Notice of Funding Opportunity

Applications Due: Monday, March 16, 2026

Region 4

2025 South Florida Program

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-I-R4-SFL-2025-01 i

Contents

1. Basic Information

A. Executive Summary:

B. Key Information:

C. Key Dates:

D. Funding Details:

E. Agency Contact Information:

2. Eligibility

A. Eligible Applicants

(1) Other Eligibility Requirements

(2) Ineligible Activities

B. Cost Sharing

3. Program Description

A. Purpose, Priorities, and Activities

(1) Outputs and Outcomes

(2) Priority Areas

(3) Partnerships

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

4. Application Contents and Format

A. Application Forms B. Applicants Using Contractors C. Release Copies of Applications D. Coalition Coverage E. Other Program Specific Application Information

(1) Formatting Instructions

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

(1) Other Evaluation Factors 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) Award Information

(2) Disputes

(3) Reporting Requirements

(4) Data Management

(5) Publications

(6) Public Relations

(7) Combining Applications Into One Award

(8) Nonprofit Administrative Capability Clause

(9) Pre-Budget Webinar

APPENDIX A APPLICATION SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

APPENDIX B APPLICATION COVER PAGE SAMPLE

APPENDIX C Map Illustrating the Boundaries of the South Florida Program

1. Basic Information U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Region 4 – Water Division

2025 South Florida Program

South Florida Program

A. Executive Summary:

The mission of the EPA South Florida Program is to successfully implement and integrate federal water quality and wetlands programs to enhance the protection and restoration of Florida’s Coral Reef, the Everglades, and associated seagrass meadow, mangrove, and wetland habitats, as well as the economically valuable finfish and shellfish fisheries and recreational activities that the unique South Florida ecosystem supports.

The EPA South Florida Program provides competitive grants to further this mission across 16 south Florida counties: Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Martin, Miami- Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, and St. Lucie. This boundary aligns with the boundary of the South Florida Water Management District and corresponds to the United States Geological Survey 4-digit hydrologic unit subregion ‘Southern Florida.’

Awarded projects must focus on the development of applied science and practical demonstrations that address immediate and emerging water quality concerns in South Florida waters. This funding opportunity supports projects that not only generate tangible results, but also deepen evidence-based and solutions-oriented knowledge to advance and scale future efforts to improve the quality of South Florida waters and aquatic habitat. Eligible entities include state agencies, local governments, and tribes and intertribal consortia; public and private universities and colleges; laboratories and research organizations; and other public or private nonprofit institutions.

The EPA issues South Florida Program grants as cooperative agreements under statutory authorities derived from and aligned with:

1. The Sanctuaries Act of 1990 provides direct statutory authority for the South Florida Program.

This Act acknowledges the need to address water quality concerns that impact South Florida’s waters.

2. Section 528(f) of the Water Resources and Development Act of 1996 establishes the Administrator (or designee) as a member of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force and directs member agencies to “coordinate the development of consistent policies, strategies, B. Key Information:

Opportunity Number:

EPA-I-R4-SFL-2025-01

Assistance Listing:

66.484

Announcement Type:

Initial

Funding Available:

$8,500,000

Number of Awards:

https://www.epa.gov/southflorida plans, programs, projects, activities, and priorities for addressing the restoration, preservation, and protection of the South Florida ecosystem.”

3. The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, as amended, that codified the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force and establishes the Administrator as a member with direction to jointly “coordinate… activities regarding the mapping, monitoring, research, conservation, mitigation, and restoration of coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems.”

4. Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act Section provides additional administrative direction for this solicitation. This section authorizes the EPA to award assistance agreements for water quality and watershed management including demonstrations, studies, surveys, education, and research.

5. Congressional appropriations language identifies programmatic areas and resourcing for EPA to consider, including locations, and priority topics for the program.

C. Key Dates:

February 11, 2026 10:00am ET South Florida Budget Webinar

March 16, 2026 11:59 pm ET Application Submission Deadline

May 2026 Anticipated Notification of Selection

September 2026 Anticipated Award Notification

D. Funding Details:

It is anticipated that up to 12 awards will be made under this announcement. The amount of funding is expected to be $400,000 to $1,000,000, 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 2-7 year project period.

