Inside this Issue:
Important Upcoming Dates
Office of Grants Management (OGM) Updates
Grants Fall Cleanup!
Reporting Concerns About Fraud or Misuse
Upcoming Grant Trainings at BWSR Academy
Currently Open Request for Interest (RFI)
Clean Water Legacy Partners Competitive Request Summary
Tip of the Quarter
Important Upcoming Dates
Sept. 14: Soil Health Delivery RFI opened
Sept. 21: One Watershed One Plan Mid-Point RFI opened
Sept. 28: Buffer Implementation RFI opened
Oct. 20-22: BWSR Academy - Cragun's, Brainerd, MN
Dec. 15: Deadline to return grant amendments to BWSR for grants expiring 12/31/26
Dec. 31: Many grants expire
Feb. 1: Annual grant reporting deadline
Office of Grants Management (OGM) Updates
Updates to Statewide Grant Agreements
At the beginning of each fiscal year, OGM releases new statewide base grant agreement templates with updates and additions to boilerplate language and new clauses. Many of these updates will be reflected in BWSR's grant agreements starting October 1. Please review your grant agreements for updated language. More guidance will be coming soon for new requirements. BWSR agreement updates will be based on the OGM templates available here.
Grants Fall Cleanup!
Fall Cleanup Reminder: Don’t Forget Your Grants!
It’s that time of year — the leaves are falling, and reporting season is just around the corner. As you're raking up sticks and brush, take a few minutes to clean up your grant files, too!
- Report your expenditures
- Submit amendments
- Send in payment requests
Getting ahead now helps prevent delays later. Let’s wrap up the year strong!
Reminder: Grant agreements and amendments are distributed via DocuSign
If you are having difficulties or have any questions, please visit BWSR's website page Accessing your Grant Agreement or Amendment for guidance.
How do I update the Day-to-Day Contact for my organization?
If you need to update the D2DC, or aren't sure who your D2DC is, send an email to elinksupport@state.mn.us. Please provide the name of your organization, the name of the person to be removed as the D2DC, and the name of the new D2DC. Please make sure to notify BWSR when the D2DC — or any staff with an eLINK account — leave the organization so that we can ensure permissions are up to date and that critical grant communications reach your organization.
When should a grantee submit their amendment for grants expiring 12/31/26?
Now is the time! Are you on track to complete projects and close out grants that will expire at the end of this year? Now is a good time to assess progress on any grants expiring at the end of 2026, and begin the conversation within your organization and with your Board Conservationist about whether an extension may be needed.
The Grant Agreement Amendments and Work Plan Revisions chapter of the BWSR Grants Administration Manual establishes the procedures for requesting an amendment, which should begin now!
When should a grantee close out a BWSR Grant?
Within thirty (30) calendar days of the end of the grant agreement period, or expenditure of all grant and match funds, whichever occurs first. Please reference Closing out a BWSR Grant guidance.
IMPORTANT: Ensure your organization's information is up to date to prevent delays in grant execution or payment processing.
How do I verify my organization's current address in eLINK?
To update your address in eLINK, log in to eLINK and go to Contacts > Organizations. Find your organization and click on the adjacent Edit (pencil) icon. Update any address details as needed.
Please inform or contact BWSR regarding any address changes. If you have any further questions you can send an email to bwsr.grants@state.mn.us.
How do I verify my organization's current address in SWIFT?
To update your address in SWIFT:
- Log in to the Supplier Portal by going to http://mn.gov/supplier and go to the Sign In tile. Log in with your User ID (not an email address) and Password.
*If you need help logging in, please reach out to the EFT Helpline at 651-201-8106 or efthelpline.mmb@state.mn.us.
- Once logged in, navigate to “Manage Profile” > “Update Account”. Then click the “Addresses” tab and EDIT (pencil icon) the address that you wish to change. Please provide a brief reason in the Comments field (i.e. change of address, moved, etc.). Then, go to the “Submit” tab to submit this request for approval. You will be prompted to confirm your Federal Tax ID (enter with no dashes).
