ej-cps-rfa-2020_FINAL_11.12.2019.pdf

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AGENCY: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ)

TITLE: Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS)

Cooperative Agreement Program

ACTION: Request for Applications (RFA)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER (FON): EPA-OP-OEJ-20-01

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 66.306

DATES: ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: November 12, 2019 CLOSING DATE: February 7, 2020

Translations available: To receive a Spanish translation of this announcement contact Jacob Burney in the Office of Environmental Justice at (202) 564-2907 or via email at burney.jacob@epa.gov. Please note that applications must be written in English only.

Applications written in languages other than English will not be considered for award.

Hay traducciones disponibles de este anuncio en Español. Si usted esta interesado en obtener una traduccion de este anuncio en Español, por favor llame a La Oficina de Justicia Ambiental conocida como “Office of Environmental Justice,” linea gratuita (1-800-962-6215).

DEADLINE: Proposal packages must be submitted through Grants.gov and must be submitted on or before 11:59 p.m. ET on February 7, 2020. Proposals received after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding.

SUMMARY: The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program provides funding to support community-based organizations in their efforts to collaborate and partner with local stakeholder groups (e.g., local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, and academia) as they develop and implement community-driven solutions that address environmental and/or public health issues for underserved communities. For purposes of this announcement, the term “underserved community” refers to a community with environmental justice concerns and/or vulnerable populations, including minority, low income, rural, tribal, indigenous, and homeless populations. Eligible projects must demonstrate use of the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Model to support their collaborative efforts during the project period. Applying organizations should have a direct connection to the underserved community impacted by the environmental harms and risks detailed in the workplan.

The long-term goals of the EJCPS Program are to help build the capacity of communities with environmental justice concerns and to create self-sustaining, community-based partnerships that will continue to improve local environments in the future.

FUNDING/AWARDS: The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $1,200,000. EPA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement of $120,000 within each of the 10 EPA Regions, subject to availability of funds, the quality of proposals mailto:burney.jacob@epa.gov

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EPA reserves the right to increase or decrease the total number of grants awarded or reject all proposals and make no awards under this announcement. Such changes may be necessary as a response to the quality of proposals received by EPA or the amount of funds available.

CONTENTS BY SECTION

I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Proposal and Submission Information V. Proposal Review Information VI. Award Administration Information VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information and Appendices

A – Tips on Preparing an EJ Grant Application B – Visual Illustration of EJCPS Model C – Blank Logic Model Template D – Logic Model Guide – What each Category Means E – Example Completed Logic Model F – Blank Itemized Budget Sheet Template G – Example Completed Itemized Budget Sheet

H – Quality Assurance Project Plan Questionnaire

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION (back to Contents by Section)

A. DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

EPA defines “environmental justice” as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no one group of people, including racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal environmental programs and policies. Meaningful involvement means that: (1) potentially underserved community residents have an appropriate opportunity to participate in decisions about a proposed activity that will affect their environment and/or health; (2) the public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency’s decision; (3) the concerns of all participants involved will be considered in the decision-making process; and (4) the decision-makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially underserved. An “underserved community”, for the purposes of this competition, refers to a community with environmental justice concerns and/or vulnerable populations, including minority, low income, rural, tribal, indigenous and homeless populations

-3-that may be disproportionately impacted by environmental harms and risks and has a local environmental and/or public health issue that is identified in the applicant’s proposal.

B. BACKGROUND & EJ COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING MODEL

In 2003, the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) initiated the first solicitation for the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program. To find the latest information about the EJCPS Program visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-0

The purpose of the EJCPS Program is for EPA to provide financial assistance to support community-based organizations to collaborate and partner with other stakeholders (e.g., local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, academia, etc.) to develop and implement solutions that will significantly address environmental and/or public health issue(s) at the local level. The program’s objective is to support projects that demonstrate the utility of the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Model. Because this program requires substantial involvement and interaction between the applicant and EPA, these awards will be made in the form of cooperative agreements. See Section II.A.ii of this solicitation for more details on cooperative agreements.

