EPA-I-OLEM-ORCR-25-02.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Applications Due: Friday, December 12, 2025

Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-I-OLEM-ORCR-25-02 i

Contents

1. Basic Information

A. Executive Summary:

B. Key Information:

C. Key Dates:

D. Funding Details:

E. Agency Contact Information:

2. Eligibility

A. Eligible Applicants

(1) Other Eligibility Requirements

B. Cost Sharing

3. Program Description

A. Purpose, Priorities, and Activities

(1) Scope of Work

(2) Measuring Environmental Results: Outputs and Outcomes

(3) Ineligible Costs or Activities and Other Considerations

B. Program Goals and Objectives C. Statutory Authority D. Funding Type

4. Application Contents and Format

A. Application Forms B. Project Narrative Attachment Form and Budget Detail

iv. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance C. Applicants Using Contractors D. Release Copies of Applications E. Coalition Coverage

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

A. Submission Dates and Times B. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) C. Submission Instructions D. Technical Issues with Submission E. Intergovernmental Review

6. Application Review Information

A. Responsiveness Review B. Review Criteria

(1) Project Summary and Approach (40 points)

(2) Impactful Approaches and Solutions (25 points)

(3) Measuring Environmental Results (10 points)

(4) Programmatic Capability and Environmental Results Past Performance Criteria (10 points) .. 21

(5) Budget and Expenditure of Awarded Grant Funds (15 points) ii

C. Review and Selection Process

Other Evaluation Factors

D. Risk Review

7. Award Notices

8. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements B. Reporting C. Subaward and Executive Compensation Reporting

9. Other Information

A. Additional Provisions for Applicants

1. Combining Applications into One Award

2. Additional Policy Requirements

3. Use of Funds

4. Program Income

5. Procurements

6. Build America, Buy America Requirements

7. Project Labor Agreements and Prevailing Wage Requirements

8. National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) Compliance

9. Disputes

10. Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs)

11. Reporting Requirements

1. Basic Information U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia

A. Executive Summary:

The Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant program will assist local waste management authorities by supporting improvements to local post-consumer materials management, including municipal recycling programs, and assisting local waste management authorities in making improvements to local waste management systems.

Consistent with the authorizing statute in Section 302(a) of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, SWIFR will support an economy that uses a systems-focused approach and involves industrial processes and economic activities that are restorative or regenerative by design, enables resources used in such processes and activities to maintain their highest value for as long as possible, and aims for the elimination of waste through the superior design of materials, products, and systems (including business models).

Increasing recycling reduces the environmental and social impacts of materials use and keeps valuable resources in use instead of in landfills. Municipal solid waste management1 has long suffered from a lack of investment. Some communities that lack waste management infrastructure do not have curbside waste collection services, recycling, or composting programs, which increases the burden on limited landfill capacity.

There are three types of grants within the SWIFR program, which are designed to fund a range of projects that will enable EPA to help states, territories, Tribes, local governments, and communities improve and transform their recycling and materials management infrastructure.

1. SWIFR Grants for States and Territories

2. SWIFR Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia

3. SWIFR Grants for Political Subdivisions2

1 EPA has developed a standardized set of terms with examples of Municipal Solid Waste:

https://www.epa.gov/recyclingstrategy/standardized-terms-materials-accepted-municipal-recycling-programs 2 Please note that the EPA also refers to this type of grant under SWIFR as “SWIFR Grants for Communities.”

B. Key Information:

Opportunity Number:

EPA-I-OLEM-ORCR-25-02

Assistance Listing:

66.920

Announcement Type:

Initial

Funding Available:

Approximately $20,000,000

Number of Awards:

Approximately 20 https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-states-and-territories https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-communities https://www.epa.gov/recyclingstrategy/standardized-terms-materials-accepted-municipal-recycling-programs

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for the SWIFR Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia.

Entities eligible to apply for this funding opportunity include Indian Tribes and Intertribal consortia (see Section 2 for definitions). The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $20,000,000. The EPA anticipates awarding approximately 20 assistance agreements, with at least one award per EPA Region, depending on the quality and quantity of applications received. The minimum individual award amount is $100,000 and the maximum individual award amount is $1,500,000 for the grant period, which is up to three years. Refer to Section 1.D of this announcement for more information.

