Billing Code 3510-G1
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice of Matching Fund Opportunity for Ocean and Coastal Mapping and Request
for Partnership Proposals
AGENCY: National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of matching fund opportunity; request for proposals.
SUMMARY: This notice invites non-Federal entities to partner with the ocean and
coastal mapping programs of NOAA’s National Ocean Service on jointly-funded projects
of mutual interest, and establishes selection criteria and submission requirements for such
projects under the NOAA Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan Ocean Mapping Fund
program. With this funding opportunity, NOAA will match selected non-Federal partners
at a 70:30 NOAA:partner ratio for projects totaling up to $1,000,000, and proposing to
contract for ocean, coastal and/or Great Lakes mapping data. Selected non-Federal
partners further benefit from this opportunity by leveraging NOAA's contracting (NOAA
has a pool of pre-qualified technical experts in surveying and mapping) and data
management expertise. This ocean and coastal mapping funding opportunity is subject to
the availability of funds.
DATES: Project proposals, including any optional GIS files of the proposed project
areas, must be received via email at the email address listed in the ADDRESSES section
below by 5 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on October 11, 2024. If an entity is unable to apply
for this particular opportunity, but is interested in participating in similar, future
opportunities, NOAA requests a one-page statement of interest, also by October 11, 2024.
Please include all required components of the proposal in one email. Incomplete and late
submissions will not be considered.

After reviewing the project proposals, NOAA will issue its decision on the
proposals, which are subject to the availability of funding, on November 18, 2024.
Between December 2024 and January 2025, NOAA will work with the project partners it
selects to develop agreements to facilitate the transfer of funds for the projects. By March
2025, these agreements will be finalized. Between June and September 2025, non-Federal
partners will transfer their matching funds to NOAA. Between January and September of
2026, NOAA will issue task orders to its survey contractors for the partner projects.
NOAA will host an informational webinar and office hours to provide more
information about the matching fund opportunity and answer any questions:
●

August 1, 2024: Informational Webinar at 1 p.m. ET. To participate,
please register at
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8298435806847389269.

●

September 13, 2024: Virtual office hours between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
ET. These office hours will present an opportunity for interested entities to
validate their proposals with experts before submitting a project proposal.
In advance of September 13, 2024, register for a 30-minute time slot by
emailing iwgocm.staff@noaa.gov.

NOAA also welcomes questions at any point before the proposal submission
deadline at iwgocm.staff@noaa.gov.
ADDRESSES: Project proposals must be submitted via email to
iwgocm.staff@noaa.gov.
The following is a list of documents that applicants may find useful and the websites
where they may be found:
● the National Ocean Mapping, Exploring and Characterizing Strategy (NOMEC),
the Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy (ACMS) Implementation Plan, and the

