NOAA-NOS-ORR-2021-2006716 NOFO Report.pdf

FY2021 North America Marine Debris Prevention and Removal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 3

A. Program Objective 3 B. Program Priorities 4 C. Program Authority 10

II. Award Information 10 A. Funding Availability 10 B. Project/Award Period 10 C. Type of Funding Instrument 11

III. Eligibility Information 11 A. Eligible Applicants 11 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 12 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 14

IV. Application and Submission Information 14 A. Address to Request Application Package 14 B. Content and Form of Application 14 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 23 D. Submission Dates and Times 24 E. Intergovernmental Review 25 F. Funding Restrictions 25 G. Other Submission Requirements 26

V. Application Review Information 27 A. Evaluation Criteria 27 B. Review and Selection Process 35 C. Selection Factors 37 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 38

VI. Award Administration Information 38 A. Award Notices 38 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 38 C. Reporting 44

VII. Agency Contacts 45 VIII. Other Information 45

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 45

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: FY2021 North America Marine Debris Prevention and Removal

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-ORR-2021-2006716

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.999, Marine Debris Program

Dates: Proposals must be received and validated by Grants.gov, (and if the online application process is not effectively available) postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, January 29, 2021.

Funding Opportunity Description: The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), authorized in the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1951-1958), provides funding to address the adverse impacts of marine debris on the United States economy, the marine environment, and navigation safety through the identification, determination of sources, assessment, prevention, reduction, and removal of marine debris. Funds available through this solicitation were allocated to MDP in furtherance of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Pub. L. 116-113, Title IX to carry out Section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1952) in the North American region. The purpose of this competition is to address marine debris issues of mutual interest in the border areas of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Successful proposals through this solicitation will be funded through cooperative agreements.

Funding of up to $5,000,000 is expected to be available for Marine Debris Prevention and Removal grants in FY2021. Typical awards for this competition will range from $150,000 - $750,000. The MDP anticipates that between 6 and 12 projects will be awarded under this solicitation. Projects funded through this notification will be for a term of up to two years.

This solicitation is focused on efforts to:1) prevent land- and sea-based debris from entering the marine and Great Lakes environment through targeted engagement and outreach efforts that aim to support more sustainable practices, resulting in less waste generated; 2) remove priority debris types from the environment and support alternative disposal of removed debris. Efforts combining prevention and removal efforts will also be considered. It is not intended for scientific research.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 45

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

Marine debris is defined as "any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes" (33 U.S.C. § 1956(3)). Marine debris can come from land-based or ocean-based sources, and can range in size from small solid waste items such as plastic bags, cigarette butts, foam take-out containers, or balloons, to large items such as derelict fishing gear and abandoned vessels. Marine debris is primarily the result of human actions such as ineffective or improper waste management, dumping and littering, or stormwater runoff. Fishing gear may be lost because of storms or accidents and become marine debris. There are many adverse impacts from marine debris, including wildlife injury and death from entanglement or ingestion, exposure to chemical pollutants which attach to or are in plastics, habitat destruction, vessel damage, and economic loss to tourism, fisheries, and maritime activities.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), a division of the Office of Response and Restoration, leads United States national efforts to address marine debris. The MDP’s mission is to investigate and prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris, a principal objective of which is to provide financial and technical assistance to organizations with the expertise to identify, evaluate, and execute marine debris prevention and removal projects.

A principal objective of the MDP is to engage the public, industry, and governments to promote the long-term prevention of marine debris. MDP supports this objective through education and outreach and source reduction projects that provide the knowledge and resources necessary to change behaviors, reduce waste, and raise awareness of the issue. The MDP also supports marine debris removal activities as a direct approach to restoring damaged or depleted habitat and to mitigate future impacts from marine debris.

Funds available through this solicitation were allocated to MDP through the United States- Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Pub. L. 116- 113, Title IX to carry out Section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1952) in the North American region. The USMCA, Article 24.12, recognizes the importance of taking action to prevent and reduce marine litter, including plastic litter and microplastics, in order to preserve human health and marine and coastal ecosystems, prevent the loss of biodiversity, and mitigate marine litter’s costs and impacts.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 3 of 45

The USMCA calls for cooperation among the Parties (that is, the United States, Mexico and Canada) to address matters of mutual interest with respect to combatting a variety of marine debris issues.

