EPA-I-R1-SNEP-2023B.pdf

SOUTHEAST NEW ENGLAND PROGRAM

Request for Applications for

SNEP 2023 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Grants

Federal Agency Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Region 1

Funding Opportunity Title: Southeast New England Program (SNEP) 2023 Stormwater and

Natural Infrastructure Grant

Announcement Type: Request for Applications (RFA)

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-I-R1-SNEP-2023B

Assistance Listing Number: 66.129

Important Dates:

Information Session (Webinar) 06/01/2023 12:30-2:00pm EST

Deadline to Submit Questions via Email

Questions should be direct to

SECoastalNE@epa.gov

06/23/2023 11:59pm EST

Closing Date/Application Deadline

Application packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through grants.gov (see

Section IV for details)

06/30/2023 11:59pm EST

Anticipated Applicant Notifications Summer 2023

Anticipated Announcement of Awards Fall/Winter 2023 mailto:SECoastalNE@epa.gov

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 Contacts

VIII. Other Information

IX. Appendices

Section I: Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background for the Southeast New England Program

The objective of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) is to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters." Despite continuing progress in achieving these goals, coastal ecosystems are recognized as particularly vulnerable to upstream pollution sources, fragmented management, and the impacts of climate change. The coastal watersheds of southeast New England are prime examples of this vulnerability. The economy and community health of this region are directly tied to its unique ecological systems, but these systems are currently impaired by excessive nutrients from wastewater and stormwater, by the legacies of past industrial uses, by shifting socio-economic patterns, and other factors. Traditionally, these problems have been addressed independently, separated by jurisdictions, institutional identities, and sometimes parochial interests. It has become clear, however, that the scope and scale of these environmental stressors calls urgently for a more holistic approach to protecting aquatic ecosystems and sustaining local communities. Created by Congress to take this approach, Southeast New England Program’s (SNEP) and the Environmental Protection

Agency’s (EPA) role as a partnership facilitator among multiple organizations is central to its mission to empower collective action in these areas, and its focus on the region’s ecosystems offers an opportunity to address complex common issues while also working at the local scale to align restoration and management efforts more broadly to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency. SNEP’s priorities and goals have been laid out in the

Southeast New England Program 2021-2025 Strategic Plan.

B. Environmental Issues to be Addressed by this RFA

This RFA specifically seeks to fund climate resilient infrastructure that promotes nature-based solutions (NBS), habitat restoration and protection to restore ecosystem services degraded by poor stormwater and development practices, as well as planning related to these topics. Projects may involve both planning and/or implementation, but planning must have a commitment to an implementation outcome.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/documents/snep-2021-2025-strategic-plan.pdf

The SNEP Strategic Plan lays out the three broad goals of working towards (1) a resilient ecosystem of safe and healthy waters, (2) thriving watersheds and natural lands, and (3) sustainable communities. To achieve those goals, the Plan suggests five priority actions of (1) increasing local capacity, (2) increasing available restoration/protection solutions,

(3) ensuring diverse representation, (4) demonstrating ways to address common challenges, and (5) increasing local buy-in by working with community leaders. Grants funded through this RFA can be used to address any/all of the three goals using any/all of the five priority actions. Applicants must explain how their project fits within these elements of the SNEP’s Strategic Plan.

C. Goals of this Solicitation

EPA Region 1 is soliciting applications for up to six (6) projects to implement climate resilient infrastructure that promotes nature-based solutions (NBS), habitat restoration and protection to restore ecosystem services degraded by poor stormwater and development practices, as well as planning related to these topics (see Section I.B).

Grants can range from $400,000-$600,000 and may last up to five (5) years. Applicants will be evaluated as stated in Section V.

The total amount of funding anticipated for all grants under this RFA is $2,300,000.

Region 1 anticipates awarding funds equitably among the priorities and between

Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Broadly, the goal of this solicitation is to provide funding for projects that work towards achieving SNEP’s Strategic Plan goals of healthy waters, thriving habitats, and resilient communities. Ultimately, projects selected under this solicitation should in some way improve, or work towards improving, regional coastal and in-land waters, habitat, and/or community resilience to the impacts of climate change.

