The Ecological Parameters in the Forested Wetlands of Southern Florida opportunity, offered through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Fort Worth District, seeks qualified organisations to support research and conservation activities on military installations. This cooperative agreement is issued under Assistance Listing 12.005 – Conservation and Rehabilitation of Natural Resources on Military Installations and is available exclusively to members of the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program.

Overview

The project will examine ecological parameters within forested wetlands of southern Florida, with work performed under a CESU Master Agreement. A cooperative agreement will be awarded upon mutual agreement and acceptance of the terms and conditions contained in the request for proposal and the recipient's CESU Master Agreement. The established CESU Program indirect rate is 17.5 percent.

Responses to this Request for Statements of Interest will be used to identify potential organisations. A full proposal and budget are not requested at this stage; only a Statement of Interest demonstrating qualifications and capability is required.

Funding and Benefits

Approximately $575,000 is expected to be available to support the base period (mandatory and optional task 5). The award minimum is $575,000, and the award maximum is $3,177,238. Additional funding may be available for optional tasks and follow-on work in subsequent years. One award is expected. Cost sharing or matching is not required.

Eligibility

This opportunity is available only to Cooperative Ecosystem Study Units (CESU) under the Gulf Coast, Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast, and South Florida-Caribbean regions. Eligible applicant categories include "Other."

Period of Performance

The base period of agreement will extend 12 months from the date of award. There may be up to four 12-month follow-on periods, contingent upon availability of funding.

Application Process

Applicants must submit a Statement of Interest demonstrating available qualifications and capability for performing similar or same type of work. A full proposal and budget are not requested at this time. Statements will be reviewed by a board comprising one or more people at the receiving installation or activity to determine which statement best meets program objectives, offers the most highly qualified Principal Investigator, and demonstrates the most relevant experience and capability. Submitters whose statements are determined to best meet the program objectives will be invited to submit a full proposal.

All statements of interest received from a member of the identified CESU regions will be evaluated. RSOIs are required to be posted on Grants.gov for 30 days prior to the Government making a decision and requesting full proposals.

Deadline and Timeline

• Statements of Interest due: June 5, 2026, at Noon Central Time
• Questions due: May 13, 2026
• Opportunity posted: May 6, 2026
• Archive date: July 5, 2026

Contact Information

Submit Statements of Interest via e-mail or direct questions to:

• Yvonne Howard, Grants Specialist, USACE Fort Worth District – Yvonne.Howard@usace.army.mil
• Nicole (Niki) Baker, Project Manager, USACE Fort Worth District – Nicole.D.Baker@usace.army.mil

Grantor: Cheryl Vendemia – cheryl.r.vendemia@usace.army.mil; Phone: 817-253-3341

Funding opportunity number: W9126G262SOI9383