The funding from this solicitation will develop impactful, community-driven, and cost-effective projects that reduce or remove threats to living marine resources and improve habitats through the prevention and/or removal of marine debris. These activities align with NOAA's mission to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources, and promote stewardship and a conservation ethic for NOAA trust resources.

B. Program Priorities

The purpose of this competition is to address common marine debris issues in the United States, Mexico, and Canada (as Parties to the USMCA). This solicitation seeks to fund projects that prevent or reduce the occurrence of marine debris, and projects that remove marine debris from the environment. Projects that include components addressing both prevention and removal will also be considered.

The geographic focus for activities in this Program is in United States border areas with Mexico or Canada, with specific locations outlined below. Projects that include collaboration with partners in Mexico and/or Canada, especially those projects that engage with partners in Mexico, will be prioritized. Activities occurring wholly within Mexico or Canada may be considered, if it can be demonstrated that such activities will address debris that impacts the United States economy, the United States marine environment (including the U.S. exclusive economic zone, territorial sea, coastal waters, Great Lakes, navigable waters of the United States, and the lands therein and thereunder, and adjacent shorelines and shorelands), or navigation safety in the United States.

Only projects taking place in the following geographies will be considered in this Program:

In the United States:

- Gulf of Mexico: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida (Gulf side).

- West Coast: California, Washington, Alaska.

- Great Lakes: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York.

- Gulf of Maine: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts.

International:

Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 45

- Mexico and Canada locations in border regions with the United States and that have the potential for debris to impact United States resources, the United States economy, or navigation safety in United States waters.

PREVENTION PRIORITIES

Prevention priorities for this competition support USMCA goals for reducing land- and sea-based marine debris in the relevant geographies identified above.

Prevention priorities that address land-based marine debris include projects that reduce the amount of waste generated by consumers, households, businesses, and other sectors through targeted education and outreach efforts that encourage and support changes in behaviors to ensure long-term prevention of marine debris. Examples include projects that:

- promote responsible business practices to reduce creation of waste/debris, including promoting innovative practices that reduce avoidable use of materials/products that are single-use or other high-priority debris types (e.g., those that are identified in relevant Marine Debris Regional Action Plans, or in national/local plans and strategies in Mexico or Canada), or promoting alternative materials/products;

- improve community and citizen participation in, and access to, effective waste management systems, services, and/or practices;

- promote sustainable behaviors to reduce the volume of consumer, household, or municipal waste generated, including use of alternatives to single-use items, etc.; and/ or,

- enhance consumer or other target sector awareness that leads to marine debris prevention.

Prevention priorities that address sea-based marine debris include projects that engage with fishing communities, industry, and other relevant stakeholders to reduce the prevalence of abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing or aquaculture gear. Examples include projects that:

- leverage the knowledge of commercial and recreational fishers, aquaculture farmers, fishing communities, industry, and relevant stakeholders to raise awareness of best practices to reduce loss or abandonment of fishing gear;

- promote effective policies, practices, and approaches to manage fishing gear (e.g., through gear marking/tracking schemes, etc.) to reduce its loss and/or abandonment;

- promote/facilitate fishing gear collection and recycling schemes and systems to incentivize fishers and stakeholders to properly dispose of gear;

- employ proven successful innovations in gear technology to prevent its loss; and/or, Notice of Federal Funding Page 5 of 45

- develop and employ reporting protocols and reporting systems for lost and abandoned fishing gear.

Successful projects will provide creative, practical approaches to preventing or reducing a type or category of marine debris, or address a specific marine debris issue (e.g., consumer debris, household waste, land-based litter, derelict fishing gear). Such projects will demonstrate meaningful, measurable, and long-term ecological benefits to coastal and marine resources by preventing or reducing marine debris from entering the marine environment.

Strong applications will:

- identify a type or category of marine debris as a target for prevention efforts and reasons why this type or category of debris is detrimental to the area;

- identify a target audience and the reasons for this choice;

- provide an outline of the prevention strategy, demonstrating the actions to be taken to reduce or eliminate the type of debris, the methods to be used to encourage and incentivize changes in behavior, and the potential barriers to overcome to achieve the desired change;

and

- demonstrate the long-term prevention measures that will remain in place following the completion of the funded project.

Proposals for projects conducting education and outreach to K-12 students are not a priority for this competition. Metrics to ensure project success should be clearly identified, justified, and quantifiable. These may include, but are not limited to, pre- and post-project assessments, debris monitoring, and/or the number of community members or businesses that participate in outreach or other educational programs.