Materials and waste streams considered under this announcement include: municipal solid waste (MSW), including plastics, organics, paper, metal, glass, etc., electronic waste, batteries, household hazardous waste, tire scraps, construction and demolition (C&D) debris, and disaster debris. The materials listed above must be managed through source reduction, reuse, sending materials to material recovery facilities, composting, rendering, anaerobic digestion, and feeding animals.

The following activities are not eligible for funding under this NOFO: constructing, improving or operating landfills; incineration; burn units; waste-to-energy or biofuels (except anaerobic digestion);

chemical and thermal recycling; and environmental cleanup. Food preprocessing is only eligible when paired with recycling activities. Note: Definitions of some commonly used terms will be posted in EPA’s questions and answers on EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia webpage.

C. Key Dates:

December 12, 2025 11:59 pm ET Application Submission Deadline

April 2026 Anticipated Notification of Selection

September 2026 Anticipated Award Notification

D. Funding Details:

It is anticipated that approximately 20 award(s) will be made under this announcement. Awards are expected to be between $100,000 to $1,500,000 each, depending on Agency funding levels, the quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. Awards funded under this opportunity are expected to have a three year project period. Projects located in Alaska may have up to a five-year project period.

E. Agency Contact Information:

Further information, if needed, may be obtained from the EPA contact(s) indicated below.

Technical Contact: Chris Carusiello and Jamie Lutz, SWIFRTribal@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia

2. Eligibility A. Eligible Applicants Only these types of organizations may apply. Under this announcement, applications will be accepted from:

• Indian Tribes as defined in 33 U.S.C. 4201 and section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304), which includes Alaskan Native Villages and Alaska Native Corporations, and former Indian reservations in Oklahoma, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, and

• Intertribal consortia, consistent with the requirements in 40 CFR Part 35.504(a).

Intertribal consortia will be eligible to receive grants under this program only if the consortium demonstrates that all members of the consortium meet the eligibility requirements for the grant and authorize the consortium to apply for and receive assistance by submitting to EPA documentation of:

(1) the existence of the partnership between Indian Tribal governments, and

(2) authorization of the consortium by all its members to apply for and receive the grant.

Documentation can be in the form of letters signed by all member Tribes, approved by-laws that contain language that specifically address the eligibility requirements, and/or other forms of documentation approved by the EPA Point of Contact that adequately meet the eligibility requirements.

(1) Other Eligibility Requirements

Applications must meet the following threshold criteria to be considered eligible:

1. Applications must address at least one of the mandatory objectives described in Section 3.A of this announcement:

• Develop or update plans focused on improving post-consumer materials management such as source reduction (e.g., repair clinics, reuse centers), collection, storage, transportation, backhaul, recycling, and/or markets for recyclables;

• Establish, increase, or expand materials management infrastructure, such as facilities for reuse, recycling, or composting; collection and storage bins for recyclable or organic material, purchasing equipment or supplies such as scales, crushers, balers, and sorting equipment, trucks, forklifts, safety equipment);

• Establish or identify end-markets for the use of recycled materials; and/or

• Demonstrate an increase in the diversion, recycling rate, and/or quality of materials collected.

2. Applicants must be eligible, as described in Section 2.A. Intertribal consortia should pay particular attention to documentation requirements in Section 2.A.

3. Federal funds requested must be between $100,000 and $1,500,000, inclusive. Applications requesting federal assistance funding below or in excess of this value will not be considered.

4. Funds awarded under this NOFO may not be used to carry out the same activities that are already funded or in the process of being funded under other EPA financial assistance programs such as the Indian General Assistance Program, Tribal Hazardous Waste Management Grant https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-35/subpart-B/subject-group-ECFR7560dab1b022383/section-35.504

Program, and the Tribal Response Program Grants or financial assistance applicants receive from other Federal agencies. Applicants must provide a statement that their proposed project(s) does not duplicate other Federally funded grants. Duplicate activities will not be considered for funding under this opportunity.

5. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section 4 of this NOFO or else they will be rejected. However, where a page limit is expressed in Section 4 with respect to the application, or parts thereof, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in application format, including selecting a legible font type and size for use in the application. Please note, the budget table and description are different than the SF-424A form. Both are required to be completed as part of the application. This is one of the most common threshold criteria that applicants fail. So please triple check that you include the budget table and description in grants.gov.

