EPA GMP Farmer_Final.pdf

AGENCY: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

TITLE: Gulf of Mexico Program Farmer to Farmer Cooperative Agreements - 2018

ACTION: Request for Proposals (RFP)

RFP NUMBER: EPA-GM-2018-FARMER

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NO: 66.475

DATES: Proposal packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) no later than September 12th at 11:59 ET in order to be considered for funding.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals to improve water quality, habitat and environmental education through the demonstration of improved crop or land management involving new, novel, or experimental technologies, methods, approaches or techniques.

The project is designed to support farmer-led or farm focused organizations in the Gulf of Mexico watershed within the Continental United States.

FUNDING/AWARDS: The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $4.3 million. EPA anticipates awarding four grants from this announcement, subject to availability of funds.

Tentative Timeline

July 11th RFP Posted July 11th Please review the Q&A posted at https://www.epa.gov/gmpo/ before submitting questions. If the answer needed is not already included in the Q&A, please submit questions to GMP-RFP@epa.gov. Q&A will be updated weekly if new questions are received.

September 12th

Proposals Due to the Gulf of Mexico Program at 11:59pm ET

Late November

Selected applicants notified.

Early January

Final application packages submitted to EPA.

Early April Final awards made.

The above lines (other than the proposal submission date) are anticipated dates and subject to change.

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

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background The Gulf of Mexico Program (GMP) is a non-regulatory program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) founded to facilitate collaborative actions to protect, maintain, and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico in ways consistent with the economic well-being of the Region. To carry out its mission, GMP continues to maintain and expand partnerships with State and Federal agencies, federally recognized tribes, local governments and authorities, academia, regional business and industry, agricultural and environmental organizations, and individual citizens and communities. For more information, please see https://www.epa.gov/gulfofmexico.

B. Scope of Work EPA will award funds to improve water quality, habitat, and environmental education in the Gulf of Mexico watershed. These projects will support farmer-led and/or farmer focused organizations/consortiums with experience implementing programs and demonstration projects through collaboration with farmers that demonstrate success with measurable results, including improved water quality and/or protected, enhanced, or restored habitat; in addition to, increased farmer to farmer education, outreach, and mentorship.

Demonstration projects must entail the following:

1. novel or innovative techniques, methods, or approaches;

2. data collection for the applied technique, method or approach; and

3. communication of the results to the landowner to inform future farming decisions and to better understand (or ground truth) how different management practices affect water quality and quantity, improved habitat as well as ancillary improvements of yields and farming costs.

Applicants will be asked to demonstrate how these funds will be leveraged to expand the effectiveness and influence of this project. A successful project would result in farmers educating and motivating other farmers to utilize sustainable practices that successfully improve water quality and/or the protection, enhancement, or restoration of habitats.

The project must include at least one of the following outputs:

Water Quality Improvement:

The project must demonstrate a minimum of 5% improvement in at least one water quality parameter in a water body and/or segment by the end of the project period as compared to the initial baseline. Examples of water quality parameters that could be demonstrated in a water quality improvement project include but are not limited to: dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity (and/or total suspended solids), fecal indicator bacteria, excess nutrients, and temperature.

Protect, Enhance or Restore Habitat:

Identify the expected number of habitat acres that will be enhanced, restored, and/or protected and provide a report at the end of project period of the actual number of acres enhanced, restored, and/or protected. Examples of habitat projects include but are not limited to: riparian zone improvement; observing environmental windows; restoration or protection of wildlife corridors;

partner easements; landowner habitat planting/restoration; implementation of an invasive eradication plan to eliminate threats to habitat; and/or other innovative habitat ideas.

Only projects that take place in the Gulf of Mexico watershed will be considered. The agency intends to fund two projects in the Mississippi River Drainage and two projects in the non-Mississippi River Drainage to the Gulf of Mexico (Figure 1). Please identify the eight-digit Hydrologic Unit Code(s) (HUC) in which activities will occur. For water quality improvement projects, identify the waterbody and/or segment where improvements will be demonstrated.

Budgets may not exceed $1 million for projects proposed in the non-Mississippi River Gulf drainage.

Budgets may not exceed $1.15 million for projects proposed in the Mississippi River drainage. Anticipated results should align with the funding level requested.

Figure 1.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage & Anticipated Outcomes, Outputs & Performance Measures

Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7A1, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,” EPA must link proposed assistance agreements to the Agency’s Strategic Plan. EPA also requires that grant applicants and recipients adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements, https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015- 03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf).

1. Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan. The activities to be funded under this announcement support EPA’s FY 2018-22 Strategic Plan. Awards made under this announcement will support Goal 1 - Core Mission: Deliver real results to provide Americans with clean air, land, and water, and ensure chemical safety, Objective 1.2 - Provide for Clean and Safe Water:

Ensure waters are clean through improved water infrastructure and, in partnership with states and tribes, sustainably manage programs to support drinking water, aquatic ecosystems, and recreational, economic, and subsistence activities. All applications must be for projects that support the goals and objectives identified above.

Please read EPA’s FY2018-22 Strategic Plan for more information.

2. Environmental Outputs and Outcomes. The significance of environmental outputs and outcomes you expect to achieve will be considered under the evaluation criteria during the selection process and must be addressed in the proposal submission (See Sections IV.C. and V.A.)

a. Outputs. 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 an assistance agreement funding period.

Progress reports and a final report are required outputs for every project, as specified in Section VI.C. of this announcement, “Reporting Requirement.” In addition, at least one of the expected outputs from the project(s) to be funded under this announcement must be one of the outputs listed in Section I.B.

b. Outcomes. The term "outcome" means an environmental result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out project activities and/or completing outputs related to an environmental goal. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature, but must be quantitative. Proposals must include a description of project outcomes resulting from the project outputs, even if the outcome to be achieved is beyond the assistance agreement funding period.

During preparation of the proposal, the applicant should consider the following questions when developing output and outcome measures which document project results:

i) What are the measurable short term and longer-term results that the project will achieve?

ii) How will the applicant measure progress in achieving the expected and measurable results?

Additional information regarding EPA's definition of environmental results in terms of "outputs" and "outcomes" can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015- 03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf.

D. Supplementary Information.

The statutory authority for this action is the Clean Water Act, §104(b)(3), which authorizes the award of cooperative agreements to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of pollution.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available funding.

The total estimated funding expected to be available for awards under this competitive funding opportunity is approximately $4.3 million, unless additional funding (e.g. FY 2019 funding) becomes available.

EPA anticipates awarding four grants under this announcement, two awards being no more than $1,000,000 and two awards being no more than $1,150,000 subject to the availability of funds, quality of evaluated proposals, and other applicable considerations.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding (e.g. FY 2019 funding) becomes available after the original selections. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of the original selections.

B. Partial Funding In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund a proposal, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicant or affect the basis upon which the proposal was evaluated and selected for award and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.

C. What is the project period for awards resulting from this solicitation?

The estimated project period for awards resulting from this solicitation will begin in Calendar Year 2019. Proposed project periods may be up to three years.

E. Funding Type The funding for selected projects will be in the form of a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements permit substantial involvement between the EPA Project Officer and the selected applicants in the performance of the work supported. Although EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial involvement as part of the award process, the anticipated substantial Federal involvement for this project will be:

close monitoring of the successful applicant’s performance to verify the results proposed by the applicant;

collaboration during performance of the scope of work;

in accordance with 2 CFR 317 and 2 CFR 318, review of proposed procurement;

approving qualifications of key personnel (EPA will not select employees or contractors employed by the award recipient);

review and comment on reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (the final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient).

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Entities The following entities are eligible to apply for funding under this announcement unless restricted by the authorizing statute(s); State and local governments, interstate agencies, Tribes, colleges and universities, and other public or non-profit organizations.

Non-profit organization, as defined by 2 CFR Part 200, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations. Note that 2 CFR Part 200 specifically excludes the following types of organizations from the definition of “non-profit organization” because they are separately defined in the regulation: (i) institutions of higher education; and (ii) state, local and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments. While not considered to be a “non-profit organization(s)” as defined by 2 CFR Part 200, Institutions of Higher Education and state, local and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA. Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 CFR 200.70 are also eligible to apply. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.

For-profit organizations are not an eligible entity for this funding opportunity. Additionally, non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

Neither matching nor cost share funds are required under this competition.

C. Ineligible Activities. Projects ineligible for funding under this program are:

Actions required to settle a formal enforcement action or included in a court order; or specified as a required mitigation measure under a state, local, or federal permit for a specific project;

however, grant funding may be used to enhance or expand such projects beyond minimum requirements for compliance.

Work involving only routine maintenance of storm water infrastructure and other facilities.