Applicants must develop and implement the proposed marine debris prevention project by working with relevant stakeholder groups and target audiences. Proposals should justify how and why target audiences and debris types or categories were chosen. Outreach strategies should be clear, strategic, and impart key messages, information, and experiences to the target audience(s). Benefits from the project beyond the proposed award period should also be described.

Projects that target underserved/underrepresented communities may receive higher priority for funding. Applicants should describe their experience working with underserved/underrepresented communities and approach to recruiting and retaining participants. If appropriate, MDP encourages all applicants to develop partnerships with

Notice of Federal Funding Page 6 of 45 relevant stakeholders to bring a diversity of viewpoints and expertise to project activities and increase the impact of project outcomes.

NOAA encourages using digital media as an outreach strategy, however this opportunity seeks unique, innovative approaches and technologies that are practical and tangible (beyond developing a website or mobile phone app) that engage diverse audiences.

REMOVAL PRIORITIES

The highest program priorities for removal activities in this solicitation is for the removal of derelict fishing gear, especially projects that promote or incentivize alternative disposal of such debris to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill (i.e., through re-use, recycling, energy recovery, use of open shipping capacity to reduce transport costs (also known as "backhauling”)). Projects that promote innovative and comprehensive removal efforts that lead to greater recycling and/or re-use of gear materials will be prioritized. Projects may also include detection or assessment of debris in the environment to facilitate removal.

Derelict fishing gear includes, but is not limited to, such items as abandoned crab or lobster pots/traps, fishing nets, and synthetic (e.g., monofilament, polypropylene) line, as well as legacy aquaculture debris (legacy debris is debris for which it is difficult to determine the age, origin, and source). Legacy aquaculture debris removal proposals should confirm that a search for responsible parties (which could be, for example, the property’s current or former owner) has been conducted and that no alternative course of action for removal exists). Such projects must comply with applicable federal and state/provincial laws regarding handling and ownership.

A second priority for removal activities includes shoreline or riparian cleanup projects that demonstrate a strong likelihood of reducing impacts from marine debris to United States marine resources and/or United States coastal areas. Such projects may also include riverine litter catchment systems with effective removal capacities, or other green infrastructure projects designed to capture marine debris. These projects should be coupled with education and outreach efforts, a monitoring program, or volunteer involvement that aims to reduce or prevent future accumulation of marine debris. For shoreline removal activities, the NOAA MDP has developed standardized marine debris shoreline survey protocols through the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) to facilitate regional and site-specific comparisons of debris loads. If a project has a shoreline cleanup component, applicants should contact the NOAA MDP to discuss whether it would be appropriate to incorporate MDMAP shoreline protocols and tools, which are posted at https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/research/marine-debris-monitoring-and-assessment-project.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 45

Any project for installing litter catchment systems should also include details on how these systems will be maintained in the long term/post award.

The third priority for removal activities includes the detection and removal of marine debris resulting from hurricanes or other natural disasters, including, but not limited to, hurricanes, tropical storms, and flood events. These efforts should include relevant emergency response agencies and work to outline existing response structures at the local, state, and national levels, capturing all relevant responsibilities and existing procedures into one guidance document for easy reference during future disasters.

In order to reduce the need for repeated removal in the future, removal activities should be tied to, and include substantial interaction with, targeted user groups prioritized in Section I.A. Information on the types and quantities of debris removed during these projects should be shared through education and outreach efforts so the relevant target audience can better prevent those debris types from accumulating in the future. Generally speaking, for such education and outreach activities, applicants are encouraged to incorporate existing resources into their projects, including those available for download at http://www.marinedebris.noaa.gov/resources.

Strong proposals will integrate innovative, sustainable approaches for disposal of debris.

These alternative options may include, but are not limited to re-use, recycling, energy recovery, and use of open shipping capacity to reduce transport costs (also known as "backhauling"), partnering with local waste management companies, etc. NOAA may consider the type of disposal methodology and whether these types of alternative disposal options are integrated into the project as a selection factor when making final funding recommendations.

Proposals will also score higher if they quantify and/or effectively describe, where applicable, the specific resource, navigational, and economic benefits that are expected from the removal effort. Successful proposals may be required to track or measure such benefits during or following removal activities. All proposals must have a primary emphasis on removal activities that address clearly identified United States domestic, and/or United States -Mexico, or United States -Canada cross-boundary marine debris problems.