E. Agency Contact Information:

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

Technical Contact: Elizabeth Smith; smith.elizabeth@epa.gov

Eligibility Contact: Jennifer Shadle; shadle.jennifer@epa.gov

2. Eligibility A. Eligible Applicants Only these types of organizations may apply. Organization types are consistent with definitions at 2 CFR 200.1:

• Indian Tribe.

• State & Local Governments.

• U.S. Territories and Possessions.

• Hospitals and Laboratories.

• Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs).

• Nonprofit organizations.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.1 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)

• Intertribal consortia.

(1) Other Eligibility Requirements

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

1. Applications must include activities taking place within or directly relevant to the program area, reference map in Appendix C.

2. Applications must address at least 1 program priority area listed in Section 3.A(2).

3. Applications must not request more than the funding capacity identified for the South Florida

Program priority area of the application, listed in Section 3.A(2).

Please see Section 6 for additional threshold criteria.

(2) Ineligible Activities

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

B. Cost Sharing There is no cost share requirement under this program as authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act -- Pub. L. 117-58, 135 Stat. 1396-1406.

Cost sharing is not a requirement to be eligible to apply to this funding opportunity. Voluntarily committed cost sharing is cost sharing specifically pledged on a voluntary basis in the proposal's budget on the part of the non-Federal entity that becomes a binding requirement of the Federal award.

Applicants who propose to voluntarily cost share must include the costs/contributions on the SF-424, SF- 424A Budget Information form, and Budget Detail.

If an applicant proposed voluntary cost share the following apply:

1. A voluntary cost share is subject to the match provisions in the grant regulations (2 CFR 200.306).

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

3. 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.

4. The recipient is legally obligated to meet any proposed voluntary cost share that is included in the approved project budget because the grant agreement includes the voluntary cost share.

3. Program Description A. Purpose, Priorities, and Activities The EPA’s South Florida Program supports projects within the 16 counties that overlap with the South Florida Water Management District. Demonstration projects that generate tangible and practical results through applied science frameworks that seek to advance and scale future interventions will be prioritized. Projects should also include scientifically and statistically rigorous studies, surveys, research, investigations, or pre- and post-monitoring data collection and dissemination where appropriate, to https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.306 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.306 effectively evaluate project outcomes and develop subsequent research questions that inform and improve decision making by the Agency and its partners working to restore water quality and aquatic habitat within the South Florida ecosystem.

A demonstration project must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches where the results of the project will be measured and disseminated for public knowledge and use. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or established practices, or a project that is intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge will not qualify as a demonstration for this solicitation.

Between Fiscal Years 2019 and 2024, the EPA funded 92 projects with over $37 million in South Florida Program Grants. Figure 1 depicts the approximate locations of projects funded over this time. An interactive tool showing projects that EPA previously funded under these priority areas is available at the South Florida Program website.

Figure 1. Map showing the boundaries of the SFP, approximate location of funded projects and total dollar amounts from 2018- 2024.

https://www.epa.gov/southflorida/south-florida-program-sfp-funding-funded-projects

Table 1 provides the number of projects funded over FY2019 through FY2024 for each subbasin within the South Florida Program area.

Table 1. Project numbers in geographic areas within south Florida.

Location Number of Grants

Biscayne Bay 23

Caloosahatchee 8

Everglades 2

Florida Bay 5

Florida Keys (broad) 5

Florida Keys (specific locale) 23

Florida’s Coral Reef 16

Immokalee 1

Indian River Lagoon 10

Lake Okeechobee 2

South Florida (broad) 3

(1) Outputs and Outcomes

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

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

Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during the project period. The expected outputs for the grants awarded under these guidelines may include but are not limited to:

• Evaluation of the effectiveness of efforts to reduce or eliminate sources of pollution and to evaluate progress toward achieving and maintaining water quality and protecting and restoring habitat and other living resources.

• Characterization of sources and causes of water quality impairment that will allow the development of management/action/restoration plan(s).

