15-02 cmn -finalrfp-022015.pdf

OVERVIEW

AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

TITLE: Chesapeake Bay Program Office Fiscal Year 2015 Request for Proposals for

Strategic Communication and Media Support

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Request for Proposals (RFP)

RFP NUMBER: EPA-R3-CBP-15-02

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 66.466

IMPORTANT DATES

February 20, 2015 Issuance of RFP

April 6, 2015 Proposal Submission Deadline (see Section IV for more information)

April 20, 2015 Approximate date for EPA to notify applicants of results

May 20, 2015 Approximate date for applicant to submit federal cooperative agreement application

July 20, 2015 Approximate date of award

EPA will consider all proposals that are submitted via Grants.gov on or before 5:00 EDT on

April 6, 2015. Any proposals submitted after the due date and time will not be considered for funding. EPA will only accept proposals submitted via Grants.gov, except in limited circumstances where applicants have no or very limited Internet access.

SUMMARY

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) is announcing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for applicants to provide the Chesapeake Bay

Program (CBP) partners with support related to strategic communication, media relations, and communication product development and distribution for the Chesapeake Bay Program. This

RFP sets forth the process that will be used for competitively selecting recipients that will provide strategic communication planning and implementation, including production and distribution of print, Web, and multimedia products intended to meet the prescribed environmental results in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. CBP partners include federal agencies, seven watershed jurisdictions, and many non-federal organizations; however, work funded under this RFP will support the seven watershed jurisdictions and other non-federal partners. The seven watershed jurisdictions are Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

FUNDING/AWARDS: This RFP will cover the project period up to and including six years from an expected start date of July 20, 2015. CBPO plans to award one cooperative agreement to carry out all activities under this RFP. The total estimated funding for six years is approximately

$1,945,000 to $2,850,000, with an estimated $320,000 to $350,000 available for the first year and $325,000 to $500,000 each additional year. There is no guarantee of funding throughout this period or beyond.

FULL TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Proposal and Submission Information

V. Proposal Review Information

VI. Award Administration Information

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information (Appendices)

I: FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

1. About the Chesapeake Bay Program The Chesapeake Bay is North America's largest and most biologically diverse estuary. A resource of extraordinary productivity, it is worthy of the highest levels of protection and restoration. Authorized by Section 117 of the Clean Water Act, CBP is responsible for supporting the Chesapeake Executive Council through a number of actions, including the coordination of federal, state, and local efforts to restore and protect living resources and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Section 117 also authorizes EPA to provide assistance grants to support the goals of the program.

CBP is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake

Bay since 1983. The CBP partners include the states of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay

Commission, a tri-state legislative body; EPA, representing the federal government; and participating citizen, local government, and scientific and technical advisory groups.

The CBP partnership is guided at the direction of the Chesapeake Executive Council (Executive

Council), which, through its leadership, establishes the policy direction for the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and exerts its leadership to rally public support for the Bay effort and signs directives, agreements, and amendments that set goals and guide policy for

Chesapeake Bay restoration.

The Principals' Staff Committee (PSC) acts as the senior policy advisors to the Executive

Council, accepting items for their consideration and approval and setting agendas for Executive

Council meetings. The PSC also provides policy and program direction to the Management

Board.

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/partnerorganizations.aspx http://www.state.md.us/ http://www.state.pa.us/ http://www.state.va.us/ http://www.washingtondc.gov/ http://www.chesbay.state.va.us/ http://www.chesbay.state.va.us/

The Management Board provides strategic planning, priority setting, and operational guidance through implementation of a comprehensive, coordinated, accountable implementation strategy for the CBP. It directs and coordinates all of the goal teams and workgroups under it.

The Goal Implementation Teams (GITs) include federal and non-federal experts from throughout the watershed. Thus, academic experts, advocacy organizations, and others become active members of the broad restoration partnership.

Pursuant to Section 117(b)(2) of the Clean Water Act, 33 USC 1267 (b)(2), CBPO is the office within EPA charged with providing support to the Council in the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay. CBPO and CBP mentioned above are two distinct entities.