Office of Coast Survey Strategic Plan: https://iocm.noaa.gov/about/strategicplans.html;
● the Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP):
https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/Ocean-Climate-ActionPlan_Final.pdf;
● the U.S. Bathymetry Gap Analysis: https://iocm.noaa.gov/seabed-2030bathymetry.html;
● the U.S. Interagency Elevation Inventory: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/unitedstates-interagency-elevation-inventory-usiei;
● the U.S. Mapping Coordination site: fedmap.seasketch.org;
● OCS’s Hydrographic Surveys Specifications and Deliverables publication:
https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/standards-and-requirements.html;
● NGS’s Shoreline Mapping Specifications and Deliverables:
https://geodesy.noaa.gov/ContractingOpportunities/cmp-sow-v15.pdf;
● the International Hydrographic Organization Standards for Hydrographic
Surveys, Special Publication 44: https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s44/S-44_Edition_6.1.0.pdf; and
● NOAA’s Equitable Climate Services Action Plan:
https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/NOAA-ECSAP-Final.pdf.
More information on NOAA’s surveying and mapping contracting vehicles is available at
https://iocm.noaa.gov/planning/contracts-grants-agreements.html, along with background
information, questions and answers, and slides on this funding opportunity.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
or to register for the September 13, 2024 office hours, contact Ashley Chappell, NOAA
Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping, at iwgocm.staff@noaa.gov, or (240) 429-0293.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background
NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey (OCS) and National Geodetic Survey
(NGS) are responsible for conducting hydrographic surveys and coastal mapping for safe
navigation, the conservation and management of coastal and ocean resources, and
emergency response. NOAA has considerable hydrographic and shoreline mapping
contracting expertise, including a cutting-edge understanding of the science and related
acoustic systems as well as data standards to ensure broad usability of that data.
NOAA is committed to meeting its mapping missions as collaboratively as
possible, adhering to the Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping (IOCM) principle of
“Map Once, Use Many Times.” However, the resources needed to fully achieve the goal
of comprehensively mapping U.S. waters and coasts currently exceed NOAA's capacity.
Mapping the full extent of waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction means relying on partners to
contribute to the effort.
The establishment of the Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan Ocean
Mapping Fund program is one way that NOAA seeks to expand partnerships and
acquisition of U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes mapping data. NOAA Rear Admiral
Richard T. Brennan, one of IOCM’s strongest advocates, developed the Ocean Mapping
Plan for OCS in August 2020 in which IOCM plays a large role. The Ocean Mapping
Plan responds to a number of national drivers to map the full extent of U.S. waters
subject to U.S. jurisdiction to modern standards, including the June 2020 publications of
the National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone (NOMEC), the Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy (ACMS), and the 2023
Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP). The Ocean Mapping Plan also describes a number
of reasons NOAA is committed to surveying and mapping waters subject to U.S.
jurisdiction, including, but not limited to:
●

Safe marine transportation;

●

Coastal community resilience;

●

A need to better understand the influence of the ocean’s composition on related
physical and ecosystem processes that affect climate, weather, and coastal and
marine resources and infrastructure;

●

Interest in capitalizing on the Blue Economy in growth areas like seafood
production, tourism and recreation, marine transportation, and ocean exploration;

●

The national prerogative to exercise U.S. sovereign rights to explore, manage, and
conserve natural resources in waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction; and

●

International interest in mapping the ocean by 2030.
Sadly, Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan passed away in May 2021.

IOCM continues to implement Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan’s vision and passion for
collaborative ocean mapping through this matching fund opportunity named in his honor.
II. Description
This notice invites non-Federal entities to partner with the ocean and
coastal mapping programs of NOAA’s National Ocean Service on jointly-funded projects
of mutual interest that address the drivers noted in section I above. These projects will
establish ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes survey and mapping partnerships using
NOAA’s geospatial contracting vehicles. NOAA will use the selection criteria and
submission requirements described below in sections V and VI, respectively, to review
project proposals.
The goal of the Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan Ocean Mapping Fund
program is to leverage NOAA and non-Federal partner funds to acquire more ocean and
coastal mapping data from qualified contract surveyors during Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.
Subject to the availability of appropriations, NOAA will provide up to 70 percent of the
total project cost, with the selected entity providing at least 30 percent of the total project

cost. For example, for a $1 million project, the partner must provide at least $300,000,
and NOAA would provide up to $700,000.
NOAA anticipates funding between two and five projects, with a total cost
of up to $1 million per project. NOAA may consider providing additional funding for a
project, thereby exceeding $1 million, subject to the availability of funds and NOAA’s
discretion. All projects are expected to have a FY 2026 project start date, and NOAA
must receive all non-Federal partner matching funds before October 1, 2025. NOAA
reserves the right to increase or decrease its funding match based on the quality and
feasibility of proposals received.
After NOAA selects a non-Federal entity as a partner, NOAA will enter
into an agreement with the partner pursuant to the Coast and Geodetic Survey Act of
1947 (33 U.S.C. 883e), which enables NOAA to receive funds for the mapping project.
In addition to providing matching funds, NOAA brings its expertise to
manage survey planning, quality-ensure all data and products, provide the data and
products to the partners within an agreed-upon timeframe, and handle data submission to
the National Centers for Environmental Information for archiving and public
accessibility. All ocean and coastal data and related products from the Rear Admiral
Richard T. Brennan Ocean Mapping Fund program will be available to the public to the
greatest extent allowed by applicable laws.
The specific value-added services NOAA will provide include:
● Assurance that the data are collected by qualified survey contractors to ensure
broadest use and accessibility of the data;
● Project management and GIS-based task order planning, negotiation, and award
of necessary procurement contracts that are tailored to meet the interests of
matching fund partners and managed on aerial, shipboard, and uncrewed vehicles;

