EPA-I-R4-GAD-2025-FARMER-OMB-Cleared (Clean).pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Applications Due: Friday, June 19, 2026

Gulf of America Division

Farmer-to-Farmer 2025

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-I-R4-GAD-2025-FARMER i

Contents

1. Basic Information

A. Executive Summary

B. Key Information:

C. Key Dates:

D. Funding Details:

E. Agency Contact Information:

F. Other Funding Considerations

2. Eligibility

A. Eligible Applicants

(1) Other Eligibility Requirements

(2) Ineligible activities

B. Cost Sharing

3. Program Description

A. Purpose, Priorities, and Activities

(1) Purpose and Priorities of the Funding Opportunity

(2) Activities of the Funding Opportunity

(3) Environmental Results

B. Program Goals and Objectives C. Statutory Authority D. Funding Type E. Requirements for Increasing Access to Results of EPA-Funded Extramural Scientific Research

4. Application Contents and Format

A. Application Forms B. Project Narrative Description C. Applicants Using Contractors D. Other Program Specific Application Information

(1) Quality Assurance

(2) Water Quality Exchange

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

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

6. Application Review Information

A. Responsiveness Review B. Review Criteria C. Review and Selection Process ii

D. Risk Review

7. Award Notices

8. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

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

9. Other Information

A. Additional Provisions for Applicants

(1) Example of Demonstration Projects

(2) Eligible Hydrologic Unit Codes

1. Basic Information U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Gulf of America Division

Farmer-to-Farmer 2025 https://www.epa.gov/gulfofamerica

A. Executive Summary The Gulf of America Division (“GAD”), located in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Region 4, is part of the EPA Great Water Body program that collaborates to protect, maintain, and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of America consistent with the economic well-being of the region. EPA’s actions are designed to support improved water quality; to enhance, restore and/or protect natural habitats; and to improve the region’s ability to withstand storm events. This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications to improve water quality and/or habitat through collaboration with America’s farmers. Applications must align with the Administration’s "Powering the Great American Comeback" initiative and align with EPA statutory authorities. Activities must take place in the Gulf of America watershed and/or within the United States contiguous zone in the Gulf of America. This opportunity is targeted to organizations described in Section 2.A. that are committed to supporting American farmers and preventing, reducing, or eliminating nutrient pollution while remaining good stewards of tax dollars.

C. Key Dates:

June 5, 2026 Last day GAD will respond to questions submitted to GAD-

NOFO@epa.gov. A recorded presentation to aid in application development and a Q&A and common errors document will be posted at https://www.epa.gov/gulfofamerica/. Questions not included in the Q&A or presentation, may be submitted to GAD- NOFO@epa.gov. The Q&A will be updated weekly if new questions are received. EPA cannot guarantee a response to questions received after this date.

June 19, 2026 11:59 pm ET Application Submission Deadline

September 2026 Anticipated Notification of Selection

December 2026 Anticipated Award Notification

B. Key Information:

Opportunity Number:

EPA-I-R4-GAD-2025-FARMER

Assistance Listing:

66.475

Announcement Type:

Initial

Funding Available:

$50,000,000

Number of Awards:

Approximately 20-30 https://www.epa.gov/gulfofamerica https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-lee-zeldin-announces-epas-powering-great-american-comeback https://www.epa.gov/gulfofamerica/

D. Funding Details:

It is anticipated that up to approximately 30 awards will be made under this announcement. The amount of funding is expected to be between $1,500,000 and $2,500,000 per award, depending on Agency funding levels, the quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. Awards funded under this opportunity are expected to have a 5-year project period.

E. Agency Contact Information:

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

Technical Contact: Matt Beiser; GAD-NOFO@epa.gov

Eligibility Contact: Matt Beiser; GAD-NOFO@epa.gov

Electronic Submissions Contact: Matt Beiser; GAD-NOFO@epa.gov

F. Other Funding Considerations It is anticipated that 5-8 awards may be made for each focus area: Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship, Demonstrating Regenerative Farming Benefits through Monitoring, Innovative Technologies for Regenerative Farming, or Habitat Improvement for Nutrient and Soil Management. On the summary information page, the applicant must declare the primary focus area the project should be evaluated under and indicate any secondary focus areas. The actual award amounts and number of projects awarded may differ from the estimated amounts for many reasons, including: the number of meritorious applications received, agency priorities, and funding availability. Additionally, EPA reserves the right to increase or decrease (including decreasing to zero) the total number of awards and/or the number of awards under each priority or change the ratio of assistance agreements it awards among the focus areas.

