16-02 Final 11-5-15.pdf

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Attached to: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO BROWNFIELDS COMMUNITIES
Opportunity number: EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02
Issued by: Environmental Protection Agency

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EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 1

OVERVIEW SECTION

AGENCY: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

TITLE: “TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO BROWNFIELDS COMMUNITIES”

ACTION: Request for Proposals (RFP) - Initial Announcement

RFA NO: EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NO.: 66.814

DATES: The closing date and time for receipt of proposals is December 21, 2015, 11:59 p.m.

ET. Proposals must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern

Time on December 21, 2015 to receive consideration. Proposals received after 11:59 p.m. ET on

December 21, 2015, will not be considered.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals from eligible entities (including eligible non-profit organizations) to provide technical assistance to communities on brownfield issues.

FUNDING/AWARDS: The total estimated funding for the solicitation is $11,000,000. EPA anticipates award of up to 11 cooperative agreement(s). The maximum value of each grant will be based on the technical assistance being provided, however, grant(s) in each geographical area shall not exceed $1,000,000 each under this competitive opportunity. Cooperative agreements awarded will be funded incrementally. Additional funds may be added in each subsequent year of the agreement, subject to satisfactory performance and the availability of funds. (Refer to

Section 2(A).)

CONTENTS BY SECTION

1. Funding Opportunity Description

2. Award Information

3. Eligibility Information

4. Proposal and Submission Information

5. Proposal Review Information

6. Award Administration Information

7. Agency Contact

8. Other Information http://www.grants.gov/

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 2

Section 1 -Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background.

In the early 1990's, stakeholders expressed their concerns to the EPA about the problems associated with brownfields across the country. More than 450,000 properties that were once used for industrial, manufacturing, or commercial uses were lying abandoned or underused due to the suspicion of contamination. Brownfield areas, in both city centers and rural areas, were contributing to blight and joblessness in surrounding communities. Unknown environmental liabilities were preventing communities, developers, and investors from restoring these properties to productive use and revitalizing impacted neighborhoods.

In 1994, the EPA responded to the brownfields issue with an environmental protection approach that is locally based, encourages strong public-private partnerships, and promotes innovative and creative ways to assess, clean up, and redevelop brownfield sites. This approach empowers state, tribal, and local environmental and economic development officials to oversee brownfield activities, and encourages implementing local solutions to local problems.

On January 11, 2002, the President signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and

Brownfields Revitalization Act (Brownfields Law). The Brownfields Law amended the

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA or Superfund). The Brownfields Law expands potential federal financial assistance for brownfields revitalization, including grants for assessment, cleanup, training, research, and technical assistance. The law limits the liability of certain contiguous property owners and prospective purchasers of brownfield properties, and clarifies innocent landowner defenses to encourage revitalization and reuse of brownfield sites.

The EPA’s Brownfields Program is built upon four basic goals and principles – protecting the environment, partnering for success, stimulating the marketplace, and promoting sustainable reuse. The EPA is committed to supporting technical assistance that will further the goals of the program and provide enhanced knowledge, tools, and processes to a broad range of stakeholders

(e.g., tribal, state, local and other non-governmental entities), especially to small, rural and underserved communities.

A brownfield site is “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant,” as defined in Section 101(39) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA or Superfund). The law further defines the term “brownfield site” to include a site that is contaminated by a controlled substance...; is contaminated by petroleum or a petroleum product excluded from the definition of ‘hazardous substance’...; or is mine-scarred land.”

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 3

B. Project Description

The EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) is soliciting proposals from eligible entities to provide technical assistance within the geographic areas delineated in section

Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Communities” announcement will help communities tackle the challenge of assessing, cleaning up and preparing brownfields sites for redevelopment, especially underserved/rural/small and otherwise distressed communities. The technical assistance provided through this grant will cover technical support on various brownfields subject areas. Regardless of the mechanism the technical assistance is made available, it should be geared toward results and in helping the community to move their Brownfields sites forward in the process toward cleanup and reuse. In addition, understanding the underlying technical issues associated with a brownfields site will enable communities to participate substantively in brownfields site decisions. For the purposes of this grant, technical assistance is defined as providing advice and support, in the form of specialized knowledge, to a person or organization with the goal of guiding them through a particular process, or helping them understand complex brownfields-related subject matter. The recipient will provide technical assistance, consistent with Agency policy and procedures, and serve as an independent source of information to assist communities.

