EPA-OCSPP-OPP-2024-007.pdf

OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

US Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Pesticide Programs

Funding Opportunity Announcement:

Grants Technical Assistance for Pesticide Safety Programs:

Technical Assistance in Support of the Health Care Initiative and the Farmworker Training and Education Program

EPA-OCSPP-OPP-2024-007

Funding Opportunity No. EPA-OCSPP-OPP-2024-007

Federal Agency and Office Name: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency), Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (PRD)

Funding Opportunity Title: Grants Technical Assistance for Pesticide Safety Programs: Technical Assistance in Support of the Health Care Initiative and the Farmworker Training and Education Program

Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) – Initial Announcement

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OCSPP-OPP-2024-007

Assistance Listing Number: 66.720 (PRIA 5: Farm Worker and Health Care Provider Training and Education Grants)

Important Dates

NOFO Competition Period Closes – APPLICATIONS DUE – December 5, 2024

Anticipated Notification of Selection – February 2025

Anticipated Award – May 2025

Deadline: Applications must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (www.Grants.gov) no later than December 5, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

Applications received after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding.

To allow for efficient management of the competitive process, EPA requests submittal of an informal notice of an Intent to Apply by October 31, 2024 to OPPGA@epa.gov. Please include the number of this announcement (EPA-OCSPP-OPP-2024-007) in the subject line of the email notice. Submission of Intent to Apply is optional; it is a process management tool that will allow EPA to better anticipate the total staff time required for efficient review, evaluation, and selection of submitted applications. Please note that to be considered for funding, complete application packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (www.Grants.gov) by the closing date and time noted above.

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:OPPGA@epa.gov http://www.grants.gov/ https://Grants.gov

Table of Contents Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background

B. Scope of Work and Objectives

1. Purpose and Scope

2. Definitions

3. Objectives

4. Activities to be Funded

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage and Anticipated Outcomes, Outputs, and Performance Measures

1. Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan

2. Outputs

3. Outcomes

4. Performance Measures

D. Statutory Authority

E. Human Subjects Studies

F. Minority-serving Institutions

Section II. Award Information

A. What is the amount of funding available?

B. Partial Funding

C. How Many Agreements Will EPA Award in this Competition?

D. What is the Project Period for Awards Resulting from this Solicitation?

E. Funding Type

Section III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Entities

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

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

B. Submission Deadline and Instructions: SAM.gov, Grants.gov, Submission Process, and Technical Issues with Submission (See Appendix A)

C. Application Materials

D. Narrative Proposal

1. Cover Page

2. Table of Contents

3. Executive Summary

4. Proposed Project Workplan

E. Submission Dates and Times

Section V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

B. Review and Selection Process

C. Additional Provisions Incorporated by Reference

Section VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notification

B. Pre-award Costs

C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

D. Reporting Requirements

E. Debriefings

F. Disputes

G. Copyrights

H. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

Section VII. Agency Contact

Appendix A – Submission Instructions

System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration Instructions

Grants.gov Registration Instructions

Application Submission Process

Technical Issues with Submission

Appendix B – Budget Detail Instructions and Descriptions

Appendix C – Application Checklist (optional)

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (herein EPA or the Agency) is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants for a cooperative agreement to provide grants technical assistance to grant recipients (and subrecipients) of two pesticide safety-related training and education programs, as well as potential applicants to future iterations of those programs. The cooperative agreement is to provide technical assistance for grant management and reporting requirements to grant recipients and subrecipients of the Pesticides Health Care Initiative:

National and Community-based Health Care Provider Training for Pesticide Illness (HCI) (EPA- OCSPP-OPP-2024-005) and the Farmworker Training and Education Program for Pesticide Safety (FTEP) (EPA-OCSPP-OPP-2024-006). The cooperative agreement will also support potential applicants to subsequent programs seeking information and assistance with the grant application process and drafting grant applications. EPA intends to award one cooperative agreement under this solicitation. The total estimated funding expected to be available for awards under this competitive opportunity is up to $1.47 million over five years. Funding is dependent upon Agency appropriations, funding availability, Agency priorities, and other applicable considerations.

A. Background

EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment for all with an emphasis on communities adversely and disproportionately affected by environmental harms.

Objective 7.1 of EPA’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-2026 Strategic Plan is to ensure chemical and pesticide safety in order to protect the health of families and communities. EPA supports pesticide safety and education through several cooperative agreements that fund the development of educational materials and trainings.

