The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) administers the Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunities (GIGO) Program, aimed at improving water quality through the implementation of green infrastructure best management practices (BMPs). The program seeks to address and mitigate stormwater runoff into rivers, streams, and lakes across Illinois. The next Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for GIGO is scheduled for release in Spring 2025. The fund supports projects that deploy multiple BMPs within a watershed or as part of a treatment train for greater impact.

Green infrastructure, as defined under the GIGO program, includes any stormwater management method that aims to preserve, restore, or mimic natural hydrology. This can include vegetated systems that promote infiltration, percolation, and evapotranspiration, or systems designed to capture and reuse precipitation. The program highlights the role of green infrastructure in reducing both localized and riverine flooding and improving water quality by retaining and treating stormwater before it enters major water bodies.

Eligible projects focus on construction-based BMPs. These include floodplain reconnection (such as daylighting streams or retrofitting levees), bioinfiltration installations (like swales and green roofs), retention and infiltration techniques (like permeable pavements and underground basins), and wetland creation or modification. Projects may also encompass rainwater harvesting, downspout disconnections, and broader watershed-wide BMP implementations. Funding is available for both the design and construction of BMPs, although design cost coverage is limited.

The program is funded through the Build Illinois Bond Fund, with a total of $5,000,000 available in the upcoming funding cycle. Individual awards range from $75,000 to $2,500,000, and no more than half of the total program funds may be allocated to a single project or applicant per cycle. GIGO operates on a reimbursement basis, requiring applicants to cover costs upfront and submit documentation for repayment. Reimbursements occur no more than once per month.

Applicants must be Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Pre-Qualified and legally authorized to receive Illinois state funds. Eligible applicants include government entities at various levels, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, educational institutions, park districts, land conservancies, and conservation agencies. Applicants must also demonstrate the financial ability to start projects and cover expenses until reimbursement. Projects require a 25 percent match, which may be met with cash or in-kind contributions from various stakeholders.

Questions regarding the program can be directed to the IEPA’s Bureau of Water, Watershed Management Section at P.O. Box 19276, Springfield, IL 62794-9276, or by calling 217-782-3362. A sample Notice of Funding Opportunity is available for reference, and further details will be included when the new NOFO is issued in Spring 2025.