Projects which fall under the existing planning responsibilities of an individual state or local government (e.g., development of TMDLs or MS4 permits).

Routine “gray infrastructure” projects (e.g., installation of sewer lines).

D. 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 (see above) that meet all of these criteria will be evaluated against the ranking factors in Section V of this announcement.

Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. EPA Strategic Plan: Proposals must support the EPA Strategic Goals identified in Section I.C.

2. Program Relevance: Proposals must provide farmer to farmer novel or innovative demonstration and education as described in Section I.B. to be considered.

3. Program Outputs: Proposals must demonstrate how the project meets at least one of the outputs in Section I.B. If the project does not address at least one of the outputs listed in I.B. it will not be considered.

4. Project Location: Only projects that take place in the Gulf of Mexico watershed will be considered as identified in Section 1.B.

5. Funding Request Limit: Requests for EPA funding amounts in excess of the funding amount listed in Section I.B, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered.

6. Ineligible activities: If a proposal is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities (listed in III.C), the proposal will be ineligible for funding.

7. Substantial Compliance: 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 narrative proposal and budget, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed.

8. Proposal submission: In addition, 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 of 11:59 Eastern Time on September 12, 2018. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this announcement to ensure that their proposal is timely submitted.

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 Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their proposal/application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission. Applicants should confirm receipt of their proposal with gmp-rfp@epa.gov as soon as possible after the submission deadline—failure to do so may result in your proposal not being reviewed.

IV. PROPOSAL AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Requirement to Submit through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures

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

Mailing Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Jessica Durand USEPA Headquarters William Jefferson Clinton Building 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N. W.

Mail Code: 3903R Washington, DC 20460

Courier Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Jessica Durand Ronald Reagan Building 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Rm # 51278 Washington, DC 20004

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

Funding Opportunity Number (FON) Organization Name and Unique Entity Identifier (e.g., DUNS) Organization’s Contact Information (email address and phone number) Explanation of how they lack the technical capability to apply electronically through Grants.gov because of 1) limited internet access or 2) no internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials through Grants.gov.

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

If an exception is granted, it is valid for submissions to EPA for the remainder of the entire calendar year in which the exception was approved and can be used to justify alternative submission methods for application submissions made through December 31 of the calendar year in which the exception was approved (e.g., if the exception was approved on March 1, 2017, it is valid for any competitive or non-competitive application submission to EPA through December 31, 2017). Applicants need only request an exception once in a calendar year and all exceptions will expire on December 31 of that calendar year. Applicants must request a new exception from required electronic submission through Grants.gov for submissions for any succeeding calendar year. For example, if there is a competitive opportunity issued on December 1, 2017 with a submission deadline of January 15, 2018, the applicant would need a new exception to submit through alternative methods beginning January 1, 2018.

Please note that the process described in this section is only for requesting alternate submission methods.

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

2. Submission Instructions: The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative of your institution who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal assistance. For more information on the registration requirements that must be completed in order to submit an application through grants.gov, go to Grants.gov and click on “Applicants” on the top of the page and then go to the “Get Registered” link on the page. If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, please encourage your office to designate an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and ask that individual to begin the registration process as soon as possible. Please note that the registration process also requires that your organization have a Unique Entity Identifier (e.g. DUNS number) and a current registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) and the process of obtaining both could take a month or more.

Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the submission deadline. Registration on grants.gov, SAM.gov, and DUNS number assignment is FREE.

Applicants need to ensure that the AOR who submits the application through Grants.gov and whose Unique Entity Identifier (e.g., DUNS number) is listed on the application is an AOR for the applicant listed on the application. Additionally, the DUNS number listed on the application must be registered to the applicant organization’s SAM account. If not, the application may be deemed ineligible.

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to Grants.gov and click on “Applicants” on the top of the page and then “Apply for Grants” from the dropdown menu and then follow the instructions accordingly. Please note: To apply through Grants.gov, you must use Adobe Reader software and download the compatible Adobe Reader version. For more information about Adobe Reader, to verify compatibility, or to download the free software, please visit Adobe Reader Compatibility Information on Grants.gov

You may also be able to access the application package for this announcement by searching for the opportunity on Grants.gov. Go to Grants.gov and then click on “Search Grants” at the top of the page and enter the Funding Opportunity Number, EPA-GM-Cooperative-Agreements-2018, or the CFDA number that applies to the announcement (CFDA 66.475), in the appropriate field and click the Search button.

