PKG00258562-instructions.pdf

FEDERAL AGENCY: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) OFFICE OF

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

TITLE: NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM—SOLICITATION

NOTICE FOR 2020

ACTION: REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

FUNDING OPPORTUITY NUMBER (FON): EPA-OA-EE-20-11

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NO: 66.950

DATES: The closing date and time for receipt of application submissions is May 29, 2020 by

11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET).

SUMMARY: The purpose of the National Environmental Education and Training Program is to deliver environmental education (EE) training and long-term support to education professionals across the U.S. in the development and delivery of environmental education and training programs and studies.

FUNDING/AWARDS: Under this competition, one cooperative agreement is expected to be awarded to a U.S. institution of higher education, a not-for-profit institution or a consortium of such institutions. The total estimated funding for the first year of the award(FY 2020) is

$2,175,500. For planning purposes, funding for years two and three should be estimated to be

$2,175,500 per year, subject to the availability of funds and other applicable considerations.

COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT: Applicants must provide non-Federal matching funds, or in-kind contributions of at least 25% of the total cost of the project.

PROJECT PERIOD: October 1, 2020 to September 31, 2025. The Agency intends, based on annual performance reviews and the availability of funds, to execute incremental funding for up to four subsequent project periods.

Contracts, Subawards and “Partnerships” Prior to naming a contractor or subrecipient as a

“partner” or otherwise in the application, please carefully review the “Contracts and subawards” solicitation provision available at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses . Refer to EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment

Under EPA Assistance Agreements and Subaward Policy and supplemental Frequent Questions for additional guidance.

CONTENTS BY SECTION

SECTION l: Funding Opportunity Description

SECTION II: Award Information

SECTION III: Eligibility Information

SECTION IV: Application and Submission Information https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients

SECTION V: Application Review Information

SECTION VI: Award Administration Information

SECTION VII: Agency Contact

APPENDIX A: Detailed Budget

SECTION I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background

The purpose of this announcement is to invite eligible institutions to submit applications to operate the National Environmental Education and Training Program. This program is authorized under Section 5 of the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (the Act)

(Public Law 101-619).

There have been six previous multi-year cooperative agreements awarded under this program.

In 1992, the first award was made to a consortium headed by the University of Michigan entitled the “National Consortium for Environmental Education and Training (NCEET).” In 1995, the second award was made to a consortium headed by the North American Association for

Environmental Education (NAAEE) entitled the “Environmental Education and Training

Partnership (EETAP 1).” In 2000, the third award was made to the University of Wisconsin-

Stevens Point (UWSP) also entitled the “Environment Education and Training Partnership

(EETAP 2).” In 2005, the fourth award was made to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, also entitled the “Environmental Education and Training Partnership (EETAP 3).” In 2011, the fifth award was made to Cornell University entitled the “Expanding Capacity in Environmental

Education (EECapacity) Project.” In 2016, the sixth award was made to the North American

Association for Environmental Education entitled “ee360”.

B. Definitions

Environmental Education (EE) is defined in the Act as: “educational activities and training activities involving elementary, secondary, and postsecondary students, as such terms are defined in the State in which they reside, and environmental education personnel, but does not include technical training activities directed toward environmental management professionals or activities primarily directed toward the support of non-educational research and development.” The Act also states that “The Office of Environmental Education shall…support development and the widest possible dissemination of model curricula, educational materials, and training programs for elementary and secondary students and other interested groups, including senior Americans.”

EPA further clarifies that environmental information and outreach may be important elements of EE projects, but these activities by themselves are not EE. By itself, environmental information only addresses awareness and knowledge, usually about a particular environmental issue. Outreach involves information dissemination and requests or suggestions for action on a particular issue (often without the critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making steps in between). EE teaches individuals how to weigh various sides of an issue through critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills on environmental topics. EE is a continuum that covers the range of steps and activities from awareness to action with an ultimate goal of environmental stewardship.

EE increases public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and provides the participants in its programs the skills necessary to make informed environmental decisions and to take responsible actions. EE is based on objective and scientifically-sound information and does not advocate a particular viewpoint or a particular course of action. EE involves lifelong learning; its audiences are of all age groups, from very young children through senior citizens.

EE can include both outdoor and in-classroom education, in both formal and non-formal settings.