2. Eligibility A. Eligible Applicants Only these types of organizations may apply:

• Indian Tribe.

• State & Local Governments.

• Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs).

• Nonprofit organizations (except as described below).

These types of organizations are NOT eligible to apply:

• International organizations.

• 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.

• For-profit organizations.

• Federal agencies.

• Individuals.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Indian%20Tribe) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(State) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Local%20government) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Institution%20of%20Higher%20Education%20(IHE)) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Nonprofit%20organization) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(For-profit%20organization) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Federal%20agency)

(1) Other Eligibility Requirements

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

1. Location: Applications must include activities taking place o Within the Gulf of America watershed

AND/OR

o Within the United States contiguous zone in the Gulf of America.

The application will be rejected if activities are proposed outside of the eligible area (see map in Figure 1 and table in Section 9).

2. Content: Applications must substantially comply with the requirements in Sections 3.A(1), 3.A(2), and 4.A. of this announcement or risk being ruled ineligible.

3. Project Focus Area: Applications must identify the primary focus area (i.e., Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship, Demonstrating Regenerative Farming Benefits through Monitoring, Innovative Technologies for regenerative Farming, or Habitat Improvement for Nutrient and Soil Management) that the project should be evaluated under on the summary information page, according to Section 1.F.

4. Environmental Results: Applications must include anticipated environmental results (Outputs and Outcomes) as required in Section 3.A(3).

5. Funding: Funding requested must be between $1,500,000 and $2,500,000.

6. Budget: Applications must include detailed budget information in addition to the mandatory

SF-424A form (see Section 4.A). A detailed budget narrative is mandatory and must be included in the 12-page project narrative. Use of the GAD budget table is highly recommended and is not counted against the page limit. The budget information in the application must include all proposed budget subcategories and how requested funds support each of the tasks proposed in the workplan. There must be sufficient detail for EPA to determine the amount of funds going to each individual task.

7. Submission Deadline: Initial applications must be submitted on or before the application deadline through Grants.gov or through limited circumstances as expressed in Section 5. The EPA will not evaluate applications that are not submitted on time.

8. Duplication: For applications submitted more than once, the applicant will be contacted to determine which application should be evaluated. The remaining application(s) will be deemed ineligible.

Please see Section 6 for additional threshold criteria.

Figure 1: Eligible Area, see https://www.epa.gov/gulfofamerica/ for an interactive map.

https://www.epa.gov/gulfofamerica/

(2) Ineligible activities

If an application is submitted where any portion includes any ineligible 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. The following are ineligible activities:

• Projects that do not comply with Clean Water Act Section 104(b)(3), which authorizes the award of assistance agreements to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of pollution.

• Actions required to settle a formal enforcement action or included in a court order; or specified as a required mitigation measure under a state, local, or federal permit for a specific project; however, grant funding may be used to enhance or expand such projects beyond minimum requirements for compliance.

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

• Projects which fall under the existing planning responsibilities of an individual state or local government (e.g., development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) or Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permits (MS4 permits)).

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

• Projects whose sole purpose is to improve Federal lands. Any improvements to Federal land must be incidental to the overall purpose of the project and review by EPA legal personnel is required before the activity on Federal land commences.

Construction activities that are not a part of a demonstration project. This includes, but is not limited to: preliminary planning to determine the economic and engineering feasibility of a facility; engineering, architectural, legal, fiscal, and economic investigations and studies, surveys, designs, plans, working drawings, specifications, procedures, and other actions necessary to the construction of a facility; the erection, acquisition, alteration, remodeling, improvement, or extension of a facility; and the inspection and supervision of the construction of a facility.

B. Cost Sharing Cost sharing is not a requirement to be eligible to apply to this funding opportunity. Please note only Federal funds should be listed on the SF-424, SF-424A, and Budget Detail.

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

(1) Purpose and Priorities of the Funding Opportunity

The Gulf of America Division (GAD) is one of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Great Water Body programs, founded to facilitate collaborative actions that protect, maintain, and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of America in ways consistent with the economic well-being of the region. GAD’s top priorities are to improve water quality; to enhance, restore and/or protect habitats;

and to improve the region’s ability to withstand storm events. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to generate applications that align with the Administration’s “Powering the Great American Comeback” initiative, support GAD’s priorities to improve water quality and habitat, and advance nutrient reduction actions consistent with state Nutrient Reduction Strategies and/or Nonpoint Source Management Program plans. Proposals should also align with GAD’s statutory authority (see Section 3.C) for demonstration projects that prevent, reduce, or eliminate nutrient pollution. This funding opportunity aligns with GAD’s objective to remain good stewards of tax-payer dollars while advancing this mission.