Please Note: All applications must now be submitted through Grants.gov using the “Workspace” feature.

Information on the Workspace feature can be found at the Grants.gov Workspace Overview Page.

Application Submission Deadline: Your organization’s AOR must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than September 12, 2018 at 11:59 PM ET.

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

B. Technical Issues with Submission

1. Once the application package has been completed, the “Submit” button should be enabled. If the “Submit” button is not active, please call Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545-5035. Applicants should save the completed application package with two different file names before providing it to the AOR to avoid having to re-create the package should submission problems be experienced or a revised application needs to be submitted.

2. Submitting the application. The application package must be transferred to Grants.gov by an AOR.

The AOR should close all other software before attempting to submit the application package. Click the “submit” button of the application package. Your Internet browser will launch and a sign-in page will appear. Note: Minor problems are not uncommon with transfers to Grants.gov. It is essential to allow sufficient time to ensure that your application is submitted to Grants.gov BEFORE the due date identified in Section IV of the solicitation. The Grants.gov support desk operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except Federal Holidays.

A successful transfer will end with an on-screen acknowledgement. For documentation purposes, print or screen capture this acknowledgement. If a submission problem occurs, reboot the computer – turning the power off may be necessary – and re-attempt the submission.

Note: Grants.gov issues a “case number” upon a request for assistance.

3. Transmission Difficulties. If transmission difficulties result in a late transmission, no transmission, or rejection of the transmitted application are experienced, and following the above instructions do not resolve the problem so that the application is submitted to Grants.gov by the deadline date and time, follow the guidance below. The Agency will make a decision concerning acceptance of each late submission on a case-by-case basis. All emails, as described below, are to be sent to gmp-rfp@epa.gov with the FON in the subject line. If you are unable to email, contact Jeanne Allen at (228) 679-5892. Be aware that EPA will only consider accepting applications that were unable to transmit due to Grants.gov or relevant www.Sam.gov system issues or for unforeseen exigent circumstances, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access. Failure of an applicant to submit timely because they did not properly or timely register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov is not an acceptable reason to justify acceptance of a late submittal.

a. If you are experiencing problems resulting in an inability to upload the application to Grants.gov, it is essential to call Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 before the application deadline.

Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545-5035. Be sure to obtain a case number from Grants.gov. If the problems stem from unforeseen exigent circumstances unrelated to Grants.gov, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access, contact Jeanne Allen at (228) 679- 5892.

b. Unsuccessful transfer of the application package: If a successful transfer of the application cannot be accomplished even with assistance from Grants.gov due to electronic submission system issues or unforeseen exigent circumstances, and you have already attempted to resolve the issue by contacting Grants.gov, send an email message to gmp-rfp@epa.gov prior to the application deadline. The email message must document the problem and include the Grants.gov case number as well as the entire application in PDF format as an attachment.

c. Grants.gov rejection of the application package: If a notification is received from Grants.gov stating that the application has been rejected for reasons other than late submittal and it is too late to reapply, promptly send an email to gmp-rfp@epa.gov with the FON in the subject line within one business day of the closing date of this solicitation. The email should include any materials provided by Grants.gov and attach the entire application in PDF format.

Please note that successful submission through Grants.gov or via email does not necessarily mean your application is eligible for award.

C. Content of Proposal Submission: Applicants must include the information outlined below in their proposals. Pages in excess of the page limitations identified below will not be reviewed.

Applicants must also ensure that the proposal narrative provides information addressing all of the proposal evaluation criteria identified in Section V.A. and the threshold criteria identified in III.D.

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

Proposal Submission Content Required Forms

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

Include applicant (organization) name, address, contact person, phone number and email address. This form also requires a registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B), and Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number. The authorized representative must sign the SF424.

Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF424A)

Provide overall budget information on the form’s tabular format.

Assurances for Non- Construction Programs

(SF-424B)

EPA Form 6600-06 Certification Regarding Lobbying Form

The authorized representative must sign this form.

EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

EPA Form 4700-4 – Preaward Compliance Review Report

Form 4700-4 should be completely and accurately filled out.

Project Narrative Attachment Form

Follow the Proposal Information Page, Proposal Narrative, and Budget instructions below.

Federal Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

Only needed if requesting indirect costs. Please ensure the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement is current. Use Other Attachments Form.