The following types of activities are among the types of activities that may be provided:

• Review and explain technical reports (such as those related to site sampling, site assessment, and federal regulations);

• Provide information about basic science, environmental policy, and other technical matters;

• Help communities understand health risks associated with a brownfield site;

• Provide information to assist the community to better understand environmental issues and how these issues affect brownfield cleanup and redevelopment;

• Facilitate meetings between the local community, developers, lenders, and others involved in the cleanup and reuse of brownfield properties;

• Facilitate brownfield redevelopment efforts by supporting community and other stakeholder involvement activities;

• Facilitate visioning and reuse sessions;

• Provide assistance to communities dealing with plant closures, or other significant economic disruptions, adversely affected by natural disasters, or impacted by other sector based issues;

• Provide assistance in understanding and complying with state Brownfields/Voluntary

Cleanup Program requirements, including land use restrictions and other land use controls including providing support when talking or meeting with state response programs.

Applicants may propose other types of technical assistance activities that meet the needs of communities affected by brownfields in the geographic areas they propose to serve as long as they are eligible.

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 4

C. Description of Subject Areas for Technical Assistance

Under CERCLA 104(k)(6), the EPA is authorized to provide financial assistance which facilitates “the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation.” The following are general subject areas for which the EPA will fund brownfields technical assistance to support communities. Proposals must include technical assistance in each of the six general subject areas described below although applicants may propose approaches to addressing each area that differ from or supplement the activities the EPA has described.

1. Community Involvement

Activities supporting this subject area should look at brownfields issues from a community-based perspective. Projects should aim to provide communities (people, residents, community groups, businesses, schools, etc…) with information, tools and technology to better understand or participate in an informed way in decision making related to brownfields area-wide planning, assessment, cleanup, environmental workforce development and job training, and the redevelopment process, or to foster a better understanding of the impacts of living near a potentially contaminated brownfields property.

The assistance may include arranging and organizing meetings of community groups or others that would help contribute to the meaningful involvement of community members in brownfields efforts.

2. Health Impacts of Brownfields Sites

Technical assistance supporting this subject area should address the connection between health issues and brownfields. The assistance should focus on the impacts to health and quality of life related to health impacts when brownfields are not cleaned up and redeveloped, or examine effects on health and quality of life as a result of brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. The assistance should strive to improve the health of individuals living near brownfields (particularly, those belonging to sensitive and environmental justice populations) and to increase the level of understanding of brownfields-related health issues and to foster interaction and partnerships with local public health departments.

3. Science and Technology Relating to Brownfields Assessment, Remediation, and Site

Preparation

Technical assistance in this subject area should focus on various aspects of brownfields assessment, cleanup and subsequent redevelopment, including: assessment and inventory methods, site prioritization, development of a site prioritization scheme/methodology, sampling and cleanup methods, institutional controls and long-term stewardship to ensure

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 5

long-term protection of human health and the environment, and risk assessment methods and policies.

4. Integrated Approaches to Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment

Technical assistance in this subject area should address linkages between environmental, economic, and social issues, at brownfields sites including such things as: green revitalization, cleanup and redevelopment, port and waterfront utilization, energy issues, air and water quality issues, leveraging partner agency resources, sustainable development climate impacts, floodplain mitigation, green building design approaches, and quality of life related to social issues such as equitable development, affordable housing and environmental justice. Technical assistance outputs should aim to increase knowledge of linkages among various types of cleanup, redevelopment and planning efforts, and to increase coordination among such efforts including prevention of future brownfields.