If necessary, the EPA may contact applicants to clarify their threshold eligibility prior to making eligibility determinations.

Please see Section 6 for additional threshold criteria.

B. Cost Sharing Consistent with the authorizing statute in Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law 116–224) as codified at 33 U.S.C. 4282(a) Section 302(a), cost sharing and matching funds are not required under this competition.

Applicants may not propose a voluntary committed cost share under this NOFO. Applicants are to only include activities that EPA will fund in the workplan and costs for those activities in budgets. Voluntary committed cost share described in work plans or budgets will not be accepted by EPA or evaluated. EPA may contact the applicant to identify the cost share component that will be disregarded during evaluation. If an application is submitted that includes voluntary committed cost share, that portion of the application will not be evaluated. If the voluntary cost share portion of the application is so integrated into the workplan it cannot feasibly be disregarded during evaluation, it may not be possible to evaluate the application for funding. Only Federal funds should be included in the SF-424, SF-424A, and Budget Table and Description.

3. Program Description A. Purpose, Priorities, and Activities

(1) Scope of Work

The EPA is soliciting applications for a wide variety of projects designed to build and transform Tribal solid waste infrastructure reducing waste and managing materials to achieve a circular economy, and create cleaner, resilient, and healthier communities. Projects will create new capacity that foster environmentally sound solid waste management and facilitate greater access for Tribal communities to source reduction (e.g., repair clinics, reuse centers), recycling, backhaul, anaerobic digestion, and composting opportunities.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1982/text

All applications must address one or more of the following objectives:

• Develop or update plans3 focused on encouraging environmentally sound post-consumer materials management such as source reduction (e.g., repair clinics, reuse centers), collection, storage, transportation, composting, recycling, and/or markets for recyclables;

• Develop, strengthen, and/or implement comprehensive data collection efforts that demonstrate progress towards the National Recycling Goal and Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal;

• Establish, increase, or expand materials management infrastructure, such as facilities for reuse, recycling, or composting; collection and storage bins for recyclable or organic material, purchasing and maintaining equipment or supplies such as scales, crushers, balers, and sorting equipment, trucks, forklifts, and safety equipment;

• Establish or identify end-markets for the use of recycled materials; or

• Demonstrate an increase in the diversion4 recycling rate, and/or quality of materials collected.

Materials and waste streams considered under this announcement include: municipal solid waste (MSW), including plastics, organics, paper, metal, glass, etc., electronic waste, batteries, household hazardous waste, tire scraps, construction and demolition (C&D) debris, and disaster debris. The materials listed above must be managed through source reduction, reuse, sending materials to material recovery facilities, composting, rendering, anaerobic digestion, and feeding animals.

Applications may include (but are not limited to) projects that fund:

• Development or updates to plans focused on improving post-consumer materials management;

• Planning and construction of facilities for food and organics recovery, reuse, recycling, composting or anaerobic digestion;5

• Programs that provide or increase access to prevention, reuse, and recycling in areas that currently do not have access; including construction of and/or upgrades to drop-off and transfer stations (including but not limited to a hub-and-spoke model in rural communities), etc.;

• Purchase of collection or storage bins for recyclables or organic material;

• Purchase or lease of recycling equipment or supplies for post-consumer materials management recovery efforts (e.g., crushers, balers, and sorting equipment, trucks, forklifts, safety equipment);

• Activities focused on development of end-markets for materials (e.g., working with a recycler to accept collected materials for processing);

• Activities to support increasing and improving collection of recyclable materials and/or organics and food waste, and backhaul;

• Activities to reduce, reuse and recycle building materials, including deconstruction (dismantling buildings for reuse and recycling) and C&D debris recycling equipment and projects;

• Activities focused on reducing contamination in the recycling stream;

• Activities related to the recycling of scrap tires or batteries;

• Training, technical assistance, and/or tools required to plan, establish, or implement post-consumer materials recovery (e.g., applicants may apply for funding for training employees on use and safety of recycling equipment, raise awareness of infrastructure and processes);

• Education and outreach activities relating to post-consumer materials management;

3 Plans can be any planning document that meets the tribe’s administrative, planning, and implementation needs, such as their EPA-Tribal Environmental Plan (ETEP), Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP), zero-waste plan, or other planning document of their choice.

