Overview

The West Coast Inland Navigation District, or WCIND, is a multi-county special taxing authority encompassing Charlotte, Lee, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. Established by the Florida Legislature in 1947 to complement the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the construction and maintenance of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, or ICW. The District’s mission is to preserve and enhance the commercial, recreational, and ecological values of local waterways. To support the mission, the WCIND provides Waterway Development Program funding through its member counties, at the discretion of each county. Sarasota County hosts an annual (on-cycle) grant program to provide funding to local organizations and county departments for eligible activities.

FY27 Grant Applicants (for funding available October 1, 2026)

The application period for FY27 on-cycle funding requests will be open from October 1, 2025, until 5 p.m., November 28, 2025. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

Anticipated Timeline

The application review process is as follows:

• October to November: Applicants submit their applications to the County.
• December: Staff prepares the applications for review by the Coastal Advisory Committee.
• Early January: The Coastal Advisory Committee performs its initial review of the applications*.
• Mid-January: Amended applications are resubmitted to the County, and staff reviews them for eligibility with the WCIND*.
• Early February: Final applications are resubmitted and transmitted to the Coastal Advisory Committee for review.
• Late February-Early March: Final funding recommendations are made by the Coastal Advisory Committee.
• March: County staff prepares the applications for consideration by the Sarasota County Commission.
• Between April-May: The County Commission reviews and approves the applications for submittal to the WCIND.
• End of May: County deadline for submission of grant applications to WCIND.

Note: *applicants will be able to amend applications according to Coastal Advisory Committee and WCIND recommendations.

IMPORTANT

Program requirements were developed at the direction of the County Commission (Board). Please see the WCIND Applicant Guidance in the Document Library below.