5. Brownfields Finance

Technical assistance in this area should address finance and quality of life related to economic issues associated with brownfields cleanup such as assisting communities in working with federal, state, tribal and local governmental departments/agencies, lenders, investors, developers, and insurers and how to establish and leverage partnerships for funding assessment and cleanup that is consistent with plans for subsequent redevelopment.

Activities may increase state, local, and tribal stakeholders' knowledge base of finance issues and topics such as tax incentives, loan funds, insurance, economic development/redevelopment and other financing tools, be in the form of helping to arrange or organize or develop interagency workgroups that would assist in developing plans, providing technical assistance and financial expertise, leveraged resources or provide assistance in helping to develop documents necessary to obtain additional funding for brownfields activities. Applicants should note; however, that general fundraising costs are unallowable under Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit

Requirements for Federal Awards.

6. State, Tribal, and Local Government Brownfields Programs

Technical assistance in this area should focus on providing brownfields information to state, tribal (including Alaskan native tribes), local government representatives and other stakeholders about brownfields issues, brownfields-related government programs, and brownfields funding opportunities to receive support (e.g., financial, technical assistance) for their brownfields cleanup and redevelopment efforts. Technical assistance should also provide support on state and tribal response programs and assistance to communities with

Brownfield grant funding that need technical assistance to move their projects forward.

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 6

Because of the number of communities requiring support nationwide, the EPA has divided up the support to be provided through these cooperative agreements into 11 different geographical areas. Ten of the geographic areas will provide support to communities within the ten EPA regions. The eleventh geographical area will provide technical assistance nationwide and is intended to cover activities which cross all regions and are not region/state specific such as basic brownfields 101 workshops and webinars, etools that serve communities nationwide or those activities which must be provided nationwide such as etools that support grant preparation assistance.

• Geographic Area #1 includes EPA Region 1 (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)

• Geographic Area #2 includes EPA Region 2 (NJ, NY, PR, VI)

• Geographic Area #3 includes EPA Region 3 (DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV)

• Geographic Area #4 includes EPA Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN)

• Geographic Area #5 includes EPA Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)

• Geographic Area #6 includes EPA Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)

• Geographic Area #7 includes EPA Region 7 (IA, KS, NE, MO)

• Geographic Area #8 includes EPA Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY)

• Geographic Area #9 includes EPA Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, GU)

• Geographic Area #10 includes EPA Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA)

• Geographic Area #11 includes nationwide coverage to all regions and states

Applicants must address at least one of the Geographic Areas above and provide technical assistance to communities throughout their entire geographic area. Please note that the amount of funding provided to selected recipients will be commensurate with the level and amount of technical support being proposed. Those recipients proposing to provide less technical assistance may receive reduced funding amounts of those providing a greater amount of technical assistance or serving a larger geographic area.

Recipients selected for award in geographic areas 1-10, at their discretion, may also provide, on a limited basis, technical assistance to communities in other geographical areas. For example, a recipient may provide technical assistance to a community outside their geographic area if they are uniquely qualified to provide a specific type of technical assistance as determined by the EPA, assistance provided at national conferences, through webinars, and similar events, or when the EPA has decided that the type or nature of the technical assistance they are providing must be made available nationwide. The final scope of work that the EPA negotiates with successful applicants will specify the terms under which recipients may provide technical assistance outside of their geographic areas.

Note to Applicants: Applicants may submit proposals to provide technical assistance in multiple geographic areas. Applicants wishing to provide technical assistance in multiple geographical areas must submit a separate proposal for each geographic area they plan to serve. More information about providing technical assistance in multiple geographic areas can be found in the

FAQs at http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-11/documents/fy16_tabfaqs.pdf

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 7

For the purposes of these guidelines, the term “grant” refers to the cooperative agreement that

EPA will award to a successful applicant. Please refer to Section 2(B) for a description of

EPA’s anticipated substantial involvement in the grants awarded under these guidelines.

