EPA-I-OW-OWM-23-04 Revised 2024 03 15.pdf

Federal Agency Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of

Water, Office of Wastewater Management

Funding Opportunity Title: Centers of Excellence for Stormwater Control Infrastructure

Technologies Grant Program

Announcement Type: Request for Applications (RFA)

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-I-OW-OWM-23-04

Assistance Listing Number: 66.490

Dates: Application packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov

(Grants.gov) no later than 11:59 PM ET, April 8, 2024, in order to be considered for funding. Questions about this RFA must be submitted in writing via e-mail and must be received by the agency contact identified in Section VII before March 22, 2024. Written responses will be posted on EPA’s website at: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-centers-excellence-grant.

Note to Applicants: Following the EPA’s evaluation of applications, all applicants will be notified regarding their status. If you name subawardees/subgrantees and/or contractor(s), including individual consultants, in your application as partners to assist you with the proposed project, pay careful attention to the information in the CONTRACTS AND SUBAWARDS provision found at http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses.

CONTENTS BY SECTION

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application and Submission Information

V. Application Review Information

VI. Award Administration Information

VII. Agency Contact

VIII. Other Information

SECTION I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

Stormwater is a significant source of water pollution and a threat to ecosystems across the country. Climate change, land-use and development, and other stressors are exposing many communities to stormwater impacts that lead to flooding, water quality impairments, and soil erosion. In addition, many communities face financial challenges when trying to rectify their https://grants.gov/ http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-centers-excellence-grant http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-centers-excellence-grant http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses stormwater issues due to the costs associated with construction, operation, and maintenance of the necessary infrastructure.

As the EPA supports continued progress to improve water quality and the safety and resilience of all communities, we are mindful that some communities have never been able to access stormwater infrastructure solutions critical to withstanding more extreme and unpredictable climate events. Nationwide, many communities need practical stormwater technologies and the scientific understanding of those technologies to effectively implement stormwater management solutions. Additionally, many communities are already dealing with climate impacts that exacerbate existing stressors and affect public health, degrade the quality of our waterways, and destabilize the critical water infrastructure we rely upon. Underserved communities are particularly vulnerable to these impacts. Vulnerable populations include low-income communities, children, elderly, Indigenous people, and Tribes. Investments in stormwater infrastructure can be one of the most effective tools to ensure clean water, create jobs, and establish more equitable water quality outcomes. The EPA supports cultivating resilient solutions to ensure stormwater infrastructure built today can properly and adequately manage future conditions and discharges.

To improve the effectiveness, cost efficiency, and protection of public safety and water quality, Congress authorized the EPA to develop a grant program to establish multiple Centers of

Excellence for Stormwater Control Infrastructure Technologies (Centers of Excellence) nationwide (33 United States Code (U.S.C.) § 1302f). EPA is soliciting applications from eligible applicants for projects described in Section I.B., Project Areas, of this announcement.

These Centers of Excellence will be dedicated to new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies as well as to developing funding approaches to address stormwater and sewer overflow needs.

The Centers of Excellence will play an important role in providing technical assistance, helping to ensure that underserved communities receive the assistance they need to access resources to support stormwater infrastructure improvements that protect public health, safeguard the environment, increase climate resilience, and mitigate environmental justice concerns.

B. Project Description

The EPA is soliciting applications from eligible entities to establish and maintain regional

Centers of Excellence for new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies, with the goal of improving the effectiveness, cost efficiency, and protection of public safety and water quality. The EPA is also soliciting applications from eligible entities to create and maintain a national electronic clearinghouse to centrally collect and distribute the work of the Centers of Excellence. For the purposes of this announcement, “regional” or

“geographical region” means consisting of two or more states.

The EPA is soliciting applications from eligible applicants in two Project Areas, as described below. Under this competition, only one application can be submitted per applicant under a

Project Area. If an applicant submits an application under Project Area 1, they may then submit a separate application under Project Area 2. That is, an applicant cannot submit an application for

Project Area 2 without submitting an application for Project Area 1. Each application submitted under this announcement must address one, and only one, of the Project Areas described below.

The cover page of each application package must clearly indicate the Project Area addressed in the application. While the EPA intends to make awards in all Project Areas, the EPA reserves the right to make more than one award in a Project Area and/or make no awards in a Project Area.