4 Measured in tons of material diverted from landfill disposal or incineration.

5 Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act will be required for construction projects.

• Land acquisition when necessary for construction or improvements to Tribal recycling facilities and waste management facilities, subject to the requirements at 2 CFR Part 200.311 and 2 CFR Part 200.316.; and/or

• Other activities that the applicant believes will further the objectives of the NOFO, provided those activities are eligible for funding under statute and the terms of this NOFO.

(2) Measuring Environmental Results: Outputs and Outcomes

Applicants are required to describe how funding will help EPA achieve outputs and outcomes in their responses to the criteria in Section 6. Outputs and outcomes specific to each project will be identified as deliverables in the negotiated workplan if the application is selected for award. Recipients will be expected to report progress toward the attainment of expected project outputs and outcomes during the project performance period. Outputs and outcomes are defined as follows:

• Outputs are an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal or objective that will be produced or provided over time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during the project period.

• Outcomes are the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out the activities under the grant. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic;

must be qualitative or quantitative; and may not necessarily be achievable during the project period.

EPA encourages applicants to discuss all of the following environmental outputs and outcomes in the Project Narrative Attachment. Successful applicants that receive grants must report on all of the measures listed below, even if the anticipated result is “0” or “not applicable.”

• Number of infrastructure investments/enhancements made spanning the spectrum of collection through end market development (e.g., bins purchased, post-consumer materials management systems created, technology improvements made).

• Tons of MSW/C&D collected, recycled, or composted, or managed via each relevant management pathway in the community served by the project.

• Tons of MSW/C&D generated per material type (e.g., plastic, food waste, etc.) and source in the community (e.g., household, school, or business) served by the project.

• Number of temporary or permanent jobs created (including part-time).

• Percentage of Tribes and Tribal members of intertribal consortia served as a result of establishing, increasing, expanding, or optimizing collection.

• Number of Tribes and member Tribes of intertribal consortia served as a result of establishing, increasing, expanding, or optimizing collection.

A note about surveys and the OMB Regulations Implementing the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA):

Grant recipients cannot use EPA funds to design nor administer the collection of identical information from 10 or more parties (for example, through surveys or focus groups). Reasonable costs for analyzing and publishing the independently collected information are allowable to the extent authorized in the EPA approved budget for this agreement.

(3) Ineligible Costs or Activities and Other Considerations

Prohibition on Use of Funds

EPA funds can neither be used to design nor administer the collection of identical information from 10 or more parties (for example, through surveys or focus groups), and EPA personnel may not participate in such activities. Reasonable costs for analyzing and publishing the independently collected information are allowable to the extent authorized in the EPA approved budget for this agreement.

The following activities are not eligible for funding under this NOFO: constructing, improving or operating landfills; incineration; burn units; waste-to-energy or biofuels (except anaerobic digestion);

chemical and thermal recycling; and environmental cleanup. Food preprocessing is only eligible when paired with recycling activities.

All costs must meet the requirements for allowability in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E, and applicable provisions of 2 CFR Part 1500.

As provided in 33 U.S.C. 4282(f), SWIFR cooperative agreement funding “. . . may not be used (directly or indirectly) as a source of payment (in whole or in part) of, or security for, an obligation the interest on which is excluded from gross income under section 103 of Title 26” of the United States Code. This provision relates to State and local government bonds.

Please note that if the activities listed in this section are included in the submitted application, EPA reserves the right to either not fund that portion of the project, or, depending on how much of the project involves ineligible activities, decline to fund the project under Threshold Criterion 1, above.

B. Program Goals and Objectives This NOFO has the following goals:

• Fund projects that focus on encouraging environmentally sound post-consumer materials management.

• Fund projects that will result in a decrease in the generation of municipal solid waste and/or an increase in the diversion of municipal solid waste from landfills and incineration; and/or

• Fund projects that provide or expand access to source reduction, reuse, recycling, backhaul, anaerobic digestion, and composting for Tribal communities.

