21-02.pdf

COVID-19 Update: EPA is providing flexibilities to applicants experiencing challenges related to COVID-19. Please see the Flexibilities Available to Organizations Impacted by COVID-19 clause in Section IV of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses.

OVERVIEW

AGENCY: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

TITLE: “SUPPORTING ANAEROBIC DIGESTION IN COMMUNITIES”

ACTION: Request for Applications (RFA)

RFA NO: EPA-OLEM-ORCR-21-02

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CDFA) NO.: 66.808

DATES: The closing date and time for receipt of application submissions is October 7, 2021, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Applications must be submitted electronically through https://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on October 7, 2021 to receive consideration. Applications received after 11:59 p.m. ET on October 7, 2021 will not be considered.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications that will demonstrate means of accelerating the development of new or enhance/increase existing anaerobic digestion capacity and infrastructure in the United States from food waste. This funding announcement supports the priorities detailed in President Biden’s Executive Order 13985 titled Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government and Executive Order 14008 titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the natural process in which microorganisms break down organic (plant and animal) materials. Food waste diverted from landfills and incinerators can be managed at AD facilities. The AD process generates renewable energy (biogas) and a product that can improve soil health (digestate). Food waste AD reduces landfill methane emissions. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas 28 to 36 times more effective than CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a 100-year period.

FUNDING/AWARDS: The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $2,000,000. EPA anticipates awarding approximately one to two grants per EPA region in amounts ranging from $50,000 - $200,000 per award. Applicants should plan for projects to begin on February 1, 2022. Up to approximately $800,000 of the estimated total will be set-aside specifically for awards to the following organizations:

• U.S. territories;

• Tribal governments;

• Tribal colleges and universities; or

• Eligible organizations (see Section III.A) located in persistent poverty counties (see Section

II.A).

EPA may adjust the funding for the set-aside based on the quality of applications received, Agency priorities, and other relevant considerations. See Section II- Award Information for more detailed information on these issues. EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad

NOTE: Prior to naming a “partner” in your application who will receive EPA funding as part of your project carefully review the guidance on contracts and subawards in EPA’s Solicitation Clauses as well as additional guidance in this RFA.

CONTENTS BY SECTION:

SECTION I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

SECTION II – AWARD INFORMATION

SECTION III – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

SECTION IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

SECTION V – APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

SECTION VI – AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

SECTION VII – AGENCY CONTACT

APPENDIX A: OPTIONAL TEMPLATE FOR NARRATIVE PROPOSAL

APPENDIX B: EXAMPLE BUDGET TABLE AND DESCRIPTION

APPENDIX C: MILESTONES

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses

SECTION I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

EPA supports diversion of food waste and other organic materials from landfills. Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is an alternative to landfilling that results in environmental benefits. The goal of this funding opportunity is to increase the use of AD to manage food waste. Another goal is to support the development of new AD infrastructure in the U.S.

AD is the natural process in which microorganisms break down organic materials. In this instance, “organic” means coming from or made of plants or animals. AD happens in closed spaces where there is no air (or oxygen). AD processes food waste feedstocks (e.g., food scraps, food residuals) into digestates, which may be used as soil amendments. Biogas is also produced throughout the AD process. Biogas is a renewable energy source that can be used to power engines, run alternative-fuel vehicles, and heat buildings.

The initials “AD” may refer to the process of AD or the built system where AD takes place, also known as a digester. The main categories of anaerobic digesters are stand-alone digesters, on-farm digesters, and digesters at water resource recovery facilities. All AD systems adhere to the same basic principles whether the feedstock is food waste, animal manures, or wastewater sludge. The systems may have some differences in design, but the process is basically the same.

The following materials are generally considered “organic” and can be processed in a digester:

1. Animal manure;

2. Food scraps;

3. Fats, oils, and greases;

4. Industrial organic residuals; and

5. Sewage sludge (biosolids).

EPA is interested in funding projects that increase anaerobic digestion capacity in the United States.

Such projects may include enhancements of existing infrastructure or the acceleration of the development of new infrastructure. In September 2015, EPA, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), announced a domestic goal to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by the year 2030. In addition, in fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 2021 Congress provided EPA with funds to help public entities demonstrate community AD applications to municipal solid waste streams and farm needs, such as capturing excess phosphorus.

EPA, consistent with applicable law, allocates resources to address the historic failure to invest sufficiently, justly, and equally in underserved communities, as well as individuals from those communities. Consistent with Congressional direction, EPA will give priority consideration to applications that support AD in “...communities and/or States that have statutes mandating removal of food waste and similar organic material from municipal waste streams.” Senate Report 116-123.