Project Area 1: Establish and maintain a regional Center of Excellence.

The EPA is soliciting applications to establish regional Centers of Excellence that will: i) conduct research on new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies, including stormwater and sewer overflow reduction, other approaches to water resource enhancement, alternative funding approaches, and other environmental, economic, and social benefits; ii) provide technical assistance to state, Tribal, and local governments to assist with the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of stormwater control infrastructure projects that use innovative technologies; and iii) collaborate with regional institutions of higher education and private and public organizations, including community-based public-private partnerships and other stakeholders.

Under this Project Area, the Centers of Excellence will be required to meet (virtually is acceptable) on a quarterly basis to coordinate with the other Centers of Excellence to avoid duplication of efforts.

The following sub-sections define the programmatic priorities under Project Area 1 of this

RFA. All applications under Project Area 1 must address all sub-sections, i, ii, and iii. For each sub-section, the application must be relevant to the geographical region and climate

(i.e., historical, current, and anticipated climate events) where the Center of Excellence will be located. Additionally, for each sub-section, the application should describe the approach they will use to reach diverse communities, of varying sizes, including urban, suburban, and rural communities that are in the greatest need of research, technical assistance, and collaboration on new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies, other approaches to water resource enhancement, and alternative funding approaches (e.g., low-income, disproportionate environmental and public health impacts, or historically underserved populations, have permit violations, future permit limits, etc.).

i. Conduct research on new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies: This research may include stormwater and sewer overflow reduction, other approaches to water resource enhancement, alternative funding approaches, and/or other environmental, economic, and social benefits. For the purposes of this announcement, “research” may include original research, a literature review, systematic review, and/or a meta-analysis. The applicant should describe how their proposed research will achieve the goal of improving the effectiveness, cost efficiency, and protection of public safety and water quality.

Examples of research topics may include, but are not limited to:

• The use of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions to store, infiltrate, or evapotranspirate stormwater, either by building new or retrofitting existing controls, such as rain gardens, green roofs, pervious pavement, constructed wetlands, and others;

• Cost saving approaches to better construct, operate, and maintain stormwater control infrastructure technologies that are effective and protect water quality;

• Enhancements of traditional asset management approaches to include effectiveness metrics like estimates of pollutant load and water quantity reduction associated with stormwater infrastructure;

• Enhancements of grey and green infrastructure solutions to increase the climate resilience of communities and stormwater infrastructure to the impacts of climate change;

• Smart technologies, which includes digital technologies such as sensors, controls, communication networks, or existing or new physical infrastructure;

and

• Platforms to increase green infrastructure performance by integrating real-time weather forecasts, and system conditions to enable real-time decision making via monitoring, control and management.

ii. Provide technical assistance to state, Tribal, and local governments to assist with the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of stormwater control infrastructure projects that use innovative technologies: For the purposes of this announcement, the term “technical assistance” means a broad range of activities that supports and provides assistance to a community. These activities may include, but are not limited to answering phone calls, offering a webinar training, conducting a workshop at a regional or national meeting, addressing NPDES challenges, and providing access to information on stormwater funding. Applications should describe how the Center of Excellence will provide technical assistance that supports the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of stormwater control infrastructure projects to state, Tribal, local governments to implement stormwater control infrastructure projects that use innovative technologies. Technical assistance should also be provided to assist with the financial components of funding stormwater control infrastructure technologies and projects. Additionally, applications should also describe how the applicant will maintain a listing of communities’ stormwater control infrastructure and financial needs, as well as an analysis of new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies that are available.

Examples of technical assistance may include, but are not limited to:

• Finding ways to better manage stormwater under changing precipitation scenarios;

• Offering training to communities regarding research on emerging contaminants as well as technology effectiveness and cost to mitigate these contaminants related to stormwater control infrastructure projects.

• Developing a contact system for state, Tribal, and local governments to request technical assistance from the Center of Excellence.

• Diagnosing and trouble-shooting system operational and effectiveness-related problems.

• Providing information on state and federal stormwater requirements, permitting practices, and other long-term planning.

• Identifying funding sources options that will support the areas of design and construction of stormwater control infrastructure, including possible changes to better manage stormwater.