Environmental Education Training and Long-Term Support

Environmental education training refers to activities such as classes, on-line courses, workshops, seminars, and conferences which are designed to prepare education professionals to effectively teach about environmental issues. Long-term support refers to activities that support the actual training such as: the development and dissemination of environmental education guidelines; development and implementation of state educator certification programs; and access to information about quality programs and resources.

Scope of the Work

The purpose of this program is to provide environmental education training and long-term support to education professionals across the U.S. to enable them to effectively teach about environmental issues. Long-term support (e.g., the use of national guidelines that discuss what constitutes quality environmental education materials and what a student needs to know about the environment in grades K-12 to become environmentally literate) is as important as the training itself. Training and support must:

Provide for both formal and non-formal educators (e.g., classroom teachers and faculty at colleges and universities as well as educators in museums, nature centers and other non-formal venues);

Occur in both pre-service (e.g., for students and faculty in colleges of education) and in-service settings (e.g., for classroom teachers and other practicing educators); and

Reach geographically and culturally diverse audiences across the U.S. to the maximum extent possible.

The intermediate outcome is better trained educators and the long-term outcome is a more environmentally literate public. The more environmentally literate the public is, the better they are able to understand complex environmental issues and to make responsible decisions that minimize adverse impacts on the environment. This knowledge and understanding enables the public to take actions that prevent pollution and to become effective environmental stewards.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkages, Anticipated Outcomes and Outputs and Performance

Measures

Linkage to EPA’s Strategic Plan

Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7A1, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance

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

EPA’s Strategic Plan is available at: https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html/.

The activities to be funded under this announcement are intended to further EPA’s Strategic

Goal 2: More Effective Partnerships, Objective 2.2: to increase transparency and public participation by listening to and collaborating with impacted stakeholders and providing effective platforms for public participation and meaningful engagement.

Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes.

EPA requires that grant applicants and recipients adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements (https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-

57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements). Applicants must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the program in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the strategic goal described above.

The term “output” means an environmental education activity, effort and/or associated work product related to an environmental and/or environmental education goal and objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date.

The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental education program or activity that is related to an environmental or environmental education or programmatic goal or objective. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period.

Because this is an education program, the outcomes should be geared towards educational outcomes (especially in the intermediate term). Outcomes may be qualitative and environmental, behavioral or programmatic in nature, but must also be quantitative. The long-term outcomes may have a broader impact that goes beyond improving educator training such as impacting the public’s behavior that may affect environmental quality.

Expected outputs and outcomes from the project to be funded under this announcement must include, but are not limited to, the following:

https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html/ https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements

OUTPUT 1: Delivering in-service educator training that builds on existing quality environmental education programs;

OUTPUT 2: Delivering pre-service educator training that enables students and faculty in education departments at colleges and universities to effectively include environmental education in their teaching;

OUTPUT 3: Developing, promoting and/or providing training on the national environmental education guidelines that seek to improve the quality of environmental education. This refers to the guidelines produced by the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education

(see http://www.naaee.org);

OUTPUT 4: Supporting state “infrastructure” that enables educators to effectively teach about environmental issues (referred to as “state capacity building”);

OUTPUT 5: Developing materials review process that identifies, evaluates, and promotes quality environmental education materials;

OUTPUT 6: Supporting accreditation efforts to include environmental education in college and university teacher preparation programs;

OUTPUT 7: Supporting state educator certification efforts by assisting states that are developing their own certification programs;

OUTPUT 8: Facilitating access to environmental education information and materials by building on existing Internet sites that provide broad electronic access;

OUTPUT 9: Progress reports and a final report will also be required outputs as specified in

Section VI (C) of this announcement, “Reporting Requirement.”

During the evaluation process for applications, EPA will determine if each work plan contains well-defined educational and environmental outputs and outcomes, adequately describes the applicant’s plan and approach for tracking and measuring progress towards achieving the outputs and outcomes, and clearly explains how the applicant will achieve the expected outputs and outcomes. Proposed outputs and short-term outcomes must be completed and be reported to EPA within the project period. See Section 5(A) for evaluation criteria.

Performance Measures. The applicant should develop performance measures related to the proposed activities and describe them in their application. These performance measures will http://www.naaee.org/ http://www.naaee.org/ http://www.naaee.org/ http://www.naaee.org/ help gather insights and will be the mechanism to track progress concerning successful process and output and outcome strategies and will provide the basis for developing recommendations to inform future recipients. The following are questions to consider when developing output and outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:

What are the measurable short term and longer term results the project will achieve?