2. 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement

On June 16, 2014, the Chesapeake Executive Council, CBP’s governing body signed a new voluntary Chesapeake Bay agreement (referred to as Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement throughout this RFP) that will guide the CBP partnership’s work into the future. For the first time, Delaware, New York, and West Virginia signed the agreement as full CBP partners in the overall effort. This agreement is one of the most comprehensive restoration plans developed for the Chesapeake region, providing greater transparency and accountability of all CBP partners.

With 10 interrelated goals and 31 outcomes, this watershed-wide accord advances the restoration, conservation, and protection of all the lands and waters within the 64,000-square-mile watershed by promoting sound land use, environmental literacy, stewardship, and a diversity of engaged citizens. Additionally, the goals and outcomes aim to better protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay's living resources, water quality, and vital habitats. The new

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement also recognizes the unique and vital role local governments play and how they are essential to the restoration effort.

This cooperative agreement will help fulfill the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement commitments as described by all 10 goals and their associated outcomes.

B. Scope of Work

This RFP is seeking cost-effective proposals from eligible applicants for developing and implementing a Strategic Communication Plan in support of the communication needs and priorities of the CBP partnership to support implementation of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Agreement. This work will include developing an annual Strategic Communication Plan, planning implementation through effective and proactive media engagement, as well as producing effective communication products for the Web, social media, and public presentations relevant to targeted audiences. Products should include, but are not necessarily limited to, news posts, fact sheets, backgrounders, digital imagery, graphics, presentations and additional relevant

Web content, as well as industry standard multimedia production and content suitable for existing and emerging social media platforms. While the CBP partnership is comprised of federal and non-federal organizations, any activities funded under this RFP will not directly benefit the federal partners. The non-federal partners of the CBP partnership will provide programmatic direction to the cooperative agreement recipient through the CBP Management Board.

CBPO plans to award one cooperative agreement to carry out all activities under this RFP. The estimated funding for six years is approximately $1,945,000 to $2,850,000, with an estimated

$320,000 to $350,000 available for the first year and $325,000 to $500,000 and each additional year.

If your organization or team of organizations has an interest in this project, has the skills to accomplish the activities, and is eligible to receive a federal assistance agreement as described in

Section III of this announcement, we encourage you to submit a proposal. Each eligible proposal will be evaluated using the criteria described in Section V. The activity is a multi-year project

(up to six years), and the proposal should have a work plan and budget for the first year and an estimated budget detail for each of the subsequent five years.

These activities support the Communication Office for the Chesapeake Bay Program and staffs the Communication Workgroup. The Communication Office’s activities are conducted within the framework of the Bay Program’s goal to increase the number and diversity of local citizen stewards and local governments that actively support and carry out the conservation and restoration activities that achieve healthy local streams and rivers and a vibrant Chesapeake Bay and watershed through press events, websites, publications, presentations, etc. Applicants must address all three of the following activities to be considered eligible.

Activity 1: Expert development and implementation of Strategic Communication Plan in support of the communication needs and priorities of the CBP partnership

The communication needs and priorities of the partnership are influenced from year to year by shifting environmental factors, extreme weather events, and national and jurisdictional changes in political leadership. As such, the Communication Office, in consultation with the

Communications Workgroup, needs to properly assess these dynamics to annually develop a

Strategic Communication Plan that supports the long-term goals of the Chesapeake Bay

Watershed Agreement, sets the general course of communication activities for the coming year, and retains the flexibility to adapt to emerging requirements.

The following are examples of the types of tasks required to carry out Activity 1. Applicants may consider these tasks as well as describe alternative approaches to providing the requested support. Applicants are encouraged to describe how they would support efforts to progressively enhance the Strategic Communication Plan development and implementation.

Develop annual Strategic Communication Plan

Recommend communication strategy for the CBP partnership through development of a

Strategic Communication Plan intended to support the needs and priorities of the CBP partnership and implementation of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

Adjust the Strategic Communication Plan based on feedback from the CBP Executive

Council, Principals’ Staff Committee, and Management Board, with updates at least every six months

Identify themes and messages for the strategic plan that focus on the CBP priorities and target audiences.

Develop a timeline for implementation and methods to track its effectiveness.

Staff the Chesapeake Bay Program Communication Workgroup

Coordinate and schedule monthly meetings of the Communication Workgroup.