• Development of quantifiable metrics to evaluate progress towards restoring waters and aquatic habitat.

• Preparation and timely delivery of annual and final performance reports that document results of the special study project.

• Preparation and timely delivery and sharing of research findings through presentations and publications to benefit the public.

• Development of training materials and tools to help state, tribal, territory and local government decisionmakers integrate ecological protection and restoration into watershed planning.

• Development of strategies that consider resilience (hazard mitigation/flood/drought) planning into habitat restoration and protection.

Annual performance reports and a final performance report will also be a required output, as specified in Section 9.A(3) of this announcement, “Reporting Requirements.”

Outcomes are the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out the activities under the grant. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic; must be qualitative or quantitative; and may not necessarily be achievable during the project period. The EPA anticipates the outcomes from the projects awarded under this announcement will lead to an increase in the capacity to:

• Improve water quality and aquatic habitats in the project area.

• Develop and implement action plans, strategies, and/or innovations to scale-up efforts to restore

Florida’s Coral Reef, water quality in the Everglades, and quantity and quality of seagrass, sponge, oyster, or mangrove habitats.

• Reduce pollutant loading to waters in the project area.

• Improve and/or expand habitat inventories and baseline condition assessments.

• Improve data for modeling potential hydrologic change, ecosystem/biogeographic shifts, ecological resource losses or gains on the landscape that can be used to inform management efforts and the public.

• Develop and implement action plans that will reduce pollutant loading and result in improved protection of communities and natural resources.

• Increase knowledge concerning negative impacts of pollutants on water quality and living biological resources and their habitats.

• Increase understanding of an aquatic habitat’s condition for a variety of uses/functions.

• Increase understanding of an aquatic habitat’s ecologic condition and/or function at population scales (i.e., community or regional).

• Increase understanding of the impacts of hazards/flooding/drought and/or resilience-building actions in watersheds, including on traditional and cultural uses.

(2) Priority Areas

Applications must address one or more of the four priority areas listed below and describe how the project outcomes will contribute to practical approaches to protecting and restoring south Florida waters and aquatic habitats. These Priority Areas are derived from Congressional appropriations language, statutory language (see C. Statutory Authority section below), and input received from partners including the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Water Quality Protection Program, South Florida

Ecosystem Restoration Working Group and Scientific Coordination Group, the National Park Service, and local National Estuary Programs.

1. Aquatic Habitat Restoration in South Florida [up to $1,000,000 per project] Proposed projects in this category must demonstrate, show proof of concept, or develop innovative approaches to habitat restoration. Restoration should focus on reestablishing, rehabilitating, or enhancing specific environments such as coral reefs (including consideration of reef associated species), oyster reefs, seagrasses (submerged aquatic vegetation), sponges, mangroves, wetlands, or other aquatic ecosystems. As a component of restoration, proposed projects may focus on demonstration of effectiveness of management activities, identification of critical habitats threatened by water quality, evaluation of novel potential sources of habitat degradation, and development of restoration methods and strategies. Habitat restoration projects that link outcomes to measures of ecosystem goods and services to human communities, including productivity of fisheries, flood protection and resilience, or economic benefits, are encouraged.

Innovative approaches to restoring or enhancing the resilience of coral reefs (such as physical structure, coral species diversity balance, invertebrate and other reef associated species presence, etc.) will also be prioritized, including consideration of genetics, species diversity, culturing organisms, and scaling up such approaches for practical application. This may also include strategies for addressing novel diseases, external pressures, and other impacts on reef health. Of particular interest is the investigation and proposal of an approach similar to wetlands mitigation banks for restoration of coral reefs and associated reef species that would accelerate restoration and mitigation efforts. Additionally, interests include the development and testing of innovative structures and field techniques to mitigate the effects of disturbances impacting Florida’s Coral Reef to accelerate protection and restoration efforts.