The activities to be funded under this funding announcement support all five pillars of Administrator Zeldin’s Five Pillars:

1. Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American

2. Restore American Energy Dominance

3. Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership

4. Make the United States the Artificial Intelligence Capital of the World

5. Protecting and Bringing Back American Auto Jobs

National Recycling Strategy In alignment with Section 3.A, the activities to be funded under this NOFO will support the National Recycling Strategy (NRS). Awards made under this NOFO will support one or more of the following objectives of the NRS:

a) Improve markets for recycled commodities;

b) Increase collection and improve materials management infrastructure;

https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-lee-zeldin-announces-epas-powering-great-american-comeback https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-lee-zeldin-announces-epas-powering-great-american-comeback https://www.epa.gov/recyclingstrategy/strategies-building-circular-economy-all https://www.epa.gov/recyclingstrategy/strategies-building-circular-economy-all

c) Reduce contamination in the recycled materials stream;

d) Enhance policies and programs to support circularity; and

e) Standardize measurement and increase data collection.

C. Statutory Authority The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides $275,000,000 for grants under Section 302(a) “Post-Consumer Materials Management Infrastructure Grant Program” of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law 116–224) as codified at 33 U.S.C. 4282(a). The IIJA funds are available to EPA at $55,000,000 per year from Fiscal Year 2022 to Fiscal Year 2026. Congress appropriated an additional $14,000,000 for grants authorized under Section 302(a) of Save Our Seas 2.0 Act through EPA’s Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriation Act (Public Law 117-103), Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriation Act (Public Law 117-328), and Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriation Act (Public Law 118-122).

Pursuant to Section 302(a) of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, the SWIFR grant program will:

• Implement the series of strategies on building a circular economy for all;

• Support improvements to local post-consumer materials management, including municipal recycling programs; and

• Assist local waste management authorities in making improvements to local waste management systems.

D. Funding Type It is anticipated that cooperative agreements will be funded under this funding opportunity.

Cooperative agreements provide for substantial involvement between the EPA Project Officer and the selected applicant(s) in the performance of the work supported. Although the EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial involvement as part of the award process, the anticipated substantial federal involvement for these projects may include:

• 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 200.317 and 2 CFR 200.318, review of proposed procurement;

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

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

The 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.

4. Application Contents and Format A. Application Forms The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1982/text https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ103/PLAW-117publ103.pdf https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2617/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4366/text https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.317 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.318

Mandatory Documents:

1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

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

3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

4. EPA Form 4700-4 Preaward Compliance Review Report

5. Project Narrative Attachment Form (which is composed of three parts; refer to the information below): use this to submit your Project Narrative

• EPA has provided optional resources for the “Summary Information Cover Letter,” the “Narrative Proposal,” and the “Budget Table and Description” on EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia webpage.

Including these three parts in the Project Narrative Attachment Form is mandatory.

Use of the optional resources is voluntary.

Optional Documents:

1. Other Attachments Form: Use this to submit other attachments, if applicable. This includes:

a) Milestones (see example posted on EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia webpage);

b) Documentation demonstrating that the applicant is an eligible Intertribal Consortium (if applicable);

c) Negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (if applicable);

d) A copy of a financial record displaying the amount of previous SWIFR cooperative agreement funds drawn down (e.g., a report from the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) or general ledger entries) (Note that EPA may verify the accuracy of this information through our own records).

Please do not submit the following documents, as they will not be considered as part of the application review process: references/works cited, letters of support, staff CV/resumes, solid waste master plans, engineering reports, or feasibility studies. Letters of support will not be considered in scoring the application. Submitting additional application materials that are not pertinent to the application can slow down the review process and potentially delay awards.

B. Project Narrative Attachment Form and Budget Detail Project Narrative Attachment Form. All applications must contain the “Project Narrative Attachment Form” which is composed of the “Summary Information Cover Letter,” the “Narrative Proposal,” and the “Budget Table and Description.”

• The “Summary Information Cover Letter,” a maximum of 1 page in length, summarizes the overall project.

• The “Narrative Proposal,” a maximum of 10 pages in length, must explicitly describe the applicant’s proposed project and specifically address each of the evaluation criteria disclosed in Section 6.B and the threshold eligibility criteria in Section 2 and Section 6.A.

• The “Budget Table and Description” is described in more detail in Section 6.B. It provides a response to Criterion 5: Budget and Expenditure of Awarded Grant Funds. The "Budget Table and Description” can be a budget spreadsheet (see optional spreadsheet resource on EPA’s https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia webpage) or 4 typed pages. EPA will not review any additional budget documents beyond those described here, including pages of the budget narrative in excess of 4 pages. If a spreadsheet file is included for the “Budget Table and Description,” it does not have a page limit.