The EPA urges applicants to review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which can be found at http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-11/documents/fy16_tabfaqs.pdf.

D. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage

The projects selected for award through this competition will support progress towards EPA

Strategic Plan Goal 3 (Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development), Objective 3.1 (Promote Sustainable and Livable Communities), and Sub-objective (Assess and

Clean Up Brownfields). Specifically, recipients will provide technical assistance to communities which will facilitate the community in assessing, cleaning up and reusing brownfields sites in their community.

(View the EPA’s Strategic Plan http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html.)

E. Measuring Environmental Results: Anticipated Outcomes/Outputs

Pursuant to EPA Order 5700.7, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,”

EPA requires that all grant applicants and recipients adequately address environmental outcomes and outputs. Outcomes and outputs differ both in their nature and in how they are measured.

Applicants must discuss environmental outcomes and outputs in their proposed work plan.

1. Outcomes. The term “outcomes” refer to 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 environmental, behavioral, health-related or programmatic in nature, must be quantitative, and may not necessarily be achievable during the project period. EPA anticipates outcomes from projects awarded under this announcement will include increasing the capacity of nonfederal governmental entities, nonprofit organizations, and brownfields stakeholders to:

a. increase the grantee’s capacity to assess, cleanup and bring about sustainable reuse of brownfield properties;

b. Communities are better informed and equipped with the capacity to effectively address and be involved in brownfield activities;

c. focus attention on the environmental and human health conditions in low income communities and socio-economically disadvantaged communities unable to draw on alternative sources of funding for assessment or cleanup of brownfields and their subsequent redevelopment;

d. improve community involvement, communication, and the development of http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 8

partnerships among differing stakeholders and increase partnerships for leveraging necessary funding; and

e. enable communities to stimulate economic and other beneficial reuses of brownfield sites in order to improve environmental conditions and human health.

2. Outputs. The term “output” refers to an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work products related to an environmental goal or 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. EPA anticipates the outputs from the projects awarded under this announcement will include, but not be limited to:

a. an increase in the number of communities and projects receiving technical assistance;

b. number of brownfields assessment and cleanup projects moved forward;

c. technical assistance workshops and webinars; and

d. resource centers, factsheets, and case studies.

F. Supplementary Information

The statutory authority for this action is Section (104)(k)(6) of the Comprehensive

Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended by the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (Brownfields Law), 42

U.S.C. 9604(k)(6).

Section 2 - Award Information

A. What is the amount of available funding?

The total estimated funding available under this competitive opportunity is $11,000,000 subject to the availability of funds, quality of proposals received and other applicable considerations.

The maximum value of each grant will be based on the needs of the geographic area and the number of proposals selected for funding. The maximum funding for proposals serving any single geographic area shall not exceed $1,000,000.

Additional funds may be added in each subsequent year of the agreement, subject to satisfactory performance and the availability of funds.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this competition, consistent with agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of original selection decisions.

EPA reserves the right to not fund any proposals under this competition or fund proposals in some areas and not others. There is no guarantee that each area will be funded.

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 9

B. How many agreements will the EPA award in this competition?

EPA anticipates selecting up to 11 recipients, one for each of the geographic areas delineated in

Section 1(C) of this competitive announcement.

A cooperative agreement is an assistance agreement that is used when there is substantial federal involvement throughout the performance of the 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.

EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards under this announcement.

C. Will proposals be partially funded?

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete activities, portions, or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund a proposal, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants 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. What is the project period for award(s) resulting from this solicitation?

The project period for the TAB agreements is five years.

Section 3 - Eligibility Information and Threshold Criteria.

