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Habitat funding
What is the Illinois Habitat Fund?
The Illinois Habitat Fund portion involved in the Special Funds Grant Program provides for enhancing game and non-game wildlife habitat. Organized groups of volunteers from appropriate not-for-profit organizations and governmental entities develop projects and submit applications to IDNR to help fund their projects. The grants are competitive and are evaluated for their merit.
Applicant eligibility
- Eligible recipients are limited to managers of land; and
- Eligible projects are limited to those seeking to preserve, protect, acquire or manage habitat in Illinois.
There are now five grantee pre-award requirements statewide per the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act.
The five pre-award requirements all state grantees must complete are described in more detail.
Project evaluation
- Project Evaluation and Procedures (Refer: Page 7, Section E)
Grant ranking criteria
For best results, prospective grantees should make sure their project scope of work addresses or fully describes the project scope of work in view of the grant ranking criteria.
How to apply
Step 1
All applicants must be pre-qualified through the State of Illinois Grantee Portal. Additional information on prequalification is available here.
Step 2
Please read the Notice of Funding Opportunity for more details on this program, including scoring criteria and grant program rules and restrictions. Additional documentation including project location maps, price quotes, and a habitat management plan may be required.
Step 3
Applications will only be accepted online through the Amplifund portal from July 1 to Aug. 1, 2026. Apply online.
Questions?
Email: susan.duke@illinois.gov
Phone: 217-785-4416
Note: Submission of an incomplete application does not extend the application deadline.
Visit the Catalog of State Financial Assistance to learn about future funding opportunities.