Anaerobic digestion converts food waste into useful products (biogas, fertilizer, soil amendments).

Anaerobic digestion allows communities to divert food waste from landfilling/incineration and supports the goals of sustainable materials management (SMM), which includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to climate change. The term sustainable materials management refers to a systematic approach to using and reusing materials more productively over their entire life cycles. SMM represents a change in how our society thinks about the use of natural resources and environmental protection. By looking at a product's entire life cycle, we can find new opportunities to reduce environmental impacts, conserve resources and reduce costs. For more information about EPA’s SMM program, see www.epa.gov/smm.

Minority Serving Institutions

EPA recognizes that it is important to engage all available minds to address the environmental challenges the nation faces. At the same time, EPA seeks to expand the environmental conversation by including members of communities which may have not previously participated in such dialogues to participate in EPA programs. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants identified in Section III, including minority serving institutions (MSIs), to apply under this opportunity. For purposes of this solicitation, the following are considered MSIs:

1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1061(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

2. Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059c(b)(3) and (d)(1)). A list of these schools can be found at American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities.

3. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1101a(a)(5)). A list of these schools can be found at Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

4. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; (AANAPISIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059g(b)(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions.

5. Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act of 2008, 20 U.S.C. 1059e(b)(6). A list of these schools can be found at Predominately Black Institutions.

B. Scope of Work

EPA is soliciting applications for a wide variety of projects that are designed to increase the use of AD for the management of organic materials in the United States. It is anticipated that applications will include projects that create new AD capacity, optimize use of existing capacity, or identify strategies that otherwise result in an increase in management of organic materials through AD. EPA also recognizes and encourages applications that demonstrate the effective marketing and/or sale of AD products (e.g., biogas and digestate). Such projects are beneficial to the AD industry and can therefore build the foundation for the development of additional AD infrastructure.

In addition, EPA is seeking AD projects that address environmental justice concerns and focus predominantly on addressing the disproportionate and adverse (see below) human health, environmental, climate-related and other cumulative impacts, as well as the accompanying economic challenges of such impacts, resulting from industrial, governmental, commercial and/or other actions that have affected and/or currently affect people/communities of color, low income, tribal, and indigenous populations, and if applicable other vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing medical conditions.

http://www.epa.gov/smm https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/hsi-eligibles-2016.pdf https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3&source=embed&ll=40.58644586187277%2C-148.28228249999984 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w-0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312532%2C-96.17229800000001&z=4

Environmental justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Fair treatment means no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies. Meaningful involvement means people have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health; the public's contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision; community concerns will be considered in the decision making process; and decision makers will seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected.

All applications must achieve one or more of the following objectives:

• Develop new or expand existing AD capacity for processing food waste.

• Demonstrate solutions and/or approaches for increasing food waste AD utilization that can be replicated by other communities, governments, or other entities.

• Support state, Tribal, and/or local government programs that seek to use AD to increase their food waste diversion rates.

Applications may include (but are not limited to) projects that:

• Increase the use of AD for management of organic wastes and biogas production;

• Maximize opportunities to utilize existing un-used capacity for digestion or co-digestion;

• Promote operational innovations to AD systems and processes;

• Develop solutions to barriers that prevent AD use or development;

• Overcome barriers associated with using the biogas produced via AD;

• Present logistical solutions to optimize processing of feedstocks via AD;

• Evaluate the economic value and marketability of digestate or biogas products;

• Evaluate feasibility for co-locating an AD facility near a composting operation to process digestate into finished compost;

• Increase the overall amount of food waste or other organic waste being processed via AD;

• Create a demand for organic waste feedstocks (especially food waste);

• Develop and/or improve feedstock (especially food waste) collection networks;

• Support the development of new AD infrastructure to the extent that the activities are eligible for funding under 42 U.S.C. 6982;

• Increase the quality of source separated food waste collected to ensure there is a low percentage of contamination (such as packaging) in the feedstock;

• Establish new or expand existing partnerships (e.g. public/private partnerships) that result in the development of new AD capacity for processing food waste or increase the utilization of existing AD capacity for processing food waste; or

• Reduce the barrier of cost in the development of AD systems.

