2BWRRF~1.PDF

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY &

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL

PROTECTION

100 Cambridge Street Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) - ATTACHMENTS

Document Title:

Federal Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Section 604(b) Water Quality

Management Planning Grant Program

Agency Document Number:

BWR-RFP-FY2024-2025-604B GRANT-WPP07

COMMBUYS Bid #: BD-27-1045-BWR00-BWR01-132526

August 19, 2026

ATTACHMENT A – APPLICATION

604(b) - WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM

FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR 2024/2025

A-1

ADMINISTRATIVE SUMMARY

APPLICANT:

Address:

Telephone: Email:

PROJECT TITLE:

PROJECT TYPE(S):

WATERBODY(IES)/SEGMENT ID:

MUNICIPALITIES AND WATERSHED SERVED BY THIS PROJECT:

(Attach required participation letters as needed)

AMOUNT OF FUNDING REQUESTED AND LOCAL MATCH (IF ANY) PROPOSED:

Federal 604(b) Funds via MassDEP $

Cost Share Proposed (if any) $

Total Project Budget $

PROJECT SUMMARY/OBJECTIVES:

A-2

PRINCIPAL CONTACT:

Name and Title Telephone

Email

AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY:

Name and Title (Printed)

Signature Date

Email Telephone

A-3

The Application must contain clear and concise narrative responses (and supporting graphics, maps, or tables as necessary) to each of the following sections.

1. CONCISE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Provide background, describe the issue, furnish a statement of need for the selected communities and/or watershed, and provide overall project justification. Provide a brief summary of any other water quality data that was previously collected for the project area, as applicable. Applicants are encouraged to identify any relevant water quality data collected by MassDEP’s Watershed Planning Program either through review of Technical Memorandum or Water Quality Monitoring Program Data. Please include brief summaries only and refer to supporting materials for more in-depth analysis.

2. PROJECT GOALS AND APPROACH: Provide a description of the project and the strategy to be implemented in response to the identified problem. Refer to a locus map of the project area and a detailed map of the project site in supporting materials. Describe how the Proposed Project will address the identified nonpoint source pollution problem, clearly linking to the issue(s) described in the above section. Goals should be specific and measurable over short- and long-term time frames, including how appropriate interest groups in the watershed will be made aware of the project and how results of the project will be disseminated to these groups. When describing the approach to the problem, be as specific as possible. Clearly describe the specific steps to be taken (i.e., scope of work), and the deliverables to be completed. When appropriate, be quantitative in your description (tell where, how many, how frequently, etc.). Present the approach in a logical, step-by-step fashion. Identify who will be involved in each step (if the project has multiple participants), and how the tasks will be coordinated. Describe how the major tasks will be accomplished and provide specific details. Identify any special skills or techniques that will be used to accomplish certain tasks, for example, GIS capabilities, trained wetland biologists, water quality sampling experience, computer modeling skills, etc.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

Please note that the following tasks must be included in your proposal if your project includes the specific assessment activities stated below.

FOR PROPOSALS THAT INCLUDE Data COLLECTION or USE:

https://www.mass.gov/guides/water-quality-technical-memoranda https://www.mass.gov/guides/water-quality-monitoring-program-data https://www.mass.gov/guides/water-quality-monitoring-program-data

A-4

1. A quality assurance project plan (QAPP) describes the specific procedures, roles, responsibilities, training requirements, and procurement procedures used in a project meet certain quality objectives. QAPPs are required if a project includes the collection, evaluation, use, or management of environmental data; the use of environmental models; or the design, construction, or operation of environmental technology. A QAPP must be approved by EPA and MassDEP before any data is collected or used and must be included in the scope of services as a discrete project task.

2. A preliminary sampling plan must be provided in proposals that include water sampling as a task. At a minimum, the preliminary plan must describe the general sampling approach. If possible, Applicants should provide specific details about how many samples and where, how frequently sampling will occur, what kind of sampling event will be targeted (i.e., stormwater, groundwater, sediments, biological assessment, dry weather, etc.), what type of analyses will be performed (i.e., bacteria, flow, PCBs, heavy metals, macroinvertebrates, etc.). If possible, Applicants should state how the results will be analyzed and presented. When sampling relatively low phosphorus concentration waters, Applicants are advised to check with the labs performing the analysis to confirm their ability to accurately analyze low phosphorus levels. The lab analytical methods must be documented in the QAPP.

3. All surface water quality or quantity data or other assessment data collected under this contract must be submitted to the EPA’s Water Quality Exchange platform.

FOR PROPOSALS THAT INCLUDE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) WORK

AS A TASK:

Projects that propose to use GIS to perform land-use assessments or identify and map sources of pollution within a watershed or subwatershed must provide information on the type of database(s) that will be used, describe any ground-truthing of information, and state the scale of maps to be produced. Additionally, at the end of the project, all GIS data must be provided to MassDEP, and to other end users as appropriate, in either an ESRI file geo-database or shapefile.

https://www.epa.gov/waterdata/water-quality-data-upload-wqx

A-5

ALL PROPOSALS – REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

After grant award, all projects will require quarterly progress reports, a draft final report, and a final report. This task is the primary end product of all water quality management planning projects funded under this grant program. WPP and other state, federal, and local agencies, as well as public and private stakeholder groups, will use these reports as publicly available information. Because of the importance of the reporting requirements, MassDEP expects that the final reports produced under these grants will be comprehensive, professionally written and produced, and contain useful recommendations based on sound technical assessment/planning information gathered during the project. An electronic copy of the final report, in both word and pdf format, will be required at the conclusion of all projects.