Solicit participation in the Workgroup with communication staff representatives from each of the Bay jurisdictions and federal agency partners and other partners.

Develop meeting agendas based on current communication needs and priorities of the partnership.

Execute proactive media relations activities

Proactively distribute CBP partnership and Bay-related news items to interested media, including target local outreach as appropriate.

Manage and respond to media inquiries and interview requests.

Establish and expand working relationship with national, regional, local, and trade media outlets.

Provide communication training to CBP staff and partners

Conduct annual training on successful media engagement, standard interview practices and tips, effective use of CBP communication platforms, and tips for effective writing, speeches, and presentations.

Activity 2: Expert creative development, distribution, and management of print, multimedia, and online products to support the stated objectives of the Strategic

Communication Plan.

In order to support the objectives of the Strategic Communication Plan, the Communication

Office would create products for distribution to key audiences identified by the Strategic

Communication Plan. These products should be developed to support the goals and priorities of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and tailored to the medium best suited to reach the intended audience.

The following are examples of the types of tasks required to carry out Activity 2. Applicants may support.

Produce and manage targeted communication products for CBP websites

Write and edit new content for all existing CBP partnership websites as well as future sites created to meet the communication needs of the CBP partnership in implementing the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

Develop and edit content that will include, but is not limited to, news posts, fact sheets, backgrounders, digital imagery, and graphics.

Maintain archive of CBP partnership Web content.

Produce industry-standard multimedia products for distribution

Produce and market multimedia video products in accordance with established CBP standard operating procedures (SOPs) for use on CBP partnership websites, additional

Web-based video distribution platforms, and social media.

Capture digital still imagery in accordance with established CBP SOPs for use on CBP partnership flagship website (www.chesapeakebay.net) for use as stand-alone images, photo essays, or in support of news posts content or presentations, as well as Web-based imagery distribution platforms and social media.

Support CBP partnership internal information communication efforts

Distribute via email the following communication products to individuals who subscribe to each through www.chesapeakebay.net:

Daily news clips of stories pertinent to the Chesapeake Bay.

Weekly newsletter for Chesapeake Bay professionals, including restoration-related reports and Bay-related opportunities.

Monthly summary of most pertinent communication products.

Activity 3: Expanded outreach through social media, public forums, and conferences to support the stated objectives of the Strategic Communication Plan and to raise awareness of the activities of the Chesapeake Bay Program as a national and international leader in multi-agency ecosystem restoration efforts.

For agencies and organizations undertaking similar restoration efforts, the Chesapeake Bay

Program is seen as a trailblazer, often the first organization to tackle the unique challenges of inter-jurisdictional projects. At the same time, within the general public, only a small fraction of the more than 18 million residents of the Chesapeake Bay watershed are aware of the issues impacting the ecosystem or that there is a concerted effort toward restoration. It is the responsibility of the Communication Office to use social media, public forums, conferences and emergent communication platforms to protect the reputation of the program as an innovative standard-bearer within the informed public, while simultaneously working to expand the reach and influence of the partnership where awareness is lacking.

The following are examples of the types of tasks required to carry out Activity 3. Applicants may support.

Produce and distribute content through existing and emerging social media platforms

Produce and distribute content using existing and emergent social media platforms to reach target audiences, both as stand-alone messaging platforms and to promote CBP

Web and multimedia content.

Undertake efforts to expand CBP audiences to include non-traditional partners and diverse communities in the watershed.

Produce presentations for use by CBP leadership and partners

In coordination with subject matter experts, and incorporating established themes and messages, produce presentations for use in CBP partnership meetings and public forums to raise awareness of the CBP partnership’s goals and priorities.

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/ http://www.chesapeakebay.net/

Coordinate and host CBP partnership public meetings and press events, and coordinate participation in conferences

Organize and execute the annual public Chesapeake Executive Council meeting and other public forums as needed.

Proactively pitch and host media events as appropriate to advance the CBP partnership goals and priorities in supporting implementation of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Agreement. Events include, but are not limited to, annual Chesapeake Executive Council meeting and annual release of Bay Barometer.

Coordinate CBP participation in national, regional, and local conferences as appropriate.