Eutrophication caused by excess nutrients is a continuing and growing challenge in water bodies with profound implications for public health, water quality, and the economy. Waterways across much of North America transport large quantities of excess nutrients to the Gulf of America and contribute to the development of hypoxic conditions, or low dissolved oxygen. Large hypoxic areas, often called “dead zones,” can result in fish kills, a general decrease in aquatic life, and challenges for commercial and recreational fishermen. Regenerative farming practices are needed across the watershed to reduce the nutrient concentrations entering the Gulf of America.

Farmers are often the first line of defense in reducing nonpoint source pollution of nutrients across America’s working lands. They have developed innovative practices and leadership models to share their knowledge with others. By funding new or experimental techniques and emphasizing data collection and farmer engagement, the Farmer-to-Farmer program can help producers test and scale regenerative practices. Additionally, regenerative agriculture practices can play a key role in improving water quality and habitat. As defined in USDA’s NRCS Regenerative Pilot Program, regenerative agriculture is a conservation management approach that emphasizes natural resources through improved soil health, water management, and natural vitality for the productivity and prosperity of American agriculture and communities. This approach closely aligns with Make America Healthy Again Strategy, which states EPA will promote and incentivize farming solutions that focus on soil health and stewardship of the land. This includes, but is not limited to, prioritizing practices that farmers want and trust, such as: Prescribed Grazing, Soil Health Systems, Improved Pollinator Management, and Water Management to keep working lands profitable and productive. This approach also aligns with the Make America Beautiful Again Strategy, by promoting responsible stewardship of natural resources while driving economic growth, and encouraging responsible, voluntary conservation efforts. The innovative management of working lands through regenerative agriculture offers a unique opportunity to restore land health, improve long-term productivity, and ensure American grown production for the future.

Every state implements a Nonpoint Source Management Program under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act that prioritizes and emphasizes actions needed to improve water quality from nonpoint sources at the watershed scale. Additionally, 30 states (including 25 states eligible for this opportunity) are https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/eutrophication.html https://www.epa.gov/nps/contacts-nonpoint-source-nps-pollution-programs implementing a Nutrient Reduction Strategy, which is a comprehensive framework aimed at identifying significant contributions of nutrient pollution and actions to minimize and reduce nutrient runoff.

Proposals should demonstrate consistency with activities laid out in these management strategies to effectively address nutrient pollution. This includes, but is not limited to, prioritizing actions that advance state priorities described in Plans/Strategies, such as: enhancing edge-of-field water quality monitoring, evaluating the effectiveness of new technologies or conservation practices novel to a watershed, increasing stakeholder engagement via partner-led trainings, supporting farmer-led demonstrations, and employing new outreach approaches to increase participation of absentee landowners.

For this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), EPA is defining “farmer” as those individuals that make management decisions concerning agriculture lands, including cropland, forestland, and grazing lands.

Collaboration and/or coalitions between organizations are encouraged, including collaboration that increases knowledge transfer.

For this NOFO, “demonstration project" means a project that must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches, where the results of the project will be disseminated so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained in the demonstration project. The applicant must clearly explain in the application how the technologies, methods, or approaches used are new or experimental, and how the project otherwise meets the requirements of a demonstration, as described in this NOFO. If a project uses technologies, methods or approaches that have been used previously in other geographic areas and/or other situations, then the proposal must include an explanation of how the demonstration project is different from those prior projects. The applicant must also explain what will be learned from the demonstration project.

For more information, please see: https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/epas-ongoing-efforts-reduce-nutrient-pollution.

(2) Activities of the Funding Opportunity

This funding opportunity seeks applications that propose a water quality and/or habitat improvement project designed for one of the four focus areas listed below and located within the Gulf of America watershed that will advance state-identified nutrient reduction priorities. Activities proposed in the Gulf of America must be limited to the United States contiguous zone (see Figure 1 and Section 9). The list below includes a brief summary statement of the four focus areas. A more detailed description of what is required for each focus area is provided later in this section.

1. Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship: Projects must focus on Farmer-to-Farmer mentoring (knowledge transfer) and incentives that help farmers adopt regenerative farming practices over 3-5 years.

2. Demonstrating Regenerative Farming Benefits through Monitoring: Assess the effects of new or existing regenerative farming practices and/or the adoption of innovative technology on nutrient reduction/erosion to watersheds.