In addition, through this RFA SNEP will emphasize projects which:

• Take holistic and multi-disciplinary approaches;

• Take place in the SNEP region;

• Produce multiple benefits (environmental, social, economic, carbon-sequestration, ecosystem service improvements, etc.);

• Support or and/or leverage larger efforts, projects, or plans;

• Seek to plan or design for future, large-scale projects; and/or

• Implement projects consistent with SNEP’s Strategic Plan.

Applicants must address, within the above-mentioned broader goals, one or more of the following priority topics leading to environmental improvements in our region.

Priority Topics:

Stormwater Infrastructure and Roadway Runoff https://epa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=596401a1439e48a8a02ce9473b453c41

• Green infrastructure/stormwater improvement projects that specifically address water pollution and flooding while also promoting access to open space, green space, and/or habitat improvement.

• Development of joint municipal/tribal equipment/resource sharing program pertaining to Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE), stormwater monitoring, outfall mapping, stormwater control measure maintenance, and/or stormwater design.

• Green roadway planning, design, and stormwater mitigation. Emphasis on including these elements in broader infrastructure projects, especially those pertaining to the redevelopment of low-lying roads subject to flooding.

Salt Marsh

• Maintaining and restoring habitat connectivity of coastal waters and saltmarsh to support ecological function and future marsh migration.

• Supporting saltmarsh restoration, protection, and/or migration through holistic planning, applied research of new technologies or approaches, or implementation.

• Salt marsh land acquisition planning (the actual acquisition of land cannot be funded under this solicitation).

Riparian Areas, Floodplain, and Inland Wetlands

• Design and/or implementation of riparian or floodplain restoration adjacent to major rivers that discharge to coastal waters.

• Design and/or implementation of riparian, floodplain or wetland habitat restoration along estuaries and coastal rivers and ponds.

• Analysis of gaps in riparian buffer areas around major river corridors, estuaries and coastal waterbodies for potential acquisition or easement (the actual acquisition of land cannot be funded under this solicitation).

Habitat Connectivity and Aquatic Organism Passage

• Assessment, prioritization, and/or design of culvert enhancement or removal projects to reduce flooding, build climate resilience, and improve water quality, habitat connectivity and aquatic organism passage.

• Removal or replacement of culverts to reduce flooding, building climate resilience, and improve water quality, habitat connectivity and aquatic organism passage.

• Assessment, prioritization, and design for dam removal or aquatic passage (such as fish ladders). This can include the development of strategies to address and/or incentivize removal of small dams on private land with landowner permission.

• Parcel acquisition planning in support of dam removal or aquatic fish passage (the actual acquisition of land cannot be funded under this solicitation).

Urban Area Resilience and Habitat Restoration

• Habitat creation, restoration, and/or protection projects that provide multiple benefits to residents in urban areas (ex. access to natural lands, recreation, resilience to large storms).

• Urban stream and habitat protection bylaw, regulation, or policy development.

• Resilience to flooding and anticipated impacts of climate change on waters and habitat in urban areas.

• Land acquisition planning to support habitat or floodplain restoration and water quality improvement in urban areas (the actual acquisition of land cannot be funded under this solicitation).

Monitoring

• Monitoring of previously completed habitat restoration projects to evaluate impacts of the approach on habitat targets or ecosystem services.

Municipal and Tribal Planning

• Watershed or town wide comprehensive infrastructure planning and management for stormwater, habitat, water quality improvement, natural open space and/or climate resilience.

• Planning/guidance/template development for managed retreat of saltmarsh or development in areas threatened by storm hazards and sea level rise.

The priority topics support the development of built and natural infrastructure in the

SNEP region and are necessary to achieve SNEP’s goals and support landscape restoration. Proposals may address multiple topics listed above but must address at least one. EPA especially seeks projects that provide multiple benefits (ex. public access to habitat restoration sites, habitat restoration in protected floodplain areas, stormwater improvements that address flooding and improve water quality/restore habitat). Other topics beyond these priorities may be addressed as part of an application which addresses at least one of the priority topics, but the applicant should sufficiently justify how their inclusion will help to implement the SNEP Strategic Plan.