A. Eligible Entities

Proposals will be accepted from the following:

general purpose local unit of government;

land clearance authority or other quasi-governmental entity that operates under the supervision and control of, or as an agent of, a general purpose unit of government;

governmental entity created by a state legislature;

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 10

regional council or group of general purpose units of local government;

redevelopment agency that is chartered or otherwise sanctioned by a state;

state;

Indian tribe other than in Alaska;

Alaskan Native Regional Corporation and an Alaska Native Village Corporation as those terms are defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S. C. 1601 and following); and the Metlakatla Indian Community; and nonprofit organizations (including institutions of higher education). Nonprofit organizations must meet the definition of that term in Section 4(6) of the Federal

Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999, Public Law 106-107, 31

U.S.C. 6101. Public and nonprofit private educational institutions are eligible to apply.

However, nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue

Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying

Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply. Evidence of nonprofit status under

Federal, state, or tribal law must be provided at the time the application is submitted.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching.

No matching funds are required under this competition. Although cost-sharing/matching is not required as a condition of eligibility under this competition, under Section 5(A) of this announcement EPA will evaluate applications based on a leveraging criterion. Leveraging is generally when an applicant proposes to provide its own additional funds/resources or those from third party sources to support or complement the project they are awarded under the competition which are above and beyond the EPA grant funds awarded. Any leveraged funds/resources, and their source, must be identified in the proposal (See Section 4(B)(2)(b)(vii)) of the announcement). Leveraged funds and resources may take various forms as noted below.

Voluntary cost share is a form of leveraging. Voluntary cost sharing is when an applicant voluntarily proposes to legally commit to provide costs or contributions to support the project when a cost share is not required. Applicants who propose to use a voluntary cost share must include the costs or contributions for the voluntary cost share in the project budget on the SF-

424. If an applicant proposes a voluntary cost share, the following apply:

A voluntary cost share is subject to the match provisions in the grant regulations (2

CFR Section 200.306, as applicable).

A voluntary cost share may only be met with eligible and allowable costs.

The recipient may not use other sources of federal funds to meet a voluntary cost share unless the statute authorizing the other federal funding provides that the federal funds may be used to meet a cost share requirement on a federal grant.

The recipient is legally obligated to meet any proposed voluntary cost share that is included in the approved project budget. If the proposed voluntary cost share does not materialize during grant performance, then EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by 2 CFR 200.338.

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 11

Other leveraged funding/resources that are not identified as a voluntary cost share -this form of leveraging may be met by funding from another federal grant, from an applicant's own resources, or resources from other third party sources. This form of leveraging should not be included in the budget and the costs need not be eligible and allowable project costs under the

EPA assistance agreement. While this form of leveraging should not be included in the budget, the grant workplan should include a statement indicating that the applicant is expected to produce the proposed leveraging consistent with the terms of the announcement and the applicant's proposal. If applicants propose to provide this form of leveraging, EPA expects them to make the effort to secure the leveraged resources described in their proposals. If the proposed leveraging does not materialize during grant performance, then EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by 2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500 as applicable.

C. Threshold Criteria.

Proposals must meet the following “threshold criteria” by the time of proposal submission.

Proposals that fail to meet any one of the threshold criteria will not be considered further.

EPA will notify applicants who do not meet the threshold criteria within 15 calendar days of the

“fail” determination. Proposals that meet the threshold criteria will then be evaluated based on the factors disclosed in Section 5(A), Evaluation Criteria.

The threshold criteria are as follows:

1. Applicants must be eligible entities. Applicants should describe how they are an eligible applicant as described in Section 3(A) Eligible Entities. Eligible non-profit entities must attach documentation/evidence of nonprofit status under Federal, state or tribal law, as applicable.

2. Applicants must address at least one of the geographic areas listed in Section I and must submit a separate application for each geographic area. Proposals that combine more than one geographic area will not be considered.

3. Proposals must address all six of the project subject areas as described in Section 1(C), Description of Subject Areas for Technical Assistance of this announcement.

4. Proposal must include technical assistance to communities within the entire geographical area.

5. Organizations proposing to utilize proprietary information must provide evidence of permission to use the information.

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 12

6. Proposals must be submitted electronically through http://www.Grants.gov and must be received by December 21, 2015, by 11:59 p.m. ET to receive consideration. Proposals received after the closing date and time of this announcement will be returned to sender without consideration.