Projects focused on removing primarily hazards to human health or removals for aesthetic purposes, with no clear connection to marine debris that impacts the United States economy, the United States marine environment, or navigation safety in the United States are not a focus of this grant competition.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 45

The following general guidance applies to BOTH PREVENTION AND REMOVAL activities:

The NOAA MDP encourages projects implementing activities that fit into any existing U.S.

national or regional programs, priorities, or strategic plans to address marine debris (e.g., National Estuary Program or NOAA Habitat Focus Area sites, the Great Lakes Marine Debris Action Plan, the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan, the Florida Marine Debris Reduction Plan, the Gulf of Maine Marine Debris Action Plan, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Regional Action Plan, the California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy, the Marine Debris Program Strategic Plan for FY21-25) and describe how they do so. Regional plans can be found on the MDP website at https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/emergency-response-guides-and-regional-action-plans.

Projects that target underserved/underrepresented communities may receive higher priority for funding. Applicants should describe their experience working with underserved/underrepresented communities and approach to recruiting and retaining participants. If appropriate, MDP encourages all applicants to develop partnerships with relevant stakeholders to bring a diversity of viewpoints and expertise to project activities and increase the impact of project outcomes.

Proposals requesting support for large equipment purchases, to expand an organization's day-to-day administrative or program management activities, or to support strictly administration, salaries, overhead, and travel without being part of a specific project will be a low priority. If a project requires funding for large equipment purchases, collection facilities, or other long-term operations, the application should identify how the overall project will continue into the future and how any equipment operation and maintenance costs will be paid for beyond the award period.

Projects that are duplicative of those that the NOAA MDP currently funds or those that have been funded by NOAA, partner organizations, and/or other federal agencies may not be recommended for funding. Previously funded projects can be found in the MDP project clearinghouse: https://clearinghouse.marinedebris.noaa.gov/

Applicants should also note that the following activities, in general, will not be considered for grant funding under this award: (1) activities that constitute legally required mitigation for the adverse effects of an activity regulated or otherwise governed by local, state, or federal law; (2) activities that constitute restoration for natural resource damages under federal, state, or local law; and (3) activities that are required by a separate consent decree, court order, statute, or regulation.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 9 of 45

Applications addressing other types of pollution not fitting the definition of marine debris provided in Section I.A are not priorities for this solicitation and may not be considered.

C. Program Authority

Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq.)

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Pub. L. 116-113, Title IX

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Funding of up to $5,000,000 is expected to be available for this grant solicitation. The NOAA MDP does not plan to fund proposals for these prevention and removal activities at less than $150,000 or more than $750,000 under this solicitation, however the exact amount of funds to be awarded and the number of awards made will be at the discretion of NOAA following pre-award negotiations with highly meritorious applicants.

The NOAA MDP anticipates that between 6 and 12 awards will be made under this solicitation. NOAA may request that a highly ranked applicant submitting more than one meritorious proposal combine all or parts of its proposals into one award. Publication of this opportunity does not obligate NOAA to award any specific project or obligate all or any part of available program funds. Awards may include funding from other programs or agencies.

There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all proposals.

The number of awards to be made under this solicitation will depend on the number of eligible applications received, the amount of funding requested by recommended applicants, the merit and ranking of the proposals, and the amount of funds made available to the NOAA MDP by Congress.

B. Project/Award Period

Applications should cover a project period of execution of no more than two years in duration. If habitat recovery monitoring activities are proposed to be conducted before or following removal, NOAA may consider applications with a period of performance of up to three years as long as there is reasonable justification provided. The earliest anticipated start date for awards will be September 1, 2021 – applicants should consider this date when developing plans for initiating proposed project activities. Applicants selected to receive funding may be asked to modify the project start date to accommodate any delays in federal

Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 45 appropriations. Applications for renewal or supplementation of previously-awarded NOAA MDP projects are allowed, however such proposals will be subject to the competitive process and will not receive preferential treatment. In some cases NOAA may fund a project with incremental funding, usually in the form of a multi-year award. If incremental or multi-year funding is awarded, in which NOAA only obligates funds initially for the first phase of a project, NOAA has no obligation to provide any additional prospective funding in connection with that award in subsequent time periods; additional funding is contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued relevance to program mission and priorities, and the availability of funds.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Selected applications will be funded through cooperative agreements since NOAA staff will be substantially involved in aspects of the project. Substantial involvement is defined as, but is not limited to, engagement with the recipient on environmental compliance requirements, hands-on technical collaboration or permitting assistance, support in developing protocols (e.g., for data collection or monitoring), tracking the progress of removal efforts through site visits, regular conference calls, progress report evaluation and milestone approval, developing performance measures to assess project outcomes, reviewing manuscript drafts (if any), and support in developing and disseminating public-facing communication materials or events to highlight marine debris removal activities.