This includes development of appropriate presentations, materials, and displays commensurate with the theme and scope of the conference.

Obtaining Additional Information

For additional background information on the CBP achievements and commitments, see the CBP

Partnership’s website located at http://www.chesapeakebay.net/ or call 1-800-YOUR-BAY to receive information by mail.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage & Anticipated Outcomes and Outputs

Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance

Agreements,” EPA must link proposed assistance agreements to the Agency’s Strategic Plan.

EPA also requires that grant applicants and recipients adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements, http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/award/5700.7.pdf).

1. Linkage to EPA’s Strategic Plan

The overall objective of this cooperative agreement is to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem through increased public awareness and public engagement in addressing water-quality restoration goals and Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. Under EPA’s FY2014–2018

Strategic Plan (see: http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan), this objective supports

Strategic Goal #2: Protecting America’s Waters; Objective 2.2: Protect and Restore Watersheds and Aquatic Ecosystems; specifically, Improve the Health of the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem.

The project funded under this announcement must be linkable to this strategic goal.

2. Outputs

The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal and objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance agreement funding period. Expected outputs from the project(s) to be funded under this announcement may include the following:

Coordinate the CBP partnership’s strategic communication objectives;

Develop Strategic Communication Plans;

Develop and issue press releases;

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/ http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/award/5700.7.pdf http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

Hold press events;

Staff the Communication Workgroup;

Develop in draft and final – fact sheets, backgrounders, website content, social media content, digital imagery, and multimedia products as directed by the CBP.

Progress reports and a final report will also be required outputs, as specified in Section VI(C) of this announcement, “Reporting Requirement.”

3. Outcomes

The term “outcome” means the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be qualitative and environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature but must also be quantitative. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period. An example of an outcome under this proposal is increased public awareness and commitment that would result in improving aquatic health of the

Chesapeake Bay watershed. Another potential outcome is increased number and diversity of trained and mobilized citizen volunteers with the knowledge and skills needed to enhance the health of their local watersheds.

D. Authorizing Statutes and Regulations

The cooperative agreement made as a result of this announcement is authorized under the Clean

Water Act, Section 117(d). Under Section 117(d) (1) of the Act, EPA has the authority to issue grants and cooperative agreements for the purposes of protecting and restoring the Chesapeake

Bay's ecosystem. This project is subject to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB)

Uniform Grants Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) and EPA-specific provisions of the Uniform Grants

Guidance (2 CFR Part 1500).

II: AWARD INFORMATION

A. Funding Amount and Expected Number of Awards

CBPO plans to award one cooperative agreement under this RFP. Funding for the activities listed above is approximately $325,000 to $350,000 annually for FY2015 through FY2020, depending on funding availability, satisfactory performance, and other applicable considerations. The total estimated funding for six years is approximately $1,945,000 to $2,850,000.

EPA reserves the right to reject all proposals and make no award under this announcement.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with

Agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available after the original selection is made. Any additional selection for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decision.

B. Award Type

Successful applicants will be issued a grant or cooperative agreement as appropriate. A cooperative agreement is an assistance agreement that is used when there is substantial federal involvement with the recipient during the performance of an activity or project. EPA awards cooperative agreements for those projects in which it expects to have substantial interaction with the recipient throughout the performance of the project. EPA will negotiate the precise terms and conditions of “substantial involvement” as part of the award process. Federal involvement may include close monitoring of the recipient’s performance; collaboration during the performance of the scope of work; in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 and 2 CFR 200.318, as appropriate, review of proposed procurements; reviewing qualifications of key personnel;

and/or review and comment on the content of printed or electronic publications prepared. EPA does not have the authority to select employees or contractors employed by the recipient. The final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient.

For this project, federal involvement would typically be in the form of participation with other

CBP partners and stakeholders in an advisory capacity to the grantee. This participation is expected to include involvement through the CBP Communication Workgroup (on which EPA also participates). All work conducted is to support the efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

C. Partial Funding

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund a project, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice the applicant or affect the basis upon which the proposal or portion thereof was evaluated and selected for award and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.

D. Expected Project Period

The expected project period for the cooperative agreement is six years, with funding provided on an annual basis. No commitment of funding can be made beyond the first year. The expected start date for the award resulting from this RFP is July 20, 2015.