3. Innovative Technologies for Regenerative Farming: Develop, improve, and/or demonstrate farming practices and/or innovative technologies that improve water quality by reducing nutrient and/or erosion.

4. Habitat Improvement for Nutrient and Soil Management: Work collaboratively with farmers to protect habitat through habitat creation, restoration, and/or enhancement.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c422750387e34151baa16d27aa41e79c https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/epas-ongoing-efforts-reduce-nutrient-pollution https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/epas-ongoing-efforts-reduce-nutrient-pollution

Along with selecting a focus area, all applicants are encouraged to incorporate the development, utilization, or expansion of innovative technologies in at least one of the following areas:

• Demonstrate how artificial intelligence (AI) and/or machine learning (ML) can be utilized to enhance water quality or habitat monitoring, management, or restoration efforts throughout the Gulf of America watershed.

• Develop new or expand the capability of existing innovative technology (including precision agriculture technologies like robotics, yield monitoring and mapping, in-ground and proximity sensors, etc.) to improve water quality and/or habitat monitoring, management, or restoration.

• Deploy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (“UAV,” i.e., drone) for critical project activities, to assess success within the targeted farms and watersheds, and/or to support effective mentorship through improved information collection.

The following links may be helpful during application development:

• State Nonpoint Source Management Plans

• Resources for Watershed Planning

• Data, Models, and Other Technical Resources for a Watershed Approach

Focus Area 1: Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship

Farmers are more likely to adopt regenerative practices when there is a strong network of support (financial, technical, and peer) available and when information comes from a trusted source.

Applications submitted under this focus area should help farmers adopt regenerative farming practices over 3-5 years through Farmer-to-Farmer mentoring (knowledge transfer) and incentives. Projects should improve water quality and/or habitat through demonstration of regenerative farming practices and/or technologies (new or existing) that reduce nutrient loss and/or erosion. Applicants are encouraged to increase efficacy of projects through other complimentary projects that will support a greater outcome for all projects. All applicants should identify how their proposed demonstration project could lead to cost savings and economic benefits for farmers.

Applications under this focus area must propose a Farmer-to-Farmer mentoring project and include details on the following:

• Create a mentoring plan that will help farmers develop and adopt Regenerative farming strategies.

Mentoring and participating farmers should have compatible farming operations or attributes to ensure that knowledge shared is relevant and increases the likelihood of success.

• Describe regenerative agriculture practices that enhance nutrient retention on farmland.

• Describe how incentives will be utilized to promote long term adoption of regenerative farming practices by farmers. The project plan should explain how incentives will help farmers accept risks associated with the new strategy and help offset costs of the regenerative farming methods being adopted.

• Track and report the duration regenerative farming practices are used and estimate the nutrient load reduction. Consider contacting the relevant Nonpoint Source Program to learn about models currently used to estimate pollutant loads and reductions needed to result in improved water quality at the watershed scale.

• Demonstrate benefits that adopted regenerative farming practices will have on participating farms (soil/water/costs/etc.).

• Incorporate group events (e.g. farm days) to highlight the lessons learned by all participating farmers. Events should initially take place on mentor farms and later move to participant farms as https://www.epa.gov/nps/contacts-nonpoint-source-nps-pollution-programs https://www.epa.gov/nps/resources-watershed-planning https://www.epa.gov/nps/data-models-and-other-technical-resources-watershed-approach https://www.epa.gov/nps/contacts-nonpoint-source-nps-pollution-programs regenerative practices are adopted. Describe how sharing tangible benefits of adopted practices will increase adoption of practices into the future and thus perpetually reduce nutrient loss.

Focus Area 2: Demonstrating Regenerative Farming Benefits through Monitoring

To improve Regenerative farming practices and to maximize nutrient reduction, long term monitoring efforts are necessary to understand which strategies are best suited for different regions. Applications submitted under this focus area should examine the effects of new or existing Regenerative farming practices, and/or adoption of new or existing innovative technology, on nutrient reduction and erosion in watersheds. Projects should improve farmer and water quality knowledge by describing how monitoring will generate new and/or expand existing datasets that will determine which innovative strategies or technologies are best suited to reduce nutrient pollution and erosion in the future. Monitoring can be completed in fields, water segments, water bodies, watersheds, or offshore to demonstrate the effects these farming strategies or technologies will have on water quality. Applicants are encouraged to increase efficacy of projects through other complimentary projects that will support a greater outcome for all projects. Applicants should identify how monitoring efforts could lead to cost savings and economic benefits in the future.