2. Stormwater Pollution/Hypoxia/Muck/Invasive Species Reduction Projects [Up to $1,000,000 per project]

Proposed projects in this category may propose and demonstrate activities to mitigate the impacts of stormwater pollution, hypoxic conditions, sedimentation and muck, and invasive species in human-dominated aquatic habitat like canals and ditches. This could include master planning, restoration demonstration projects and design, or pilot projects proving or testing feasibility or efficacy of innovative technologies. Pre- and post-monitoring to evaluate effectiveness of mitigation or restoration techniques should be included in project design where appropriate, and project components related to education and community outreach are encouraged.

In addition, stormwater pollution projects may research and test technologies and methods for underground injection or aquifer recharge to support ecological flows, including baseflow and direct discharges of recovered water, with a focus on cost effective treatment of water prior to recharge or underground injection to protect the quality of aquifers and surface waters.

3. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) [up to $500,000 per project] Proposed projects in this category should focus on targeted questions and applied control efforts that support the development of tools for preventing, mitigating, and reducing HABs such as sargassum, red tide, or microcystins/cyanobacteria using novel scientific approaches or technologies.

4. Water Quality and Aquatic Habitat Monitoring and Modeling [up to $500,000 per project] Proposed projects in this category must develop new or apply accepted models or conduct alternative analyses to investigate the connectivity between waters, aquatic habitat, and/or key biological populations in South Florida. Potential examples include:

- loading analyses and evaluations to assess the relative contribution of local sources of nitrogen and phosphorus to nearshore waters (e.g., wastewater, stormwater, vessels, legacy septic systems, upwelling, rainwater), and should include evaluation of and plans to implement potential corrective actions or applicable Best Management Practices;

- identifying and assessing the transport and movement of contaminants or their indicators to and between groundwater systems and their outflows with the aim of producing practical solutions for reducing the contaminants; and

- site selection, planning, and/or monitoring networks to support priority aquatic habitat restoration (e.g., coral reefs).

Projects that link modeling to measures of ecosystem goods and services provided to human communities, including productivity of fisheries, flood protection and resilience, or economic benefits, are encouraged.

(3) Partnerships

The EPA strongly encourages applicants to identify all partnerships within their scope of work that support the priority or priorities addressed in their application. Please see Section 6 of this announcement for the evaluation criterion that addresses partnerships. As part of the application evaluation, the EPA will consider the mutual interests of each partner(s), how partnering with these entities will catalyze achievement of the project goals, relationships that aid in disseminating the outputs of the project, and whether partners will contribute monetary and/or in-kind effort for the project.

For projects selected within the geographic area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), the grantee should anticipate coordination and collaboration with the EPA Region 4 and the FKNMS Water Quality Protection Program (WQPP) during performance of the activity to support achievement of the WQPP program goals. The successful applicant will be expected to participate and present project updates at the FKNMS Water Quality Protection Program meetings. As such, if necessary, applicants should include and identify travel funds in the budget to attend these biannual meetings, typically held in Marathon, FL.

B. Program Goals and Objectives The activities to be funded under this funding announcement support Pillars 1 and 3: Clean water for Every American and Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership of EPA’s “Powering the Great American Comeback” initiative.

The mission of the EPA South Florida Program is to successfully implement and integrate federal water quality and wetlands programs to enhance the protection and restoration of Florida’s Coral Reef, the Everglades, and associated seagrass meadow, mangrove, and wetland habitats, as well as the economically valuable finfish and shellfish fisheries and recreational activities that the unique South Florida ecosystem supports.

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

C. Statutory Authority The EPA issues South Florida Program grants as cooperative agreements under statutory authorities derived from and aligned with:

1. The Sanctuaries Act of 1990 provides direct statutory authority for the South Florida Program.

This Act acknowledges the need to address water quality concerns that impact South Florida’s waters.

2. Section 528(f) of the Water Resources and Development Act of 1996 establishes the Administrator (or designee) as a member of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force and directs member agencies to “coordinate the development of consistent policies, strategies, plans, programs, projects, activities, and priorities for addressing the restoration, preservation, and protection of the South Florida ecosystem.”

3. The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, as amended, that codified the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force and establishes the Administrator as a member with direction to jointly “coordinate… activities regarding the mapping, monitoring, research, conservation, mitigation, and restoration of coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems.”

4. Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act Section provides additional administrative direction for this solicitation. This section authorizes the EPA to award assistance agreements for water quality and watershed management including demonstrations, studies, surveys, education, and research.

5. Congressional appropriations language identifies programmatic areas and resourcing for EPA to consider, including locations, and priority topics for the program. The FY2025 Congressional Explanatory Statement provides the following recommendations on funding selections:

The Committees recommend at least $2,000,000 to monitor coral health in south Florida;

$1,150,000 to enhance water quality and seagrass monitoring in the Caloosahatchee Estuary and Indian River Lagoon, especially with respect to assessing the impact of Lake Okeechobee discharges and harmful algal blooms; $1,150,000 to enhance water quality and seagrass monitoring in Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay, especially with respect to assessing the impact of Everglades Restoration projects and harmful algal blooms; and $1,000,000 for the expansion of the water quality and ecosystem health monitoring and prediction network which will use vetted, modern procedures for long-term monitoring of Florida waters, including Molecular, Algal, Ocean Floor, and Seagrasses.

6. Additional funds through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) may also be used to supplement South Florida Program awards, if available.

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

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

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

• collaboration during performance of the scope of work;

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

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.317 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.318

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

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

• requests to present in local scientific conferences.

The EPA does not have the authority to select employees or contractors employed by the recipient. The final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient.

E. Quality Assurance Authority: Quality Assurance applies to all assistance agreements involving environmental information as defined in 2 C.F.R. § 1500.12 Quality Assurance. The recipient shall ensure that subawards involving environmental information issued under this agreement include appropriate quality requirements for the work. The recipient shall ensure sub-award recipients develop and implement the Quality Assurance (QA) planning documents in accordance with this term and condition; and/or ensure sub-award recipients implement all applicable approved QA planning documents.

All work funded by EPA that involves the collection, generation, evaluation or use of environmental information and/or the design, construction, operation, or application of environmental technology shall be implemented in accordance with an approved Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). The QAPP will be developed using a systematic planning process based on the graded approach. No work covered by this requirement shall be implemented without an approved QAPP available prior to the start of the work except under circumstances requiring immediate action to protect human health and the environment or operations conducted under police powers.

Quality Assurance Project Plan / Quality Management Plan (QAPP/QMP)

1. Prior to beginning environmental information operations, the recipient must:

a. Develop a QAPP/QMP utilizing the QAPP/QMP checklist provided by Region 4 Project

Officer (PO) and Technical Officer (TO),

b. Prepare QAPP in accordance with the most current version of the EPA QMP Standard

(CIO 2105-S-01) and the EPA QAPP Standard (CIO 2105-S-02),

c. Submit the document to EPA Project Officer or Technical Officer for review assignment and,

d. Obtain EPA Quality Assurance Manager or Designated Approving official (DAO) approval.

2. The recipient must submit the QAPP/QMP no more than 90 days after grant award.

3. The recipient shall notify the PO or TO when substantive changes are needed to the QAPP/QMP.

Substantive changes require the QAPP be revised and resubmitted to EPA for review and approval.

4. The recipient must review their approved QAPP at least annually and document the review. The recipient must provide written notification to the PO/TO that the annual review has been completed and state whether or not revisions are required.

5. EPA-approved QAPPs shall be valid for no more than five years or shorter duration as may be defined in the extramural agreement, after 5 years, the QAPP must be revised, reissued, or closed out.

For Reference:

EPA 2023 Quality Management Plan (QMP) Standard and EPA 2023 QAPP Standard; contain quality specifications for EPA and non-EPA organizations and definitions applicable to these terms and conditions.

EPA QA/G-5: Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans, Appendix C provides a QAPP Checklist.

EPA’s Quality Program website has a list of QA managers, and Quality Specifications for non-EPA Organizations to do business with EPA.

The Office of Grants and Debarment Quality Assurance 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

Optional Documents:

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

a. Biographies and letters of support, if applicable

b. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable

c. Lobbying Form, if applicable

7. Budget Narrative Attachment Form

B. Applicants Using Contractors Applicants must compete contracts for services and products, including consultant contracts, and conduct cost and price analyses, to the extent required by the procurement provisions of the regulations at 2 CFR Part 200.