For the purposes of the EJCPS Program, collaborative problem-solving is defined as an effort to bring together groups and resources (e.g., information, labor, money) by three or more stakeholders to solve a set of problems that any single entity cannot solve individually. Collaborative problem-solving builds upon existing community understanding to establish and maintain partnerships capable of producing meaningful environmental and/or public health results. To provide a systematic approach towards collaborative problem-solving, OEJ has developed a Collaborative Problem-Solving Model (Model). Such a Model is intended to assist vulnerable and underserved communities in developing proactive, strategic, and visionary approaches to address their environmental justice issues and achieve community health and sustainability.

Collaborative problem-solving also involves developing and implementing a well-designed strategic plan with a built-in evaluation component to measure and achieve results on local environmental and/or public health issues and to sustain the partnerships. These elements are cross-cutting and interdependent and should be utilized in a proactive, strategic, and iterative manner. Determining which elements to undertake, and in what order, can vary greatly, however, depending upon the unique facts and circumstances surrounding each environmental and/or publ ic health issue. Not all the elements are required to be used in every situation. Rather, the CPS Model and its seven elements can be viewed as a “tool box” filled with different tools that can be used as needed. The seven elements are as follows:

1. Issue Identification, Visioning, and Strategic Goal-Setting;

2. Community Capacity-Building and Leadership Development;

3. Development of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships and Leveraging of Resources;

4. Consensus Building and Dispute Resolution;

5. Constructive Engagement with Other Stakeholders;

6. Sound Management and Implementation; and

7. Evaluation

For additional information about OEJ’s CPS Model, please see follow the link below:

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/cps-manual-12-27-06.pdf https://www.epa.gov/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-0 https://www.epa.gov/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-0 https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/cps-manual-12-27-06.pdf

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A key starting point for any collaborative problem-solving project is the identification of an environmental and/or public health issue and the community’s leadership in formulating goals (e.g., diesel reduction, lead abatement, reducing high incidence of asthma, land use changes, pollution prevention, implementation of fish advisories, hazardous waste, emissions reduction, risk reduction, community cleanups, or compliance with local environmental and/or public health regulations, etc.). Collaborative problem-solving involves the establishment and/or maintenance of partnerships between and among other stakeholders and the underserved community to address the community’s local environmental and/or public health issues.

These partnerships can include, but are not limited to the following stakeholder groups:

• Other local community-based non-profit organizations;

• Local, regional, and national environmental non-profit organizations;

• State, local, and tribal governments;

• Federal government agencies;

• Health care providers;

• Faith-based organizations and local churches;

• Philanthropic organizations;

• Civic organizations;

• Local economic and/or community development corporations/organizations;

• Educational institutions (e.g. schools, colleges, and universities);

• State, local and tribal government agencies;

• Local Businesses and Industry;

• Elected officials (you may not use Federal grant funds or cost-sharing funds to conduct lobbying activities); and

• Labor and professional organizations.

TYPES OF PROJECTS - The EJCPS Program has funded a wide range of projects and project types over the years that address local environmental and public health concerns through collaborative partnerships. All proposed projects should include activities designed to engage, educate, and empower communities to understand the local environmental and public health issues and to identify ways to address these issues at the local level. Types of projects the EJCPS program has funded in the past include, but are not limited to, the following:

Air Quality & Asthma Water Quality & Sampling Stormwater Issues Green Infrastructure Lead contamination Pesticides and other Toxic Substances Healthy Homes Illegal Dumping Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Resiliency Environmental Job Training Youth Development

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To find the latest information about the EJCPS program visit the following link:

https://www.epa.gov/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-0

Full Project Summaries of past projects dating back to the year 2007 are also available at the link above.

All projects considered for funding under this announcement must include a work plan. All work plans should include strategies for addressing local environmental and public health issues, educating and empowering the community about those issues, and approaches to building consensus and setting community priorities. In addition, the work plan should demonstrate collaboration with other stakeholders (e.g., other community-based organizations, environmental groups, businesses, industry, federal, tribal, state and local governments, and academic institutions) in an effort to realize project goals and objectives and build project sustainability leading to on-going efforts that address the local environmental justice issue(s).