Marine debris removal and/or prevention activities funded through this competition may have long term planning goals and objectives common to the programmatic needs of both NOAA and the recipients. As such, NOAA may seek to maintain a long-term partnership with recipients by establishing cooperative agreements in relevant situations as “institutional awards”. If a cooperative agreement is established as an institutional award, the initial cooperative agreement will be established for no more than five years and NOAA may issue new cooperative agreements to the recipient for similar or related activities through a non-competitive selection process.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

As outlined in the Marine Debris Act, eligible applicants in the United States are state, local, and tribal governments whose activities affect removal and prevention of marine debris and any institution of higher education, nonprofit organization, or commercial (for-profit) organization with expertise in a field related to marine debris. Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will not be considered. Interested federal

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 45 agencies may collaborate with eligible applicants but may not receive funds through this competition.

Applicants from the United States that engage partners in Mexico and/or Canada will receive greater consideration for funding in this competition, with a higher priority for partner engagement in Mexico.

This award is also open for application by certain organizations (as noted below) in Mexico and Canada, with a higher priority for activities to be conducted in Mexico. This can include applicants either working with partners in the United States, or working solely in Mexico or Canada, but only if such proposed work demonstrates that it addresses marine debris that impacts the United States economy, the United States marine environment, or navigation safety in the United States.

Consistent with the Marine Debris Act, eligible applicants in Mexico or Canada are limited to any institution of higher education, nonprofit organization or commercial (for-profit) organization with expertise in a field related to marine debris. This includes community based organizations, business associations, and non-public foreign organizations. Applicants from foreign public entities (see 2 CFR 200.46), including from Canada or Mexico, are not eligible to receive awards or subawards under the Marine Debris Act and will not be considered. Interested governmental agencies in Canada or Mexico may collaborate with eligible applicants but may not receive funds as recipients or subrecipients through this competition.

NOAA is strongly committed to broadening the participation of veterans, minority-serving institutions, and entities that work in underserved areas. The NOAA MDP encourages proposals from, or involving, any of the above types of eligible institutions.

Applications that have been submitted to other NOAA grant programs or as part of another NOAA grant may be considered under this solicitation, but will not be given preferential treatment.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

The Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1952) requires NOAA MDP’s grant programs to leverage its federal grant funding with non-federal cost share or match. Applicants often satisfy this requirement by developing and including public and private partnerships, as well as in-kind and financial contributions, to accomplish the overall project objectives.

Applicants must provide a minimum 1:1 ratio of non-federal matching contributions to NOAA funds requested to conduct the proposed project. Non-Federal matching

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 45 contributions may include amounts provided or made available by the Governments of Mexico or Canada. In addition to required cost sharing, the NOAA MDP encourages applicants to leverage additional investment where possible.

"Cost share" or "match" is defined by 2 C.F.R. 200.29 as "the portion of project costs not paid by federal funds (unless otherwise authorized by federal statute)." Any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third party in-kind contributions, will be accepted as part of an applicant's cost sharing or matching when the contributions meet the criteria listed in 2 C.F.R. 200.306. Matching funds may come from a variety of public and private sources and may include goods and services provided by the applicant or third parties (e.g., private boat use, existing equipment, volunteer labor, etc.). In addition, applicants are permitted to combine contributions for allowable costs from non-federal partners when they meet the criteria in Section 200.306, such as not being contributed as match for other projects, and being available within the project period stated in the application. Section 200.306 also describes the valuations to attribute to the matching contributions. Federal contributions cannot be used as match without a specific legal authority, but can be described in the budget narrative to demonstrate additional leverage or partnership. Applicants may also choose to designate part or all of their federally-negotiated indirect costs as match. Refer to Section IV.F.2. "Indirect Costs".

If the match requirement cannot be met, the Marine Debris Act allows the NOAA Administrator to waive all or part of the matching requirement if the applicant can demonstrate the following:

1) no reasonable means are available through which applicants can meet the matching requirement, and

2) the probable benefit of such project outweighs the public interest in such matching requirement.

Applicants wishing to waive all or part of this competition’s match requirement should request a waiver in the Budget Narrative section of the application package being submitted.

