The Great Lakes Protection Fund is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Preproposals that is looking for projects that will launch new building blocks for the future of our region’s water use, improving our waters, communities, and economies. You can view the Request for Preproposals, Illustrative Project Ideas, and Frequently Asked Questions here.

Three-page preproposals are due on March 18, 2026 at 5 pm CDT.

We are particularly interested in projects that advance solutions in three areas:

• Alternative uses for less productive agricultural land
• New operating models for high-water-use industries
• Actionable pathways to address emerging contaminants

We are also open to ideas that fall outside the scope of this Request for Preproposals, provided they have the potential to deliver high impact and align with our strategic priorities and funding guidelines. So feel empowered to share your ambitious ideas and vision for impact.

We look forward to hearing your project ideas! We plan to keep our blog updated with additional resources so please keep checking back.