Regional EJ Grantee Training Workshop – During the two-year project period, all EJCPS recipients will be required to attend an EJ Grantee Networking and Training Workshop to be held at their nearest EPA regional office. Each EPA regional office will schedule and develop the agenda for their own workshop. The networking workshop is designed to: 1) connect current EJ grant recipients with past recipients and community partners, 2) assist all community stakeholders with strategic planning for their communities, 3) facilitate grantees accessing additional resources and 4) provide general project management and federal grant guidance. The workshop may also include site visits to local community projects depending on the EPA regional office agenda.

EJ Grant Applicant Database - The EJ grant program strives to support as many community-based organizations that apply to our EJ grant opportunities as possible, regardless of their ultimate success in receiving a grant, by 1) familiarizing applicants with federal grant application requirements, 2) sharing expectations and responsibilities of managing federal grants, 3) providing constructive feedback and recommendations on ways to strengthen unselected proposals, 4) helping organizations build sustainability into projects so they continue to grow and develop after the project period is over, and 5) facilitating connections with other potential resources that can help organizations address community needs. To facilitate the achievement of these immediate goals, all applicants who apply to the 2020 opportunity will be added to our EJ Grant Applicant Database. The database helps the Environmental Justice program identify and work with additional underserved communities outside the context of our grant awards.

C. QUALIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES

The EJCPS Program is designed to address multi-statute environmental and/or public health issues.

For this reason, each project must include activities related to at least one of the following federal environmental statutes. Failure to clearly and conclusively identify and cite at least one of the federal statutes in your work plan will result in your project not being considered for award.

1. Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3): conduct research, investigations, experiments, demonstration projects, surveys, and studies (including monitoring) related to the causes, https://www.epa.gov/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-0 https://www.epa.gov/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-0

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2. Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3): conduct and promote the coordination of research, investigations, training, demonstration projects, surveys, and studies (including monitoring) relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution.

3. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20(a): conduct research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstration projects, and studies on pesticides.

4. Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, Section 203: conduct research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstration projects, surveys, and studies relating to the minimizing or ending of ocean dumping of hazardous materials and the development of alternatives to ocean dumping.

5. Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(b)(3): develop and expand the capability to carry out a program (that may combine training, education, and employment) for occupations relating to the public health aspects of providing safe drinking water.

6. Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(a): conduct and promote the coordination of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstration projects, surveys, public education programs, and studies relating to solid waste (e.g., health and welfare effects of exposure to materials present in solid waste and methods to eliminate such effects).

Please note that proposals supporting brownfields work or that include extensive clean-up activities beyond the need for a demonstration/experiment/training are not eligible for funding under this announcement.

7. Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10(a): conduct research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstration projects, and studies on toxic substances.

Eligible Activities - To be eligible for funding, an EJCPS project must consist of activities that fall within the terms of the above statutory grant authorities. Projects can address multiple statutes and include multiple eligible activities. Most of the statutes above authorize funding for the following activities:

• research

• public education

• demonstration projects

• training

• monitoring

• development

• investigations

• surveys and studies

• experiments

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NOTE: EJCPS activities must relate to gathering or transferring information or advancing awareness. Proposals should emphasize this “learning” concept, rather than trying to “fix” an environmental problem using a well-established method. All the eligible activities listed above promote learning and understanding and are acceptable activities. Examples of unacceptable grant proposals involve performing: large-scale clean-ups, treatments, routine recycling services, and major disposal and/or energy recovery projects.

For projects that will support demonstration activities, the project must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches; where the results of the project will be shared so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or well-established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not a demonstration. The applicant must clearly explain in the proposal how the technologies, methods, or approaches used are new or experimental and how the project otherwise meets the requirements of a demonstration as described in this RFP. If your project uses technologies, methods or approaches that have been used previously in other geographic areas and/or business sectors, then your proposal must include an explanation as to how your demonstration project is different from such prior projects and is a true demonstration. You must also explain what will be learned from the demonstration project. If your project is truly a demonstration and complies with other eligibility factors, then it will be considered for funding. Remember, your project doesn’t have to include demonstration activities.