Match waiver requests must justify the need for the waiver, describe attempts to obtain sources of matching funds, and explain how the benefit of the project outweighs the public interest in providing match, along with any other extenuating circumstances preventing the incorporation or local availability of matching contributions. In certain cases, if circumstances warrant, match waivers may also be negotiated post-award at NOAA’s discretion.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 45

Applicants should note that cost sharing is an evaluation criterion (See Section V.A.

"Evaluation Criteria") for this funding opportunity. Letters of commitment for any secured matching contributions expected for an award should be submitted as an attachment to the application. Please note within the proposal whether cash or third party in-kind contributions have been secured at the time of application, or if such contributions are still pending.

Applicants whose proposals are selected for funding will be bound by the cost share amount reflected in the award document signed by the NOAA Grants Officer. Successful applicants should carefully document cost sharing, including but not limited to, the estimated value of services and/or resources provided by the applicant’s organization or a third party (e.g., real property, equipment, supplies and expendable goods) as well as facilities and administration costs.

The Marine Debris Act also allows the NOAA Administrator to authorize, as appropriate, the non-federal share of the cost of a project to include money paid pursuant to, or the value of any in-kind service performed under, an administrative order on consent or judicial consent decree that will remove or prevent marine debris. See 33 U.S.C. § 1952(d)(3).

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

Not applicable.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

Complete application packages, including required federal forms, general instructions, and supplementary instructions specific to the Fiscal Year 2021 North America Marine Debris grants competition, can be found on Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). If the application forms and instructions cannot be downloaded from Grants.gov, please contact Tom Barry (tom.barry@noaa.gov, 202-870-2863).

B. Content and Form of Application

Applicants are required to apply through the Grants.gov website. No hardcopy applications will be accepted due to limited staff presence in federal offices.

Please visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/proposal-submission-guidance-applicants for helpful information on developing and submitting proposal documents/information.

Applicants are also encouraged to minimize the number of files uploaded to an application

Notice of Federal Funding Page 14 of 45 by combining the proposal’s files as much as possible. Adobe PDF is the preferred file format for all application attachments.

Files that cannot be opened or downloaded will not be reviewed. Full proposals will not be accepted if sent via fax or email. Application documents must use 11- or 12-pt font on an 8.5” x 11” page size.

Applications must be submitted in English and any submitted in another language (e.g., Spanish) will not be accepted.

Applications should be sufficiently detailed in accordance with the guidelines and information requirements listed below and elsewhere in this announcement, and should be able to be completed within the proposed period of performance. Each full proposal application must contain the following required federal application forms (available from Grants.gov) and adhere to page limits indicated for each category, unless otherwise noted below:

- SF-424 - Application for Federal Assistance;

- SF-424A - Budget Information, Non-construction Programs;

- SF-424B - Assurances, Non-construction Programs;

- CD-511 - Certifications Regarding Lobbying;

- SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable);

- Project Summary (described below, 2 pages or less);

- Project Narrative (described below, 12 pages or less);

- Data Sharing Plan (described below, 2 pages or less);

- Budget Narrative (described below, 6 pages or less);

- Curriculum vitae or résumé of the primary project personnel (2 pages or less per person);

- Maps with site location(s) highlighted (no page limit);

- Photographs of targeted debris and removal site characteristics (if applicable, no page limit);

- Letter(s) documenting partner support (no page limit);

- Indirect cost rate agreement, if applicable (no page limit); and

- Other relevant attachments important to the overall understanding and evaluation of the proposed project, such as summaries of regional marine debris action plans, or documentation about any permits necessary to perform the project. Do not include entire documents (management plans, action plans, organizational protocols, etc…) that exceed the page limit for this section (20 pages or less).

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 45

1. Project Summary (2 pages or less)

A brief project summary must include the following components:

a) Applicant Organization.

b) Project Title.

c) Principal Investigator(s) Name, Address, Telephone Number, and Email Address.

d) Project Location (list the geographic area(s) in which the project will be implemented.

Include geographic coordinates of removal sites if applicable and if known).

e) Project Description: Clearly state the purpose of the project and briefly list specific tasks to be accomplished with requested funds and proposed techniques that will be used;

identify how the project will benefit United States resources, the United States economy, or navigation safety in United States waters; and indicate the duration of the project.

f) Activity start date (not the proposed award start date).

g) Funding: Approximate federal funds requested and non-federal match anticipated.

h) Project Outcomes: Describe how the project will address an identified marine debris issue, and how the proposed project will enhance international collaboration among partners in Mexico or in Canada.

