USDA Forest Service Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Program
USDA Forest Service
$50,000–$2,000,000
Researched for this program: 5 rejection traps · 7 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
Fund your mill with federal forest byproducts
Provides grants of $50,000–$2,000,000 to sawmills and wood-processing or biomass energy facilities that purchase and process timber byproducts from federal or Tribal land ecosystem restoration projects. No matching funds required. For-profit businesses are eligible. Facility must source approximately 50% of raw materials from nearby federal or Tribal lands at high risk of wildfire, insect, or disease. Distinct from the Wood Innovations Grant (higher match required, broader market focus).
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $50,000 – $2,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Most awards are expected in the $300,000–$1,500,000 range for facility equipment upgrades and expansions. Smaller restar…
- Deadline
- Annual — FY2026 deadline was April 22, 2026 (passed); FY2027 expected spring 2027
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- For-profit entities, state and local governments, Indian Tribes, school districts, communities, nonprofits, institutions of higher education, and special purpose districts
- Must establish, reopen, retrofit, expand, or improve a sawmill or wood-processing/energy facility
- Facility must be in close proximity to federal or Tribal lands under ecosystem restoration activities
- Must demonstrate ability to source approximately 50% of raw materials from federal or Tribal forest restoration projects (timber thinnings, post-fire salvage, hazardous fuel removal byproducts)
- Project must demonstrate how the facility investment reduces forest restoration costs or increases revenue through byproduct markets
- Must have active SAM.gov registration
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Restricted to industry: sawmill or wood-processing/biomass energy facility sourcing from federal or Tribal restoration lands
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Equipment to establish, expand, or upgrade sawmill or wood-processing facility capacity
- Biomass energy system installation (boilers, CHP systems fueled by forest restoration byproducts)
- Infrastructure improvements to a processing facility
- Engineering and design costs for facility improvements
- Rolling stock and material handling equipment for processing forest restoration byproducts
Ineligible expenses
- Timber harvest operations or purchasing standing timber
- Activities outside the US or outside the grant period
- Equipment that does not support processing of forest restoration byproducts
- Consumer retail or marketing activities
How to apply
-
1
Confirm proximity to federal or Tribal lands and sourcing capacity
Document that your facility is geographically close to federal or Tribal lands with active or planned ecosystem restoration activities. Identify the specific ranger districts or tribal forests that could supply restoration byproducts (thinnings, biomass) and estimate whether 50%+ of your raw material needs could be sourced from those lands.
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2
Register in SAM.gov and Grants.gov
Ensure your SAM.gov UEI registration is active and Grants.gov account is set up before the next round opens. Allow 7–14 days for SAM registration.
-
3
Prepare application documenting facility investment and restoration linkage
Write a project narrative explaining: the proposed facility investment, how it expands capacity to process restoration byproducts, how it reduces per-acre forest restoration costs, and your operational plan. Provide cost estimates, organizational capacity documentation, and letters of support from federal land managers (USFS ranger districts).
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4
Submit via Grants.gov and await award
Submit complete application package through Grants.gov by the round deadline. Awards announced approximately 3–6 months after the deadline.
Industry & certifications
NAICS codes: 113310, 321, 321113, 321219, 32121
A letter from your local USFS Ranger District confirming planned restoration activities and interest in your facility as a byproduct market is nearly essential — it validates the sourcing claim and demonstrates the restoration benefit.
Deadline & timing
FY2026 application deadline was April 22, 2026 (closed). Program expected to reopen for FY2027 in late 2026 or early 2027. Monitor fs.usda.gov for next cycle announcement.
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