7. Applications must substantially conform to the outline and content detailed in Section 4(B), Content and Form of Application of this announcement or they will be rejected. Pages in excess of the page limitations expressed in Section 4(B), Content and Form of Application will not be reviewed.

In addition, initial proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section 4 of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section 4) on or before the proposal submission deadline published in Section 4 of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section 4 of this announcement to ensure that their proposal/application is timely submitted.

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 Debi Morey at morey.debi@epa.gov as soon as possible after the submission deadline—failure to do so may result in your proposal not being reviewed.

D. Eligible Uses of Funds.

Eligible uses of grant funds include direct costs necessary to provide technical assistance identified in the approved workplan. This includes costs for personnel, technical experts, materials, supplies, room rentals, travel, communication, and transportation expenses.

E. Ineligible Use of Funds.

Funds awarded under Section 104(k)(6) of CERCLA are intended for technical assistance activities set forth in the agreement and may not be used for:

Projects that duplicate grants awarded under other the EPA Brownfields grant programs described in CFDA Nos. 66.818, “Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Funds, and Cleanup Grants,” 66.815, “Environmental Workforce Development and Job

Training Grant,” and 66.814, “Brownfields Training, Research, or Technical http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://grants.gov/ mailto:morey.debi@epa.gov

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 13

Assistance Grants (including Brownfield Area-Wide Planning grants).” Please see

EPA’s Brownfields website for more details, http://www2.epa.gov/brownfields;

Conducting site assessments or actual cleanups. However, recipients may provide technical assistance to a community that would allow/facilitate/increase their capacity to conduct site assessment or cleanup activities;

Construction and land acquisition;

Foreign travel;

Management fees or similar charges in excess of the direct costs in the budget for the brownfields grant. The term “management fees or similar charges” refers to expenses added to the direct costs in order to accumulate a reserve fund for ongoing business expenses, unforeseen liabilities, or for other similar costs that are not allowable under the

Brownfields grant as administrative costs; and

The payment of administrative cost. In implementing the administrative cost prohibition, EPA has made a distinction between prohibited administrative costs and eligible programmatic costs. See FAQ at http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-

11/documents/fy16_tabfaqs.pdf.

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.

Section 4 - Proposal and Submission Information

A. How to Obtain a Proposal Package

Electronic copies of these guidelines can be obtained from the EPA’s Brownfields Program website at (http://www2.epa.gov/brownfields) or through www.grants.gov.

Grants.gov proposal submission requires all applicants to submit the SF-424 and forms

(application for federal assistance with original signature and budget information for non-construction programs). See Section 4.C.1. The SF-424 and forms do not count against the page limits. When completing the SF 424 forms, applicants will be required to provide a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS number). Applicants can receive a DUNS number, at no cost, by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711, or visiting the D&B website at: http://www.dnb.com.

B. Content and Form of Proposal

The following documents are required for all applications. See Section 4.C.1 for grants.gov submission requirements. All applications must contain a “Narrative Proposal,” limited to 15 typed pages and one completed and signed Standard Form 424 (SF-424), Application for Federal Assistance. The “Narrative Proposal,” a maximum of 15 pages in length, must explicitly describe the applicant’s proposed project and specifically address how http://www2.epa.gov/brownfields http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-11/documents/fy16_tabfaqs.pdf http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-11/documents/fy16_tabfaqs.pdf http://www2.epa.gov/brownfields

EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-02 14

it meets each of the evaluation criteria disclosed in Section 5(A), Evaluation Criteria, and the threshold eligibility criteria in Section 3(C).