Projects are awarded under the authority of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), Section 8001 (42 U.S.C. 6981), and must include in the project conducting or promoting the coordination of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, public education programs, or studies relating to solid waste. Projects may include (but are not limited to):

• Technology and process evaluations;

• Technical assistance, outreach and/or training to model or accelerate solutions;

• Outreach workshops;

• Demonstration projects for technology to improve the collection or quality of food waste feedstocks;

• Feasibility studies;

• Expanding processing capacity through technology demonstration projects or training and technical assistance; or

• Demonstration, training, or technical assistance projects for developing or improving feedstock collection networks.

For construction or equipment costs for improvements to AD facilities to be allowable, the project must qualify as a “demonstration” as defined by SWDA § 1004(2A), 42 USC 6903(2A). The statute defines “demonstration” as the initial exhibition of a new technology process or practice or a significantly new combination or use of technologies, processes, or practices, subsequent to the development stage, for the purpose of proving technological feasibility and cost effectiveness.

Demonstrations must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches, where the results of the project will be disseminated so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained in the demonstration project. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not a demonstration.

These activities relate generally to the gathering or transferring of information or advancing the state of knowledge. Grant proposals should emphasize this “learning” concept, as opposed to “fixing” an environmental problem via a well-established method. For example, a proposed project to expand the capacity of an AD facility by installing equipment that is in wide use or simply increasing the size of the facility would not qualify as a demonstration project.

EPA strongly recommends that applicants for demonstration project funding explain how the project meets the statutory definition of “demonstration” and describe how the results of the project will be evaluated and disseminated to researchers, AD facility operators, regulators and other parties interested in advancing AD technology.

NOTE: Ineligible Information Collection Activities.

The scopes of work may not include requests for EPA funding for a survey or other information collection of identical information from 10 or more parties. EPA funds may not be used for the design or administration of an information collection, and EPA personnel may not participate in such activities. Reasonable costs for analyzing independently collected information and publishing the results of such information collections may be allowable to the extent authorized in the EPA approved budget for this agreement.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage

The activities to be funded under this announcement support EPA’s FY 2018-22 Strategic Plan.

Awards made under this announcement must support one or more of the following: Goal 1 (Core Mission: Deliver real results to provide Americans with clean air, land, and water, and ensure chemical safety), Objective 1.1 (Improve Air Quality), Objective 1.2 (Provide for Clean and Safe Water), and Objective 1.3 (Revitalize Land and Prevent Contamination). Specifically, the activities to be funded under this announcement will be linked to EPA’s Strategic Plan consistent with EPA’s current priorities for preventing contamination and helping communities, including local governments, to achieve goals. Applicants must explain in their applications how their project will further one or more of these objectives.

View EPA’s Strategic Plan online at: http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.

D. Measuring Environmental Results: Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes

Pursuant to EPA Order 5700.7 “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,” EPA requires that all grant applicants and recipients adequately address environmental outputs and outcomes. Outputs and outcomes differ both in their nature and in how they are measured. Applicants must discuss environmental outputs and outcomes in the Project Narrative Application (see Appendix A).

1. 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 specified 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 demonstration projects, feasibility studies, etc. to be funded under this announcement may include but are not limited to the following:

● Pounds of food scraps and/or food residuals diverted from landfill and directed to

AD;

● Number of individuals, state, and local governments, and/or businesses served by education, outreach, training, technical assistance, and/or tools related to AD;

● Number of recommendations made to businesses/facilities;

● Safety guidelines or standardized operating procedures created;

● Actions or recommendations implemented or adopted by businesses/facilities;

● Types of skills and abilities achieved by training participants;

● BTUs or cubic feet of energy produced;

● Dollars saved through the use of biogas produced via AD;

● Pounds of nutrients recovered and soil amendments and/or fertilizers produced;

● Total volume of biogas produced (standard cubic feet, or scf);

● Total volume of biogas used rather than flared (scf);

● Energy density of biogas produced (BTU/scf);

● Innovative technologies developed or improved under demonstration projects; and/or

● Reports on evaluations of demonstration projects.

