technical Narratives meeting the Step 4. "Technical Presentation" Requirements of the RRGL Application 
  • Updates to existing PER’s and Technical Narratives
  • Capital Improvement and Growth Plans
  • Studies, Assessments, etc. 
  • Watershed Restoration Plans and Watershed Restoration Project Plans
RRGL Planning Grant Funds

RRGL Planning Grant Funding

Preliminary Engineering Report (PER)

Technical Narrative

Update to Existing PER or Technical Narrative 

Capital Improvement Plan or Growth Plan

Study, Assessments, etc. 

Watershed Restoration Plan

Watershed Restoration Project Plan

$40,000

$30,000

$20,000

$15,000

$15,000

$40,000

$30,000

  • DNRC allows only one grant per planning effort. An applicant may submit more than one application per cycle for clearly distinct projects.  
  • DNRC may not reimburse the full planning grant amount if the agency determines a grant recipient’s final planning document does not meet the  standards described in the RRG Planning Grant Guidance
  • RRG Planning Grants can only reimburse eexpenses for ttechnical or engineering services. 
  • No match required.
How to Apply 
Please see application guidance. Submit applications through the online grant management system:  grants.dnrc.mt.gov 
All applications MUST be received though the online grant management system. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Application Materials: 
Application Review and Award 
DNRC solicits, evaluates, and ranks each application.  Funds are awarded based on rank and available funding.

Grantee Information

Start Up Information 

  1. Uniform Budget Spreadsheet - Excel Spreadsheet Form
  2. Scope of Work - Guidance Document
    • Planning Grant Scope of Work examples - Coming soon! 
  3. Funding Commitments - Guidance Document 
  4. Grant Management Plan
  5. *Conditions of Award as identified in your DNRC award letter

Grant Management

Reimbursements 

  • Reimbursement requests are accepted via Submittable with a “request form” which the recipient can initiate at any time under their submission (see Filling out Forms
    • Please note that the DNRC will reimburse the Planning Grant recipient a maximum of 50% of the total grant amount for incurred expenses once the grant receipt submits a draft planning document. DNRC will reimburse the balance of the grant funds upon receipt of an approved final planning document.
  • See the DNRC Reimbursement Guidance Document but please note that some matters identified in this document may not apply to RRG Planning grants (i.e. progress reports) 

Reporting 

  • DNRC does not require quarterly or more frequent progress reports for Planning Grants.

Amendments

Additional Information

 Previous Application Cycles

Planning Grant Reference Materials

Request for Proposal Template

 

 

Contact Us

Katherine Certalic
Katherine Certalic
RRG Planning Grant Program Manager
406-444-3146
406-594-9306 (cell)
kcertalic@mt.gov