- Please find additional instruction at the following link to make an address change: Update Supplier Profile and Information (mn.gov)
- If you get prompted with an error to answer the Company Profile questions upon submitting, you will need to answer the questions under the Company Profile tab. When answering, please don’t type anything into the field. Leave the field completely blank/empty. Instead, click on the “select” or magnifying glass icon to choose your response. Once all questions have been answered, proceed to the submit page to submit this request.
Grantees can also contact the EFT helpline at 651-201-8106 (M-F, 9-3) or efthelpline.mmb@state.mn.us. We will need your Federal Tax ID (EIN or SSN) to locate your SWIFT Supplier account. Additional resources can be found here: SWIFT Vendor Resources
Reporting Concerns About Fraud or Misuse
Concerns regarding suspected fraud or misuse of BWSR grant funds should be sent to: BWSR.Grants@state.mn.us. These concerns will be investigated and addressed according to the current BWSR Grant Noncompliance Policy.
Per Office of Grants Management (OGM) Policy 08-05, the OGM is designated by statute as a central point of contact for questions or comments about suspected fraud or misuse of grant funds or programs, and violations of statewide grant policies. Depending on the specific nature of the inquiry, the OGM will determine the most appropriate course of action and follow-up. The OGM also responds to other public questions and concerns about state grants.
To report concerns to the OGM, send an email with relevant details to: OGMreporting.ADM@state.mn.us.
For more information about fraud or misuse, visit Fraud Reporting Resources.
Upcoming Grant Trainings at BWSR Academy
Connect with us at BWSR Academy! There are several grant management related trainings offered October 20-22 at Cragun’s Conference Center. Consider session options in the Fiscal Management and Programs Tracks like; Everything Grants, eLINK 404, Get Ready to Reconcile!, and others. For information about these and other sessions, view information available on the BWSR Academy 2026 website.
Currently Open Request for Interest (RFI)
In September, the following three RFIs opened for eligible recipients:
Soil Health Delivery RFI: These grants provide financial, technical, and educational support necessary to accelerate the adoption of soil health practices to improve water quality and drinking water benefits. Eligible organizations types are Soil and Water Conservationist Districts
One Watershed One Plan Mid-Point RFI: BWSR offers One Watershed, One Plan Mid-Point Grants for evaluating and amending approved comprehensive watershed management plans developed under the One Watershed, One Plan program. Eligible organization types are Counties, Watershed Districts, Soil and Water Conservationist Districts, Local Government Joint Powers Entities.
Buffer Implementation RFI: These grants provide funding and assistance for buffer law implementation. Eligible activities include assistance to support drainage system mapping and map review, landowner outreach, landowner technical and financial assistance, equipment purchases, and other buffer law implementation activities.
More information about these programs and how to request funding can be found at Request Formula Grant Funds.
Clean Water Legacy Partners Competitive Requests Summary
The RFP for FY 2027 Clean Water Legacy Partners grant program closed May 19, 2026. BWSR received a total of 24 applications, with requests totaling $3,762,662. Eight awards were made totaling $1,155,434.
| FY 2027 Competitive Clean Water Grant Funding Summary | |||
| Program Name | Requests Received | Amount Requested | Amount Awarded |
| Clean Water Legacy Partners | 24 | $3,762,662 | $1,155,434 |
Tip of the Quarter
Q: How can a grantee charge a grant for the cost of administrative time spent on things like training, board meetings, staff meetings, planning, or time tracking (general operations)? These activities are essential to run an office and administer grants but are not practical to assign to any one grant.
A: Staff time spent working on administrative tasks such as training, board meetings, staff meetings, planning, time tracking, or general operations are essential to run an office and administer grants. However, it is not practical to charge this time to any one grant. BWSR does allow a proportionate amount of general administrative time to be included as an administration cost added to the billing rate calculations. Nearly all BWSR grants are program or project specific and while they do pay for work that is direct and necessary for administering the grant, they are not intended to pay for the entire operations of a grantee.