E. Pre-Award Costs

Recipients may incur otherwise eligible and allowable pre-award costs up to 90 days prior to award at their own risk without prior approval of EPA’s award official. Pre-award costs must comply with 2 CFR 200.458 and 2 CFR 1500.8. If EPA determines that the requested pre-award costs comply with the relevant authorities, and that the costs are justified as allocable to the project, then these costs may be included as allowable expenditures at the time that the assistance award document is prepared.

However, if for any reason EPA does not fund the proposal or the amount of the award is less than the applicant anticipated, then EPA is under no obligation to reimburse the applicant for these costs incurred. Thus, applicants incur pre-award costs at their own risk. Costs incurred more than 90 days prior to award require the approval of EPA Region 3’s grant official.

III: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Nonprofit organizations, colleges, universities, and interstate agencies are eligible to submit proposals in response to this RFP. For-profit organizations are not eligible to submit proposals in response to this RFP.

B. Cost-Share or Matching Requirements

Pursuant to Clean Water Act 117(d)(2)(A), the agency shall determine the cost-share requirements for awards. The CFDA Number 66.466 states that assistance agreement applicants must commit to a cost-share ranging from 5 percent to 50 percent of eligible project costs as determined at the sole discretion of EPA. For this RFP, EPA has determined that an applicant must provide a minimum of five percent of the total cost of the project as the non-federal cost-share.

Cost-share may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. Involvement from foundations, watershed groups, private sector, eligible governmental, as well as non-conventional partners can help with the match. This match must be met by eligible and allowable costs and is subject to the match provisions in grant regulations. Proposals that do not demonstrate how the five percent match will be met will be rejected.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

Only proposals from eligible entities (see Section III.A above) that meet the following threshold eligibility criteria will be evaluated against the criteria in Section V.B. Applicants must meet the following threshold criteria to be considered for funding. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified in writing within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. Proposals must substantially comply with the proposal submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement, or they will be rejected.

Where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the narrative proposal, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed.

2. In addition, initial proposals must be submitted through www.grants.gov as stated in

Section IV of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV) on or before the proposal submission deadline published in Section IV of this announcement.

Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this announcement to ensure that their proposal/application is timely submitted.

http://www.sam.gov/

3. Proposals submitted after the submission deadline will be considered late and deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was late due to EPA mishandling or because of technical problems associated with Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their proposal/application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission. Applicants should confirm receipt of their proposal with

Tim Roberts at roberts.timothy-p@epa.gov (see Section VII, Agency Contact) as soon as possible after the submission deadline—failure to do so may result in your proposal [or application] not being reviewed.

4. The project funded under this announcement must be linked to the strategic goal outlined in Section I.C.1.

5. For a proposal to be considered eligible for funding, substantive project-related work included in the proposal must take place within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which includes portions of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West

Virginia, and all of the District of Columbia.

6. Proposals must show how they will meet the five-percent cost-share requirement of

Section III.B.

7. Proposals requesting funding for more than the maximum of the cumulative funding range for the activity will be rejected.

8. If a proposal is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the proposal will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the proposal, render the entire proposal ineligible for funding.

9. Proposals must address all three activities listed in Section I.B. to be considered eligible.

IV: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. How to Obtain a Proposal Package

Applicants can download individual grant application forms from EPA’s Office of Grants and

Debarment website at: http://www.epa.gov/ogd/forms/forms.htm.

To obtain a hard copy of materials, please send an email or written request to the Agency contact listed in Section VII of this announcement. Do not submit a full federal grant application in response to this RFP. If your proposal is selected for funding, an EPA project officer will request an application from you, negotiate the work plan and budget, and oversee the process of awarding the cooperative agreement.

http://grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://grants.gov/ mailto:roberts.timothy-p@epa.gov http://www.epa.gov/ogd/forms/forms.htm

B. Content and Form of Proposal Submission

Each proposal will be evaluated using the criteria referenced in Section V.B. of this announcement. You must submit a single-spaced proposal of up to 12 pages in length by the date and time specified in Section IV.C below. The format for this proposal is contained in Appendix

A of this announcement. Review the directions for the preparation of the proposal. Proposals that are not prepared in substantial compliance with the requirements in Appendix A will not be considered for funding and will be returned to the applicant.