In 2022, Congress passed the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5).

PRIA 5 reserves funding for two grant programs related to pesticide safety and education, specifically to 1) Train and create educational materials for agricultural workers, pesticide handlers, and their communities on the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) and related rights; and 2) support technical assistance and training of healthcare providers on the recognition, treatment, and management of pesticide-related illnesses. These programs continue and expand on efforts to promote worker pesticide safety. EPA published two Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs), respectively, to solicit proposals for these activities in September 2024: 1). HCI (EPA- OCSPP-OPP-2024-005) and, 2). FTEP (EPA-OCSPP-OPP-2024-006). EPA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement for the HCI program and two cooperative agreements for FTEP. For more information about these funding opportunities, please visit Grants.gov 1 and the EPA Pesticide Cooperative Agreements page.2

PRIA 5 also reserves funding to provide technical assistance to potential applicants and grant recipients of the two programs described above to support them through the grant application process, drafting grant applications, and compliance with grant award management and grant reporting requirements. The PRIA 5 technical assistance set-aside is funding two small grants to support applicants during the current application period for the HCI and FTEP programs and the cooperative agreement to be awarded under this funding opportunity.

Groups that work with underserved communities, including farmworker communities, may lack adequate resources and experience to navigate complex grant application and award making processes and have been limited in their ability to access and manage governmental funding and resources. The anticipated PRIA 5 funding for grants technical assistance aims to support communities and organizations with capacity constraints in accessing and managing federal resources and funding sources.

B. Scope of Work and Objectives

1. Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to build grants management capacity among the recipients of the HCI and FTEP programs by helping them navigate complex grant processes and providing resources that take their cultural and organizational needs into account. The purpose of this agreement is also to improve access to future iterations of the HCI and FTEP programs by providing support and resources to potential applicants. The proposed project should make grants technical assistance easily available to recipients of the HCI and FTEP programs seeking information and support concerning compliance with grant management and reporting requirements. The proposed project should also include plans to support potential applicants to future grant cycles with the grants application process and drafting applications. The scope of work under this agreement includes supporting grant recipients and subrecipients (e.g., partners) of the HCI and FTEP programs from the time of selection through the duration of the cooperative agreement, and, in anticipation of the next grant cycle, providing technical assistance to applicants of subsequent iterations of these programs. Separate awards are supporting applicants

1 http://www.grants.gov/ 2 https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/pesticide-cooperative-agreements http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/pesticide-cooperative-agreements to the two current funding opportunities for the HCI and FTEP (EPA-OCSPP-2024-005 and EPA-OCSPP-2024-006).

2. Definitions

Healthcare provider training organization (or clinician-training organization) – a public or private nonprofit organization that supports persons involved in some capacity with healthcare and/or the treatment of patients. This may include direct healthcare providers (HCPs) (e.g., physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses). It may also include those who work alongside direct healthcare providers to address social determinants of health (SDOH) or promote awareness of health issues, such as community health workers (promotores de salud), outreach staff, social workers, and patient navigators. Other clinic staff (e.g., front-desk and triage staff) may also be considered HCPs.

Farmworker communities – a broad term that includes both workers and handlers and people with relationships to workers and handlers. It includes people who have concerns similar to workers and handlers, and who may be affected by agricultural pesticides, but who are not covered by the WPS. It can also refer to places with large farmworker populations.

Farmworker organization – a public or private nonprofit organization that supports and/or represents the farmworker community through engagement, education, and other related services provided to individual community residents and community stakeholders.

Nonprofit organization – any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization.

The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible. Nonprofit organizations that are not exempt from taxation under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code must submit other forms of documentation of nonprofit status, such as certificates of incorporation as nonprofit under state or tribal law. Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible for EPA funding as provided in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. 1611.

Technical assistance (TA) – the process of providing targeted support to an organization to facilitate quality or performance improvement. Technical assistance can include targeted trainings and creation of resources to support grant recipients with specific problems, among other activities.

3. Objectives

This cooperative agreement will have three main objectives:

• Support grant recipients and subrecipients of the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements in administering the programs and projects in compliance with EPA grant management and reporting requirements.

• Support potential applicants to subsequent iterations of the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements with drafting grant applications and the grant application process.

• Ensure that support for grant recipients, subrecipients, and potential applicants is responsive to their needs and cultural context.

