BWR.NOI.FY21.WQM.GRANT.12.31.20.docx

Charles D. Baker Governor

Karyn E. Polito Lieutenant Governor

Kathleen A. Theoharides Secretary

Martin Suuberg Commissioner

NOTICE OF GRANT OPPORTUNITY

Water Quality Monitoring Grant Program

REQUEST FOR GRANT PROPOSALS

State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2021

Summary of Grant Opportunity: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is seeking grant proposals from eligible entities for the purchase of water quality monitoring equipment and supplies that will assist Massachusetts communities in identifying sources of pollution and/or for the monitoring of rivers, lakes, and estuaries.

Grant Program Goal: With more than 3,000 lakes and ponds, 12,000 miles of streams and rivers, and over 3,000 square miles of estuaries in the state, MassDEP’s Watershed Planning Program (WPP) can sample just a small fraction of these surface waters in any given year. MassDEP’s goal in presenting this grant opportunity is to support long term monitoring organization networks by facilitating the purchase of water quality monitoring equipment and supplies, to support: (1) the assessment of water quality; (2) the monitoring of progress towards TMDL implementation; (3) the promotion of water quality trend analysis; and (4) the documentation of progress towards remediation of nonpoint source pollution.

Eligible Entities and Proposals: Eligible Entities for this Grant Opportunity are coalitions of three or more non-profit organizations which can include watershed groups, and/or lake and pond associations; Regional Planning entities on behalf of groups that include coalitions of three or more watershed groups, and/or lake and pond associations; or non-profit organizations on behalf of groups that include coalitions of three or more watershed groups, and/or lake and pond associations. Academic institutions are not eligible for this grant round.

Proposals must indicate/describe the shared benefit among multiple watershed associations, including (but not limited to) the use of purchased equipment or supplies to monitor water quality in environmental justice communities. In addition, Eligible Entities must describe in detail the equipment and/or supplies the grant funding will purchase. Examples of eligible items include, but are not limited to:

· Monitoring equipment, such as fluorometers, multiprobe(s), temperature probes, horizontal or vertical grab samplers, Secchi disc(s), et cetera; and/or

· Monitoring/analysis supplies e.g., enzyme-substrate analytical systems, incubators, reagents, Abraxis strip tests, Abraxis strip test reader, and sample containers.

Funding Availability: MassDEP currently estimates that up to $100,000 in total grant funding may be available for the water quality monitoring grants in SFY21. Grant awards may range from $25,000 to $100,000 per applicant (i.e., per multi-watershed coalition), although the MassDEP grant review team reserves the right, in its discretion, to grant smaller awards to proposals of exceptional merit. MassDEP currently anticipates that one to four grants will be awarded through this program.

The estimated start date for all grant projects is May 1, 2021 (the formal start date will be identified on the fully executed grant contract following award). The funding for this grant program is available only for expenses incurred between the project start date and June 30, 2021.

Eligible Entities should also note that the SFY21 grant funding awarded through this Program is on a reimbursement basis. Eligible Entities are required to complete the purchase of monitoring equipment and supplies by the June 30, 2021 in order to be reimbursed. Eligible Entities must submit a single invoice for all purchases covered under the grant to MassDEP by July 15, 2021, including receipts that indicate that all costs for activities/equipment were completed by or before the SFY end date of June 30, 2021.

Grant Application Process and Evaluation Criteria: The Water Quality Monitoring Grant Program section on MassDEP’s website contains a Water Quality Monitoring Grant Program Request for Grant Proposals document that contains a grant procurement schedule describing the steps of the application process, all project proposal and qualification requirements, and a specific format for responding to this Grant Opportunity; see https://www.mass.gov/info-details/grants-financial-assistance-watersheds-water-quality.

Application Deadline: All applications must be received by MassDEP by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 3, 2021. Applications received after the deadline will be rejected automatically.

Application must be submitted electronically, via email, to the Grant Program Manager, Therese Beaudoin at Therese.beaudoin@mass.gov

Evaluation Criteria: The evaluation criteria components for MassDEP’s review and scoring of Grant Proposal Responses are as specified in the Water Quality Monitoring Grant Program Request for Grant Proposals.

Question and Answer Period: Written questions can be submitted to the Grant Program Manager, Therese Beaudoin at Therese.beaudoin@mass.gov until Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. A complete question and answer document will be posted on the MassDEP Website (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/grants-financial-assistance-watersheds-water-quality) by Monday, January 25, 2021.

Additional Information: For additional information regarding the Water Quality Monitoring Grant Program, please refer to the MassDEP website link: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/grants-financial-assistance-watersheds-water-quality.

This information is available in alternate format. Contact Michelle Waters-Ekanem, Director of Diversity/Civil Rights at 617-292-5751.

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