The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Florida Forest Service (FFS) hereby provides notice of the 2026-2027 Off-Highway Vehicle Safety and Recreation (OHV) funding opportunity. Eligible Applicants must submit a completed Request for Applications (RFA) proposal as specified herein.

The purpose of the T. Mark Schmidt Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Program (hereinafter referred to as the OHV Grant Program) is to provide financial assistance to Applicants as further defined below, to provide or improve off-highway vehicle recreational areas or trails for public use on Public Lands. Through the Off-Highway Vehicle Tilting Program, the state of Florida has been allocated funds for implementing this program. The primary purpose of the OHV Grant Program is to provide and/or improve off-highway riding opportunities on Public Lands by establishing and/or maintaining existing or new riding areas; provide enforcement of applicable regulations to the System and off-highway vehicle activities; provide safety, training and rider education in the operation of off-highway vehicles and if funds are available, acquire lands to be included in the System and manage and rehabilitate such lands. Grant awards are recommended by the Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Advisory Committee annually, with final approval by the Commissioner of Agriculture, and appropriated by the Florida Legislature. 

Applicants are responsible for all information requested in this notice. The application packet must not exceed forty (40) one-sided pages, including attachments. Attachments B, C, D, and E are provided for reference only and should not be included in the submission response. All documents must be submitted on 8 ½” X 11” paper, except attached sketches, plans, and maps, which must be no larger than 2’ X 3’ and folded into 8 ½” X 11”. Five (5) copies (one with original signatures and four duplicate copies) of the RFA packet, including this General Instructions, page, the category and project description, and all required attachments must be received no later than 2:00 PM, Eastern Time (ET) on June 12, 2026 to:

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Florida Forest Service
FY 26-27 OHV GRANT APPLICATION
Attn: Brooks White, OHV Coordinator
Conner Building – Mail Stop C-25
3125 Conner Blvd.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650
Telephone: (850) 681-5884