The proposal package must include all of the following materials:

1. Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance – Complete the form.

There are no attachments. Please be sure to include organization fax number and email address in Block 8 of SF-424. Please note that the organizational Dunn and Bradstreet

(D&B) Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number must be included on the SF-

424. Organizations may obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or visiting their website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

2. SF-424A, Budget Information – Complete the form. There are no attachments. The total amount of federal funding requested for the project period should be shown on line 5(e) and on line 6(k) of SF-424A, the amount of indirect costs should be entered on line 6(j).

The indirect cost rate (i.e., a percentage), the base (e.g., personnel costs and fringe benefits), and the amount should also be indicated on line 22.

3. Narrative Proposal – The format for this proposal is contained in Appendix A of this announcement. Review the directions for the preparation of the proposal.

Requirements for Narrative Proposal — See Appendix A

All proposal review criteria in Section V must be addressed in the proposal. The proposal shall not exceed 12 pages in length. Pages refer to one side of a single-spaced, typed page. Font size should be no smaller than 10 and the proposal must be submitted on 8 ½” x 11" paper. Note that the 12 pages include all supporting materials, including resumes or curriculum vitae and letters of support. With the exception of documentation of non-profit status, cost-share letters of commitment, and the SF-424, if you submit more than 12 pages, the additional pages will be discarded and will not be reviewed. See Appendix A for additional instructions.

C. Submission Dates and Times

EPA will consider all submissions that are submitted via http://www.grants.gov/ on or before

5:00 p.m. EDT on April 6, 2015. All submissions submitted via http://www.grants.gov/ after the deadlines specified above will not be considered for funding. No proposals will be accepted by facsimile or e-mail. EPA will only accept proposals submitted via Grants.gov, except in limited circumstances where applicants have no or very limited Internet access.

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform http://www.grants.gov/

D. Intergovernmental Review

Applicants must comply with the Intergovernmental Review Process and/or consultation provisions of Section 204, Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act, if applicable, which are contained in 40 CFR Part 29. This program is eligible for coverage under

Executive Order (EO) 12372, An Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs. An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her state for more information on that state's required process for applying for assistance if the state has selected the program for review. Single Points of Contact can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. Further information regarding this requirement will be provided if your proposal is selected for funding.

E. Funding Restrictions

Administrative Cost Cap Requirement under Statutory Authority

Grantees applying for CBP assistance agreements must adhere to the requirements for

“Administrative Costs” under the Clean Water Act, Section 117 (d)(4), which states that administrative costs shall not exceed 10 percent of the annual grant award (annual grant award = federal share plus cost-share). Appendix B: Administrative Cost Cap Worksheet is provided as an example of a method to calculate the 10-percent limitation. You are not required to submit

Appendix B with your proposal.

Allowable Costs

EPA assistance agreement funds may only be used for the purposes set forth in the cooperative agreement and must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Federal funds may not be used for cost sharing for other federal grants (except where authorized by statute), lobbying, or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used to sue the federal government or any other government entity. All costs identified in the budget must conform to the provisions of 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E, Cost

Principles. During the grant negotiation, any ineligible costs outlined in the proposal (i.e.

lobbying activities) will be excluded in the final grant award.

Programmatic Capability and Past Performance

Applicants must submit a list of federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements as specified in Appendix A. In assessing this evaluation criteria, EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources, including information from EPA files and from current/prior grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information provided by the applicant). In addition, applicants must provide information on their organizational experience, their plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project, and their staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge and resources, or the ability to obtain them to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html

F. Submission Instructions: Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited

Exception Procedures

Applicants, except as noted below, must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If an applicant does not have the technical capability to apply electronically through grants.gov because of limited or no internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials to Grants.gov, the applicant must contact OGDWaivers@epa.gov or the address listed below in writing (e.g., by hard copy, email) at least 15 calendar days prior to the submission deadline under this announcement to request approval to submit their application materials through an alternate method.

Mailing Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Barbara Perkins

USEPA Headquarters

William Jefferson Clinton Building

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N. W.