How does the plan measure progress in achieving the expected results (including outputs and outcomes)?

How will the approach use resources effectively and efficiently?

D. Required Matching Funds

Matching Funds: There is a cost sharing (match) requirement that all applicants must meet, which must be for a minimum of 25% of the total project amount. An application will be deemed ineligible if the cost-sharing match is less than 25% of the total project amount. The match must be for allowable costs and may be provided by the applicant or a partner organization or institution. The match may be provided in cash or by inkind contributions and other non-monetary support. In-kind contributions often include salaries and/or other verifiable costs such as volunteer time and/or supplies/materials, and this value must be carefully documented. In the case of salaries or volunteer time, applicants may use fair market value for the locale. If the match is provided by a partner organization, the applicant is still responsible for proper accountability and documentation. All grants are subject to federal audit.

E. Statutory Information

Statutory Authority: This program is authorized under Section 5 of the National Environmental

Education Act of 1990 (the Act) (Public Law 101-619).

SECTION II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Number and Amount of Award

EPA expects that one award will be made to an eligible institution or consortium of such institutions subject to availability of funds and other applicable considerations.

The total estimated funding expected for year one of this cooperative agreement under this competitive opportunity is $2,175,500. The Agency intends, based upon performance reviews, the availability of funds, and if consistent with Agency policy and other applicable considerations, to execute incremental funding for up to four subsequent years. It is estimated that $2,141,500 may be awarded for each additional year up to five years total. Total estimated funding is approximately $11 million.

B. Start Date and Length of Project Period

The estimated initial project period for the award resulting from this solicitation will be October

1, 2020 to September 31, 2021. The project period may be extended with incremental funding for up to a total of five years.

C. Funding Type

The successful applicant will be issued a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is an assistance agreement that is used when there is substantial federal involvement with the recipient during the performance of an activity or project. EPA awards cooperative agreements for those projects in which it expects to have substantial interaction with the recipient throughout the performance of the project. EPA will negotiate the precise terms and conditions of “substantial involvement” as part of the award process. Federal involvement may include:

Close monitoring of the recipient’s performance;

Collaboration during the performance of the scope of work;

Review of proposed procurements in accordance with 2 CFR 317 and 2 CFR 318, as appropriate;

Review of the qualifications of key personnel (EPA does not have the authority to select employees or contractors employed by the recipient;

Review and comment on mid-year and yearly reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (the final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient);

Provide the grantee with EPA expertise on environmental topics as needed including, but not limited to, such topics as food recovery and reducing trash in waterways.

SECTION III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

In accordance to CFDA 66.950, only U.S. institutions of higher education, not-for-profit institutions as described in Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which are exempt from taxation pursuant to provisions of section 501(a) of such Code, or a consortium of such institutions may apply to operate this program as specified under the Act.

Because of the broad and diverse nature of this program, EPA encourages eligible institutions to form a consortium to operate this program. Eligible institutions may be a member of a consortium in more than one application. However, such institutions may not apply as the sole applicant or as the lead institution in a consortium in more than one application.

For-profit organizations are not an eligible entity for this funding opportunity. Additionally, 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. Foreign governments, international organizations and non-governmental international organizations/institutions are also not eligible to apply.

B. Matching Funds

Non-federal matching funds of at least 25% of the total cost of the grant project each year for up to 5 years are required for the award made under this announcement. The matching requirement is explained in detail in Section IV(C)(3) under Budget and Non-Federal Match.

The source of matching funds must be identified in the application and may be provided in cash or by in-kind contributions. In-kind contributions often include salaries and other verifiable costs. All in-kind contributions must be allowable and verifiable costs that are carefully documented. The matching non-Federal share is a percentage of the entire cost of the project.

Applications that do not include the required non-Federal match will not be considered for funding.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

Applications must meet the following threshold criteria to be eligible for funding consideration under this solicitation. Failure to meet any of the following criteria in the application will result in disqualification of the application for funding consideration. Only applications from eligible entities (see above) that meet all of these criteria will be evaluated against the ranking factors in Section V of this announcement. 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.

(1) Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or else they will be rejected. Where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the workplan, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed.

(2) Applications must be submitted through the Grants.gov website: https://www.grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV) on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this announcement to ensure that their application is timely submitted.