EPA will only review the contents within the specified page limits for each portion of the "Project Narrative Attachment Form". Any pages in excess of the page limits will not be reviewed.

Optional documents noted above are not included in the page limits.

The following requirements apply to the “Project Narrative Attachment Form”:

• The components of the “Project Narrative Attachment Form” should be concise and well organized.

• Readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in application format, including selecting a legible font type and size for use in the application.

• Must provide the information detailed in this section and include responses to all of Section 2, Section 3, and Section 6. Factual information about your proposed project must be provided. Do not include discussions of broad principles that are not specific to the proposed work or project covered by your application. Responses to evaluation criteria should include the criteria number and title but need not restate the entire text of the criteria. Sufficient detail must be provided to allow for an evaluation of the merits of the proposal. Vague descriptions, redundancy, and failure to address each of the evaluation criteria will result in a lower ranking.

Note: Applicants may, but are not required to, use the optional resources for The Project Attachment Form (Summary Information Cover Letter, Narrative Proposal, and Budget Table and Description) available on EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia webpage. Applicants that do not use the resources will not be penalized.

a. The Summary Information Cover Letter (maximum of one page) must include:

i. Project Title.

ii. Applicant Name. Identify the name of the organization submitting the application.

iii. Eligible Entity Type. Identify your organization’s organization type from Section 2.A.

iv. Unique Entity Identification Number (UEI). List the organization’s UEI, which is the official identifier for doing business with the U.S. Government.

v. Project Summary. Briefly describe the project in two to four sentences.

vi. Contact Information. Include name, title, address, email address, phone number. You can list both a primary and an administrative contact.

vii. Project Location. Include the location where the project will be taking place. If the project will occur in more than one location, indicate the city and state associated with the primary location.

https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://sam.gov/content/duns-uei

viii. EPA Funding Requested. Specify the amount you are requesting from the EPA.

ix. Project Period. Provide estimated beginning and ending dates.

x. Program Objective Elements. State the mandatory program objective elements addressed from Section 3.A.

xi. Statement of Non-duplication. In response to Threshold Criterion 4 (in Section 2.A.1).

xii. Cooperative Partners. Provide names and phone numbers of individuals and organizations that have agreed to participate in the implementation of the project, if any. Note that any transactions with partners financed with EPA funding must comply with applicable regulatory requirements.

b. The Narrative Proposal (maximum of ten pages). Provide the information below on how the applicant will implement and conduct its project by addressing each of the evaluation criteria in Section 6 of this announcement. The Narrative Proposal must include:

i. Project Summary and Approach. The summary shall contain the following components:

a. Detailed project summary, description of specific actions and methods to be undertaken, including estimated timeline for each task.

• Provide a well-conceived strategy for addressing the requirements and plan for achieving project results in Section 3.A.

• Clearly identify the goals and objectives of the project and include an effective, easily-understood plan with well-reasoned steps and milestones to meet the stated objectives.

• Provide a reasonable time schedule for the execution of the tasks associated with the project and for achieving the project goals and objectives by project end. Provide a schedule indicating start times and completion dates of significant tasks and responsibilities under your program. For efficiency, it is suggested that project milestones be coordinated with important events (e.g., budget cycle, meetings).

Reference the example Milestones on EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia webpage for an example you may wish to use.

• Clearly describe each task and/or activity for the project.

ii. Impactful Approaches and Solutions. Describe how the project results will improve the environmental conditions of the Tribal community(/ies) in the short and long-term, and any other community benefits associated with the anticipated project outcomes. Also describe how https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia the anticipated benefits of the project contribute to post-consumer materials management in Tribal communities.