D. Proposal Details

Applicants should refer to Section IV.F when developing their proposal as well as the evaluation criteria listed in Section V.C.

E. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage

Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7 requires EPA to link proposed assistance agreements to the EPA Strategic Plan. EPA also requires grant applicants and recipients to adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements. See EPA Order 5700.7, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements

(www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf).

The activities to be funded under this solicitation must support the FY 2022-2026

Strategic Plan. Awards made under this solicitation will support Goal 5 “Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities,” Objective 5.2 – Protect and Restore Waterbodies and Watersheds; Goal 2 “Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and

Civil Rights,” Objective 2.2 – Embed Environmental Justice and Civil Rights into EPA’s

Programs, Policies, and Activities; and Goal 1 “Tackle the Climate Crisis,” Objective 1.2

– Accelerate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts of the Strategic Plan.

http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

F. Outputs, Outcomes, and Performance Metrics

For this RFA, the term “outcome” means the result, effect, or consequence that will be achieved by carrying out an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature, must be quantitative, and may not necessarily be achievable within a grant funding period. For this RFA “Desired Outcomes” describe the project metrics and conditions that the recipient aims to achieve for the SNEP region that are found in the SNEP Strategic Plan.

Efforts to achieve these outcomes will steer the actions necessary to meet specific targets.

These outcomes include SNEP’s three overarching goals:

• Prevent, reduce and eliminate pollution to waters to support native seagrasses and aquatic life, plentiful native fish and shellfish, and a variety of water-based recreation opportunities.

• Protect and restore watershed habitat so that they provide essential ecological functions, species diversity, and protection from both human-based and naturally occuring environmental stressors, and healthy, connected natural lands which support a variety and range of native plant and wildlife communities.

• Prevent, reduce and eliminate pollution to waters to encourage the development of communities that share robust water-based economies and strive to foster equity in health and economic outcomes, prevent, reduce and eliminate pollution to waters by protecting and providing access to natural lands, open spaces and parks, and prevent, reduce and eliminate pollution to air by encouraging local food sources, and adapting for resilience to expected impacts of climate change.

For this RFA, the term “output” means 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 over the term of the grant funding period. For this RFA, “Outputs” are detailed activities that SNEP, our recipients and their partners will undertake to meet quantitative targets, work towards accomplishing desired outcomes, and ultimately achieve the SNEP 2050 regional vision.

Applicants should consider the following questions when developing output and outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:

• What are the measurable short term and longer-term results the funded project will achieve?

• How will progress be measured in achieving the expected results (including outputs and outcomes) and how will their proposed approach use resources effectively and efficiently?

• Are there way to incorporate social and/or economic benefits as part of a broader environmental improvement effort?

For this RFA, the term “metrics” refers to specific, trackable measures specified by

SNEP (see Appendix B for a list of potential project metrics). Applicants must incorporate metrics reporting into their workplan and shall select SNEP metrics related to the outcomes/outputs of the proposed project. Please note, selected recipients shall work with EPA to determine final metrics for the recipient to track and report on through the life of the grant.

G. Statutory Authority

The SNEP program is authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public

Law 117-328). This authority allows EPA to award grants and cooperative agreements to carry out the SNEP, including planning, research, monitoring, outreach, and implementation projects within the SNEP geographic area.

Funding for this award will come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of

2021 (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL), Public Law 117-58.

H. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into this Solicitation

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 to obtain the provision.

Section II: Award Information A. Funding Amount and Expected Number of Awards

EPA expects to award up to six (6) cooperative agreements for activities under this RFA.

The total estimated funding available for the awards under this competitive opportunity is up to $2,300,000, with individual awards between $400,000 and $600,000.

Region 1 anticipates awarding funds equitably among the priorities and between

Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

All funding decisions are subject to funding availability, quality of applications, and other applicable considerations.

B. Partial Funding Provision

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

C. No Awards Provision

EPA reserves the right to reject all proposals and make no award under this announcement.