• Enhancing traditional asset management approaches.

iii. Collaborate with regional institutions of higher education and private and public organizations, including community-based public-private partnerships, and other stakeholders: The goal is to share findings, recommendations, and best practices with state, Tribal, and local governments, as well as institutions of higher education and private and public organizations, including community-based public-private partnerships and other stakeholders to strengthen regional stormwater approaches. The applicant should describe their proposed approaches to developing and implementing collaborative initiatives in the geographical region in which the Center of Excellence is located.

Examples of collaboration may include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting webinars on research and findings;

• Co-authorizing scientific publications and co-hosting workshops with other organizations;

• Collaborating with local community leaders and members (or community organizations) to identify areas of concern, gain their support and buy-in;

• Developing plain language factsheets, presentations, and other communication tools regarding the research conducted in an effort to collaborate with institutions of higher learning, state, Tribal, local government, municipalities, and other interested stakeholders;

• Developing graphics and other visualizations that may be used by others to convey information simplistically;

• Attending conferences, association meetings, and other events to conduct workshops, presentations, or any other form of engagement to share the research findings; and

• Promoting the national electronic clearinghouse to state, Tribal, local governments, and other interested stakeholders, such as other technical assistance providers.

• Promoting the work of the Centers with programs such as the state SRF programs, along with Tribes, territories, other federal agencies, local governments, and community groups, to meet the technical assistance needs of communities.

Project Area 2: Create and maintain a national electronic clearinghouse.

If an applicant submits an application under Project Area 1, they may then submit a separate application under Project Area 2. Under Project Area 2, the EPA is soliciting applications to create and maintain a national electronic clearinghouse. Applications should describe how they will develop, operate, and maintain a national electronic clearinghouse that contains information relating to new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies and posts information from the other Centers of Excellence. The national electronic clearinghouse should be populated with research, findings, technical assistance, recommendations, best practices, and outreach (e.g., trainings, webinars, fact sheets) from each Center of Excellence and promoted to other organizations to expand the availability of water technical assistance, including to disadvantaged and underserved communities.

The applicant’s plan should describe how they will work with the other Centers of Excellence to populate the clearinghouse and how it will promote the information among other technical assistance providers, government and other interested parties that can help engage the broader community, including harder-to-reach portions of the community. Additionally, the applicant selected to create and maintain the national electronic clearinghouse must meet with the EPA within the first quarter after the award is made to avoid duplication of efforts with the EPA’s existing clearinghouses. Applicants may want to review the EPA’s existing clearinghouses

(i.e., the Searchable Clearinghouse of Wastewater Technology and the Clearinghouse for

Environmental Finance) to minimize duplication of efforts as well as to ensure that the new national electronic clearinghouse is able to cross-coordinate with existing the EPA clearinghouses and to promote the Clearinghouse and its resources and tools among other technical assistance providers.

Finally, the applicant should describe the approach they will use to reach diverse communities, of varying sizes, including urban, suburban, and rural communities to promote and amplify the national electronic clearinghouse (e.g., low-income, disproportionate environmental and public health impacts, or historically underserved populations, have permit violations, future permit limits, etc.). The outreach should be provided in a culturally competent manner, cognizant of community sensitivities that support and build community trust and assist harder-to-reach portions of the community.

C. Project Partnerships

The EPA encourages collaboration and partnerships to better align stormwater management resources and accelerate the implementation of innovative stormwater infrastructure approaches. In their applications, applicants should identify those partnerships necessary to successfully conduct the project, including any regional partnerships. Under Project Area 1, applicants should identify appropriate and necessary partnerships to successfully conduct the project within the geographical region and climate (i.e., historical, current, and anticipated climate events) where the Center of Excellence will be located. Additionally, applicants should consider community sensitivities and partners who possess the capability to engage the broader community, including harder-to-reach portions of the community. Under Project

Area 2, applicants should identify appropriate and necessary partnerships to successfully develop, operate, maintain, and populate a national electronic clearinghouse.

Applicants should also include a clear description of the roles of specific partners, or planned partners, in the project’s components/tasks. If an applicant chooses not to partner, applications will be evaluated based on the applicant’s description of how it will successfully conduct the project and meet the objectives described in Section I.B without partners. If the applicant chooses to identify any partner entities who will receive subawards or procurement contracts

(including consultants), please pay careful attention to the information in the CONTRACTS

AND SUBAWARDS provision found at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses since the EPA will not consider their qualifications unless the applicant selects them in compliance with applicable regulations and provisions.