Applications under this focus area must propose a monitoring project and include details that address the following:

• Define the monitoring objective.

• Describe the geographic area where monitoring efforts will occur.

• Explain why and how, including frequency, each parameter will be monitored for the duration of the project.

• Identify where and which specific regenerative farming practices and/or innovative nutrient reducing technologies have been or will be used that will be the basis for the monitoring effort.

• Describe how the dataset will benefit stakeholders. (e.g. cost savings, economic benefit, environmental benefits, water quality improvement, improved soil health, best practice selection, etc.).

Focus Area 3: Innovative Technologies for Regenerative Farming

Farmers are more likely to adopt regenerative farming practices and/or innovative technologies with direct benefits that are observable. Applications submitted under this focus area should develop, improve, and/or demonstrate farming practices and/or innovative technologies that improve water quality by reducing nutrient loss and/or erosion. Applicants are encouraged to increase efficacy of projects through other complimentary projects that will support a greater outcome for all projects.

Applicants should identify how their project plan could lead to cost savings and economic benefits in the future.

Applications under this focus area must propose a demonstration project focused on Innovative Technologies for Regenerative Farming and include details that will focus on the following areas.

• Describe the regenerative farming practices and/or innovative technologies that will be developed, improved, and/or demonstrated.

• Discuss observable results that will support increased adoption of regenerative practices and/or technologies.

• Describe how the application of practices and/or technologies may be scaled to different locations (local or regional) to increase environmental benefit/s.

• Describe cost savings and economic benefits resulting from practices and/or technologies (e.g.

nutrients recaptured and applied as fertilizer may reduce fertilizer expenses in the future).

Focus Area 4: Habitat Improvement for Nutrient and Soil Management

Farmers have strong stewardship ethics but must balance stewardship with cost effectiveness.

Applications submitted under this focus area should provide a plan to collaborate with farmers in protecting habitat through habitat creation, restoration, and/or enhancement. Projects should describe how specific habitat/s will be created, restored, and/or enhanced and how they will improve water quality by reducing nutrients and/or erosion. Applicants are encouraged to increase efficacy of projects through other complimentary projects that will support a greater outcome for all projects. Applicants should identify how their project plan could lead to cost savings and economic benefits in the future.

All applications must propose a project focused on creation, restoration, and/or enhancement of habitat and include the following details:

• Describe how specific habitat/s will be created, enhanced, and/or restored that reduce nutrient loss and erosion.

• Describe how the resulting habitat will improve water quality by reducing nutrients and/or erosion.

• Design a monitoring plan that will highlight the water quality benefits of the project.

• Explain how the project and water quality benefits are transferrable to other locations.

• Describe any ancillary benefits of project activities (e.g. benefits to: habitat connectivity, wildlife corridors, pollinators, critical habitats, threatened and endangered species, floodplain connectivity, wilding land, etc., expanded access to outdoor recreation, including hunting or fishing, and/or contributions to recovering America’s fish and wildlife populations).

(3) Environmental Results

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

Outputs: Outputs are an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal or objective that will be produced or provided over time or by a specified date.

Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during the project period. The expected outputs for the grants awarded under these guidelines must include at least one of the following:

• Number of habitat acres created, restored, enhanced, and/or protected.

• Number of water bodies or segments where there is improved understanding of water quality conditions through monitoring and/or modeling.

• Number of water bodies or segments where there is a positive change in a physical, chemical, and/or biological water quality parameter.

• Number of individuals reached through meaningful interaction during environmental awareness activities.

Additional outputs for the grants awarded under these guidelines may include, but are not limited to:

• Number of farmer events/presentations.

• Visual documentation (UAV/Drone imagery) of watershed change as a result of project activities.

• Economic benefits analysis.

• Number of acres receiving technical and/or financial assistance for regenerative farming practices and duration the practice was in place.

• Number of fields and/or water segments monitored.

• Report to stakeholders on the benefit of project activities (savings, environmental, economical, etc.).

• Innovative technology or strategy used for water conservation.

Outcomes: Outcomes are the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out the activities under the grant. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic; must be qualitative or quantitative. The expected outcomes for the grants awarded under these guidelines must include at least one of the following:

• Explain the environmental benefits resulting from technical and/or financial assistance.

• Explain the environmental benefits resulting from acres of habitat created, restored, enhanced, and/or protected for the duration of the project.