D. Additional Awards https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-06/external-clauses-2022-06-06.pdf

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.

E. Award Type

EPA intends to award up to six (6) 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

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.

• Review of proposed procurements in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.317 and 2

C.F.R. § 200.318.

• Approving qualifications of key personnel (EPA will not select employees or contractors employed by the award applicant).

• Review and comment on reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (the final decision on the content of the report rests with the applicant).

EPA personnel do not have the authority to select employees or contractors employed by the successful applicant or to direct, recommend or direct that the pass-through entity make a subaward to a particular organization. EPA personnel may, if requested by the successful applicant, participate in selection panels to the extent permitted by section

10(b) of the EPA Subaward Policy. EPA staff may also approve the substantive terms of subawards to ensure compliance with legal or policy requirements.

F. Expected Project Period

For this RFA, it is EPA’s expectation that the award will have a maximum period of performance of up to five years (October 2023 – September 2028). No commitment of funding will be made beyond the first year. The expected start date for the award resulting from this RFA is 10/01/2023.

G. Funding Timeline

EPA intends to fund awards made under this RFA using SNEP Bipartisan Infrastructure

Law funds allocated from both FY23 and FY24 (50% of total award amount will come from each year’s allocation). While FY23 funds are already available for use, FY24 funds are not yet available. The timeline for FY24 funding availability is unknown at this time but will likely become available by January 2024.

While EPA expects it to be a rare case, applicants shall indicate in their application if they believe they will need more than 50% of requested funding to be available before

January 2024. EPA can make no guarantee of funding availability but will attempt to make as much funding available as possible.

Section III: Eligibility Information Note: Additional provisions that apply to this section can be found at EPA Solicitation

Clauses.

A. Eligible Applicants

In accordance with Assistance Listing 66.129, assistance under this SNEP RFA is available to state, local, and tribal governments; institutions of higher education;

nonprofit institutions and organizations; and interstate agencies. Private businesses, federal agencies, and individuals are not eligible to apply; however, they may work in partnership with eligible applicants on these projects.

For-profit organizations are not an eligible entity for this funding opportunity.

Additionally, non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal

Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying

Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply.

Consistent with the definition of nonprofit organization at 2 C.F.R. § 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 C.F.R.

§ 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 C.F.R. § 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.

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.

B. Cost Share/Match Requirements

No matching funds are required under this competition. Although cost sharing/matching is not required as a condition of eligibility under this competition, under Section V of this announcement, EPA will evaluate proposals based on a leveraging criterion.

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

Leveraging is generally when an applicant proposes to provide its own additional funds/resources or those from third party sources to support or complement the project they are awarded under the competition which are above and beyond the EPA grant funds awarded. Any leveraged funds/resources, and their source, must be identified in the proposal (See Section IV of the announcement). Leveraged funds and resources may take various forms as noted below.

Voluntary cost share is a form of leveraging. Voluntary cost sharing is when an applicant voluntarily proposes to legally commit to provide costs or contributions to support the project when a cost share is not required. Applicants who propose to use a voluntary cost share must include the costs or contributions for the voluntary cost share in the project budget on the SF-424. If an applicant proposes a voluntary cost share, the following apply:

• A voluntary cost share is subject to the match provisions in the grant regulations (2 C.F.R. § 200.306).

• A voluntary cost share may only be met with eligible and allowable costs.

• The recipient may not use other sources of federal funds to meet a voluntary cost share unless the statute authorizing the other federal funding provides that the federal funds may be used to meet a cost share requirement on a federal grant.

• The recipient is legally obligated to meet any proposed voluntary cost share that is included in the approved project budget. If the proposed voluntary cost share does not materialize during grant performance, then

EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

Other leveraged funding/resources that are not identified as a voluntary cost share. This form of leveraging may be met by funding from another federal grant, from an applicant's own resources, or resources from other third-party sources. This form of leveraging should not be included in the budget and the costs need not be eligible and allowable project costs under the EPA assistance agreement. While this form of leveraging should not be included in the budget, the grant workplan should include a statement indicating that the applicant is expected to produce the proposed leveraging consistent with the terms of the announcement and the applicant's proposal. If applicants propose to provide this form of leveraging, EPA expects them to make the effort to secure the leveraged resources described in their proposals. If the proposed leveraging does not materialize during grant performance, then EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by 2 C.F.R.