Letters of support Letters of support should be provided documenting the applicant’s history of working with farmers to implement demonstration projects with results.

Will be evaluated as identified in V.A.4.b. Use Other Attachments Form.

Map Provide a map of the watershed and the proposed work areas related to the project. If the project includes water quality outputs, please identify the 8-digit HUC(s) of where the project will take place. Use Other Attachments Form.

Proposal Information Page (1 page limit, see Appendix A for sample format)

a. Project Title

b. Applicant Information. Include applicant (organization) name, address, contact person, phone number, e-mail address and DUNS number.

c. Total Project Cost. Specify total cost of the project and the amount you are requesting from EPA, if different. Project costs should align with the scope of the project.

d. Briefly describe how your project meets EPA Strategic Goals (See Section I.C for more) information)

e. Project Description. Briefly describe your project (1-2 sentences).

f. Measurable Outputs. Provide a brief description of the major outputs of your project. (See Section I.B. for more information.)

g. Place of Performance. Identify the eight-digit HUC(s) where your project will take place.

h. Project period. Provide anticipated project start date and anticipated project completion date.

Proposal Narrative (8-page limit, see Appendix A for sample format) EPA recommends that proposals be in 12-point font or larger and readability is of paramount importance.

The proposal narrative must explicitly describe how the proposed project meets guidelines established in Sections I-III of this announcement (including the threshold eligibility criteria in Section III.D), and must address each of the evaluation criteria set forth in Section V. It must also address how the applicant will perform the activities under the scope of work in Section I.B.

Project Description/Approach:

The narrative should link the project activities with the required output(s) for the priority area(s) identified on the cover page.

The project approach should be described concretely and be appropriate for the desired outputs and outcomes without requiring more detail to assess the likelihood of success. This should include the technical or conceptual foundation for this approach. For example, plans, studies, pilot projects, successful projects elsewhere, etc.

The narrative should describe the relevance of the project, including how it will benefit the Gulf of Mexico and if successful, how can it be replicated elsewhere. Example questions to consider in this description include:

o Does the project pioneer a new or innovative approach?

o Does it build local or regional capacity?

o Does it address an existing issue in the Gulf of Mexico watershed?

The narrative should include language describing how the project supports one or more EPA Strategic Goals (Please see Section 1.C.).

The narrative should describe the applicant’s successful history working with farmers to implement demonstration projects and achieve results. Letters of support or other documentation are encouraged. Letters of support are not included in the 8-page limit.

Environmental Results:

Identify well defined outputs that are specific, quantified and significant, including target numbers, throughout the project timeframe.

The proposal should clearly demonstrate how the project will support achieving the outputs, including the output required for the priority area(s) selected.

The proposal should discuss plans to track and measure progress and provide a tracking tool such as a milestone or GANTT chart. The tracking tool should also include the reports schedule.

The proposal should describe major tasks, deliverables for each task, and schedule for completion.

The link between the tasks and achievement of identified outputs and outcomes should be clear.

For awards under this competition that are expected to exceed $200,000 in federal funding AND involve the generation or use of environmental data, please provide a statement acknowledging 1) your need to demonstrate competency prior to beginning work and 2) your understanding that a Quality Management Plan (QMP) and/or a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) may be required. Please see Section IV. O. at the following link for more information:

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses#competency. For further information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions Document regarding this EPA requirement:

https://www.epa.gov/measurements/documents-about-measurement-competency-under-assistance-agreements

The proposal should describe how it will ensure a lasting impact beyond the period of performance.

Applicant Capability and Past Performance The proposal should describe the applicant’s history of successfully a) completing and managing

Federal assistance agreements and b) meeting the reporting requirements under the Federal assistance agreements, including whether the applicant submitted acceptable final performance reports under those agreements and the extent to which the applicant adequately and timely reported on their progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes. If such progress was not being made, please describe why.

Note: This section of the proposal should include a list of federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include Federal grants and cooperative agreements but not Federal contracts) similar in size, scope and relevance to the proposed project that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than three agreements, and preferably EPA agreements)

The proposal should describe the applicant’s organizational experience and staff expertise to be able to assess the ability of applicant to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

Partnerships with Farmers The proposals should (in narrative form) identify and describe their history of working with farmers to implement demonstration projects with results. Letters of support should be provided that document that document this

The proposal should describe how the applicant will ensure a lasting impact beyond the period of performance.