• Explain the improvement in at least one nutrient-related water quality parameter in a water body and/or segment and the resulting environmental benefits for the water body and/or segment during the duration of the project.

• Explain how meaningful interaction during farmer-to-farmer events resulted in the adoption of regenerative farming practices at additional farms. Include the acreage over which regenerative farming practices were adopted at farms that were not participating in the project.

***Additional appropriate outputs and outcomes accomplished because of project activities should also be included.

Example outputs and outcomes table:

Output Outcome

Number of experiments or samples, number of reports or publications.

Advancement in knowledge on the effects of pollution as reflected in a peer reviewed scientific journal article.

Number of farmers attending a farm day event at a mentoring farm.

Event attendees apply regenerative farming practices on their own farms.

See EPA Order 5700.7A1: EPA’s Policy for Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements for more information about outputs and outcomes. Applicants must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs, and to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the priorities described above.

B. Program Goals and Objectives The activities to be funded under this announcement support Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American and, as applicable, Pillar 4: Make the United States the Artificial Intelligence Capital of the World of Administrator Zeldin's Five Pillars.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-lee-zeldin-announces-epas-powering-great-american-comeback

The activities to be funded under this announcement will improve water quality, land health and long-term productivity of America’s working lands. In addition, the development, utilization, or expansion of innovative technologies related to the Farmer-to-Farmer program have the potential to improve efficiency, adoption rates, and economic viability of regenerative agriculture practices.

C. Statutory Authority GAD’s statutory authority to award assistance agreements is the Clean Water Act, §104(b)(3), which authorizes the award of assistance agreements to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of pollution as codified in 33 U.S Code 1254(b)(3). Further noting that “hypoxia continues to be a growing cause for concern,” the legislature has directed the EPA’s Gulf of America Program to “coordinate with the Department of Agriculture, the Gulf States, and other State, local, and private partners to leverage greater resources toward conservation projects on working-lands within the Gulf Region and Mississippi River Basin.” See Congressional Record, 2025 (Division E, Title II: Environmental Protection Agency, p. 632-633), https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-170/issue-39/senate-section. Furthermore, the 2024 (Pub. L. 118-42) and 2025 (Pub. L 119-4, Sect. 1101(a)(7)) Fiscal Year Appropriations Acts have appropriated funding to carry out the purpose highlighted in this explanatory statement.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity is being offered under Assistance Listing 66.475.

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

E. Requirements for Increasing Access to Results of EPA-Funded Extramural Scientific Research It is EPA Policy to ensure that the results of EPA-funded extramural scientific research are accessible to the public to the greatest extent feasible consistent with applicable law; policies and Orders; the Agency's mission; resource constraints; and U.S. national, homeland and economic security. This entails maximizing, at no charge, access by the public to peer-reviewed, scientific research journal publications or associated author manuscripts, and their underlying digital research data, created in whole or in part with EPA funds, while protecting personal privacy; recognizing proprietary interests, confidential business information and intellectual property rights; and avoiding significant negative impact on intellectual property rights, innovation, and U.S. competitiveness. EPA's Policy for Increasing Access to Results of EPA-Funded Extramural Scientific Research may be accessed at: Non-EPA Researcher Requirements. Terms and conditions implementing this policy may be accessed at: Non- EPA Researcher Requirements. Applications submitted under this funding opportunity shall include a Scientific Data Management Plan (SDMP) that addresses public access to EPA-funded scientific research data. See the SDMP clause in Section 4 for details on the content of an SDMP. Applicants will also be asked to provide past performance information on whether journal publications or associated author manuscripts, and the associated underlying scientific research data and metadata, under prior assistance agreements were made publicly accessible. These items will be evaluated prior to award.

Reasonable, necessary, and allocable costs for data management and public access as discussed in EPA's Policy for Increasing Access to Results of EPA-Funded Extramural Scientific Research may be included in extramural research applications and detailed in the budget justification described in Section 4 or as otherwise directed.

https://sam.gov/fal/f0c638e21beb4701b033c72973391a36/view https://www.epa.gov/research/non-epa-researcher-requirements https://www.epa.gov/research/non-epa-researcher-requirements https://www.epa.gov/research/non-epa-researcher-requirements https://www.epa.gov/research/non-epa-researcher-requirements

4. Application Contents and Format A. Application Forms 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. Project Narrative Attachment Form: use this to submit your Project Narrative

6. Scientific Data Management Plan

Optional Documents:

7. Other Attachments Form: Budget Table (highly recommended)

8. Other Attachments Form: Resumes or Curriculum Vitae

9. Other Attachments Form: Letters of Support

10. Other Attachments Form: letter of determination that verifies 501(c)(3) status, if applicable

11. Other Attachments Form: Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable

12. Other Attachments Form: Use this to submit other attachments, if applicable

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.