D. Transfer of Results

The application should include a description of the applicant’s proposed approach for active transfer of project results (as defined in Section I.B., Project Areas), methods, and/or effective strategies to stormwater managers, states, Tribes, and/or other interested stakeholders. Under

Project Area 1, this includes, but should not be limited to, plans for sharing all results and information from each Center of Excellence with the national electronic clearinghouse. Under https://ordspub.epa.gov/ords/wfc/f?p=259:1:10495469363562:::::

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Project Area 2, this includes their plan for collecting the results and information from each

Center of Excellence as well as promoting the national electronic clearinghouse. Reference

Section I.B. of this announcement for additional information. Examples of ways to transfer results may include, but are not limited to:

i. Sharing results through the national electronic clearinghouse;

ii. Sharing the results with stormwater professionals, other relevant stakeholders, and stakeholder organizations via various platforms like webinars, published articles, websites, meetings, and conferences;

iii. Promoting and amplifying the national electronic clearinghouse through published materials, websites, and conferences.

E. The EPA’s Strategic Plan Linkage and Anticipated Environmental Results

All applicants must demonstrate in their application how their project and proposed activities link to the EPA’s Strategic Plan Goal and Objectives identified below. The EPA requires applicants 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/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa- assistance-agreements).

This announcement is consistent with the EPA’s priority to provide for clean and safe water. The activities to be funded under this announcement support the EPA’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

(available at: https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan. Awards made under this announcement will support progress toward Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for all

Communities, Objective 5.2: Protect and Restore Waterbodies and Watersheds.

All proposed projects must address the Strategic Plan Goal 5, Objective 5.2: Protect and

Restore Waterbodies and Watersheds, and include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the overall protection of human health and the environment by ensuring safe drinking water and preventing water pollution.

Outputs and outcomes are defined as follows:

Outputs: Environmental outputs (or deliverables) refer to an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal or objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during the project period.

Examples of anticipated outputs from the cooperative agreements expected to be awarded under this announcement for Project Area 1, Establish and maintain a regional Center of

Excellence, may include, but are not limited to:

▪ An increased number of published documents that that reflect research findings on new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies and funding approaches;

▪ An increased number of identified cost saving measures for stormwater infrastructure design, operation, and maintenance;

▪ An increased number of operation and maintenance considerations to ensure resilience of stormwater infrastructure and ability to address http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan emerging contaminants;

▪ An increased number of classes (classroom or online) offered at community and technical colleges related to implementation (design, construction, and operation, and maintenance methods of innovative control infrastructure technologies and funding mechanisms;

▪ Development, distribution, and use of materials to raise awareness about innovative stormwater infrastructure control technologies as well as funding mechanisms;

▪ An increased number of disadvantaged communities with training and knowledge of available stormwater technology infrastructure funding and financing resources;

▪ Establishment of new regional partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions, utilities, or other organizations to address the stormwater infrastructure needs as well as financial mechanisms, which includes disadvantaged communities.

Examples of anticipated outputs from the cooperative agreement expected to be awarded under this announcement for Project Area 2, Create and maintain a national electronic clearinghouse, may include, but are not limited to:

▪ An increased number of materials relating to new and emerging, but proven, stormwater control infrastructure technologies available online to the public.

▪ A publicly available website that is easy to navigate for both stormwater professionals and the public.

▪ Awareness of the national electronic clearinghouse by stormwater professionals and community organizations, educational institutions, utilities, and other organizations.

Outcomes: Environmental outcomes are the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to the environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature. Outcomes should be quantitative and may not necessarily be achieved within the assistance agreement funding period. Outcomes may be short-term (changes in learning, knowledge, attitude, skills), intermediate (changes in behavior, practice, or decisions), or long-term (changes in condition of the natural resource).

