Culvert and Small Bridge Replacement Grant Opportunities – MA Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) 

The Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER)'s Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance (CRMA) Grant Program and Training Site Initiative is seeking proposals from municipalities, local government units, and federally recognized and state acknowledged Tribes interested in replacing or removing undersized, perched, and/or degraded culverts or bridges in MA located in areas of high ecological value. The purpose of this funding is to encourage applicants to replace aging culverts with better designed crossings that meet improved structural and environmental design standards and flood resiliency criteria. Applications are due Monday, May 12 at 4pm. 

• Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance (CRMA) Grant: MA local government units, including municipalities, towns, cities, districts, commissions, regional governments, and tribal governments are eligible to apply. 

• Designated Training Sites Grant: Only applicants with designated Culvert Replacement Training Site projects that have not finished construction as of their application submission date are eligible. 

Questions must be submitted in writing by 4pm on April 18, 2025. Only clarifying or technical questions regarding the application and application process may be answered following the release of the RFR. All questions should be submitted to DERculverts@mass.gov with the subject line “RFR ID: DER 2025-CRMA”. 

• Typical individual grant awards range from $25,000-$400,000, with awards above $300,000 intended for construction projects. This year, requests between $400,000-$650,000 will also be considered. 

• DER estimates approximately up to $2,200,000 to be available in FY26 to fund field data collection, design and engineering, permitting, and/or construction activities as part of this grant opportunity. 

• Culverts or small bridges must be located on a located on public way. 

• Only projects that intend to meet the goals of the MA Stream Crossing Standards will be considered for funding. 

• Crossings must be over non-tidal river or stream channel. The stream channels may be either intermittent or perennial. 

• Application materials have been posted to COMMBUYS here: COMMBUYS - Bid Solicitation 

• Applications are due Monday, May 12 at 4pm. 

• Additional resources, including recently updated FAQs, can be found on DER’s website here: Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance Grant Program | Mass.gov