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

2. 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. Applications must include a description of anticipated project outcomes resulting from the project outputs, even if the outcome to be achieved is beyond the assistance agreement funding period. Include the quantitative target associated with the outcome, as appropriate.

http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

Projects to be funded under this announcement should demonstrate how they will produce at least one of the following outcomes:

• Increased resources and technical assistance through education, outreach, and training to individuals and/or businesses on AD;

• Advances in AD technology through demonstration projects;

• Increased public and/or business understanding of AD opportunities and benefits;

• Improved capacity of businesses and/or facilities to use existing AD facility capacity through efficiencies achieved through technical assistance and training;

• Increased capacity of landfill(s) as a result of organics being directed to AD facility;

• Improved quality of feedstock for existing AD facility capacity;

• Measurable improvements to environment and/or ecosystem conditions related to AD operations for air, water, and/or waste;

• Increase in energy conserved or produced via AD;

• Tons of greenhouse gases reduced;

• Dollar value of biogas generated and captured for productive uses, such as in combined heat and power and renewable natural gas;

• Dollar value of digestate reused or processed;

• Dollars saved (e.g. avoided tipping fees) through waste diversion to AD.

E. Supplementary Information

The statutory authority for this action is the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), section 8001(a), which authorizes the Agency to make grants to eligible applicants to support the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstration projects, surveys, public education programs, and studies relating to solid waste management.

SECTION II – AWARD INFORMATION

A. What is the amount of available funding?

It is anticipated that a total of approximately $2 million will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds, quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. EPA expects to award approximately $800,000 of the estimated total specifically for awards to the following organizations:

• U.S. territories;

• Tribal governments;

• Tribal colleges and universities; or

• Eligible organizations (see Section III.A, Eligible Entities) located in persistent poverty counties.

Persistent poverty counties are counties that have had poverty rates of 20% or greater for at least 30 years. The county poverty rates for 1999 and previous years are measured using decennial census data. For more recent years, either the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) or the American Community Survey (ACS) are used. Both of these Census Bureau data sources were first implemented in the mid-1990s and both provide poverty estimates no longer available from the decennial census. The data sources used, and the level of precision of rounding for the poverty rate, affects the list of counties identified as persistent poverty counties, as will be described below. To be considered for this set-aside, the organization must be located in a persistent poverty county at the time of application submission. Please see https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45100 for a listing of persistent poverty counties based on data from the 1990 Census, Census 2000, and the 2019 SAIPE estimates, and includes the 407 counties with poverty rates of 19.5% or greater (that is, counties with poverty rates that were at least 20% with rounding applied to the whole number).

EPA may adjust the funding for the set-aside based on the quality of applications received, Agency priorities, and other relevant considerations. EPA also reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this solicitation, consistent with Agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than 6 months after the original selection decisions.

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

EPA anticipates awarding approximately one to two grants per EPA region in amounts ranging from $50,000 - $200,000 of federal funding per award, subject to availability of funds and the quality of the eligible applications received. Awards will range from $50,000-$200,000 of federal funding.

Applicants may submit separate applications for one or more of the projects described in Section I.B, Scope of Work.

The funding for selected projects will be in the form of a cooperative agreement. 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. The anticipated substantial federal involvement for these projects may include:

● Close monitoring of the successful applicant’s performance to verify the results proposed by the applicant;

● Collaborating during performance of the scope of work;

● In accordance with 2 CFR2 CFR 200.325, review of proposed procurements;

● Approving qualifications of key personnel (EPA will not select employees or contractors employed by the award recipient);

● Reviewing and commenting on reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (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 or, to make fewer awards than anticipated.

C. Will applications be partially funded?

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund an application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the application or https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45100 portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process. The applicant reserves the right to reject proposed partial funding.

D. What is the project period for award(s) resulting from this solicitation?

The estimated start date for projects resulting from this solicitation is March 1, 2022. All project activities must be completed within the negotiated project performance period of two years.

SECTION III – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Entities

Applications will be accepted from States (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands), local, Tribal, interstate, and intrastate government agencies and instrumentalities, and non-profit organizations that are not 501(c)(4) organizations that lobby, including non-profit educational institutions and non-profit hospitals.

Individuals, for-profit organizations, and Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs) are not eligible. “Eligible applicants may enter into financial transactions with these ineligible organizations to the extent allowable by applicable regulations and EPA policy (see Contracts and Subawards solicitation clause referenced in Section IV).”

B. Leveraging 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 V of this announcement EPA will evaluate voluntary cost share as part of the budget evaluation.

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 IV 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 200.306).

• 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 https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses#contractssubawards grant performance, then EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by 2 CFR 200.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

Applications must meet the following threshold criteria when they submit their application.

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

Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination. Applications that successfully meet the threshold criteria will then be evaluated using the criteria described in Section V.A, Evaluation Criteria.

The threshold criteria are:

1. Applications must address one of the mandatory objectives described in Section I.B, Scope of Work, of this announcement.