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. If an applicant selected for award has named a specific subrecipient, contractor, or consultant in the application, it does not relieve the applicant of its obligations to comply with subaward and/or competitive procurement requirements.

The EPA will not consider the qualifications, experience, and expertise of named subrecipients and/or named contractor(s) during the application evaluation process unless the applicant provides documentation that it has complied with these requirements.

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-03/quality_management_plan_standard.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/quality_assurance_project_plan_standard.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-06/documents/g5-final.pdf https://www.epa.gov/quality https://www.epa.gov/grants/implementation-quality-assurance-requirements-organizations-receiving-epa-financial https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d

For additional guidance, applicants should review EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements, EPA’s Subaward Policy, and EPA’s Subaward Policy Frequent Questions. The EPA expects recipients of funding to comply with competitive procurement contracting requirements in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500 as well as the EPA’s rule on Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in EPA Programs in 40 CFR Part 33.

C. Release Copies of Applications Copies of applications submitted under this NOFO are not going to be posted publicly. General information about grantee, amount, and title will be shared on the South Florida Program website, once awarded.

Applicants should:

• clearly indicate which portion(s) of the application are confidential, privileged, or sensitive information, or

• state ‘n/a’ or ‘not applicable’ if the application does not have confidential, privileged, or sensitive information;

• not include trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is confidential or privileged, or sensitive information that would invade another individual’s personal privacy (e.g., an individual’s salary, personal email addresses, etc.);

• be aware that if such information is included, it will be treated in accordance with 40 CFR § 2.203.

D. Coalition Coverage A coalition is formed when two or more eligible applicants coordinate to submit a single application.

Coalitions must identify which single eligible organization will be the recipient of the grant and which eligible organization(s) will receive subawards from the recipient (the “pass-through entity”). The pass-through entity that administers the grant and subawards will be accountable to the EPA for proper expenditure of the funds and reporting and will be the point of contact for the coalition. Subawards must be consistent with the definition of that term in 2 CFR 200.1 and comply with the EPA’s Subaward Policy.

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 CFR Part 200 and/or 2 CFR Part 1500, as applicable. The regulations at 2 CFR 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.

E. Project Narrative Application Information

To simplify the review process, obtain the maximum degree of comparison, and provide a fair and equitable evaluation of applications, reviewers will rely on the content of the entire application for https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-04/epa_subaward_policy_frequent_questions.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-04/epa_subaward_policy_frequent_questions.pdf https://www.epa.gov/southflorida https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Subaward) https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/documents/best-practice-guide-for-procuring-services-supplies-equipment.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/documents/best-practice-guide-for-procuring-services-supplies-equipment.pdf evaluation purposes. Therefore, it is important that all applications are complete and substantially comply with the standard format as described in detail in this Section. For completeness of your grant application, please refer to the Application Submission Checklist (Appendix A). In addition to the forms listed in Section 4.A, each application must consist of the following components below:

1. Application Cover Page (see Appendix B for a sample)

2. A one-page project application summary (single spaced)

3. Application Proposal (16-page maximum double spaced)

4. Attachments (14-page maximum)

(1) Formatting Instructions

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.

The application proposal should be readable in PDF or MS Word and consolidated into a single file. In addition to addressing the components listed below, applicants should ensure their application also addresses the evaluation criteria listed in Section 6.B of this solicitation.

The application proposal must be no more than sixteen (16) double-spaced 8.5 x 11-inch pages (a page is one side of paper). The page limit does not include documents specifically excluded from the page limit as noted below. Pages should be consecutively numbered for ease of reading. It is recommended that applicants use a standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins. Additional pages beyond the 16-page limit will not be reviewed. If a single-spaced application is submitted, it will only be reviewed up to the equivalent of the 16-page double-spaced page limit for applications [eight (8) single-spaced pages are the equivalent of the 16-page double-spaced application page limit]. Any excess pages, whether single or double spaced, will not be reviewed. Attachments may not exceed 14 pages, please reference Section 4.E(1).12 “Attachments,” for more details.