Expenditure of Awarded Funds The proposal should describe the financial controls currently in place to ensure that awarded funds are expended in a timely and efficient manner.

Budget (3-page limit, see Appendix A for sample format)

Budget The proposal should provide a budget table. The budget table should cross-reference the SF-424A budget categories while breaking out the line items for each budget category. Budget resources necessary for completing a QAPP (if applicable), sharing project information broadly, and reporting progress should be included. The budget table should identify major costs associated with the approach in an easily understandable format.

The proposal should provide a budget narrative. The budget narrative should cross-reference the budget table, providing explanation of all costs – detailing the purpose of the expenditure and how it was calculated. Where possible, the budget narrative should link expenses with tasks and deliverables from the project description. Budget resources necessary for completing a QAPP (if applicable), sharing project information broadly, and reporting progress should be included. The budget narrative should clearly explain cost calculations and correlate the costs to activities identified in the proposal.

The overall project costs and various components should be well justified and reasonable.

* The indirect cost rate assessed by organization may be considered in the evaluation of the budget narrative, tables and project costs

*Selected applicant(s) will need to submit a copy of their current indirect cost rate that has been negotiated with a federal cognizant agency prior to award.

Applications submitted through grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically.

Please email Jeanne Allen, at gmp-rfp@epa.gov to confirm receipt of your proposal. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

D. Submission Dates and Times

The closing date and time for submission of proposals is September 12th, 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time (ET). Proposals submitted after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding.

Applications submitted through grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically. Applicants should confirm EPA receipt of their proposal with an email to gmp-rfp@epa.gov as soon as possible after the submission deadline, but no later than within 15 days of the application deadline. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

E. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including but not limited to those related to confidential business information, contracts and subawards under grants, and proposal assistance and communications, can be found at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses. These, and the other provisions that can be found at the website link, are important, and applicants must review them when preparing proposals for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Only eligible entities whose proposals meet the threshold criteria in Section III of this announcement will be reviewed according to the evaluation criterion set forth below. Applicants should explicitly address these criteria as part of their proposal package submittal. Each proposal will be rated under a points system, with a total of 100 points possible.

A. Evaluation Criteria

Proposal Narrative Criteria Points

1. Project Description/Approach:

Each criterion below is worth 5 points in the evaluation. The applicant will be evaluated on the extent and quality to which the proposal:

a) Links the project activities with the required output(s) for the priority area(s) identified on the cover page (Please see Section I.B).

b) Describes the project concretely, including enough detail to assess the likelihood of success. The proposal should describe the approach, including the technical or conceptual foundation for this approach – for example, plans, studies, pilot projects, successful projects elsewhere, etc.

c) Describes an approach that is appropriate for the desired outputs and outcomes.

d) Describes the relevance of the project, including how it will benefit the Gulf of Mexico.

e) Describes how the project supports one or more EPA Strategic Goals (Please see Section 1.C.).

f) Describes how the project will be implemented, including responsible parties for each task.

If applicable, the applicant should identify local partners and connections and describe volunteer contributions and roles. Letters of support from partners with substantial involvement are required to support description of partner involvement. Only partners with letters of support will be included in the evaluation.

2. Environmental Results—Outcomes, Outputs and Performance Measures:

Each criterion below is worth 5 points in the evaluation. The applicant will be evaluated on the extent and quality to which the proposal:

a) Identifies well defined outputs and outcomes, including target numbers, throughout the project timeframe.

b) Demonstrates how the project will support achieving the outputs required.

c) Describes results that are specific, quantified and significant.

d) Discusses plans to track and measure progress, including a tracking tool such as a milestone or GANTT chart. The tracking tool should also include the reports schedule.

e) Describes major tasks, deliverables for each task, and schedule for completion. The link between the tasks and achievement of identified outputs and outcomes should be clear. If applicable, a brief description for addressing quality assurance requirements (QAPP and QMP) should be included.

f) Describes how it will ensure a lasting impact beyond the period of performance.

3. Applicant Capability and Past Performance (10 pts total) Each criterion below is worth 5 points in the evaluation. The applicant will be evaluated on the extent to which the proposal:

a)Describes the applicant’s history of successfully i) completing and managing assistance agreements identified in response to Section IV.C. of the announcement and ii) meeting the reporting requirements under the assistance agreements identified in response to Section IV.C.

of the announcement including whether the applicant submitted acceptable final technical reports under those agreements and the extent to which the applicant adequately and timely reported on their progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes. If such progress was not being made whether the applicant adequately reported why not.