For prevention activities, describe the anticipated products and outcomes the project may be expected to produce and an associated timeline. Include a description of how project activities will reduce debris, encourage changes in behavior, raise awareness through education and outreach, and/or ensure prevention measures will remain in place following the completion of the funded project period.

For removal activities, estimate how many pounds of debris will be removed from the marine/coastal environment, acreage to be cleared, volunteer participation, etc. Describe any anticipated ecological services to be restored by debris removal, as well as any quantifiable economic benefits anticipated.

2. Project Narrative (12 pages or less)

When writing the project narrative, applicants should understand the components of the evaluation criteria (see Section V.A. "Evaluation Criteria" in this announcement), as they explain how proposals will be scored for the application to be competitive. The project narrative must not be more than 12 pages long and should give a clear presentation of the proposed work. Generally, the project narrative should include:

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 45

a) Introduction:

A summary of what the project will do, and why the project is needed, demonstrating anticipated benefits to the United States economy, theUnited States marine environment (defined in Section I.B.), or navigation safety in the United States that might result. Describe how these benefits will be achieved through the marine debris prevention and/or removal activities (with relevant detection and assessment techniques) proposed in the application.

Identify the habitats, species, and/or resources expected to directly and indirectly benefit from project activities, including anticipated ecological services to be restored by debris removal. These benefits should be tracked during the award period.

b) Description:

For prevention projects, applications should include a description of the type or category of marine debris to be addressed (e.g., land-based litter, consumer waste, derelict fishing gear, etc.), any education and/or outreach method(s) to be implemented, the target audience, the behaviors to be changed, and the proposed approaches for prevention. Proposals should include a robust evaluation plan to assess the potential for long-term changes in the target audience’s actions as a result of the project’s activities; demonstrate why the selected action(s) will benefit marine resources and reduce any barriers that currently exist (e.g., lack of access to waste receptacles or alternatives to single-use items); and describe how the project is innovative. The description should also clearly describe the potential benefits the project may have on the United States marine environment, United States economy, or United States navigational safety.

For projects with a removal component, describe all phases and aspects of the proposed on-the-ground project activities, removal techniques, and processes. Describe the project location. Proposals should also describe the project's disposal arrangements to ensure debris would not potentially be re-introduced. Strong proposals will integrate innovative, alternative approaches for debris disposal (e.g., re-use, recycling, energy recovery, use of open shipping capacity to reduce transport costs (also known as "backhauling"), partnering with local waste management companies, etc).

Applicants should note, NOAA may be required to analyze a project's potential environmental impacts. Applicants therefore should provide as much detailed information as is reasonable about the project's activities in this section, including details about site locations and access routes, species and habitat(s) that could be affected, proposed removal techniques (if applicable) and other on-the-ground project activities to be implemented, the time of year that work will take place, duration of removal activities in the field, and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use of and/or disposal of hazardous or toxic substances, potential introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 45 threatened species, impacts to coral reef systems). See Section VI.B.10. for further detail on this process and requirements for applicants.

For all projects, describe the community involvement in the project, such as contributions from community and international partners, volunteer opportunities, citizen participation, and/or business associations; connections to education/outreach/stewardship plans; benefits to and engagement of underserved/underrepresented communities, and efforts to disseminate information on project goals, results, and/or the sources of project funding and support.

Community participation may include direct involvement in project activities, involvement in marine debris prevention and education activities, hands-on training, cash contributions, or donation of in-kind goods and services such as boat time, and/or monitoring activities undertaken by volunteers or work crews. Letters demonstrating such participation should be included in the application.

Applicants should indicate whether the proposed project is part of a larger, ongoing effort or is otherwise prioritized in any existing regional or national, publicly-vetted programs, priorities, or strategic plans (e.g., the Great Lakes Marine Debris Action Plan, the Florida Marine Debris Reduction Plan, the California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Regional Action Plan, the Gulf of Maine Marine Debris Action Plan, the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan, the National Estuary Program or NOAA Habitat Focus Area sites, etc.). Proposal narratives should explicitly list or otherwise cite such documents for verification purposes, including the page or action number if referencing a specific action or issue within the plan.

c) Project Location:

