Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program and Related Assistance

The National Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) is an inter-governmental partnership to foster better environmental management and decision-making through increased access to timely and high-quality environmental information. The EN, launched in 2002, uses a standards-based approach to facilitate environmental data sharing among EPA, states, tribes and territories. This framework allows organizations to exchange and share data over the Internet regardless of the specific information technology used. Its goals include facilitating the sharing of environmental data, especially through shared and reusable services; streamlining data collection and exchanges to improve timeliness for decision making; increasing the quality and access to environmental data; reducing burden and costs for co-regulators and the regulated community; and supporting better decisions on environmental and health issues. The Exchange Network Grant Program provides funding for projects that develop the Network and enable timely, on-demand access to environmental data through innovative technologies, improved support systems, and expanded collaboration using shared tools and services. There are three funding areas for the FY 2026 EPA Exchange Network Grant Program: Funding Area 1: Increased Data Access and Innovative Business Processes. The opportunities under this funding area are designed to help agencies adopt innovative business processes and modernize the critical data services that power their systems and workflows. Funding Area 2: Eliminate paper submittals and expand e-reporting. The opportunities under this funding area are designed by EPA National Program Offices to help their stakeholders submit and share programmatic data for fourteen EPA programs. Funding Area 3: Augment the Information Management Capacity of EN Partners. The opportunities under this funding area are designed to enable applicants to build the IT and data management capacity necessary to effectively manage their environmental programs and to identify the most valuable ways for their programs to participate in the EN.