(3) 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 late due to EPA mishandling or because of technical problems associated with the

Grants.gov website (https://www.grants.gov/) or relevant SAM.gov (https://www.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. Applicants should confirm receipt of their application with Ginger Potter (potter.ginger@epa.gov) as soon as possible after the submission deadline—failure to do so may result in your application not being https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://grants.gov/ http://grants.gov/ http://grants.gov/ http://grants.gov/ mailto:potter.ginger@epa.gov reviewed. NOTE: Successful submission and receipt of an application does not guarantee its eligibility for review.

(4) The applicant must be an eligible organization or consortium of such as described in Section

III (A) above and state in its application how it meets that eligibility criterion.

(5) The applicant must demonstrate in its application how the non-Federal match will be met, as required in Section III (B) above.

(6) Applications exceeding the funding limits or project period term described herein will be rejected without review.

(7) The application must address EPA’s Strategic Goal 2, Objective 2.2 listed in Section I (C):

https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html/.

D. Ineligible Activities

If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or 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. Activities and tasks ineligible for funding in the National Environmental Education and Training Program include:

(1) Technical training of environmental management professionals

(2) Environmental “information” and/or “outreach” projects that have no additional educational component, as described in Section I (B);

(3) Advocacy promoting a particular point of view or course of action;

(4) Lobbying or political activities as defined in 2 CFR Part 200.450;

(5) Non-educational research and development; or

(6) Construction projects–EPA will not fund construction activities such as the acquisition of real property (e.g., buildings) or the construction or modification of any building.

SECTION IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedure

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

https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html/ https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:OMS-ARM-OGDWaivers@epa.gov mailto:OMS-ARM-OGDWaivers@epa.gov mailto:OMS-ARM-OGDWaivers@epa.gov mailto:OMS-ARM-OGDWaivers@epa.gov

Mailing Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Jessica Durand

USEPA Headquarters

William Jefferson Clinton Building

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N. W.

Mail Code: 3903R

Washington, DC 20460

Courier Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Jessica Durand

Ronald Reagan Building

1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Rm # 51278

Washington, DC 20004

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

• Funding Opportunity Number (FON)—EPA-OA-EE-20-11

• Organization Name and DUNS Number

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

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

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

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

If an exception is granted, it is valid for submissions to EPA for the remainder of the entire calendar year in which the exception was approved and can be used to justify alternative submission methods for application submissions made through December 31 of the calendar year in which the exception was approved (e.g., if the exception was approved on March 1, 2019, it is valid for any competitive or non-competitive proposal submission to EPA through http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

December 31, 2019). Applicants need only request an exception once in a calendar year and all exceptions will expire on December 31 of that calendar year. Applicants must request a new exception from required electronic submission through Grants.gov for submissions for any succeeding calendar year. For example, if there is a competitive opportunity issued on

November 15, 2019 with a submission deadline of January 15, 2020, the applicant would need a new exception to submit through alternative methods beginning January 1, 2020.

Please note that the process described in this section is only for requesting alternate submission methods. All other inquiries about this announcement must be directed to the

Agency Contact listed in Section VII of the announcement. Queries or requests submitted to the email address identified above for any reason other than to request an alternate submission method will not be acknowledged or answered.

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 https://www.grants.gov/ and click on “Applicants” on the top of the page and then go to the

“Get Registered” link on the page. If your organization is not currently registered with

Grants.gov, please encourage your office to designate an Authorized Organization

Representative (AOR) and ask that individual to begin the registration process as soon as possible. Please note that the registration process also requires that your organization have a

Unique Entity Identifier (e.g. 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.

Applicants need to ensure that the AOR who submits the application through Grants.gov and whose Unique Entity Identifier (e.g. DUNS Number) is listed on the application is an AOR for the applicant listed on the application. Additionally, the DUNS number 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 SoftwareCompatibility http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

(https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.htms) 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-OA-EE-20-11, or the CFDA number that applies to the announcement (CFDA 66.950), in the appropriate field and click the Search button.

Please Note: Applications submitted through Grants.gov beginning January 1, 2018 must be submitted using the “Workspace” feature. Information on the Workspace feature can be found at the https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html.

Application Submission Deadline: Your organization’s AOR must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than May 29, 2020.

Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application package and allow for unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit.

Please submit all of the application materials described below using the Grants.gov application package that you downloaded using the instructions above.

Application Materials

The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

(1) Standard Form 424 (SF-424), Application for Federal Assistance. Please note that the organizational DUNS Number must be included on the SF-424.