Supporting Materials

Include the following supporting materials with the application. Any application that does not contain the following required material will not be considered for funding.

Required:

A. Locus map of the project area and a detailed map of the project area

B. If a cash or in-kind match will be provided by an entity outside the Applicant’s organization, a letter from the authorized agent of the match provider must be submitted by the Grant Application due date, stating a commitment to provide the match.

C. Letters of support from all organizations identified in the project proposal as participating in the project or providing a portion of the match for the project. These letters must: be written on the organization’s letterhead, be signed by the organization’s authorized signatory, and detail the services or match to be provided by the organization. Letters of support from participating entities must be included with the proposal submission and must be received by the application deadline (October 7, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.).

Recommended:

A. Brief resumes for key project staff.

A-6

B. Maps, resource/classification information, and a summary of water quality data pertinent to the project.

A-7

SCOPE OF SERVICES (TEMPLATE): TASKS/DELIVERABLES SUMMARY

Please provide a brief descriptive statement for each objective and the task/activity, followed by the deliverable product(s) to be submitted. Tasks are to be content-specific, which result in discrete, deliverable products.

Two (2) tasks, the Kickoff Meeting Task and the Reporting Task, must be included in the Application. A kickoff meeting with MassDEP and the project team will be scheduled once a contract is initiated, and project reporting includes quarterly project management and the development of a final project report. Applicants can add more to each of these two tasks but should not remove the language provided below.

OBJECTIVE / TASK #1: Kickoff Meeting with MassDEP and the Project Team

SUMMARY: The meeting will consist of reviewing the project scope, timeline, and budget, project and fiscal management, and reporting requirements.

PERSONNEL:

DELIVERABLE PRODUCT(S):

A)

B)

C)

COST:

OBJECTIVE / TASK #2: Monthly meeting with MassDEP and Regional NPS Coordinators (*Only required for Regional NPS Coordinator projects*).

SUMMARY: The meeting will consist of reviewing monthly progress on project initiative and cross connection with other NPS Coordinators. MassDEP staff and all active NPS Coordinators will attend.

A-8

A)

B)

OBJECTIVE / TASK #3: WBP Development

SUMMARY:

A) Draft WBP submitted to MassDEP for review at least 6 months prior to the contract end date

B) Final Mass-DEP Approved WBP

OBJECTIVE / TASK #4:

SUMMARY:

A-9

A)

B)

OBJECTIVE / TASK #__: Reporting

SUMMARY: Quarterly invoice packages will be submitted to the 604(b) Program Coordinator and Contract Manager within 15 days of the end of a reporting quarter (i.e.; by January 15th, April 15th, July 15th and October 15th of each year). A draft final report will be submitted to the 604(b) Program Coordinator for review and comment at least two (2) months prior to the contract end date. The report must include a description of all activities undertaken as part of the project and a summary of the project. An electronic copy of the final report in both word and pdf format will be submitted to MassDEP by the project end date. (Note that electronic deliverables that will be published online must comply with Americans with Disabilities Act Title II (ADA Title II) digital accessibility requirements. Click here to view Commonwealth Digital Accessibility Standards and Requirements.)

A) Quarterly Reports and Invoice Packages

B) Draft Report due two months prior to project completion

C) Final Report

(Repeat as necessary.)

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/americans-with-disabilities-act-ada-title-ii-digital-accessibility-information-and-requirements#:%7E:text=Americans%20with%20Disabilities%20Act%20Title%20II%2c-What%20is%20the&text=The%20ADA%20guarantees%20equal%20opportunity%2clocal%20government%20services%2c%20and%20transportation.

https://www.mass.gov/digital-accessibility

A-10

PROJECT BUDGET

(This budget is for proposal evaluation purposes. Use whole dollar method.)

Expense Items 604(b) Amount

Cost Share

(not required)

Total

Amount

Applicant's Salary - By Title and salary range

Subcontractual Services

Equipment

Supplies (including printing, mailing)

Travel (for applicant’s mileage, at a rate of

0.76 cents/mile)

Other

Total Amounts: $ $ $

OVERHEAD RATE (%) _______%

TOTAL REQUEST FOR GRANT: $________ 604(b) Funds

TOTAL COST SHARE: $________ (Not Required)

TOTAL BUDGET AMOUNT: $________

A-11

PROJECT MILESTONE SCHEDULE

Provide a timeline by “X-ing” out the duration of the task activity. Use additional pages as necessary. Presume a January 1, 2027, Notice to Proceed. NPS Regional Coordinator projects may add an additional 12 months to the timeline.

MONTH

TASK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Task #1 – Kickoff Meeting

Task #2

Task #3

Task #4

Task #5

Task #6 - Reporting X X X X X X X X X

Repeat as necessary.