The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) has announced the Maintenance Assistance Program (MAP) for 2025, which provides funding to support and improve infrastructure maintenance practices in U.S. insular areas. The goal of the program is to enhance the long-term sustainability and safety of critical infrastructure by offering training, tools, and resources for maintenance personnel, as well as minor renovations and repairs to existing facilities. This program is designed to help extend the life of infrastructure in insular areas, increase its resilience to extreme weather, and improve overall maintenance practices.

Eligible applicants include local government agencies (including utilities), hospitals, health centers, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations operating in the seven U.S. insular areas: Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Judicial and legislative branches of local governments are not eligible for funding. All applicants must comply with federal requirements outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR 200) and must be registered with SAM.gov to apply.

The estimated total funding available for MAP 2025 is $4,375,000, with the anticipated number of awards ranging from 20. Individual awards can range from $0 to a maximum of $350,000, and there is no cost-sharing requirement for applicants. The deadline for applications is March 12, 2025. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov, and it is highly recommended that applicants begin the registration and application process early due to potential delays in system registrations.

MAP funding can be used for a variety of infrastructure-related activities, such as providing temporary technical expertise, purchasing specialized equipment, offering maintenance-related training, conducting infrastructure assessments, and performing minor renovations or critical repairs. However, the program does not fund new construction, salaries for existing employees, routine operating expenses, food or meals, or vehicles primarily used for personnel transport.

Applicants are required to submit a complete application package, which includes forms such as the SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance), SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs), a project abstract, a detailed project narrative, and a budget narrative. The project narrative should provide a clear description of the project’s goals, objectives, timeline, stakeholder coordination, monitoring and evaluation plans, and the need for the project. Applicants must also include at least one performance measure to track progress toward achieving project goals.

Applications will undergo both an eligibility and merit review. Proposals will be evaluated based on clarity, alignment with OIA’s MAP priorities, budget reasonableness, and project timeline feasibility. Previous performance with OIA grants will also be considered for returning applicants. Successful applicants will be notified in the summer of 2025, with projects expected to start as early as October 1, 2025, and be completed by September 30, 2029.

Reporting requirements include semi-annual financial and performance reports, as well as a final report. Additionally, recipients must comply with federal requirements regarding the use of American-made materials for infrastructure projects.