Note: This section of the proposal should list up to three federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include Federal grants and cooperative agreements but not Federal contracts) similar in size, scope and relevance to the proposed project that your organization performed within the last three years (preferably EPA agreements).

In evaluating applicants under the criteria above, the Agency will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources including agency files, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information Systems and/or prior/current grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information supplied by the applicant). If you do not have any relevant or available past performance or past reporting information, please indicate this in the proposal and you will receive a neutral score for these subfactors. If you do not provide any response for these items, you will receive a score of 0 for these factors.

b) Describes their organizational experience and staff expertise to assess the ability of applicant to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

4. Partnerships with Farmers: Each criterion below is worth 5 points in the evaluation. The applicant will be evaluated on the extent and quality to which the proposal:

a) Demonstrates a successful history of working with farmers to implement demonstration projects with results (this should be described in a narrative format)

b) Provides letters of support that documents the history of working with farmers to implement demonstration projects with results.

5. Expenditure of Awarded Funds: This criterion is worth 5 points in the evaluation. The applicant will be evaluated on the extent to which the proposal describes the financial controls currently in place to ensure that awarded funds are expended in a timely and efficient manner.

Proposal Budget Criteria Points

Each criterion below is worth 5 points in the evaluation. The applicant will be evaluated on the extent to which the proposal:

a) Provides a budget table identifying major costs associated with the proposal in an easily understandable format. Budget resources necessary for completing a QAPP, if applicable, sharing project information broadly, and reporting progress, should be included.

b) Provides a budget narrative clearly explaining cost calculations, purpose of the costs and correlating the costs to activities identified in the proposal. Where possible, the budget narrative should link expenses to tasks and deliverables from the project description. Budget resources necessary for completing a QAPP, if applicable, sharing project information broadly, and reporting progress, should be included.

c) Includes costs and various components that are justified and reasonable.

Note: The indirect cost rate assessed by organization may be considered in the evaluation of the budget narrative, tables and project cost.

B. Review and Selection Process Proposals meeting the threshold criteria will be evaluated by an EPA Gulf of Mexico Review Panel. The Review Panel will consist of EPA staff and may also include representatives from other Federal agencies. The panel will score and rank the eligible proposals using the evaluation criteria identified in Section V.A. Each proposal will be given a numerical score and will be rank-ordered according to the numerical score and the project’s geographic location. The agency intends to fund two projects in the Mississippi River Drainage and two projects in the non- Mississippi River Drainage to the Gulf of Mexico (as identified in Section I.B). Preliminary funding recommendations will be provided to the Selection Official based on this ranking.

C. Other Factors Final funding decisions will be made by the Selection Official based on the rankings and preliminary recommendations of the evaluation team. In making the final funding decisions, the Selection Official may also consider programmatic priorities, funding availability and geographic diversity of funds. Once final decisions have been made, a funding recommendation will be developed and forwarded to the EPA Award Official.

D. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation:

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation including the clause on Reporting and Use of Information Concerning Recipient Integrity and Performance can be found on the EPA Solicitation Clauses page. These, and the other provisions that can be found at the website link, are important, and applicants must review them when preparing proposals for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices Following evaluation of proposals, all applicants will be notified regarding their status.

Proposal Notifications (allow for review time, usually 45-60 days after closing date)

1. EPA anticipates notification to successful applicants will be made via e-mail. The notification will be sent to the original signer of the proposal or the project contact listed in the proposal. This notification, which informs the applicant that its proposal has been selected and is being recommended for award, is not an authorization to begin work. The official notification of an award will be made by the Region 4 Grants Management Officer. Applicants are cautioned that only a grants officer is authorized to bind the Government to the expenditure of funds;

selection does not guarantee an award will be made. For example, statutory authorization, funding or other issues discovered during the award process may affect the ability of EPA to make an award to an applicant. The award notice, signed by an EPA grants officer, is the authorizing document and will be provided through electronic or postal mail. The successful applicant may need to prepare and submit additional documents and forms (e.g., narrative), which must be approved by EPA, before the grant can officially be awarded. The time between notification of selection and award of a grant can take up to 90 days or longer.

2. EPA anticipates notification to unsuccessful applicant(s) will be made via email. The notification will be made to the original signer of the Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance or the project contact listed in the proposal.

B.