But if it does, then those activities must comply with the details listed above.

D. EPA STRATEGIC PLAN LINKAGE & ANTICIPATED OUTPUTS, OUTCOMES

& PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,” (see https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements). EPA must link proposed assistance agreements to the Agency’s Strategic Plan.

EPA’s Strategic Plan 2018 - 2022 is available at https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan The activities to be funded under this announcement are intended to further EPA’s current priorities for:

• EPA’s Strategic Plan 2018 - 2022 Goal 2 (More Effective Partnerships); Objective 2.2 (Increase Transparency and Public Participation) which states that EPA will:

“Listen to and collaborate with impacted stakeholders and provide effective platforms for public participation and meaningful engagement…EPA will meet community needs through public participation and will build community capacity through grants, technical assistance, partnering, and meaningful engagement.”

Applicants should briefly explain in their proposal how their project will further Goal 2; Objective

2.2. (Increase Transparency and Public Participation).

EPA Order 5700.7 also requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements. Applicants must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the goals and objectives described above.

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/planandbudget/strategicplan

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1. Outputs (Evaluation Criteria, Section V.A) The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal and objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date.

Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during the funding period. Examples of some expected outputs from the project(s) may include the following:

• The number of residents or workers who receive specific training to mitigate an environmental/public health hazards (e.g., number of residents trained on safe shellfish harvesting)

• The number of homes assessed for specific environmental/public health hazards

• A survey tool for collecting data from residents for a community assessment of environmental/public health hazards.

• The number of resident participants in a survey to identify and prioritize environmental/public health needs of a community.

• The creation of an environmental and/or public health program to achieve and sustain environmental and/or public health improvements (e.g., a community-wide indoor air monitoring program)

2. Outcomes (Evaluation Criteria, Section V.A.) The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that relates to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature; must be quantitative; and may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period. Additionally, outcomes should be organized by expected time period (short-term, intermediate, and long-term). Short-term outcomes refer to changes in knowledge or attitudes and usually occur during the project period. Intermediate outcomes refer to changes in behaviors and actions due to the knowledge acquired and are usually measured within several months after the end of the project. Long-term outcomes refer to changes in conditions and are measured a year or several years after project completion. Short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes are related and build on one another. EPA encourages recipients to identify outcomes wherever possible because they lead to environmental and/or public health improvement more clearly than outputs. Using the previously listed output (creation of a community-wide indoor air monitoring program), here are examples of possible outcomes:

1. Short-term (change in knowledge) - Increase in number of residents that know about indoor asthma triggers (during project)

2. Intermediate (change in behavior) - Increase in number of residents that install and routinely check their home indoor air monitor (6 - 12 months after project)

3. Long-term (change in conditions) – Reduction in asthma rates among community residents (2+ years after project)

3. Performance Measurement Plan (Evaluation Criteria, Section V.A.) Applicants should describe how they plan to track and monitor their project performance and progress throughout the project period. Outputs and outcomes are critical components of an applicant’s overall plan for measuring their project’s performance. An applicant will be evaluated on the quality of their overall performance measurement plan including the proposed outputs, outcomes, and associated timeframes for achieving those results.

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Generally, higher quality logic models and performance measurement plans include specific target metrics where possible for both outputs and outcomes. An applicant’s performance measurement plan will help gather insights, will be the mechanism to track successful progress, output and outcome strategies, and will provide the basis for developing lessons learned to inform future recipients. A logic model is useful in developing an overall performance measurement plan. See Appendices C and D for a sample logic model template.

The following questions are also useful to consider when developing output and outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:

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

2. How does the project measure progress in achieving the expected results (including outputs and outcomes) and how will the approach use resources effectively and efficiently?

3. Are the projected outputs and outcomes specific and detailed? Did I include specific target measures where possible? Are my target measures reasonable and achievable within the project period and for the funding amount?