Provide maps, exact coordinates of any on-the-ground work, including all removal locations (for removal efforts), and the time of year on-the-ground will take place in each location. Be as specific as possible. If exact locations are unknown at the time of application. For removal activities, describe removal site locations in as much detail as possible and when/how locations will be determined.

d) Project Implementation Timeline and Milestones:

Describe the anticipated project duration and the timeline and milestones for completing all project objectives.

e) Objectives and Goals:

Describe short- and long-term objectives and goals including the expected results and potential performance measures that will be used to track the success of the project. Describe how the project will benefit the United States economy, the United States marine

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 45 environment, or navigation safety in the United States. Describe the methods for carrying out and monitoring (if applicable) the project, and clearly explain the project's significance to enhancing habitat to benefit living marine resources with specific examples. Prevention proposals should clearly describe methods for the continuation of the project’s prevention approaches after the grant period concludes.

To ensure a basic level of assessment of project success, projects should have clearly identified goals, methods, and specific, measurable objectives.

For removal projects, in order to track project success, all funded projects will need to be able to report the total amount of debris removed (pounds), total amount of debris (pounds) that is disposed in an ‘alternative’ way (e.g., through re-use, recycling, waste-to-energy), total area or extent cleaned (acres and/or miles), types of debris encountered, and number of volunteers as well as total volunteer hours contributed to the project. Other performance measures relevant to demonstrating project success may include: expected footprint or impacted area (in acres or square-feet) of removed debris; number of removal operations;

number of discrete items removed (e.g., crab pots, gill nets, pilings); species bycatch data (if appropriate); anticipated ecosystem services to be restored by the debris removal; percent of overall problem areas addressed by removal activities; comparisons of initial removal targets to post-removal results; estimated debris accumulation rates.

Prevention projects should track metrics that communicate the overall scope or reach of the project. This may include the number of people targeted / engaged in the project (for example, the number of fishers who receive training on the prevention of gear loss), or the number of outreach events conducted or materials generated; economic or job creation metrics (if appropriate), among others.

f) Permits and Consultations:

Applicants must demonstrate that they have the legal authority to conduct the project activities within the proposed project area and understand what permitting requirements exist for work to be conducted as described in the proposal. To provide assurance that the project will expeditiously meet environmental compliance and permitting requirements, projects that would require permits and consultations should list all necessary permits required to complete the project. This should include the appropriate contact information for each permitting agency, permit status, and documentation of all secured permits. Proposals must indicate the project's readiness and should ensure that on-the-ground debris removal activities, where applicable, will begin reasonably soon after the project's start date.

Letters of commitment are required from relevant landowners for projects on private land or

Notice of Federal Funding Page 19 of 45 from relevant resource agency personnel for projects on public, permanently protected land.

Letters of commitment should provide assurance that the project is supported and will be implemented through project duration for its intended purpose. Documentation of plans for long-term project management should also be included.

g) Organization Structure and Project Staff:

Describe the organizational structure of the applicant and the qualifications of project staff.

Describe the level of staff experience and qualifications in managing grants and implementing marine debris removal and/or prevention projects; this includes any relevant sub-contractors conducting project work. If applicable, describe any previous NOAA involvement in and/or support for the project and include name(s) of any relevant NOAA staff. Examples of successfully implemented past projects, or the organization’s experience successfully managing federal grants, should be provided. If project staff have no specific examples to provide, applicants will be evaluated on their potential to effectively manage and oversee all project phases, demonstrated by the education, training, and/or experience of primary project participants.

h) References Cited:

This section should include all references to source materials cited within the Project Narrative, if applicable. Please follow any accepted scholarly format for citations that includes authors’ names, year of publication, article and journal (or chapter and book) title, volume number, and page numbers. The Reference Cited section is not included in the 12-page limit but should include bibliographic references only (i.e., no additional parenthetical information), and can be included as either a separate attachment or part of the Project Narrative.

3. Data Management Plan (2 pages or less)

Proposals must include a Data Management Plan of up to two pages describing how environmental data and information collected or created under an award made through this competition will be made discoverable by and accessible to the general public. Such data must be made available in a timely fashion (typically within two years), and should be free of charge or at no more than the cost of reproduction.

The Data Management Plan should be aligned with the Data Management Guidance provided by NOAA in Section VI.B.9. below. The contents of the Data Management Plan (or absence thereof), and past performance regarding such plans, will be considered as part of proposal review. A typical plan should include descriptions of the types of environmental data and information expected to be created during the course of the project; the tentative

Notice of…