Federal Grant Opportunities: June 3, 2026 My office is sharing the following information on federal grant opportunities available to you. If you are applying for a grant that accepts Congressional letters of support, or if you are seeking additional information or guidance in your application process, please contact our office. We stand ready to assist you. Featured Grants Workshop - Fiscal Year 2025 Assistance to Firefighters GrantsPlease join Congressman Paul Tonko for an informational workshop about the FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program on Tuesday, June 9th at 2:00 PM. Congressman Tonko will be joined by a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).Please include any questions or comments you have for our agency representative when registering. After completing the registration form, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Register Here! We encourage you to share this invitation with fellow emergency responders that may be interested in attending this workshop. Featured Funding OpportunitiesHFFI Food Access and Retail Expansion Fund (HFFI FARE Fund)The HFFI FARE Fund is a program under America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative, a program of USDA Rural Development.The HFFI FARE Fund will fund projects that create or expand the following types of business models:SNAP Authorized food retailers located in eligible underserved areas that will sell an assortment of Staple and Perishable foods directly to consumersPost-harvest food retail supply chain enterprises that will distribute Staple and Perishable foods to SNAP authorized food retailers located in eligible underserved areasFunding Levels:Grants from $20,000 – $250,000 for planning and implementation projectsTechnical Assistance up to $75,000 per project for early-stage planning, predevelopment, and business assistance contractual soft costsFunding Inquiries are due no later than 11:59 PM ET, July 31, 2026.If invited to submit, full applications are due no later than 11:59 PM ET, October 30, 2026. Award notifications will be made no earlier than January 2027.NYS DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Grant Program$10 million in funding is now available through Round 17 of DEC’s UCF Grant Program. Of the $10 million dollars available for this round of grants, $3 million is set aside for communities with populations of 65,000 or less. Maximum grant awards are limited to $2.5 million and minimum awards are $50,000. Applications are due 2 p.m. on Wednesday August 12, 2026.Fiscal Year 2025 Assistance to Firefighters GrantsThe FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grants, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) and Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S) Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are now available! The application periods open TODAY, TUESDAY May 19 at 9 a.m. ET and close MONDAY June 22 at 5 p.m. ET.FEMA is hosting Application Workshops, find the schedule here!If you have any questions, concerns, or need assistance – please contact my office. Featured Local Resources and ProgrammingEFC's Community Assistance Teams: Lunch and Learn WebinarsDoes your community have water quality infrastructure that is outdated or in need of repair? Is your community experiencing issues with its drinking water system? Not sure where to start? EFC’s Community Assistance Teams can help you access state and federal funding to address your water infrastructure needs.Join EFC's Community Assistance Teams in June for Q&A sessions and a Lunch and Learn webinar series with partner agencies. Meet the expert staff who run the State's water infrastructure funding programs, learn what type of work is eligible, ask questions, and get tips and next steps to submit competitive applications.June Webinar ScheduleJUNE 9, 1-2 P.M., Lunch and Learn with EFC and the Department of Health: State Revolving Funds, Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Improvement Grant Programs, and additional programs for wastewater and stormwater projects JUNE 10, 11 A.M.-NOON, Q&A session with EFC and the Departments of Environmental Conservation, Health, State, and the Office of Homes and Community Renewal JUNE 16, 1-2 P.M., Lunch and Learn with the Office of Homes and Community Renewal: Community Development Block GrantsJUNE 23, 1-2 P.M., Lunch and Learn with the Department of State: Local Government Efficiency Program, Northern Border Regional Commission, and Appalachian Regional CommissionJUNE 26, 11 A.M.-NOON, Q&A session with EFC and the Departments of Environmental Conservation, Health, State, and the Office of Homes and Community RenewalJUNE 30, 1-2 P.M., Lunch and Learn with the Department of Environmental Conservation: Water Quality Improvement Project Program and Nonpoint Source Planning and MS4 Mapping Grant  Capital District Regional Planning Commission (CDRPC) Climate Action Webinar SeriesCDRPC is launching the Capital Region Climate Action Webinar Series 2026, a monthly webinar series highlighting key topics from the Regional Climate Action Plan.Designed for municipal officials, planners, and community members, the series will explore practical strategies that communities can use to take meaningful local climate action. Each session will focus on a different topic related to climate resilience, sustainable development, and clean energy planning. The webinars will be held on the first Wednesday of each month from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.The third session will focus on Online Tools for Sustainability Planning. An introduction to CDRPC’s Climate Action Portal and Natural Resource Inventory Mapper, showcasing how these tools track regional climate action and support sustainable land use planning. Register Here. Small Business ResourcesNYSIF Extreme Heat PPE Premium Credit ProgramLast week, Governor Hochul announced that the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF), the state’s not-for-profit workers’ compensation insurer, has launched its Extreme Heat Equipment Credit for 2026. First available in 2025, the credit is available to small businesses that purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) to safeguard employees against the effects of extreme heat. This credit is tailored to provide qualified businesses that fall within firefighting, roofing, electrical wiring, insulation work, plumbing, wallboard installation, restaurants, manufacturing, warehousing, carpentry, landscaping, and farming sector industries, where workers face elevated risks from exposure to extreme temperatures.New York Small Business Development Center (NYSBDC)For over forty years, the New York SBDC network has been the backbone for small businesses. With 20 regional centers, over 70 satellite locations, and hundreds of dedicated experts, we understand every industry, every region, and every phase of the lifecycle of a business.The Albany Small Business Development Center serves small businesses in the Capital Region. Since its start in 1984, the expert advisors of the Albany SBDC have worked directly with 28,053 businesses, helping them to invest $543,926,495 in the area's economy, and create or save 15,244 jobs.You can make an appointment for counseling by calling 518-442-7232 or filling out their online form. Federal Funding AnnouncementsThis summary includes new or updated opportunities in the following areas. Please click on the topic below to view all grant announcements:Agriculture, Food and NutritionArts, Culture and HistoryBusiness, Jobs and Workforce DevelopmentChildren, Youth, Families, Older Americans and VeteransCommunity DevelopmentCrime Prevention, Justice and Public SafetyEducationEnergy, Environment and WildlifeHealthHousing and HomelessnessInfrastructure, Transportation and WaterInternational DevelopmentScience, Technology and Research This summary has been brought to you by the Office of Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20). Does one of these grants accept Congressional Letters of Support? Please contact our office to find out how Rep. Tonko can support your request. Grant deadlines and guidelines may change. Please check with the awarding agency before applying. Please feel free to share this newsletter with others who may be interested. To join or remove yourself from this mailing list, or if you have specific grant questions, please contact Natalie Lincoln at natalie.lincoln@mail.house.gov or (518) 465-0700. image widget