The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Fiscal Year 2025 focusing on Young Fishermen’s Career Development Projects. With an anticipated federal fund allocation of approximately $1,000,000, the initiative seeks to support 2-3 projects that enhance career opportunities for young fishermen in the U.S. and territories. Each project can receive up to $400,000, requiring a 25% non-federal match. Projects should address skill development through training in areas such as seamanship, sustainable fishing practices, and maintenance. Eligible applicants include state, tribal, local organizations, and educational institutions, but federal agencies cannot receive direct funding. Deadline for application submissions is April 23, 2025, with funded projects expected to commence no earlier than September 1, 2025. The review process will evaluate project relevance to NOAA’s goals, technical merit, qualifications of applicants, project costs, and outreach capabilities. Successful proposals should prioritize diversity, community benefits, and engagement with underrepresented groups in the fishing industry. This funding opportunity exemplifies NOAA's commitment to fostering a robust and sustainable fishing workforce, ensuring the next generation of commercial fishermen are equipped to succeed.

The NOAA Grants Management Division provides detailed budget narrative guidance for applications regarding federal grants, emphasizing the need for accurate justification of expenditures categorized under various object classes. Applicants must align budget narratives with forms SF-424A (for non-construction awards) or SF-424C (for construction awards), ensuring total costs are clearly articulated, calculated, and justifiable. Key budget categories include personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, and contractual costs, each requiring specific documentation to substantiate expenditures' relevance to program objectives. Notably, proposed costs must be reasonable, allowable, and necessary. The document outlines conditions for direct charging of administrative costs, requirements for travel justifications, equipment justification criteria, and distinctions between subawards and contracts. It emphasizes the importance of providing substantial detail for multi-year funding requests and cost-sharing obligations, with all documentation subjected to federal regulations outlined in 2 CFR §200. The guidance aims to streamline proposal submissions while ensuring compliance with federal standards for grant applications.