II. AWARD INFORMATION (back to Contents by Section)

A. FUNDING AVAILABILITY AND PROJECT PERIOD

Total estimated funding expected to be available for awards under this competitive opportunity is approximately $1,200,000 contingent on the availability of funds, the quality of proposals, and other applicable considerations. Cooperative agreements are fully funded at time of award.

B. NUMBER OF ANTICIPATED AWARDS

EPA anticipates issuing ten awards nationwide, with each EPA region receiving one award. Each award will be for up to $120,000. Proposed projects are for two years. Applicants should plan for an estimated project period start date of September 1, 2020.

The awards for selected projects will be in the form of cooperative agreements because the EJCPS program requires substantial involvement and interaction between the applicant and EPA. 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 to verify the results proposed by the applicant; collaboration during the performance of the scope of work; in accordance with 2 CFR 2 CFR 200.317 and 2 CFR 200.318, as appropriate, review of proposed procurements; reviewing qualifications of key personnel; and/or review and comment on the content of printed or electronic publications prepared. EPA does not have the authority to select employees or contractors employed by the recipient. The final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient

All awards are subject to availability of funds, the quality of proposals received, and other applicable considerations. EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the

-10-original selections. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of the original selections. In addition, EPA reserves the right to increase or decrease the total number of cooperative agreements awarded or reject all proposals and make no awards under this announcement. Such changes may be necessary as a response to the quality of proposals received by EPA or the amount of funds available. In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund an application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the applicant or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.

For a listing of EPA’s ten regions and the states for which they are responsible, please see Section VII of this solicitation.

If additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made, EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement consistent with Agency policy and guidance. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selections have been made.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION (back to Contents by Section)

A. Eligible Entities based on CFDA. In accordance with CFDA 66.604, an eligible applicant must be one of the following:

• incorporated non-profit organizations—including, but not limited to, community-based organizations, grassroots organizations, environmental justice networks, faith-based organizations and those affiliated with religious institutions;*

• federally recognized tribal governments—including Alaska Native Villages; OR

• tribal organizations

* Applicant organizations claiming non-profit status must include documentation that shows the organization is either a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization as designated by the Internal Revenue Service; OR a non-profit organization recognized by the state, territory, commonwealth or tribe in which it is located. For the latter, documentation must be on official state government letterhead.

Applicants must be located within the same state, territory, commonwealth, or tribe in which the proposed project is located. This means that an applicant’s registered address of record (i.e.

the address designated on their IRS or State-sanctioned documentation) must be in the same state, territory, commonwealth or tribe as the location of the proposed project. All projects must be located within the Unites States and its territories.

The following entities are INELIGIBLE to receive an award, but we encourage applicants to partner with these organizations, as appropriate (see Contracts and Subawards solicitation clause):

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

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• colleges and universities;

• hospitals;

• state and local governments and their entities;

• quasi-governmental entities (e.g., water districts, utilities)*;

• national organizations and chapters of the aforementioned organizations**;

• non-profit organizations supporting lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995; and***

* Generally, a quasi-governmental entity is one that: (1) has a close association with the government agency, but is not considered a part of the government agency; (2) was created by the government agency, but is exempt from certain legal and administrative requirements imposed on government agencies; or (3) was not created by the government agency but performs a public purpose and is significantly supported financially by the government agency.

** National organizations are defined as comprising of one centralized headquarters or principal place of business that creates and controls the mission, structure and work carried out by its chapters or affiliates.

*** Funds awarded under this announcement may not be used to support lobbying activities or any activities related to lobbying or the appearance thereof. Subawards made to nonprofit organizations that lobby are not allowed.

B. THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

These are requirements that, if not met by the time of proposal submission, will result in elimination of the proposal from consideration for funding. Only proposals from eligible entities (Section III) that meet all of these criteria will be evaluated against the ranking factors in Section V. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration because of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. Proposals must substantially comply with the proposal submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or else they will be rejected.

However, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the proposal workplan, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed.

In addition, initial proposals must be submitted through 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 proposal 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 proposal is timely submitted.

2. Proposals 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 http://www.sam.gov/

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Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to submit their proposal 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.