Examples of impactful approaches and solutions may include, but are not limited to:

• solving local challenges around collection of materials in rural or isolated areas;

• conducting activities that foster environmentally sound materials management to multiple Tribes;

• coordinating regional source reduction, recycling or backhaul services;

• establishing or expanding a hub and spoke source reduction and/or recycling system;

• implementing projects that will increase the long-term resilience of Tribal post-consumer materials management systems.

iii. Measuring Environmental Results: Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes. Provide a well-conceived strategy for addressing the requirements and a plan for achieving project results in Section 3.A.2.

a. Discuss how you propose to track and measure your progress towards achieving the project outputs and outcomes. Include quantitative targets for outputs and outcomes when applicable (Refer to Section 3.A.1 and Section 6.B).

iv. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance. Submit a list of federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include Federal grants and cooperative agreements but not Federal contracts) that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than 5 agreements, and preferably EPA agreements) and describe:

a. past performance in successfully completing and managing the assistance agreements identified in response to Section 4.B.b.iv of the NOFO;

b. history of meeting the reporting requirements under the assistance agreements identified in response to Section 4.B.b.iv of the NOFO 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 under those agreements and if such progress was not being made whether the applicant adequately reported why not; and

c. staff expertise/qualifications (including organizational experience), staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

In evaluating applicants under these factors in Section 6, the EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources, including information from EPA files and from current/prior grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information provided by the applicant). If you do not have any relevant or available past performance or past reporting information, please indicate this in the application and you will receive a neutral score for these factors (a neutral score is half of the total points available in a subset of possible points). If you do not provide any response for these items, you may receive a score of 0 for these factors.

v. Budget and Expenditure of Awarded Grant Funds. Describe your organization’s procedures, and controls for ensuring that awarded grant funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner.

Budget Table and Description. Include a detailed budget narrative which clearly explains how funds will be used. The budget narrative is a detailed description of the budget found in the SF-424A and should include a discussion of the applicant’s approach to ensuring proper management of grant funds, and itemized budget table(s). Please note, the Budget Table and Description is different than the SF424A form. Both are required to be completed as part of this NOFO. The successful applicant’s budget description should identify (1) specific tasks for which EPA funding will be used, (2) the costs associated with each task, and (3) what outputs will be produced as a result of each task. Refer Section 3.A for a definition of outputs and outcomes. EPA has provided an optional spreadsheet resource for the Budget Table and Description on EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia webpage.

Applicants should be aware that if their proposals include using Federal funds for a project that includes the purchase of goods, products, and materials on any form of construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of infrastructure in the United States for identified EPA financial assistance funding programs, they must comply with the Build America, Buy America Terms and Conditions if they are selected for award. Please refer to Section 9.A.6 of this NOFO for additional information and consider this information when preparing your budget.

Cost sharing/matching funds are not required under this competition. Applicants’ project budgets on the Standard Form 424A are to only cover costs that will be borne by SWIFR funding. Do not include cost-sharing or matching funds anywhere in the application. Cost-sharing and matching funds will not be evaluated under this competition. If non-Federal funds are included on the SF-424, SF-424A, and/or Budget Table and Description, it may impact the eligibility of the application. Please refer to Section 2.B for more detailed information.

Applicants must itemize costs related to personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual costs, other direct costs, indirect costs, and total costs.

Applicants should use the following instructions and budget object class descriptions to complete the Budget Table and Description. Applicants should refer to the EPA’s Interim General Budget Development Guidance for Applicants and Recipients of EPA Financial Assistance for additional information relating to cost categories.

o Personnel - List all staff positions by title. Give annual salary (actual or proposed for new positions), percentage of time assigned to the project, and total cost for the budget period. This category includes only direct costs for the salaries of those individuals who will perform work directly for the project (paid employees of the applicant organization as reflected in payroll tax records). If the applicant organization is including staff time (in-kind services), this should be included as Personnel costs.

Personnel costs do not include: (1) costs for services of contractors (including individual consultants), which are included in the “Contractual” category; (2) costs for employees https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grants-tribes-and-intertribal-consortia https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-09/fy_2022_epa_general_terms_and_conditions_effective_october_1_2021.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/documents/applicant-budget-development-guidance.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/documents/applicant-budget-development-guidance.pdf of subrecipients under subawards, or non-employee program participants (e.g., interns or volunteers) which are included in the “Other” category; or (3) effort that is not directly in support of the proposed project, which may be covered by the organization’s negotiated indirect cost rate. The budget detail must identify the personnel category type by Full Time Equivalent (FTE), including percentage of FTE for part-time employees, number of personnel proposed for each category, and the estimated funding amounts.

If budget information is not provided on requested personnel costs, applications should include in their narrative how they expect to manage the administrative components of the grant.

o Fringe Benefits - Identify the percentage used, the basis for its computation, and the types of benefits included. Fringe benefits are allowances and services provided by employers to their employees as compensation in addition to regular salaries and wages.