1. Standard Form 424 (SF-424), Application for Federal Assistance, with original signature. http://www2.epa.gov/grants/epa-grantee-forms

Individual grant application forms may be downloaded from the EPA’s Grants and Debarment website by visiting: http://www2.epa.gov/grants/epa-grantee-forms

2. The “Narrative Proposal” shall not exceed 15 typed, single-line spaced, 8 ½” x 11” pages exclusive of the cover letter and use a minimum font size of 12 points. The “Narrative Proposal” must substantially conform to the following outline and content:

a. Cover Letter -The cover letter shall not exceed 2 pages and must include a brief description of your project and a description of the geographic area you propose to support. It should be written on your organization’s official letterhead, and signed by an official with the authority to commit your organization to the proposed project. The cover letter must also include the following information:

i. Applicant information -provide the name and full address of the applicant applying for funds. This is the agency or organization that will be receiving the grant and will be accountable to the EPA. This is also the person EPA will notify regarding the outcome of your proposal (selection/non-selection).

ii. Location -city, country, and state or reservation, tribally owned lands, tribal fee land, etc., of your organization.

iii. Contacts -provide phone/fax numbers, e-mail address, and mailing address of the

Project Director and head of organization/Executive Director responsible for the project application. These individuals may be contacted if other information is needed.

iv. Cooperative partners -provide names and phone numbers of individuals and organizations that have agreed to participate in the implementation of the project, if any.

v. Funding requested and Geographic Area -specify the amount of funding you are requesting from the EPA and the geographic area described in section 1(C) that you propose to support. Please note that if you are proposing to support more than one geographical area, then a separate proposal MUST be submitted for each geographic area.

http://www2.epa.gov/grants/epa-grantee-forms http://www2.epa.gov/grants/epa-grantee-forms

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b. Detailed Project Description -The project description must provide the information below on how the applicant will implement and conduct its proposed project and include how the application addresses each of the Threshold criteria from Section 3(C) as well as the evaluation criteria in Section 5 of this announcement.

i. Project Description - Describe the current problem(s), and then your proposed solution for addressing these problems including the benefits of the technical assistance you plan to provide. Include a summary of your overall project goals, activities and milestones for providing technical assistance, your plan to prioritize the type, nature, and communities being provided assistance, the type of technical assistance you plan to provide, and your strategy to accomplish the overall project goals. Include the types of technical assistance which will be provided to communities in the geographic area described in Section 1(C) and the number (and geographic variability) of the communities you estimate will be supported including the fair distribution of assistance between urban and non-urban areas, and the extent the technical assistance will promote community engagement and active involvement in brownfields prioritization, assessment, cleanup and redevelopment decisions (including decisions affecting environmental justice, rural communities, and/or tribal groups). Discuss how the technical assistance will help facilitate the use or reuse of existing infrastructure or create or preserve greenspace or assist in other nonprofit reuses of brownfields in communities within the geographic area you are serving. Provide information on how the technical assistance you plan to provide will help identify and stimulate the availability of funds for assessment, cleanup and reuse or help to stimulate economic development associated with community brownfield sites.

Provide information on how the technical assistance will help facilitate the identification and reduction of threats to human health and the environment that may be associated with exposure to hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants or petroleum products, or how the technical assistance would facilitate the identification and reduction of threats to the health or welfare of children, pregnant women, minority or low income communities, or other sensitive populations. Include in your discussion your plan and approach, including the extent to which you propose to use subawardees or contractors

(perhaps having different areas of technical/legal/fiscal/other expertise, if any), or use information/lessons learned and/or coordinate with other grantees awarded under CERCLA 104(k)(6) (including TABs in other geographical areas). Your discussion should include an explanation of how you plan to use subawardees/contractors and the information/lessons learned from other grantees awarded under the same statute and how this will contribute to the effective and efficient performance of the project. The discussion should also include the methods you plan to use to provide the technical assistance (one-on-one, workshops, webinars, other) and how these are the most effective and efficient methods of providing the assistance. Also discuss your outreach plan/strategy to

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ensure communities are aware of the availability of the technical support being made available through your program.

ii. Organizational Knowledge/Experience/Expertise -Summarize your organization’s knowledge, experience, expertise in the six subject areas where technical assistance is being provided. In addition, provide information regarding your organizational knowledge, experience, and expertise in working with the communities in the geographic area with particular emphasis on technical assistance provided which assisted in moving projects forward to completion.