Parts 200 and/or 1500.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

Only proposals from eligible entities (see Section III.A above) that meet the following threshold eligibility criteria will be evaluated. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendars days of the ineligibility determination.

a. Applicant activities and subaward projects funded under this RFA must be eligible for funding under the Assistance Listing 66.129, Geographic

Programs – Southeast New England Coastal Watershed Restoration Program and carried out within SNEP geographic region (see map in Appendix A).

b. Applications must address at least one of the priority topics listed in Section

I.C.

c. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this solicitation or else they will be rejected. However, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV 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.

d. In addition, initial applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this solicitation (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in

Section IV) on or before the application submission deadline published in

Section IV of this solicitation. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this solicitation to ensure that their application is timely submitted. Please note that applicants experiencing technical issues with submitting through Grants.gov should follow the instructions provided in Section IV, which include both the requirement to contact Grants.gov and email a full application to EPA prior to the deadline.

e. Applications submitted outside of Grants.gov will be deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was due to EPA mishandling or technical problems associated with

Grants.gov or SAM.gov. 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 an acceptable reason to consider a submission outside of Grants.gov.

Section IV: Application and Submission Information

A. Coalition Coverage

Groups of two or more eligible applicants may choose to form a coalition and submit a single application under this RFA; however, one entity must be responsible for the grant.

https://sam.gov/fal/0c227372e97b4bcc8042d8b16a812bbb/view https://sam.gov/fal/0c227372e97b4bcc8042d8b16a812bbb/view https://epa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=596401a1439e48a8a02ce9473b453c41

Coalitions must identify which eligible organization will be the recipient of the grant and which eligible organization(s) will be subrecipients of the recipient (the “pass-through entity”). Subawards must be consistent with the definition of that term in 2 C.F.R. §

200.1 and comply with EPA’s Subaward Policy. The pass-through entity that administers the grant and subawards will be accountable to EPA for proper expenditure of the funds and reporting and will be the point of contact for the coalition. As provided in 2 C.F.R. §

200.332, subrecipients are accountable to the pass-through entity for proper use of EPA funding. For-profit organizations are not eligible for subawards under this grant program but may receive procurement contracts. Any contracts for services or products funded with EPA financial assistance must be awarded under the competitive procurement procedures of 2 C.F.R. Part 200 and/or 2 C.F.R. Part 1500, as applicable. The regulations at 2 C.F.R. 1500.10 contain limitations on the extent to which EPA funds may be used to compensate individual consultants. Refer to the Best Practice Guide for Procuring

Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements for guidance on competitive procurement requirements and consultant compensation. Do not name a procurement contractor (including a consultant) as a “partner” or otherwise in your application unless the contractor has been selected in compliance with competitive procurement requirements.

B. 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 IV.

E, Technical Issues with Submission, below.

C. Funding Timeline

While EPA expects it to be a rare case, applicants shall indicate in their application if they believe they will need more than 50% of requested funding to be available before January 2024. EPA can make no guarantee of funding availability but will attempt to make as much funding available as possible.

D. 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 (1) to complete your https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement https://login.gov/ https://intranet.epa.gov/ogd/competition/compet/grants_gov_instructions_open_or_simplified_on_after_june_2022.htm#1

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 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 https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=51a2fa061b0bcd500ca4a97ae54bcb18 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLxg5Tu3qHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsPRj4ILn7Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsPRj4ILn7Y https://gditshared.servicenowservices.com/hhs_grants mailto:support@grants.gov

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 06/30/2023 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.

E. 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:

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

• Document the Grants.gov ticket/case number.

• Send an email with EPA-I-R1-SNEP-2023A in the subject line to SECoastalNE@epa.gov before the application deadline time and date and must include the following:

▪ Grant.gov ticket/case number(s)

▪ Description of the issue

▪ The entire application package in PDF format https://www.grants.gov/ https://gditshared.servicenowservices.com/hhs_grants mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/

Without this information, EPA may not be able to consider applications submitted outside of Grants.gov. Any application submitted after the application time and date deadline will be deemed ineligible and not be considered.