●

Managing survey compliance with applicable laws, such as the National
Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act;

●

Data processing, quality assessment, and review of all acquired hydrographic
data; and

●

Data management and stewardship through data archive at the National Centers
for Environmental Information.

Data acquisition collection methods include, but are not limited to, multibeam
echosounder, side scan sonar, lidar (topographic, bathymetric, mobile), subsurface and
airborne feature investigations, and sediment sampling. Products acquired may include,
but are not limited to:
●

Bathymetric data (multibeam, single beam, lidar),

●

Backscatter,

●

Water column (depth dependent),

●

Side scan sonar imagery,

●

Feature detection reports,

●

Sensor/data corrections and calibrations (e.g., conductivity, temperature and depth
casts, horizontal/vertical position uncertainty),

●

Survey and control services, including the installation, operation, and removal of
water level and Global Positioning System stations,

●

High-resolution topographic/bathymetric product generation, and

● A final project report.
More information on NOAA’s surveying and mapping processes and products can be
found in the OCS Hydrographic Surveys Specifications and Deliverables and the NGS
Shoreline Mapping Specifications and Deliverables publications.
III. Strategic Areas of Focus

For this opportunity, proposals will be considered that align with national
priorities for climate and infrastructure and the goals of the NOMEC, ACMS, the OCS
Ocean Mapping Plan, and OCAP. Those goals include:
1. Map U.S. Waters: Mapping U.S. deep waters (> 40m) by 2030 and shallower

waters by 2040 would give the United States unprecedented and detailed
information about the depth, shape, and composition of its seafloor and Great
Lakes (NOMEC Goal 2). Based on the January 2023 analysis of data holdings at
NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, 50 percent of waters
subject to U.S. jurisdiction are unmapped (https://iocm.noaa.gov/seabed-2030status.html). Acquiring the best available data in poorly surveyed and gap areas
means working with partners to contribute to the effort. By sharing its mapping
expertise with others, NOAA can build depth in the ocean and coastal mapping
community to increase the quantity and quality of seafloor data acquired overall
(Ocean Mapping Plan Goal 2).
2. Expand Alaska Coastal Data Collection to Deliver the Priority Geospatial

Products Stakeholders Require: Mapping the Alaska coast is challenging.
However, using targeted and coordinated data collections will potentially reduce
overall costs and improve the cost-benefit ratio of expanded mapping activities
(ACMS Goal 2).
3. Expand Coastal Mapping to Inform Science-Based Decision-Making

Capabilities: This priority stems from a broader OCAP action for coastal climate
resilience to “expand coastal mapping, monitoring, observational systems,
research, and modeling to inform science-based decision-making capabilities and
advance use of nature-based solutions.” Climate change is greatly influencing the
need to map all of our named oceans and coasts in detail. The data is integral to
decision-making on coastal resilience efforts to save lives, implement proper

