Ocean and Coastal Mapping Center 2026
Grant Opportunity Analysis
NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey is seeking proposals for a single cooperative agreement to establish the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Center 2026 and advance national ocean and coastal mapping capabilities. The work centers on developing, integrating, and transitioning innovative technologies and workflows that improve hydrographic and cartographic data accessibility, interoperability, usability, and product delivery. The award is planned as a five-year, multi-year cooperative agreement for a U.S. institution of higher education, with selection based on administrative and expert review of technical merit, applicant qualifications, project costs, and broader impacts, and the proposal includes strict content requirements and a Buy America Preference for infrastructure components. Proposals are due May 11, 2026, with approximately $8.5 million in total anticipated funding, and applicants must complete SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons registrations before submission.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible funding applicants are institutions of higher education in the United States. To be eligible to apply or receive an award, applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations; SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. For each, the complete registration process can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants must begin this activity as soon as possible and well before the proposal due date. For more information on how to meet these registration and application submission requirements without errors, we advise all to carefully review relevant Applicant and Grantee Training modules: https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training. Additionally, we advise that all carefully read ‘Additional Application Package Forms’ within the ‘Full Proposal Required Elements’ section below.