Application proposals that do not substantially comply with the requirements above may be deemed ineligible.

It is recommended that applications follow the format as described below:

1. Application Proposal

a. Situation, Need, and Previous Efforts - Discuss notable gaps in knowledge or capabilities, why the proposed project should be performed, review significant work by yourself or by others in the proposed area of interest (include reference citations). Describe how this project relates to long-term management strategies.

b. Objective(s) - State what is to be studied, measured, observed or developed, and the anticipated results. State hypotheses, as relevant, that the proposed special study is designed to test.

c. Practical applications, Benefits, and Importance - Describe how the anticipated products and results, will contribute to expected benefits and their utility to the priority action items and/or resource managers.

2. Methods and Approach

a. Description of Major Tasks – Clearly describe tasks that must be performed to accomplish the objective(s) and describe each task. State the tasks in the same order as the hypotheses they are designed to test. Experimental design must be described with statistical tests, if applicable, for hypotheses proposed. All projects collecting data will be required to submit a Quality Assurance Project Plan, or QAPP, to the EPA for approval prior to collection of data.

b. Environmental Impact - State and explain any potential short-term impacts that your project will have on the environment, including the type and duration such as water quality and sample collection impacts.

3. Project Management

a. Administration - Describe the administrative responsibilities and authority of the Principal Investigator.

b. Roles and Responsibilities - Describe the team composition (including names and affiliations of key individuals) and the assignments of team members to major tasks.

Provide specific estimates of the time each member will work on the project.

4. Support Requirements and Conditions

a. Permit or Cooperation Required - Proposed projects must comply with all state and federal regulations applicable to the project area. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure compliance. If a permit(s) or clearances from any government agency or organization is required for execution of the project please provide the name of the agency, the method of obtaining the clearance or permit, and the time required or state "none."

b. Data or Facility Access - If access is required to data or facilities held by another organization, please identify the data or facility, the nature and type of access required, the methods of obtaining such access, and the effect of being denied access or state “none.”

5. Project Schedule

a. Milestone and Deliverable Schedule - Provide a project schedule to include all milestones and deliverables for each task listed in the “Description of Major Tasks” Section. Describe what items of data are to be delivered. State the format in which data will be presented. Provide a monthly or quarterly schedule for all deliverables.

b. Each project requires two types of reports from the principal investigator, an Annual Performance Report and a Final Performance Report to include accomplishments and deliverables as outlined in the approved scope of work. Applicants should include these reports in their proposed project deliverables, as described below.

c. The principal investigator shall provide Annual Performance Reports to the Project Officer and Technical Officer by December 31st of each year. These reports will consist of updates on progress toward work objectives, justification, approach, results to date, any problems encountered, actions taken to resolve problems, discussion of remaining tasks and expenditures to date. Principal investigators shall prepare a draft final report summarizing the objectives, methods, approach, results, and significance of the study.

The draft final report will be reviewed by the Technical Officer, Elizabeth Smith, and returned with comments. The principal investigator will address the comments and submit a final report to Mr. Ade Adesiji at adesiji.adekunle@epa.gov and Ms. Elizabeth Smith at smith.elizabeth@epa.gov.

6. Environmental Results – Outputs, Outcomes, and Results (see Section 3.A(1))

a. Outputs (project products) - List the outputs expected to be produced through the completion of the proposed project;

b. Outcomes (project objectives) - List the outcomes of the project to be accomplished as a result of the project outputs;

c. Tracking Outputs and Outcomes - Describe your approach for measuring and tracking your progress toward achieving the expected project outputs and outcomes.

7. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance

Submit a list of federally funded assistance agreements, such as Federal grants and cooperative agreements (not Federal contracts), that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than 5 agreements, and preferably EPA agreements, if available) and describe:

a. whether, and how, you were able to successfully complete and manage those agreements; and

b. 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

c. 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, the EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources, including information from EPA files and from current/prior grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information provided by the applicant).

If you do not have any relevant or available past performance or past reporting information, please indicate this in the application and you will receive a neutral score for these factors (a neutral score is half of the total points available in a subset of possible points). If you do not provide any response for these items, you may receive a score of 0 for these factors.