(2) Standard Form 424A (SF424A) Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs

(3) EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

(4) EPA Form 4700-4 Pre-award Compliance Review Report

(5) Project Narrative (Project Narrative Attachment Form) prepared as described in Section IV

(E) (6) below

Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically. If you have not submitted a confirmation of receipt from EPA (NOT from the Grants.gov website) within 30 days of the application deadline, please contact Ginger Potter

(potter.ginger@epa.gov). Failure to do so may result in your application no 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 tollfree number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545-5035. Applicants https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.htms https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.htms http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:potter.ginger@epa.gov mailto:potter.ginger@epa.gov http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ 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, 1-800-518-4726, or support@grants.gov 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.

Once you have submitted, you will receive the following communications:

Submission Receipt Email This email confirms successful receipt of your application by the Grants.gov system and indicates application status is "Received." This will include a tracking number, which will have the following format: GRANTxxxxxxxx.

Submission Validation Email –OR– Rejection with Errors Email This email Indicates that your application was either successfully validated or rejected by the Grants.gov system prior to transmission to the grantor agency. If your application is rejected with errors, you may resolve these errors and attempt to submit again as long as the submission deadline has not already passed.

Received by Agency Email Once your application package has passed validation, it is available for the awarding agency (EPA) to retrieve to perform further review and award determination. (Please note that Grants.gov does not review application content for award determination). After the EPA confirms receipt of your application, Grants.gov will send you a third email to indicate the Received by Agency status.

If you do not receive the above emails, please contact 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.

Note: Grants.gov issues a “case number” upon a request for assistance. Save this number in case you encounter additional problems.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov mailto:support@grants.gov

(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 does not resolve the problem so that the application is submitted to Grants.gov by the deadline date and time, follow the guidance below. EPA 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 Ginger

Potter with the FON (EPA-OA-EE-20-11) in the subject line. If you are unable to email, contact

Ginger Potter at 202-564-0453. 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 by the deadline because they did not properly or timely register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov is not an acceptable reason to justify acceptance of a late submittal.

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

Grants.gov, it is essential that you 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 Ginger

Potter (potter.ginger@epa.gov ) as soon as internet access is available and explain the circumstances.

(b) Unsuccessful transfer of the application package

If a successful transfer of the application cannot be accomplished even with assistance from Grants.gov due to electronic submission system issues or unforeseen exigent circumstances, and you have already attempted to resolve the issue by contacting

Grants.gov, send an email message to Ginger Potter (potter.ginger@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.

(c) Grants.gov rejection of the application package

If a notification is received from Grants.gov stating that the application has been rejected for reasons other than late submittal promptly, send an email to Ginger Potter

(potter.ginger@epa.gov ) with the Funding Opportunity Number (EPA-OA-EE-20-11) 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 the Grants.gov website or via email does not necessarily mean your application is eligible for award.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://grants.gov/ http://grants.gov/ http://grants.gov/ http://grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:potter.ginger@epa.gov mailto:potter.ginger@epa.gov mailto:potter.ginger@epa.gov mailto:potter.ginger@epa.gov http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:potter.ginger@epa.gov mailto:potter.ginger@epa.gov http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

D. Format of Application Submission

Applications must include the information described below, and it is highly recommended that applications follow the format provided. Please follow the instructions and do not submit additional items or forms. Please do not refer to websites or online tools in your application as the reviewers will evaluate only the materials provided in the application.

The required contents of the application package are described in detail below. The Work Plan portion of the project narrative (which includes the Project Summary, Detailed Project

Description, and Project Evaluation) shall not exceed 20 single-spaced pages. Pages in excess of the page limit for the workplan will not be reviewed. “One page” refers to one side of a single-spaced typed page. The pages must be letter-sized (8 ½ X 11 inches); recommended font size is no smaller than 10 point; and margins no less than 1 inch are recommended. The Detailed

Budget and Appendices (Timeline, Logic Model, Programmatic Capabilities and Past

Performance, Partnership Commitment Letters, and List of References) are not included in the page limit.

E. Contents of Submission:

A complete application package must contain all of the information outlined below.

1. Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance. Please note that the organizational DUNS Number must be included on the SF-424A.

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

Complete only Section B with the EPA funds and matching funds in separate columns and with the totals in Column 5. Do not complete Section A, C, D, E, or F.