Fringe benefits may include, but are not limited to the cost of leave, employee insurance, pensions, and unemployment benefit plans. If the applicant’s fringe benefit rate does not include the cost of leave, and the applicant intends to charge leave to the agreement, it must provide supplemental information describing its proposed method(s) for determining and equitably distributing these costs.

o Travel - Specify the mileage, per diem, estimated number of trips, number of travelers, and other costs for each type of travel. Travel may be integral to the purpose of the proposed project (e.g., inspections) or related to proposed project activities (e.g., attendance at meetings). Only include travel costs for employees in the travel category.

Travel costs do not include: (1) costs for travel of contractors (including individual consultants), which are included in the “Contractual” category; (2) travel costs for employees of subrecipients under subawards, and non-employee program participants (e.g., trainees) which are included in the “Other” category. Further, travel does not include bus rentals for group trips, which would be covered under the contractual category. Finally, if the applicant intends to use any funds for travel outside the United States, it must be specifically identified. All proposed foreign travel must be approved by the EPA’s Office of International and Tribal Affairs prior to being taken.

o Equipment - Identify each item to be purchased and owned by the applicant which has an estimated acquisition cost of $10,000 or more per unit and a useful life of more than one year. Equipment also includes accessories necessary to make the equipment operational. Note: If your organization has written procurement procedures that define a threshold for equipment costs that is lower than $10,000, then that threshold takes precedence. Refer to the EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements for the EPA’s policies on competitive procurements and the Build America, Buy America provisions outlined in Section 9.A.6 (notwithstanding any reference to procurement in these guidance documents. Tribes and intertribal consortia can follow their own procurement policies and procedures subject to 2 CFR 200.317. If a Tribe or intertribal consortia does not have their own policies and procedures, they are subject to the federal requirements). When evaluating the budget criterion, the EPA will take into consideration costs necessary to successfully manage the project. This includes ensuring that your budget includes costs for the management of funds, reporting on all required outputs/outcomes, etc., in addition to https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d/section-200.317 the cost of equipment. Please include an explanation of this matter in the Budget Table and Description.

o Supplies - “Supplies” means all tangible personal property other than “equipment.”

The budget detail should identify categories of supplies to be procured (e.g., laboratory supplies or office supplies). Non-tangible goods and services associated with supplies, such as, occasional photocopy services, and rental costs should be included in the “Other” category.

o Contractual - Identify each type of proposed contract and specify its purpose and estimated cost. Contractual services (including consulting services) are those services to be carried out by an individual or organization, other than the applicant, in the form of a procurement relationship. The EPA’s Subaward Policy for EPA Assistance Agreements and the EPA Subaward Frequent Questions has detailed guidance available for differentiating between contractors and subrecipients. Leased or rented goods (equipment or supplies) should be included in the “Other” category.

o Eligible Construction Costs. Construction costs may include site preparation, demolishing and building facilities, making permanent improvements to facilities or other real property, major renovations of existing facilities, remediation of contamination and related architectural or engineering services. With very few exceptions, recipients carry out construction projects by hiring contractors which typically include a general contractor and an architectural or engineering firm for design work and in some cases purchasing equipment for installation at the site.

The recipient should provide a list of planned construction contracts along with a brief description of the scope of work or services to be provided, planned duration, and planned procurement method (competitive or non-competitive), if known. Recipients should consult the guidance on contracting in Section VI of the Interim Budget Development Guidance for Applicants and Recipients of EPA Financial Assistance for additional information on competition requirements (notwithstanding any reference to procurement in these guidance documents. Tribes and intertribal consortia can follow their own procurement policies and procedures subject to 2 CFR 200.317. If a Tribe or intertribal consortia does not have their own policies and procedures, they are subject to the federal requirements).

The cost plus percentage of construction cost method of contracting is prohibited by 2 CFR Part 200.324.

Categorizing Construction Costs. Construction costs are to be categorized on the SF 424A budget table as follows:

Anticipated costs for hiring general contractors and other contractors performing activities described in 40 CFR 33.103 definition of Construction will be categorized as “Construction.”

https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-subaward-frequent-questions https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/documents/applicant-budget-development-guidance.pdf…