infrastructure planning, and protect sensitive coastal ecosystems in light of oceanborn natural disasters.
IV. Proposal Eligibility
This matching fund opportunity is available to non-Federal entities.
Examples of non-Federal entities include State and local governments, tribal entities,
universities, researchers and academia, the private sector, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), and philanthropic partners. Qualifying proposals must
demonstrate the ability to provide at least 30 percent of the funds needed for the proposed
project. A coalition of non-Federal entities may assemble funds for the match and submit
a proposal jointly. Use of other Federal agency funds as part of the non-Federal entities’
match funds will be considered on a case-by-case basis and only as authorized by
applicable laws. In-kind contributions are welcome to strengthen the project proposal but
do not count toward the match and are not required.
V. Selection Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated by the Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan
Ocean Mapping Fund Program Management Team. Submissions will be ranked based on
the following selection criteria:
1. Project justification (30 points) - This criterion ascertains whether there is
intrinsic IOCM value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA’s missions
and priorities (several noted in section III), including downstream partner
proposals and uses. Use of, and reference to, national priorities on coastal climate
resilience and infrastructure, NOMEC, ACMS, the Coast Survey Ocean Mapping
Plan, and OCAP; gap assessment tools such as the U.S. Bathymetry Gap
Analysis; and the U.S. Interagency Elevation Inventory, among others, are
recommended. The U.S. Mapping Coordination site shows current NOAA

mapping plans as well as the latest in Federal mapping priorities and select
regional mapping priorities.
2. Statement of need (10 points) - This criterion assesses clarity of project need,
partner project funding alternatives if not selected, anticipated outcomes, and
public benefit.
3. Specified partner match (20 points) - The proposal identifies a point of contact for
the entity submitting the proposal, as well as any partnering entities, a clear
statement on partner matching funds provenance (e.g., State appropriations, NGO
funds, or other sources) and timing of funds availability. In-kind contributions are
welcome to strengthen the proposal but do not count toward the funding match
and are not required.
4. Project costs (15 points) - This criterion evaluates whether the proposed budget is
realistic and commensurate with the proposed project needs and timeframe..
5. Project feasibility and flexibility (25 points) - This criterion assesses the
likelihood that the proposal would succeed, using evaluations of survey
conditions, project size, location, weather, NOAA analysis of environmental
compliance implications, project flexibility and adaptability to existing NOAA
plans and schedules, and other factors.
During the proposal review period, the Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan Ocean
Mapping Fund Program Management Team reserves the right to engage with proposal
points of contact to ask questions and provide feedback on project costs and feasibility.
VI. Submission Requirements
Project Proposal – To qualify, a proposal shall not exceed six (6) total
pages and must include the following three components:

1. A project title; executive summary (3-5 sentences); and the names, affiliations,
and roles of the project partners and any co-investigators, as well as the project
lead that will serve as primary contact (1 page maximum).
2. A justification and statement of need; description and graphics of the proposed
survey area, including relevance to the strategic areas of focus noted in section III
and degree of flexibility on timing of survey effort (4 pages maximum).
3. A project budget that lists the source(s) and amount(s) of funding that the partner
would provide as its match to NOAA. The budget must confirm that partner funds
can be transferred to NOAA before October 1, 2025 (1 page maximum).
Proposals must be sent in a PDF format, and use 12-point, Times New
Roman font, single spacing, and 1-inch margins. Failure to adhere to these submission
requirements will result in the proposal being returned without review and eliminated
from further consideration.
To facilitate review, NOAA welcomes the submission of GIS files of
project areas. These ancillary GIS files must be in SHP format.
VII. Management and Oversight
Once the Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan Ocean Mapping Fund
Program Management Team selects project proposals, NOAA will coordinate the
development of agreements, funding transfers, project planning, environmental
compliance, acquisition awards, and the quality assurance process with the project
partners. NOAA may bring in additional partners and/or funding (Federal and/or nonFederal) to expand a project further, if feasible. Projects will be reviewed by NOAA
annually to ensure they are responsive to partner interests and NOAA mission
requirements, and to identify opportunities for outreach and education on the societal
benefits of the work.

Authority: 33 U.S.C. 883e.

RDML Benjamin K. Evans,
Director, Office of Coast Survey,
National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-13387 Filed: 6/17/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/18/2024]