The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced it will offer $41 million through the 2023 Wood Innovations Grant and 2023 Community Wood Grant programs to spark innovation and create new markets for wood products and renewable wood energy.

These grants expand wood products use and strengthen emerging wood energy markets, supporting sustainable forest management – particularly in areas of high wildfire risk.

The application deadline for both grant programs is Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 5 p.m. local time. Applications may be submitted via email to the Forest Service Regional Wood Innovations coordinator listed in the application instructions.

The Wood Innovations Grant Program makes funding available to expand traditional wood use projects, advance wood energy markets, and promote wood use in commercial building construction. This Request for Proposals focuses on the program’s market development goals to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on national forests and other forest lands, reduce the costs of forest management, and promote economically strong and environmentally healthy communities.

Eligible project examples include:

• Architectural and engineering designs, cost analyses, and permitting to secure financing for commercial wood construction or wood energy projects development.
• Establishing or increasing wood products manufacturing to support forest restoration.
• Showcasing environmental and economic benefits of wood as a sustainable commercial building material to encourage growth in the industry.
• Establishing statewide wood use teams or wood energy teams.
• Developing wood energy projects that use residues from wood products or woody biomass.
• Developing commercial woody biomass and wood product industrial parks.
• Overcoming market barriers to stimulate wood energy expansion.
• Purchasing wood processing equipment to create markets supporting forest management.

The Community Wood Grant Program funds shovel-ready projects to install thermally led community wood energy systems or build innovative wood product facilities to support healthy forests and stimulate local economies by expanding renewable wood energy and innovative wood products manufacturing capacity.

Eligible project examples include:

• Community wood heating, cooling, or electricity systems that replace fossil fuels.
• Purchase and installation of manufacturing equipment at a mass timber production facility.
• Expanding sawmills with innovative technologies, cost cutting measures and higher value production lines.
• Equipment purchase and installation at new facilities producing forest products biofuels.

To apply for either grant, applicants must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). Applications should show a clear benefit to underserved or historically marginalized people, communities, and the forests they value. For-profit entities, state and local governments, Indian Tribes, school districts, non-profit organizations, higher education institutions, public utilities, and fire and conservation districts are eligible to apply.

More information is available at the Forest Service Wood Innovations website or grants.gov.

2023 Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity: www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345548

2023 Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program: www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345549