DO NOT WAIT! Register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov as soon as possible. Finalizing these registrations could take a month or more. You do not want a late registration to prevent you from being able to properly submit your proposal through Grants.gov.

Applicants should confirm receipt of their proposal with Jacob Burney, burney.jacob@epa.gov, as soon as possible—failure to do so may result in your proposal not being reviewed.

3. Qualified Environmental Statutes: Projects must include activities related to at least one of the Qualified Environmental Statutes listed under Section I.C. A project workplan must explain how it is tied to the local environmental and/or public health issue in the underserved community. Any failure to clearly and conclusively identify and cite at least one of the federal statutes in your work plan will result in your project not being considered for award.

4. Applicant/Project Location: Applicants must be located within the same state, territory, commonwealth, or tribe in which the proposed project is located. This means that an applicant’s registered address of record (i.e. the address designated on their IRS or State-sanctioned documentation) must be in the same state, territory, commonwealth or tribe as the location of the proposed project.

5. Ineligible activities: Projects must not be used for the following purposes:

- Routine program implementation (e.g. funding of the same program, without changes or advancements, that has existed and been routinely available for multiple consecutive years),

- Implementation of routine environmental protection restoration measures (e.g.

municipal curbside trash service)

- Duplication of work performed under a prior EPA grant, and

- Completion of work which was to have been completed under a prior EPA grant.

If a proposal includes tasks or activities determined to be ineligible, then that portion of the proposal will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the proposal, render the entire proposal ineligible for funding.

6. Multiple Proposals: Applicants may submit only one proposal under this solicitation. If an applicant submits more than one, then they will be contacted by EPA prior to the evaluation process to determine which one to withdraw. However, an applicant organization may be a partner on a proposal from another organization.

7. Please note that proposals must be written in English only. Proposals written in languages other than English will not be considered for award.

C. COST-SHARING OR MATCHING FUNDS

http://grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://grants.gov/

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No cost-sharing or matching is required as a condition of eligibility or otherwise considered for evaluating proposals for award.

IV. PROPOSAL & SUBMISSION INFORMATION (back to Contents by Section)

A. CONTENT AND FORM OF PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

All proposals must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov. Proposals transmitted via postal mail, fax, and/or email will not be considered. Proposals are due by Friday, February 7, 2020 at 11:59 PM (ET).

1. REQUIRED FORMS & DOCUMENTS: The following forms and documents are required.

Forms 1 – 5 are standard application forms in Grants.gov. These forms require standard information about your organization and/or signatures. Forms 6 and 7 are what you use to attach the documents your application will be evaluated on. These documents include your workplan, itemized budget, and other supporting documentation. Failure to include all documents listed below may result in your proposal being rendered ineligible:

1) SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance

2) SF-424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs

3) SF-424B Assurances for Non-Construction Programs

4) EPA Form 4700-4 – Preaward Compliance Review Report for All Applicants and

Recipients Requesting EPA Financial Assistance

5) EPA Key Contacts Form – Applicants are encouraged to ensure that all information presented on the Key Contacts form is accurate. Information contained on the Key Contacts form may be used in the event an applicant is contacted for additional information.

6) Project Narrative Attachment Form – Use this to submit your Proposal Work plan (subject to page limit described below and see optional template in Section IV.A.2)

7) Other Attachment Form – Use this to submit the following documents:

i. Itemized Budget Sheet (see Section IV.A.2.7)i. on page 19 and Appendices E and

F)

ii. Environmental Results / Logic Model (See Section IV.A.2.7)ii. on pages 20 – 21 and Appendices B, C, & D)

iii. Letters of Commitment from Partners (see Section IV.A.2.8)iii. On page 21 and additional details on pages 16 – 17)

iv. Resumes of the Project Manager (PM) and other key personnel (see Section

IV.A.2.8)iv. on page 21)

v. Proof of Non-Profit Status, if applicable (see Section IV.A.2.8)v. on page 21) http://www.grants.gov/

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2. PROPOSALWORK PLAN (Template available in Section IV.A.2): The work plan is the most important part of the proposal package. The work plan describes the project. Work plans that are focused and succinct are stronger than ones that try to address too many issues. Under this announcement, applicants must submit a project focused on activities related to at least one Qualified Environmental Statute. Types of eligible activities are those described within the Qualified Environmental Statutes section, as discussed in Section I of this announcement.