Provide information on your organizational experience and plan for successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project, your staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources (or the ability to obtain them including the organizations contingency plan to replace key personnel) to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project. Include a discussion of the network you have in place such as key contacts, or other resources having additional knowledge or expertise that will assist you in successfully providing technical assistance to communities in the geographic area. Identify all proposed partnerships, stakeholder groups, or other networks that will be involved and their role in the successful accomplishment of the program.

Note: EPA anticipates that in order for the applicant to provide the full range of necessary technical assistance to the largest number of communities in the geographic area it may be necessary to form partnerships with other organizations either through subawards or procurements. Please refer to Section 4D. Also note that procurement of commercial services (e.g. consultants, audio visual equipment, meeting space) is subject to the

Procurement Standards of 2 CFR 1500.9, as applicable. Naming a commercial vendor as a

“partner” does not relieve the applicant of responsibility for complying with competitive procurement requirements, including cost or price analysis. Also note, there will be a term and condition in all cooperative agreements awarded prohibiting contractors from marketing their firm or services when they are being reimbursed for their services under the cooperative agreement. In addition, if the applicant or their subawardees have both non-profit and for-profit components of their organizations, then the non-profit portion implementing the grant/subcontract is prohibited from recommending communities use the services of its for-profit component when being reimbursed for their services under the cooperative agreement.

iii. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance -submit a list of federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include

Federal grants and cooperative agreements, but not Federal contracts) similar in size, scope and relevance to the proposed project that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than five agreements, and preferably EPA agreements, if any) and describe (i) whether, and how, you were able to successfully complete and manage those agreements and achieve the

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objectives of the project and (ii) your history of meeting the reporting requirements under those agreements including whether you adequately and timely reported on your progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes of those agreements (and if not, explain why not) and whether you submitted acceptable final technical reports under the agreements. In evaluating applicants under the factors in Section 5, the EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources, including information from the EPA files and from current/prior grantors

(e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information provided by the applicant). In addition, provide information on your organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project, and describe your staff’s expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

If you do not have any relevant or available past performance or past reporting information, please indicate this in the proposal and you will receive a neutral score for these factors (a neutral score is half of the total points available in a subset of possible points). Proposals that do not provide any response for this criteria, may receive a score of 0.

iv. Community Need -Describe the technical assistance program you plan to deliver

(relevant to the six subject areas) and how that program will meet the needs of the communities within the geographic area who have an inability to draw on other sources of funding for environmental remediation and subsequent redevelopment in which their brownfield sites are located because of their small population or the low income of the community. Include a discussion of the community need factors you considered and how the technical assistance you plan to provide will address these issues. While we anticipate some of the community needs maybe broad in nature, we expect others to be more well-defined. Include some examples or the basis for how you determined the community needs which your program will be addressing.

v. Budget/Resources -Provide a detailed itemized budget proposal that is reasonable and appropriate to achieve the project’s objectives and clearly explain how funds will be used. Describe your procedures, and controls for ensuring that awarded grant funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner. The budget should include information on each major task using the following cost elements. For each major task indicate what portion of the cost the EPA grant funds will be used and what portion the applicant or other partners will fund, if any. Only include eligible costs in your budget.

1. Personnel

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2. Fringe Benefits

3. Travel

4. Equipment

5. Supplies

6. Contractual Costs

7. Other Costs (Be specific)

8. Total Direct Costs

Sample Format for Budget

The term "management fees or similar charges" refers to expenses added to the direct costs in order to accumulate and reserve funds for ongoing business expenses, unforeseen liabilities, or for other similar costs that are not allowable under the EPA assistance agreements. Management fees or similar charges may not be used to improve or expand the project funded under this agreement, except to the extent authorized as a direct cost of carrying out the scope of work.

Budget