Mail Code: 3903R

Washington, DC 20460

Courier Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Barbara Perkins

Ronald Reagan Building

1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Rm # 51267

Washington, DC 20004

In the request, the applicant must include the following information:

Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

Organization Name and DUNS

Organization’s Contact Information (email address and phone number)

Explanation of how they lack the technical capability to apply electronically through

Grants.gov because of 1) limited internet access or 2) no internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials through www.Grants.gov.

EPA will only consider alternate submission exception requests based on the two reasons stated above and will timely respond to the request -- all other requests will be denied. If an alternate submission method is approved, the applicant will receive documentation of this approval and further instructions on how to apply under this announcement. Applicants will be required to submit the documentation of approval with any initial application submitted under the alternative method. In addition, any submittal through an alternative method must comply with all applicable requirements and deadlines in the announcement including the submission deadline and requirements regarding proposal content and page limits (although the documentation of approval of an alternate submission method will not count against any page limits).

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:Grants.gov mailto:OGDWaivers@epa.gov

If an exception is granted, it is valid for submissions to EPA for the remainder of the entire calendar year in which the exception was approved and can be used to justify alternative submission methods for application submissions made through December 31 of the calendar year in which the exception was approved (e.g., if the exception was approved on March 1, 2015, it is valid for any competitive or non-competitive application submission to EPA through December

31, 2015). Applicants need only request an exception once in a calendar year and all exceptions will expire on December 31 of that calendar year. Applicants must request a new exception from required electronic submission through Grants.gov for submissions for any succeeding calendar year. For example, if there is a competitive opportunity issued on December 1, 2015 with a submission deadline of January 15, 2015, the applicant would need a new exception to submit through alternative methods beginning January 1, 2015.

Please note that the process described in this section is only for requesting alternate submission methods. All other inquiries about this announcement must be directed to the Agency Contact listed in Section VII of the announcement. Queries or requests submitted to the email address identified above for any reason other than to request an alternate submission method will not be acknowledged or answered.

Grants.gov Electronic Submission Instructions

The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative of your institution who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal assistance. For more information on the registration requirements that must be completed in order to submit an application through grants.gov, go to http://www.grants.gov and click on

“Applicants” on the top of the page and then go to the “Get Registered” link on the page. If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, please encourage your office to designate an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and ask that individual to begin the registration process as soon as possible. Please note that the registration process also requires that your organization have a DUNS number and a current registration with the System for

Award Management (SAM) and the process of obtaining both could take a month or more.

Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the submission deadline. Registration on grants.gov, SAM.gov, and DUNS number assignment is FREE.

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to http://www.grants.gov and click on “Applicants” on the top of the page and then “Apply for Grants” from the dropdown menu and then follow the instructions accordingly. Please note: To apply through Grants.gov, you must use Adobe Reader software and download the compatible Adobe Reader version. For more information about Adobe Reader, to verify compatibility, or to download the free software, please visit http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html.

You may also be able to access the application package for this announcement by searching for the opportunity on http://www.grants.gov. Go to http://www.grants.gov and then click on

“Search Grants” at the top of the page and enter the Funding Opportunity Number, EPA-R3-http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html

CBP-15-02, or the CFDA number that applies to the announcement (CFDA 66.466), in the appropriate field and click the Search button. Alternatively, you may be able to access the application package by clicking on the Application Package button at the top right of the synopsis page for the announcement on http://www.grants.gov. To find the synopsis page, go to http://www.grants.gov and click “Browse Agencies” in the middle of the page and then go to

“Environmental Protection Agency” to find the EPA funding opportunities.

Proposal Submission Deadline Your organization’s AOR must submit your complete proposal electronically to EPA through

Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) no later than 5 p.m. EDT on April 6, 2015. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application process and allow for unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit.

Please submit all of the application materials described below using the grants.gov application package that you downloaded using the instructions above. For additional instructions on completing and submitting the electronic application package, click on the “Show Instructions” tab that is accessible within the application package itself.

If you have not received a confirmation of receipt from EPA (not from Grants.gov) within 30 days of the proposal/application deadline, please contact the person listed in Section VII of this announcement. Failure to do so may result in your proposal/application not being reviewed.