Select a legible font type no smaller than an 11- point Calibri font for use in the application.

• The project narrative cannot exceed a maximum of 12 - 8½” x 11” single-spaced typewritten pages with 1” margins, including the summary page, workplan, and detailed budget narrative.

• Do not use a “double column” (aka newspaper) format. Excess pages (i.e., longer than 12 pages) will not be reviewed.

• Do not include more than one application in any file.

• Do not zip the file or use a zip extension for your file because it will not be accepted.

• Do not include confidential business information in your application.

The project narrative must substantially comply with the specific instructions, format, and content as shown below or it will be rejected.

B. Project Narrative Description Project Narrative Attachment Form: Includes the Summary Information Page, Project Workplan, Detailed Budget Narrative, and Maps. The project narrative must explicitly describe how the proposed project meets the threshold eligibility criteria in Section 2.A(1), the requirements of Section 3, and address the review criteria set forth in Section 6.B. Supporting materials, such as project team biographies, letters of support, and negotiated indirect cost rate agreements can be submitted as attachments and are not included in the 12-page limit. Supporting materials should be submitted using the “Optional Attachments” form.

Project Narrative Format The narrative has a 12-page limit including the summary information page. Budget tables, citations, maps, and quality assurance statement (required for awards over $200,000) do not count towards the page limit and should be included at the end of the document.

SUMMARY INFORMATION PAGE (SHOULD NOT EXCEED ONE PAGE)

• Funding Opportunity and FON: EPA-I-R4-GAD-2025-FARMER “Farmer-to-Farmer 2025”

• Project Title: Please limit to 60 characters. EPA reserves the right to change the project title for its administrative convenience.

• Applicant Information: Include applicant (organization) name, address, contact person, phone number, e-mail address, and UEI number. Do not include private information.

• Type of Organization: Specify, consistent with your SF-424, one of the following eligible entities:

o Indian Tribes.

o State & Local Governments.

o Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs).

o Nonprofit organizations.

• Proposed Funding Request: The total dollar amount requested from EPA must be within the limits specified in Section 2.A.1 or the application will be rejected.

• Project Period: Provide anticipated project start and end dates. (See in Section 1.D).

• Project Focus Area: Applicant must declare the primary focus area (i.e., Farmer-to-Farmer

Mentorship, Demonstrating Regenerative Farming Benefits through Monitoring, Innovative Technologies for Regenerative Farming, or Habitat Improvement for Nutrient and Soil Management) that the project should be evaluated under and indicate any secondary focus areas included.

• Project Description: Clearly and succinctly summarize the proposed project. This should be done in 100 words or less. Include environmental KEY TERMS that could be used as search terms (e.g., water quality, nutrient reduction, innovation, machine learning). Do not use acronyms. If the application is selected and a grant is awarded, this description may be posted to an EPA website.

EPA reserves the right to make unilateral changes to conform to posting requirements.

• Environmental Results: Describe major anticipated environmental results from this project.

• Place of Performance: Activities must take place within the Gulf of America watershed and/or within the United States contiguous zone in the Gulf of America. For more details on eligible locations, please see Section 2.A.1, Figure 1, and Section 9.A.2.

o Identify the location(s) where project activities will take place.

o Specify a single, representative project location, including 8- or 12-digit HUC code. The

HUC may be identified using the map at the NOFO link on https://www.epa.gov/gulfofamerica and zooming into the project area of interest. Please identify a single, representative location even if the work will be done at multiple locations. Please include the reason for the location you identify if that is not self-evident.

o In addition to the single best representative location, for projects with multiple locations, specify up to five cities, counties, states, zip codes, or congressional districts where work will be performed. If your project includes more than five locations, select the five that best represent the project.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Indian%20Tribe) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(State) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Local%20government) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Institution%20of%20Higher%20Education%20(IHE)) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Nonprofit%20organization) https://www.epa.gov/gulfofamerica

PROJECT WORKPLAN (must not exceed 11 pages, excess pages will not be reviewed) Applicants must ensure that the workplan addresses the review criteria in Section 6.B of the NOFO.

Applicants should use the section and subsection numbers and headings below which correspond with the review criteria in Section 6.B of the NOFO.

