Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants

Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants provide funding for a grant recipient to capitalize a revolving loan fund and to provide loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. Through these grants, EPA strengthens the marketplace and encourages stakeholders to leverage resources to clean up and redevelop brownfields. When loans are repaid, the loan amount is returned to the fund and re-lent to other borrowers, providing an ongoing source of capital within a community.

An eligible RLF Grant applicant may apply as an individual entity or as an RLF Coalition comprised of two or more entities. A RLF Grant applicant may apply for up to $1,000,000 to address brownfield sites contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants (including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum), and/or petroleum. The period of performance is up to five years.

To enable current high-performing RLF recipients to continue the program momentum they have built, in 2021 EPA made two changes to our Brownfields RLF Program: 

1. Beginning in the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) RLF Grant competition, only those entities that do not have an open Brownfields RLF cooperative agreement will be eligible to apply for funding.
2. When current high-performing RLF recipients are selected for non-competitive supplemental funding, EPA may choose to award a new grant, rather than extend the period of performance of the current cooperative agreement.

FY23 Supplemental Funding requests were due on March 17, 2023 for recipients who currently have an open RLF cooperative agreement and meet the other eligibility criteria. See the FY23 RLF Supplemental Funding Instructions for details, and contact your assigned EPA Project Officer with any questions.

Some key features of RLF Grants include:

• RLF programs are designed to operate for many years (possibly decades) and as such, the terms and conditions of cooperative agreements require long-term resource commitments by the RLF Grant recipient. In addition, grant recipients are expected to comply with certain reporting requirements, even after the RLF Grant is closed.
• Recipients need to have a strong understanding of real estate financing principles and approaches, including loan underwriting, loan servicing, and credit analysis.
• Recipients need to have the ability to market the RLF program on an on-going basis during the performance period of the grant, and after the close out of the RLF Grant.
• Recipients commit to properly manage the program income generated by their RLF program in perpetuity, unless they terminate the agreement and return the program income to EPA (see RLF Closeout Resources below).

For the latest information on RLF program policy, see the FY23 RLF Policy Memorandum (pdf) (319.66 KB) and RLF Program Frequently Asked Questions (pdf) (757.72 KB) (as of May 18, 2023). 

To learn more about RLF Grants, join us at the RLF Workshop at the 2023 National Brownfields Conference (see the RLF Workshop Flyer (pdf) (2.94 MB) for more details). 

Grant Application Resources

• List of Entities Eligible to Apply for RLF Grants
• FY 2023 RLF Grant Application Resources
• RLF Grant Application Resources from Prior Years
• Interested in applying for Funding? (RLF Grant Fact Sheet) 
• Renewable Energy or Energy-Efficient Approaches in Brownfields Redevelopment
• Socially Distant Engagement Ideas

RLF Supplemental Funding Resources

• FY 2023 Request for Supplemental Funding for RLF Grants
• Resources from Prior Years to Request Supplemental Funding for RLF Grants

RLF Closeout Resources

• FY22 RLF Closeout Agreement Fact Sheet (pdf) (152.32 KB, June 2022)
• FY22 RLF Closeout Agreement Template (pdf) (215.44 KB)
• Final Sample Post-Closeout Report (version date: May 11, 2023) (docx) (53.07 KB)

RLF Grant Recipient Resources

• January 2023 RLF ACRES Training
• Frequently Asked Questions about Multipurpose, Assessment, RLF, and Cleanup Grants
• Programmatic Requirements
• Information on Sites Eligible for Brownfields Funding under CERCLA§ 104(k)
• Information on Defenses to CERCLA Liability
• Brownfields Grant Reporting/Assessment, Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES)
• Fact Sheets
  • Unlocking Brownfields Redevelopment: Establishing a Local Revolving Loan Fund Program
  • Brownfields Solutions
    These Brownfields Solutions Series fact sheets provide an overview to those interested in applying for an RLF Grant, and information to new RLF recipients on how to establish an RLF program.
    • Filling the Gap: Flexible RLF Programs Can Make a Proposal a Reality
    • Bridging the Gap: Brownfields Loans as part of the Capital Stack
    • Looking Outside the Box: Brownfields Loan Funds Prove Critical in Supportive and Affordable Housing Projects
    • Uncovering All the Possibilities: Maximizing Your Community’s Funding Sources
• RLF Webinar Series
  • RLF Webinar I: National RLF Policies and Terms & Conditions Overview (pptx) (137.56 KB) (34 pp, 141 K)
  • RLF Webinar I: Audio (mp3)
  • RLF Webinar II: RLF Site & Applicant Eligibility (pptx) (3.15 MB) (25 pp, 3 MB)
  • RLF Webinar III: Davis-Bacon (ppt) (3.88 MB) (25 pp, 4 MB)
  • RLF Webinar IV: Acing an Audit: How to Manage Your RLF Grant Files (pptx) (998.97 KB) (25 pp, 1 MB)
  • RLF Webinar IV: Audio (mp3)
  • RLF Webinar V: Getting Your RLF Moving: Tips & Tricks from the Experts
  • RLF Webinar VI: The RLF Fine Print: Understanding Unique RLF Requirements (pptx) (6.87 MB) (25 pp, 7 MB)
  • RLF Webinar VI: Audio (mp3)
  • RLF Loan/Subgrant Review Checklist (docx) (33.23 KB) (6 pp, 34 K)
• Discounted Loans Policy
  With the signing of the 2002 Brownfields Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, new RLF Grants, awarded under CERCLA § 104(k) from FY 2003 forward, were left with no provision for the use of discounted loans. This policy meets this need, giving RLF Grant recipients additional options to achieve cleanup goals, in keeping with prudent lending practices.
  • Federal Register Notice (PDF) (2 pp, 145K)
    October 28, 2005