Examples of potential outcomes from the cooperative agreements to be awarded under this announcement for Project Area 1, Establish and maintain a regional Center of Excellence, may include, but are not limited to:

▪ An increased number of stormwater professionals that have been trained to implement innovative stormwater control infrastructure technologies, finance such technologies, and apply asset management programs for stormwater infrastructure;

▪ An increased number of technical assistance providers receiving knowledge and tools developed by the Centers of Excellence;

▪ An increased number of stormwater professionals that utilize operation and maintenance considerations to ensure the resilience of stormwater infrastructure to withstand climate events and build community resilience to climate change impacts;

▪ Increased awareness about stormwater control infrastructure technologies, benefits of green infrastructure, Clean Water Act requirements, mitigating emerging contaminates related to stormwater, climate resilience solutions related to stormwater control technologies, and possible funding opportunities;

▪ Enhanced sustainable regional collaborations that support the long-term stormwater regional needs, taking into consideration disadvantage communities;

▪ An increased number of communities (especially small, rural, Tribal, underserved, and/or disadvantaged communities) that successfully understand and can access stormwater technology and financing opportunities for infrastructure projects;

▪ Greater community involvement by key stakeholder groups to increase buy-in on projects relevant to the local community.

Examples of anticipated outcomes from the cooperative agreements expected to be awarded under this announcement for Project Area 2, Create and maintain a national electronic clearinghouse, may include, but are not limited to:

▪ Increased public access to information relating to new and emerging, but proven, stormwater control infrastructure technologies.

▪ Visitors to the national electronic clearinghouse by stormwater professionals and community organizations, educational institutions, utilities, and other organizations from across the United States.

▪ Increased awareness about new and emerging, but proven, stormwater control infrastructure technologies.

As part of the Project Narrative, applicants will be required to describe how the project results will link the outcomes to the agency’s Strategic Plan and this grant program’s goal to establish

Centers of Excellence. In addition, applicants will have to describe their plan and approach for tracking and measuring their progress towards achieving expected outputs and outcomes.

Additional information regarding the EPA’s discussion of environmental results in terms of

“outputs” and “outcomes” can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements).

F. Minority Serving Institutions

The EPA recognizes that it is important to engage all available minds to address the environmental challenges the nation faces. At the same time, the EPA seeks to expand the environmental conversation by including members of communities which may have not previously participated in such dialogues to participate in the EPA programs. For this reason, the EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants identified in Section III, including minority serving institutions (MSIs), to apply under this opportunity.

For purposes of this solicitation, the following are considered MSIs:

1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20

U.S.C. § 1061(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Historically Black Colleges and

Universities.

2. Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C.

§ 1059c(b)(3) and (d)(1)). A list of these schools can be found at American Indian Tribally

Controlled Colleges and Universities.

3. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/

1101a(a)(5)). A list of these schools can be found at Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

4. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; (AANAPISIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059g(b)(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; and

5. Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act of 2008, 20

U.S.C. 1059e(b)(6). A list of these schools can be found at Predominately Black Institutions.

G. Statutory Authority

The statutory authority for the cooperative agreements expected to be made under this announcement is 33 U.S.C. 1302f. The U.S.C. 1302f authorizes the EPA to award grants to establish these Centers of Excellence.

H. Additional Provisions

Additional provisions that apply to sections III, IV, V, and VI of this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses. These provisions are important for applying to this solicitation and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please contact the EPA point of contact listed in this solicitation (usually in

Section VII) to obtain the provisions.

SECTION II – AWARD INFORMATION

A. Amount of Funding

The total estimated amount of federal funding available under this announcement is approximately $3,000,000, depending on agency funding levels, the quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. Under Project Area 1, the

EPA anticipates awarding three cooperative agreements, and no more than five cooperative agreements. The EPA expects each award to range from $588,000 to no more than $980,000 in federal funds. Applicants may not request more than $980,000 in federal funding per application. Applications requesting more than $980,000 in federal funds are not eligible and will not be reviewed. While the EPA expects to make three awards, there is no guarantee that this will be done, and the EPA may award fewer or more cooperative agreements based on the quality of applications received.

Under Project Area 2, the EPA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement. The EPA expects the award to range from a minimum of $30,000 to no more than $60,000. Applicants may not request more than $60,000 in federal funding per application. Applications requesting more than $60,000 are not eligible and will not be reviewed. While the EPA expects to make one award, there is no guarantee that this will be done, and the EPA may award no awards based on the quality of applications received.

It is anticipated that the cooperative agreements funded under this announcement will have up to two-year project periods, depending on the amount requested and the overall size and scope of the project(s).