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

EPA will make decisions concerning acceptance of each application submitted outside of Grants.gov on a case-by-case basis. EPA will only consider accepting applications that were unable to submit through Grants.gov due to Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues or for unforeseen exigent circumstances, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access. Failure of an applicant to submit prior to the application submission deadline date because they did not properly or timely register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov is not an acceptable reason to justify acceptance of an application outside of Grants.gov.

F. Application Materials

The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

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. Budget Detail (Budget Narrative Attachment Form)

6. Project Narrative Attachment Form: Use this to submit your Project Narrative, prepared as described in Section IV.F

7. Supporting Documents (Other Attachments Form)

a) Resumes or curriculum vitae of staff that will be working on the grant

b) Letters of commitment from any partners identified in the proposal in order to confirm their partnership.

c) List documenting past or ongoing federal and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements administer by the applicant, including documentation supporting grant performance and meeting of reporting requirements.

d) Documents of non-profit status if appropriate.

e) Verification of proposed sources of leveraged funding.

G. Format for Proposal Narratives

Proposal narratives must be no longer than 12 numbered pages (“Pages” refers to one side of a single-spaced, typed page, i.e., a double-sided page equals two pages)

8.5x11 inches, single spaced, font size no smaller than 10pt) and must address the evaluation criteria in Section V.B. The narrative should include a cover page with applicant contact information and the proposal’s title. The 12 pages do not include https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ the cover page, Supporting Documents listed above, the budget detail/narrative, the

SF-424, SF-424A, Key Contacts Form, or EPA Form 4700-4.

Applicants should fully address the criteria listed in Section V.B.

Applicants may find addressing the questions posed below useful in developing their proposal. While not required, it is recommended that applicants follow a similar structure to the headings below and consider answering the questions below in some manner in their proposal.

Problem Description/Site Selection

• Describe current conditions in the proposed project area and how they would benefit from the project activities.

▪ Where is the proposed project to be located?

▪ What are the current conditions and/or issues in the project location

(environmental, social, etc. as related to the proposal) the proposal seeks to address? What support evidence is there?

• Describe and justify the project’s areal extent.

▪ Why has the project area been chosen?

▪ How is the proposed project area/scope manageable given budget and time constraints of this grant?

Project Description/Project Impact

• Describe the proposed project.

▪ What is to be accomplished through this project?

• What are the ultimate goals of the project and how are they consistent with the goals of this RFA?

• What steps will be taken to accomplish those goals?

• What is the timeline to accomplish those steps?

• Describe how the project will help implement the SNEP Strategic Plan.

• Describe how the proposed project will contribute to improved water quality, habitat and/or resilience to expected impacts from climate change.

▪ How will this project help improve water quality, habitat, climate resilience, and/or the conditions/issues in the project area?

▪ What benefits will this project bring to people and/or the environment?

• Describe the benefits the proposed project may have for communities with environmental justice concerns.

▪ Will this project benefit communities with environmental justice concerns? See Section IV.H for information on SNEP’s definition of communities with environmental justice concerns.

Priority Topics

• List priority topics the proposed project focuses on and describe how actions fit within those priority topics.

▪ Which priority topic(s) (Section I.B) does the project address?

▪ How does the project contribute to working on the addressed topic(s)?

▪ If non-priority topics are proposed, what are they and how do they enhance the water quality, habitat, or resilience of the project area/region?

Leveraged Funds/Partnerships

• Describe how the project parters (if any) will partake in collaboration on the project.

▪ What additional resources, funding, and/or partnerships will the applicant bring to the project?

▪ What role, specifically, will partners play during the project?

▪ Will project partners contribute to, or just benefit from, the project?

• Describe funding leveraged by the project (if any).

▪ How much leveraged funding will be used on the project? Who is contributing? What is the type of contribution (e.g., in-kind service, cash, equipment, etc.)?