8. Budget Summary

This section of the application must provide a detailed narrative and itemization, by cost category, of the proposed budget including total federal funds and leveraging, cost share or match contributions. This section must include a detailed and itemized list and description of how the funds will be used.

Applicants must itemize costs related to personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, subawards, contractual costs, other direct costs, indirect costs, and total costs as part of the proposal narrative and detailed budget table as part of the Appendices.

mailto:adesiji.adekunle@epa.gov mailto:smith.elizabeth@epa.gov

If the project budget includes leveraging, cost-share, or match the Budget Summary and table within the narrative must include a detailed description. If the EPA accepts an offer for a voluntary cost-share, applicants must meet their sharing commitment as a legal condition of receiving the EPA funding. If the proposed cost-share is to be provided by a third-party, a letter of commitment is required. Any form of cost-share or match included in the Budget Detail must also be included on the SF424 and SF-424A forms. Please see Section 2.B of this NOFO for more detailed information.

For more guidance on preparing a budget, applicants should refer to the Interim General Budget Development Guidance for Applicants and Recipients of EPA Financial Assistance, as described in RAIN- 2019-G02.

Please provide information regarding how your indirect costs were derived based on your budget total (which categories used to derive indirect costs). For more information about Indirect Cost please reference IDC Policy/guidance: RAIN-2018-G02-R2.

If your entity proposes to use undergrad, graduate, or doctoral students, and they are not deemed “employees” of your entity and receive a 1099, please ensure you place the costs and details under the OTHER category as Participant Support Costs.

If your entity proposes to use undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral students and they are deemed “employees” of your entity and receive a W-2, please ensure you place the costs and details under the PERSONNEL category.

9. Partnership with other entities

Describe your approach for promoting and/or developing partnerships and support from the public and private sectors in performing the project. List the proposed groups that will be involved in the project and any related projects and studies, how their involvement addresses the common goals of South Florida Program priorities, and what each of the groups’ roles will be in the project’s staffing, funding, design, and implementation. Describe the type of partnerships/support proposed, how you will ensure that it will materialize during project performance, and what role it will play in the overall project.

Describe how you will coordinate activities of the project with related or complementary projects and studies.

Letters of support are strongly encouraged and must address the mutual interests and involvement in the project. Partnerships documented with letters of support may receive a more favorable score under the partnership review criterion described in Section 6.B. Please attach your letters of support within the Attachments area. If you are addressing the partnership within the application only, then it must be included as part of the 16-page limit. Applicants that do not plan on partnering with other agencies or groups should demonstrate how they will be able to effectively perform and complete the project without such partnerships.

Under this section, the applicant should explain their plans for making subawards, as necessary and appropriate (see Sections 4.B and 4.D) to enhance project effectiveness and/or efficiency. An example would be a proposal by an applicant (a single entity) to use EPA funding to make subawards to one or more identified governmental agency, institute of high education, or nonprofit subrecipients that would work collaboratively with the applicant to implement an overarching plan. Applicants, not EPA, will select their subrecipients and the applicant must demonstrate in its proposal and/or through letters of support that the project partners are willing to accept the subaward and have the capacity to effectively administer and perform the agreement. Selected applicants who propose to make subawards must https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-05/documents/applicant-budget-development-guidance.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-05/documents/applicant-budget-development-guidance.pdf https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2019-g02 https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2019-g02 https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2018-g02-r https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-11/documents/epa-guidance-on-participant-support-costs.pdf follow proper procedures in making subawards and will be expected to make the subawards consistent with their proposal. The award will include a term and condition requiring the applicant to make the subawards consistent with their proposal.

10. Information Transfer

Describe the applicant’s plan for active transfer of project results (outputs/outcomes), lessons learned, and/or methods development. Examples include: presentations of results at appropriate forums, conducting webinars or other outreach targeted to relevant audiences, sharing results on a website and sharing the website address with relevant organizations.

11. Literature Cited

References used in the application narrative (not to exceed one page).

12. Attachments (are not included as part of the…