3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

4. EPA Form 4700-4, Pre-award Compliance Review Report

5. Project Narrative

a. Work Plan—not to exceed 20 single spaced pages total

Executive Summary--recommended 1 page

Detailed Project Description

Project Evaluation

b. Detailed Budget—no page limit

c. Appendices—no page limit

Timeline

Logic Model

Programmatic Capability and Past Performance

Partnership Letter of Commitment (only if you have partner organizations making a commitment to the project and please, NO letters of endorsement or recommendation

List of Reference, if applicable

Project Narrative Instructions You must include a project narrative, which will consist of a work plan that describes your proposed project, a detailed budget and appendices. The work plan must address the requirements in Section I of this solicitation as well as any applicable threshold eligibility requirements in Section III and each of the evaluation criteria set forth in Section V. Grant reviewers look at many applications; providing your information in the order and format outlined below is highly recommended, as it prevents information from being overlooked. Your application should use ordinary terms to provide reviewers with an understanding of the purpose and expected outcomes of your project. A person unfamiliar with your project, its location/setting, and its topics should be able to read the application and understand it without further research. Your application will be scored based on the ranking factors identified in Section V.

(1.) Work Plan. The Work Plan must not exceed a maximum of 20 single-spaced typed pages;

excess pages will not be reviewed. The workplan must include the items listed under Detailed Project Description (2). Supporting materials, such as appendices, resumes and commitment letters, can be submitted as attachments and are not included in the 20-page limit.

(a) Executive Summary: Provide a concise overview of your application in the following format.

Detailed explanation should be provided in the Detailed Project Description (2), not here. The primary purpose of this part of the work plan is to help reviewers determine the eligibility of the applicant/application. Please provide the following information:

Organization

Name of Organization

Point of Contact for Organization, Mailing and Email Address

How your organization meets the eligibility requirement described in

Section III (A).

Costs

List the following information in dollar amounts only:

The dollar amount of funding you are requesting from EPA.

The total dollar amount of your project costs.

The dollar amount of matching funds you will be providing. (Note: This amount must be at least 25% of the total budget for the project).

Note: The form 424A and the Detailed Budget are where you will include your full allocation of costs.

Link to EPA Strategic Plan Briefly describe the project’s link to the EPA Strategic Plan as outlined in Section I (D).

Brief Project Description

Please provide the following information:

Project Title

Project Period--Provide beginning and ending dates.

A Brief Synopsis of the Project.

-Include the goals, objectives, outputs and outcomes of the program by the end of years one, two and three.

-Number Reached. Include the estimated number of education professionals to be reached as well as the expected demographics of the audiences reached.

-How the funds will be used. Specify how these funds will be used in the project.

(2) Detailed Project Description

The detailed project description must explicitly describe how the proposed project meets the guidelines established in Sections I-III of this announcement (including threshold eligibility criteria in Section III (C)) and must address each of the evaluation criteria set forth in Section V.

Reviewers look at many applications when scoring them, so providing information in the order listed prevents information from being overlooked. Additionally, the project description and work plan should use ordinary terms to provide reviewers with an understanding of the purpose and the expected outcomes of the project. A reviewer unfamiliar with the project should be able to read the work plan and understand it without further research.

This section of the work plan should describe the goals, objectives, outputs and outcomes of the program. It should indicate how the program will be managed, implemented and evaluated during the first year. It must also discuss in general terms what goals, objectives and major outputs and outcomes will be for the second and third years of the program. This section of the work plan must also contain the sections discussed below.

Goal Statement. A statement of the short (first year) and long-term (three to five year) goals, objectives and expected outcomes of the program. Include a discussion about the needs of the environmental education and education communities and how these needs will be met.

Management and Implementation Plan. A detailed plan of how the project will be managed and implemented in the first year of the program (plus a summary of the project in the second and third years).

Under the headings WHAT, WHY, WHO and HOW describe precisely what your project will achieve, why the goals and priorities were chosen; how it will achieve its goals; and who it will reach. It is highly recommended that you explain each aspect of the application clearly and address each topic by following the format below. Include the headings as given and do not reorder the paragraphs or you risk the possibility of information being left out by you as the applicant or overlooked or not fully understood by the reviewers when the project is scored.

WHAT your project will achieve in terms of proposed training and long-term support and identify all key outputs and outcomes of the project

Provide a detailed description of the activities that will occur under your project. Clearly identify your activities as well as the materials and implementation/delivery methods that will be used.