Applicants should identify the chosen Qualified Environmental Statute in the Project Summary Page. Proposals will be evaluated on the extent and quality of how well the project addresses program objectives and allowable activities.

The work plan, as described below, must not exceed fourteen (14) single-spaced typewritten pages and be on letter size pages (8 1/2 X 11 inches). Any pages beyond 14 pages (including the Project Summary Page) will not be reviewed by the Review Panel. It is recommended that applicants use a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman, Calibri, and Arial) and a 12-point font size with 1-inch margins. Supporting materials, such as resumes and partnership letters, can be submitted as attachments and are not included in the 14-page limit.

The following template includes information to address in the work plan:

The 14-page work plan must contain the following components (items 1.0-6.0 below) and should be identified by the headings in the order listed below. Also ensure that the workplan addresses all the evaluation criteria in Section V and any necessary threshold eligibility criteria in Section III:

1.0 PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

a. Project Summary Page – Recommended one-page summary document (does count as part of 14-page workplan limit). Summary includes:

• Project Title

• Project Location (including community/neighborhood(s), city, state, and zip code)

• Applicant Information (name, address, main contact information)

• Environmental Statute(s)

• Project Type(s) -- such as training, monitoring, demonstration, public education

(related to statute identified above)

• Brief Description of Applicant Organization -- Provide a brief description (100 words or less) of the applicant organization, including its mission and key ongoing projects/activities in which it is involved.

• List of Project Partners -- include partner name and stakeholder group. For example, State University (academic); County commissioner (local government);

Local church (faith-based), Local supplier (business/industry), etc.).

• Project Abstract -- Brief description (250 words or less) of the main objective, activities, and outputs/outcomes of the project, including the specific geographic areas of focus.

• Will you need to develop a QAPP for your project? (see Appendix G)

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b. Environmental and Public Health information of the Underserved Community -

The applicant will be evaluated on the ability to clearly describe the local environmental justice issue(s) the project proposes to address and the community that is impacted. Please describe the following:

• Describe and characterize the underserved community directly impacted by disproportionate environmental and/or public health harms and risks and describe how the community is impacted by those harms and risks

• What are the local environmental/public health issue(s) that the project seeks to address? Describe other recent efforts in the community, if any, that have sought to address those issues as well

• What are the local environmental/public health results the project seeks to achieve and how will the underserved community benefit from those results?

The proposal must include relevant information such as demographics, geographic location, and community history. We encourage the use of EPA’s EJSCREEN tool to characterize and describe your target community. Instructions and resources on how to use EJSCREEN are included at the hyperlink above. For any questions you have about EJSCREEN, please contact Tai Lung at Lung.Tai@epa.gov or 202-566-1296.

c. Organization’s Historical Connection to Underserved Community - The applicant will be evaluated on the description of the strong connection between their organization and the underserved community as that term is defined in this announcement. Please describe the following:

• The history of the organization’s involvement with the underserved community, including the duration of involvement and circumstances that led to your organization’s involvement

• How the organization has worked with the underserved community’s residents and/or organizations to address local environmental and public health issues currently or in the past and what are some of the results of that work

• Community Driven Participation - How the underserved community’s residents and/or organizations were involved in developing the current project plan and are part of the decision-making process

d. EJCPS Model - Demonstrate how this proposal utilizes the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Model (Section I.B). Provide a clear and concise description about:

• Which of the seven elements of the EJCPS Model will be undertaken for this project. Also, describe which EJCPS Model element(s) associated with this project may have already begun or been accomplished, o For example, EJCPS Model Element 1 – Community Vision and Strategic Planning may have occurred prior to applying. The EJCPS program focus https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen mailto:Lung.Tai@epa.gov

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e. Project Linkages

Please describe the following:

• Briefly describe how the project supports EPA Strategic Plan Goal 2, Objective

2.2 (Increasing Transparency and Public Participation).