Application Materials

The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

2. Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)

3. Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B)

4. Grants.gov Lobbying Form

5. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

6. EPA Form 4700-4 – Preaward Compliance Review Report

7. Narrative Proposal (Project Narrative Attachment Form)-prepared as described in Section

IV.B. of the announcement

Technical Issues With Submission

1. Once the application package has been completed, the “Submit” button should be enabled. If the “Submit” button is not active, please call Grants.gov for assistance at 1-

800-518-4726. Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-

545-5035. Applicants should save the completed application package with two different file names before providing it to the AOR to avoid having to re-create the package should submission problems be experienced or a revised application needs to be submitted.

2. Submitting the application. The application package must be transferred to

Grants.gov by an AOR. The AOR should close all other software before attempting to submit the application package. Click the “submit” button of the application package.

Your Internet browser will launch and a sign-in page will appear. Note: Minor problems are not uncommon with transfers to Grants.gov. It is essential to allow sufficient time to ensure that your application is submitted to Grants.gov BEFORE the due date identified in Section IV of the solicitation. The Grants.gov support desk operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except Federal Holidays.

A successful transfer will end with an on-screen acknowledgement. For documentation purposes, print or screen capture this acknowledgement. If a submission problem occurs, reboot the computer – turning the power off may be necessary – and re-attempt the submission.

Note: Grants.gov issues a “case number” upon a request for assistance.

3. Transmission Difficulties. If transmission difficulties that result in a late transmission, no transmission, or rejection of the transmitted application are experienced, and following the above instructions do not resolve the problem so that the application is submitted to www.Grants.Gov by the deadline date and time, follow the guidance below.

The Agency will make a decision concerning acceptance of each late submission on a case-by-case basis. All emails, as described below, are to be sent to Tim Roberts

(roberts.timothy-p@epa.gov) with the FON in the subject line. If you are unable to email, contact Tim Roberts at 410-267-5770. Be aware that EPA will only consider accepting applications that were unable to transmit due to www.Grants.gov or relevant www.Sam.gov system issues or for unforeseen exigent circumstances, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access. Failure of an applicant to submit timely because they did not properly or timely register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov is not an acceptable reason to justify acceptance of a late submittal.

a. If you are experiencing problems resulting in an inability to upload the application to

Grants.gov, it is essential to call www.Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 before the application deadline. Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545-5035. Be sure to obtain a case number from

Grants.gov. If the problems stem from unforeseen exigent circumstances unrelated to

Grants.gov, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access, contact Tim

Roberts.

b. Unsuccessful transfer of the application package: If a successful transfer of the application cannot be accomplished even with assistance from Grants.gov due to electronic submission system issues or unforeseen exigent circumstances, send an email message to Tim Roberts prior to the application deadline. The email message must document the problem and include the Grants.gov case number as well as the entire application in PDF format as an attachment.

c. Grants.gov rejection of the application package: If a notification is received from

Grants.gov stating that the application has been rejected for reasons other than late submittal promptly send an email to Tim Roberts with the FON in the subject line within one business day of the closing date of this solicitation. The email should include any materials provided by Grants.gov and attach the entire application in PDF format.

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:roberts.timothy-p@epa.gov

G. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including but not limited to those related to confidential business information, contracts and subawards under grants, and proposal assistance and communication, can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/solicitation_provisions.htm. These, and the other provisions that can be found at the website link, are important, and applicants must review them when preparing proposals for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

V: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Evaluation Process

After EPA reviews proposals for threshold eligibility purposes as described in Section III, CBPO will conduct a merit evaluation of each eligible proposal. Reviews will be performed by a team of professionals from EPA and other CBP partner organizations with a working knowledge of the technical analysis and programmatic evaluation needs of CBP partnership. All reviewers will sign a conflict of interest statement indicating they have no conflict of interest.

B. Evaluation Criteria: Maximum score: 230 points

Criteria Points

1. Organizational Capability and Program Description: Under this criterion, reviewers will evaluate the application based on:

a. The quality of the proposal and how it demonstrates the ability to timely and successfully achieve the relevant activity to support the CBP partners as described in Section I.B (25 points).

b. How well the proposal demonstrates that the applicant has the skill,…