Section 1. Project Design:

Provide detailed descriptions of activities. Refer to Sections 3.A, 3.B, and 6.B for specific application requirements and scoring information:

A. What: Describe what the project will do. List out all major tasks for the project.

• Describe at least one of the four allowable demonstration projects as described in

Section 3.A.

• Describe which innovative activities and/or technologies will be used and what will be accomplished.

• Describe the monitoring activities that will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of project activities.

• Describe the economic benefit analysis procedure that will be used to show cost effectiveness of activities in this project.

Why: Describe why you are proposing this project and the goal(s) of the project.

How: Describe how the activities and tasks proposed will be used to accomplish the innovative priorities of this NOFO.

• Describe how the project activities were determined and how activities will reduce nutrient pollution and/or erosion. Applications should demonstrate proof of concept by providing literature citations or providing studies supporting proposed activities.

(Citations should be included in the Narrative Proposal but will not be counted in the page limit.)

• Describe how innovative technologies were chosen and how technologies will be leveraged to support project activities. If applicable, describe how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to enhance water quality monitoring, farmer-to-farmer mentorship, or habitat.

Where: Describe where the project will take place and why choosing this location will provide the greatest nutrient reduction outcomes for the Gulf of America. Include a map in Section 9 of the narrative that delineates the project boundaries and/or shows the expected location(s) of project(s).

Additional Project Design Details: Include appropriate additional information as described in Section 3.

B. Statutory Authority:

Explain how your project meets the following:

• Clean Water Act 104(b)(3): Explain how the project meets GAD’s statutory authority in

Clean Water Act 104(b)(3).

• EPA’s “Powering the Great American Comeback” initiative: Explain how the project meets Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American, and if applicable, Pillar 4:

Make the United States the Artificial Intelligence Capital of the World of EPA’s “Powering the Great American Comeback” initiative.

https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-lee-zeldin-announces-epas-powering-great-american-comeback

Section 2. Innovative Technology:

Provide details on the use of new or expansion of existing innovative technologies that enhance monitoring or management of nutrient pollution and how the use of those innovative technologies could lead to cost savings and economic benefits in the future. In addition, describe the relevance of the innovative technology to the farming community(ies).

Section 3. Economic Benefits Analysis:

Provide details for how activities and/or innovation(s) will lead to cost savings and economic benefits in the future. Applications should clearly describe how proposed activities and/or innovation(s) will be evaluated alongside existing or commonly used practices to determine cost effectiveness.

Section 4. Environmental Results – Outputs and Outcomes:

Specify the estimated quantitative and qualitative results (outputs and outcomes) of the proposed project including, but not limited to, those specifically identified in Section 3.A.3 and any other measurable outputs and outcomes. Points will be deducted if no quantitative targets are identified.

Section 5. Milestone Schedule:

Provide a timetable or schedule with target dates projected for every major task, accomplishments and deliverables for each task, including development and submittal of quality assurance documents (if applicable), quarterly progress reports, and final reports. Providing milestones in quarterly increments per year is encouraged to correlate with progress reporting. The link between the activities and achievement of identified outputs and outcomes should be clear.

Section 6. Past Performance and Programmatic Capability:

Submit a list of federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include Federal grants and cooperative agreements but not Federal contracts) that the applicant’s organization performed within the last three years (no more than 5 agreements, and preferably EPA agreements) and describe:

A. If and how the applicant’s organization successfully completed and managed those agreements;

B. The applicant’s history of meeting the reporting requirements under those agreements including whether progress reports adequately and timely reported on progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes of those agreements (if not, explain why) and whether acceptable final technical reports were submitted under the agreements; and

C. The applicant’s history of whether journal publications or author manuscripts associated with the journal publications, and the associated underlying scientific research data and metadata, resulting from the assistance agreements identified in response to Section 6 of the Project Design in the Project Narrative Format were made publicly accessible, and if not whether the applicant adequately explained why not, or the applicant explained why the requirement does not apply, D. The applicant’s organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project, and

E. The applicant’s 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 6.B, 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 the applicant does not have any relevant or available past performance or past reporting information, please indicate this in the application and a neutral score will be given for subfactors A, B, and C. If the applicant does not provide any response for these items, then the applicant will receive a score of 0 for these criteria.

Section 7. Timely Expenditure of Grant Funds:

Describe the applicant’s approach, procedures, and internal controls to ensure awarded funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner. Applicants should describe how these internal controls will prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the expenditure of this award.

Section 8. Detailed Budget Narrative:

The applicant must provide a…