• Describe how the project is related to the qualified environmental statutes identified in your Project Summary. Please note each project must include activities that are authorized by at least one of the federal environmental statutes listed in Section I.C.

f. Partner and Collaborate - Provide a clear and concise description of how the proposed project promotes collaborations with partners from multiple stakeholder groups, such as industry, business, academia, government, etc., to develop and implement solutions that will address environmental and/or public health issues at the local level. We encourage applicants to seek diversity in partnerships in an effort to enhance the process of achieving the project’s goals.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to have at least THREE signed letters of commitment from partners representing at least THREE different stakeholder groups.

• Describe how the project will accomplish its goals through the use of appropriate and diverse partnerships from multiple stakeholder groups, such as industry, business, academia, government, etc.

• Identify and describe all partners involved, including those partnerships that may be under development. Include the following details about each of your partners.

If you are not planning on collaborating with other stakeholders or having partners for project performance, you must describe how you can effectively perform the project without such collaboration or partnerships:

- Planned roles of each partner listed in your Project Summary. Include which stakeholder group the partner represents and the project activities each partner will be responsible for

- What resources each partner brings to the partnership

- How the partner has a vested interest in working with this partnership [other than just getting income from a sub-award or contract]

- How the applicant organization plans to maintain and sustain these relationships on into the future

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Note About Commitment Letters: Applicants working with partners are strongly encouraged to submit at least THREE signed letters of commitment from partners.

Letters should be from partners representing different stakeholder groups. All applicants should involve in their project at least THREE PARTNERS from THREE different stakeholder groups as documented by at least THREE signed letters of commitment. The letters must be submitted by the applicant with the other application documents by the submission deadline. The letters of commitment should include information about the role and activities each partner or stakeholder organization will perform as well as any resources the partner or stakeholder will provide. The letters of commitment must be signed by the partnering organizations.

Do not include generic letters of support or recommendation. Regardless of the source, generic letters of support will not be considered in evaluating applications. If no letters of commitment are included, then it will be assumed the applicant has no partners. If fewer than three letters of commitment are submitted, the applicant must demonstrate how it can effectively perform the project with fewer than three partners.

Partnerships and collaboration with other interested stakeholders in performance of the project are integral to the success of this program. If an applicant does not demonstrate such partnerships or collaboration as described above, they must be able to convincingly demonstrate in their application how they can effectively perform the project without any partners or collaboration. Given the nature of this program, failure to demonstrate effective partnerships or collaboration with other stakeholders, or having less partners/collaboration than recommended above, will likely adversely impact the applicant’s scoring under the relevant evaluation criteria in Section V and render the application less competitive than others that include partnerships and collaboration. All letters of commitment must be submitted by the applicant with its application package by the submission deadline. The Letters of Commitment should be included as attachments in the grants.gov application package and are not subject to the 14-page limit.

2.0 Project Activities / Milestone Schedule / Detailed Budget Narrative

a. Project Activities - Clear description of steps the applicant will take to meet the program objectives. Descriptions of the detailed project activities or components and the anticipated products/results associated with each activity.

b. Milestone Schedule - Clearly articulated milestone schedule, including timeframes and major milestones to complete significant project activities. It is recommended that you insert a table in your proposal narrative to help organize your milestone schedule.

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c. Itemized Budget Sheet / Budget Narrative - Submit as Attachment (use Other Attachment Form in Grants.gov). See Section IV.A.2.7)i. on pages 19-20 of this funding opportunity.

3.0 Environmental Results – Outputs, Outcomes, and Performance Measures (Logic Model)

a. Environmental Results (Logic Model) – Submit as Attachment (use Other Attachments Form in Grants.gov). See Section IV.A.2.7)ii. for detailed instructions on page 20 – 21 of this funding opportunity.

b. Performance Measurement Plan – Applicants should describe how they plan to track and monitor their project performance and progress throughout the project period.

Applicants will be evaluated on the extent and quality to which the proposal demonstrates a sound plan for tracking progress towards achieving the expected outputs, outcomes, and associated timeframes for…