▪ What vested interest do project partners have in the outcome of the project?

Programmatic Capabilities 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:

(i) whether, and how, you were able to successfully complete and manage those agreements;

(ii) your history of meeting the reporting requirements under those agreements including whether you adequately and timely reported on your progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes of those agreements (and if not, explain why not) and whether you submitted acceptable final technical reports under the agreements; and

(iii) your organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project, and your staff expertise/qualifications, 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 V, 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.

Cost Effectiveness

• Describe how the proposed project is cost effective

▪ How much requested funding will go towards project activities versus overhead?

▪ How is the proposed project cost effective for the funds requested?

▪ Why are the proposed costs justified based on the project proposed?

▪ What additional funding resources will the applicant bring to the project?

Monitoring/Tracking of Results

• Describe plans to monitor and track the outcomes, outputs, and metrics related to the proposed project.

▪ What are the proposed outputs, outcomes, metrics and deliverables from the proposed project? Please see Section I.F for further information, especially for potential metrics which shall be selected from a list provided by SNEP.

▪ Which SNEP metrics will the applicant use to describe their project results? How do those metrics relate to the project and SNEP’s goals?

▪ How will the applicant monitor/track the outputs, outcomes, metrics, and deliverables from the proposed project?

▪ Why are the proposed outputs, outcomes, and metrics adequate to comprehensively monitor/track the project’s success?

Transferability of Results

• Describe how the results of the proposed project could benefit other towns/regions/areas

▪ When/how will the results of this project be relevant to other SNEP communities (or elsewhere)?

▪ How common is the problem to be addressed by this project?

• Describe plans to gather and develop information to support dissemination of project results.

▪ How will the applicant gather and disseminate project information to other interested communities?

Timely Expenditure of Funds

• Describe your approach to using project funds in a timely manner during the life of the award.

▪ How will the applicant ensure funds will be used on eligible activities in a timely manner (i.e., before the end of the grant period)?

▪ What corrective procedures will the applicant follow should any problems arise?

Section V: Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Process

After EPA reviews applications for threshold eligibility as described in Section III, eligible applications will be reviewed by a team of EPA, State, and/or Non-Governmental

Organization professionals with a working knowledge of the technical and programmatic aspects needed to rigorously evaluate applications. EPA will not consider the qualifications, experiences, and expertise of named subrecipients and/or named contractor(s) during the application evaluation process.

B. Evaluation Criteria

Eligible applications will be evaluated and scored by reviewers using the criteria listed below. Each application may receive up to 100 points. Applications should fully address these criteria.

Criterion Description of Evaluation Criteria Point

Value

Problem

Description/Site

Selection

Under this criterion, the reviewers will evaluate the application based on the extent and quality to which the applicant:

• Demonstrates that the current conditions in the proposed project area would benefit from proposed project activities. Demonstrates that the problem(s) to be addressed in their proposal impacts water quality, habitat, or resilience.

• Justifies their proposed project area.

Project Description/

Project Impact

Under this criterion, the reviewers will evaluate the application based on the extent and quality to which the applicant:

• Clearly and concisely describes their proposed project and demonstrates its effectiveness in addressing the problem.

• Demonstrates how their proposed project will contribute to improved water quality, habitat, and/or resilience to expected impacts of climate change.

• Demonstrates that their project will implement

EPA’s SNEP Strategic Plan.

Leveraged

Funds/Partnerships

Under this criterion, the reviewers will evaluate the application based on the extent and quality to which the applicant:

(i) coordinates the use of EPA funding with other

Federal and/or non-Federal sources of funds/resources to leverage additional resources beyond the grant funds awarded to carry out the proposed project(s) and/or

(ii) will use EPA funding to complement activities relevant to the proposed project(s) carried out by the applicant with other sources of funds or resources. Applicants will also be evaluated based on the type and amount of leveraging proposed, how the applicant will obtain the leveraged resources, the likelihood the leveraging will materialize during grant performance, the strength of the leveraging commitment, and the role the leveraged resources will play to support the proposed project activities.

Programmatic

Capabilities

Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their ability to successfully complete and manage…