The actual award amounts and number of projects awarded under each of the Project Areas https://sites.ed.gov/hispanic-initiative/hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis/ https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3&source=embed&ll=40.58644586187275%2C-148.28228249999984 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w-0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312534%2C-96.17229800000001&z=4 https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses described in Section I may differ from the estimated amounts for many reasons including the number of meritorious applications received, agency priorities, and funding availability. In addition, the EPA reserves the right to increase or decrease (including decreasing to zero) the total number and amount of awards under each Project Area or change the ratio of assistance agreements it awards among the Project Areas.

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

The EPA reserves the right to make no awards under this announcement or to make fewer awards than anticipated. The EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this solicitation, consistent with agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than 6 months after the original selection decisions. Awards may be fully or incrementally funded, as appropriate, based on funding availability, satisfactory performance, and other applicable considerations.

B. Type of Funding

The EPA intends to award cooperative agreements under this solicitation. 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;

• approving 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.

Section III. Eligibility Information

Note: Additional provisions that apply to this section can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses.

A. Eligible Applicants

Consistent with Assistance Listing No. 66.490, eligible applicants under this competition are institutions of higher education, research institutions, and nonprofit organizations1 that have demonstrated excellence in researching and developing new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies and with the core mission of water management. Nonprofit organizations that are not exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue

Code must submit other forms of documentation of nonprofit status, such as certificates of incorporation as nonprofit under state or Tribal law.

Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue

Code that lobby are not eligible for EPA funding as provided in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. 1611. Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

No cost share or match is required under this announcement.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

These are requirements that, if not met by the time of application submission, will result in the elimination of the application from consideration for funding. Only applications that meet all 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. An applicant must meet the eligibility requirements in Section III.A, Eligible

Applicants, of this announcement at the time of application submission.

2. All applications must address Project Area 1 listed in Section I.B and must address all three sub-sections in Project Area 1. If an applicant submits an application for Project Area 2 but does not submit an application for Project Area 1, it will be rejected.

3. Under this competition, only one application can be submitted per Project Area. If an applicant submits more than one application per Project Area, the EPA will contact them before the review process begins to determine which application(s) will be withdrawn. If the applicant is not able to communicate a decision within 48 hours of being contacted, the EPA will accept the application received first by Grants.gov. Additional information regarding the one application per applicant requirement may be found in the FAQ document available at https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-centers-excellence-grant.

4. Applications for awards under Project Area 1 cannot request more than $980,000 in federal funds. Applications for Project Area 1 requesting more than $980,000 in federal funds will be rejected. Applications for awards under Project Area 2 cannot request more than $60,000 in federal funds. Applications for Project Area 2 requesting more than

1 Consistent with the definition of Nonprofit organization at 2 CFR § 200.1, the term nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization. The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. Note that 2 CFR 200.1 specifically excludes Institutions of Higher Education from the definition of non- profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation. While not considered to be a nonprofit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR 200.1, public or nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.

$60,000 in federal funds will be rejected. Additional information regarding funding levels is available in Section II.A, Amount of Funding.

5. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV, Application and Submission Information, of this announcement or they will be rejected. Where a page limit is expressed in Section

IV.D.2 with respect to the Project Narrative, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Section IV.D.2 establishes a 12-page, single-spaced Project Narrative page limit. 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.

6. In addition, initial applications 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).

Applications must be submitted on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this announcement to ensure that their application is properly timely submitted.

7. Applications 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 the EPA mishandling or due to technical problems associated with Grants.gov or relevant System for Award Management (SAM)

(https://www.sam.gov/SAM/) system issues. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in

SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered as an acceptable reason to consider a late submission. Applicants should confirm receipt of their application via e-mail with

Caroline Oswald at stormwatercenters@epa.gov within five business days after the submission deadline – failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

8. If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the application will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

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

Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If your organization has no access to the internet or access is very limited, you may request an exception for the remainder of this calendar year by following the procedures outlined here. Please note that your request must be received at least 15 calendar days before the application due date to allow enough time to negotiate alternative submission methods. Issues with submissions with respect to this opportunity only are addressed in Section C. Technical Issues with Submission below.

https://grants.gov/ https://grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/SAM/)system https://grants.gov/ https://grants.gov/ mailto:stormwatercenters@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement

B. Submission Instructions

1. SAM.gov (System for Award Management) Registration Instructions

Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must have an active

SAM.gov registration. If you have never done business with the Federal Government, you will need to register your organization in SAM.gov. If you do not have a

SAM.gov account, then you will create an account using login.gov to complete your

SAM.gov registration. SAM.gov registration is FREE. The process for entity registrations includes obtaining Unique Entity ID (UEI), a 12-character alphanumeric

ID assigned an entity by SAM.gov, and requires assertions, representations and certifications, and other information about your organization. Please review the Entity

Registration Checklist for details on this process.