2. Applications must be an eligible entity, as described in Section III.A, Eligible Entities, of this announcement.

3. Federal funds requested must not exceed $200,000. Applications requesting federal assistance funding in excess of this value will not be considered.

4. The application must be for eligible activities under the authority of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), Section 8001 (42 U.S.C. 6981), and must include in the project conducting or promoting the coordination of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, public education programs, or studies relating to solid waste. Refer to Section I.B for additional information on eligible activities. If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible activities, that portion of the application will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding.

5. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV.B of this announcement or else they will be rejected. This includes including all of the mandatory application materials. In addition, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV.D with respect to the application, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed.

6. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as specified in Section IV.B of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV.A), on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV.B of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV.B of this announcement to ensure that their application is timely submitted.

7. Applications submitted after the submission deadline will be considered late and deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was https://www.grants.gov/ 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 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. Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically. If you have not received a confirmation of receipt from EPA (not from Grants.gov) within 30 days of the application deadline, please contact Chris Carusiello at 703-308-8757 or ADGrant@epa.gov.

Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

SECTION IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Requirements to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures

Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If your organization has no access to the internet or access is very limited, you may request an exception for the remainder of this calendar year by following the procedures outlined here. Please note that your request must be received at least 15 calendar days before the application due date to allow enough time to negotiate alternative submission methods. Issues with submissions with respect to this opportunity only are addressed in Section C., Technical Issues with Submission below.

B. 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 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. Please see RAIN-2021-G01 for information about EPA's implementation of the upcoming Government-wide transition from DUNS to Unique Entity Identifier

(UEI).

Applicants need to ensure that the AOR who submits the application through Grants.gov and whose DUNS is listed on the application is an AOR for the applicant listed on the application. Additionally, the DUNS listed on the application must be registered to the applicant organization's SAM account. If not, the application may be deemed ineligible.

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to 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 Adobe Reader https://sam.gov/SAM/ https://sam.gov/SAM/ mailto:ADGrant@epa.gov https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2021-g01 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

Compatibility Information on Grants.gov

You may also be able to access the application package for this announcement by searching for the opportunity on Grants.gov. Go to Grants.gov and then click on "Search Grants" at the top of the page and enter the Funding Opportunity Number, EPA-OLEM-ORCR-21-02, or the CFDA number that applies to the announcement (CFDA 66.808), in the appropriate field and click the Search button.

Please Note: All applications must be submitted through Grants.gov using the "Workspace" feature.

Information on the Workspace feature can be found at the Grants.gov Workspace Overview Page.

Application Submission Deadline: Your organization's AOR must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than October 7, 2021 11:59 PM ET. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application 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 accessed using the instructions above.

Application Materials

The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

Mandatory Documents:

1. Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance. Please note that the organizational Dun 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. Please note, it may take several weeks to obtain a DUNS number.

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

3. Project Attachment Form. This includes the Narrative Proposal (see formal detailed in

Appendix A: Optional Template for Narrative Proposal) and Budget Table and Description (see format detailed in Appendix B: Example Budget Table and Description). The Narrative Proposal and Budget Table and Description should be combined into one PDF file. The Narrative Proposal should not exceed 11 pages (including the cover sheet) and the Budget Table and Description should not exceed 4 pages. Pages in excess of the identified limits will not be considered.

4. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54.

5. EPA Form 4700-4 – Pre-award Compliance Review Report.

Optional Documents:

1. Other Attachments, if applicable. This includes Milestones (See Appendix C for an example).

These may also include references/works cited, letters of support, CV/Resume (please combine each of these individual items into one PDF, e.g. all the letters of support should be in one combined PDF, all the references should be in another combined PDF).

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically. If you have not received a confirmation of receipt from EPA (not from grants.gov) within 30 days of the application deadline, please contact Chris Carusiello at 703-308-8757 or ADGrant@epa.gov. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

C. 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 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 ADGrant@epa.gov with the FON in the subject line. If you are unable to email, contact Chris Carusiello at 703-308-8757. Be aware that EPA will only consider accepting applications that were unable to transmit due to Grants.gov or relevant 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.

If you are experiencing problems resulting in an inability to upload the application to Grants.gov, it is essential to call 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 Chris Carusiello at 703-308-8757.

mailto:ADGrant@epa.gov

4. 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, and you have already attempted to resolve the issue by contacting Grants.gov, send an email message to ADGrant@epa.gov 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.

5. 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 and it is too late to reapply, promptly send an email to ADGrant@epa.gov 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.

