$2.5M in Brownfield Grant Funding Now Available
Published on Monday, November 02, 2026
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announces that $2.5 million is now available through the 2026 grant round of the Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development Fund. The grants support the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites, known as brownfields, across the state. This is the first round of funding from the $5 million investment in brownfield revitalization approved by nearly 70% of RI voters through the 2024 Green Bond. Brownfields often occupy valuable commercial and industrial land in the state’s urban areas. Cleaning up and redeveloping these properties helps reduce environmental and public health risks, creates jobs, supports small businesses, and revitalizes communities.
"Rhode Island has made incredible strides in transforming contaminated industrial sites into thriving assets for our communities,” said Governor Dan McKee. “The projects made possible through these grants helps clean up these areas to reduce health risks, revitalize our neighborhoods, and grow our economy. This new round of grant funding continues our momentum creating a cleaner, healthier future for our state.”
“Brownfields are one of Rhode Island’s clearest opportunities to turn an environmental problem into an economic and community asset,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “RI’s Brownfields program has a strong and successful record supporting the reclamation and reuse of contaminated sites. In close partnership with developers and environmental professionals, the program has brought hundreds of acres of property back to productive use and made our communities safer. The proposed 2026 Green Economy Bond that will appear as Question 5 on the Nov. 3 ballot includes $3M in matching grants for brownfields remediation and redevelopment. We look forward to continuing this important work through this grant program and future rounds funded by the Green Bond.”
Reusing previously developed sites allows our communities to create new housing, businesses and public facilities without converting undeveloped land. The proposed 2026 Green Economy Bond that will appear as Question 5 on the Nov. 3 ballot includes $3M in matching grants for brownfields remediation and redevelopment. Supporting the Green Bond will keep this important work going, to clean up yesterday’s industrial sites while creating possibilities for tomorrow’s communities statewide.”
DEM is seeking project proposals that will support the cleanup of contaminated property to transform underused brownfield sites into locations that add value to RI’s communities. The expansion of housing development throughout RI will be an area of focus during this grant round. Redevelopment and reuse plans that support local communities by providing affordable and/or market-rate housing will be scored favorably.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) opened today on November 2, with an application deadline for final proposals and supporting materials due by 4 PM on Friday, December 11, 2026. Government, private, and nonprofit entities are eligible to apply. Project selection will be determined on a competitive basis. Electronic submissions to DEM.BrownfieldBG@dem.ri.gov are required; hard copies will not be accepted. The application form, eligibility information, and RFP guidelines are available at DEM’s Brownfields Funding webpage.
DEM has previously awarded more than $20 million to 87 projects in 17 communities statewide through the program. Over half of the total funded projects have been in Environmental Justice (EJ) focus areas. This funding has leveraged more than $1.51 billion in other investments, supported the creation of over 11,800 temporary and permanent jobs, and cleaned up over 376 acres of contaminated brownfields, which has resulted in new businesses, school expansions, housing, and recreational space on formerly vacant properties throughout RI.
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