If you have done business with the Federal Government previously, you can check your entity status using your government issued UEI to determine if your registration is active. SAM.gov requires you renew your registration every 365 days to keep it active.

Please note that SAM.gov registration is different than obtaining a UEI only.

Obtaining an UEI only validates your organization's legal business name and address. Please review the Frequently Asked Question on the difference for additional details.

Organizations should ensure that their SAM.gov registration includes a current e-

Business (EBiz) point of contact name and email address. The EBiz point of contact is critical for Grants.gov Registration and system functionality.

Contact the Federal Service Desk for help with your SAM.gov account, to resolve technical issues or chat with a help desk agent: (866) 606-8220. The Federal Service desk hours of operation are Monday - Friday 8am - 8pm ET.

2. Grants.gov Registration Instructions

Once your SAM.gov account is active, you must register in Grants.gov. Grants.gov will electronically receive your organization information, such as e-Business (EBiz) point of contact email address and UEI. Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must have an active Grants.gov registration. Grants.gov registration is

FREE. If you have never applied for a federal grant before, please review the

Grants.gov Applicant Registration instructions. As part of the Grants.gov registration process, the EBiz point of contact is the only person that can affiliate and assign applicant roles to members of an organization. In addition, at least one person must be assigned as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR).

Only person(s) with the AOR role can submit applications in Grants.gov. Please review the Intro to Grants.gov-Understanding User Roles and Learning Workspace

- User Roles and Workspace Actions for details on this important process.

Please note that this process can take a month or more for new registrants. Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this https://login.gov/ https://iae-prd-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/pdf/entity-checklist.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20231120T223231Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=86399&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAY3LPYEEX2QGT3A5E%2F20231120%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=17a3c519c07d91f010048ccc240290278a888fcf640324065b64c71e9574d49d https://iae-prd-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/pdf/entity-checklist.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20231120T223231Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=86399&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAY3LPYEEX2QGT3A5E%2F20231120%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=17a3c519c07d91f010048ccc240290278a888fcf640324065b64c71e9574d49d https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0051214&sys_kb_id=dd40f4ef1b9641d0937fa64ce54bcb7a&spa=1 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://grants.gov/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLxg5Tu3qHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsPRj4ILn7Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsPRj4ILn7Y opportunity through Grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the application submission deadline.

Contact Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov to resolve technical issues with Grants.gov. 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. The Grants.gov Support Center is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, excluding federal holidays.

3. Application Submission Process

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to Grants.gov and click the red “Apply” button at the top of the view grant opportunity page associated with this opportunity.

The electronic submission of your application to this funding opportunity must be made by an official representative of your organization who is registered with

Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal financial assistance. If the submit button is grayed out, it may be because you do not have the appropriate role to submit in your organization. Contact your organization’s EBiz point of contact or contact Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Applicants need to ensure that the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) who submits the application through Grants.gov and whose UEI is listed on the application is an AOR for the applicant listed on the application. Additionally, the

UEI listed on the application must be registered to the applicant organization's

SAM.gov account. If not, the application may be deemed ineligible.

4. Application Submission Deadline

Your organization's AOR must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than April 8, 2024, 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.

Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically. Please note that successful submission of your application through

Grants.gov does not necessarily mean your application is eligible for award. Any application submitted after the application deadline time and date deadline will be deemed ineligible and not be considered.

C. Technical Issues with Submission

If applicants experience technical issues during the submission of an application that they are unable to resolve, follow these procedures before the application deadline date:

1. Contact Grants.gov Support Center before the application deadline date.

2. Document the Grants.gov ticket/case number.

3. Send an email with the FON, EPA-OW-OWM-23-04, in the subject line to stormwatercenters@epa.gov before the application deadline time and date and must include the following:

https://grants.gov/ https://grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov%20to https://grants.gov/ https://grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov mailto:stormwatercenters@epa.gov

a. Grants.gov ticket/case number(s);

b. Description of the issue; and

c. The entire application package in PDF format.

Without this information, the EPA…