Please note that successful submission through Grants.gov or via email does not necessarily mean your application is eligible for award.

D. Content of Application Submission

In accordance with the mandatory documents listed in Section IV.B, all applications must contain the “Project Attachment Form” which includes the “Narrative Proposal” and “Budget Table and Description.” The “Narrative Proposal,” a maximum of 11 pages in length, must explicitly describe the applicant’s proposed project and specifically address each of the evaluation criteria disclosed in Section V.A Evaluation Criteria, and the threshold eligibility criteria in Section III.C. The “Budget Table and Description” portion of the “Project Attachment Form”, described in more detail in Section “c.” below, must not exceed 4 pages in length.

Narrative Proposal. Narrative proposals should be concise and well organized. The following requirements apply:

• It must not exceed 11 typed 8 1/2 x 11” pages which includes a one-page Summary Information Page (i.e. the one-page Summary Information Page is page 1 out of the 11 pages total).) This does not include the Budget Table and Description, which is limited to 4 pages.

• It must be single-line spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, one column per page, and no indenting paragraphs.

• It must provide the information detailed in this section and include responses to all Section III.C, Threshold Criteria; Section V.A, Evaluation Criteria; as well as the information identified in Section I, Funding Opportunity Description. Factual information about your proposed project must be provided. Do not include discussions of broad principles that are not specific to the proposed work or project covered by your application. Responses to evaluation criteria should include the criteria number and title but need not restate the entire text of the criteria. Sufficient detail must be provided to allow for an evaluation of the merits of the proposal.

Vague descriptions, redundancy, and failure to address each of the evaluation criteria will result in a lower ranking.

The Narrative Proposal (Sections “a” and “b” below) should be submitted in the format detailed in Appendix A: Optional Template for Narrative Proposal. The Narrative Proposal must substantially conform to the following outline and content:

a. The Summary Information Page (maximum of one-page) must include:

i. Project Title.

ii. Applicant Name. Identify the name of the organization submitting the application.

iii. Eligible Entity Type. Identify your organization’s organization type from Section III.A, Eligible Entities. In addition, if you qualify for the set-aside, indicate that here.

iv. Project Type(s). Identify the project type(s) that are covered for your project.

v. DUNS Number. List the organization’s DUNS number.

vi. Project Summary. Briefly describe the project in two to four sentences.

vii. Contact Information. Include name, title, address, email address, phone number. You can list both a primary and an administrative contact.

viii. Project Location. Include the location where the project will be taking place.

If project will occur in more than one location, indicate the city and state associated with the primary location.

ix. Total Project Cost. Specify total cost of the project. Identify funding from other sources, including leveraging or in-kind resources.

x. EPA Funding Requested. Specify the amount you are requesting from EPA.

xi. Project Period. Provide estimated beginning and ending dates.

xii. Program Objective Elements. State the mandatory program objective elements addressed from Section I.B, Scope of Work.

xiii. SWDA Relevancy: Specify how this project falls under the authority of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), Section 8001 (42 U.S.C. 6981), and must include in the project conducting or promoting the coordination of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, public education programs, or studies relating to solid waste.

b. The Narrative Proposal. Provide the information below on how the applicant will implement and conduct its project by addressing each of the evaluation criteria in Section V of this announcement. The Narrative Proposal must not exceed 11 pages. The Narrative Proposal Work-Plan must include:

i. Project Summary/Approach. The summary shall contain the following components:

o Detailed project summary, description of specific actions and methods to be undertaken and the responsible institutions, including estimated timeline for each task.

A. Describe a well-conceived strategy for addressing the requirements and plan for achieving project results in Section I.B, Scope of Work.

Applicants for demonstration project funding explain how the project meets the statutory definition of “demonstration” and describe how the results of the project will be evaluated and disseminated to researchers, AD facility operators, regulators and other parties interested in advancing AD technology.

B. Describe a well-conceived strategy for addressing the requirements and plan for achieving project results in Section I.C, EPA Strategic Plan Linkage.

C. Describe a well-conceived strategy for addressing the requirements and plan for achieving project results in Section I.D, Measuring Environmental Results: Anticipated Outcomes and Outputs.

Anticipated Outcomes. Specify the expected environmental outcomes including those described in Section I.D, Measuring Environmental Results: Anticipated Outcomes and Outputs of this announcement.

Discuss how you propose to track and measure your progress towards achieving the project outcomes and results. Include quantitative targets for outcomes when applicable (Refer to Section V.