The Shore and Harbor Planning Grant Program supports municipal and regional projects in Maine’s Coastal Zone.  This provides resources on a competitive basis for shoreline access planning, waterfront and harbor planning, identification and resolution of waterfront use conflicts, and planning, feasibility, and design efforts for resilient waterfront infrastructure. Shore and Harbor Planning Grant projects are often well prepared to compete for construction funding through other sources.

Awards of up to $50,000 for individual applicants and $75,000 for group applicants will support local or regional planning projects that prepare coastal communities and critical public infrastructure for current and future hazards and storms, and to advance community resilience planning. 

The funding is available through two grants: the MCP Shore and Harbor Planning Grant and the MPAP Coastal Community Grant (CCG). Both grants are supported by an annual National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) award to MCP.  

The program statement with application instructions and additional application requirements can be found on the MOCA website. Questions about the program statement must be submitted by email to mainecoastalprogram@maine.gov by August 21, 2026. 

Past awards have been used to develop long-term coastal hazard and risk assessments, design resilient public working waterfront infrastructure, improve public access to the coast, and improve regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to land use planning and local ordinances to address current and future hazards. Examples of past projects can be found on the MCP Example Projects, Maps, and Funding Summary webpage or MPAP’s CCG Case Studies webpage. 

Submit applications by Monday, August 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. through MOCA’s Submittable grant portal.