4. Activities to be Funded

The recipient of this agreement must address the following underlined categories to deliver easily accessible technical assistance to grant recipients and subrecipients of the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements (EPA-OCSPP-OPP-2024-005 and -006, respectively) concerning compliance with grant management and reporting requirements. This includes support for potential subrecipients of the HCI and FTEP NOFOs. The recipient must also make technical assistance available to potential applicants to future iterations of the HCI and FTEP who are seeking information and assistance with the grant application process and the drafting of grant applications.

To further illustrate activities that may be funded, examples are provided under each identified category. The examples do not represent an exhaustive list:

Grants Administration and Compliance

Note: Activities under this category should support current grantees and subrecipients of the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements.

• Developing and delivering trainings and workshops on grants administration and compliance topics, including:

o Programmatic and financial reporting.

o Yearly workplan and budget development.

o Workplan and budget modifications.

o Financial management of agreements.

o EPA Grant Terms and Conditions.

o Other aspects of EPA grants policies (e.g., allowable/unallowable costs).

o Communication with EPA project officers.

• Developing and sharing resources such as manuals, guides, fact sheets, and recorded webinars on grants administration and compliance topics, including:

o Programmatic and financial reporting.

o Yearly workplan and budget development.

o Workplan and budget modifications.

o Financial management of agreements.

o EPA Grant Terms and Conditions.

o Other aspects of EPA grants policies (e.g., allowable/unallowable costs).

o Communication with EPA project officers.

• Holding support sessions or consultations with grant recipients and subrecipients to facilitate grants administration and compliance.

• Reviewing documents for grant recipients and subrecipients to facilitate grants administrations and compliance.

• Facilitating peer-to-peer training and mentorship among grant recipients and subrecipients.

Application Process and Development3

Note: Activities under this category should support subrecipients and potential applicants to the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements. These activities must be open to all potential applicants so as not to give any applicant a competitive advantage. All guidance, materials, and resources developed are intended to support all potential applicants and subrecipients of subsequent iterations of the HCI and FTEP programs.

• Outreach to potential applicants of future HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements so they are aware of the funding opportunities and technical assistance being provided.

• Developing and delivering trainings and workshops on how to apply for future HCI and FTEP funding opportunities.

• Developing and sharing resources such as manuals, guides, fact sheets, and recorded webinars on how to apply for future HCI and FTEP funding opportunities.

• Providing assistance with navigating government systems used in the grant process such as SAM.gov and Grants.gov.

• Holding support sessions and consultations on drafting effective grant applications to future HCI and FTEP funding opportunities.

• Reviewing documents to facilitate applications to future HCI and FTEP funding opportunities and any potential subawards under those agreements.

Technical Assistance Activities for Organizational Needs and Cultural Context

3 To view resources currently available to potential applicants, please visit the EPA Grants Management Training for Applicants and Recipients page at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-grants-management-training-applicants-and-recipients.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-grants-management-training-applicants-and-recipients https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-grants-management-training-applicants-and-recipients

Note: These activities must be open to all potential applicants so as not to give any applicant a competitive advantage. All guidance, materials, and resources developed should be made available to all potential applicants and subrecipients of subsequent iterations of the HCI and FTEP programs.

• Monitoring and evaluating the technical assistance program to track efficacy, accessibility, and outcomes.

• Making services and resources available to those not fluent in English or that have limited English proficiency, for both the current and future HCI and FTEP programs.

• Coordinating translation services for applicants submitting materials in a language other than English, for both the current and future HCI and FTEP programs.

• Making services and resources responsive to the cultural context and specific barriers faced by the grant recipients and subrecipients of current and future HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements and potential applicants and subrecipients of those awards.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage and Anticipated Outcomes, Outputs, and Performance Measures

Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7A1, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,”4 EPA must link proposed assistance agreements to the Agency’s Strategic Plan. EPA requires that work funded through assistance agreements further EPA’s mission and requires that applicants’ proposals and recipients of grants and cooperative agreements adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements. See “Linking Assistance Agreements to Environmental Results” for further details.5

1. Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan

EPA requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements).6 Applicants must describe 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 goals and objectives described above.

4 https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf 5 https://www.epa.gov/grants/linking-assistance-agreements-environmental-results 6 https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/grants/linking-assistance-agreements-environmental-results https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements

The activities to be funded under this announcement support the FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan.7 Awards made under this solicitation will support Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment by improving the safety of pesticides for people at all life stages through access to information and preventing pollution at the source before it occurs. Specifically, activities funded under this agreement should support Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety, which aims to protect the health of families, communities, and ecosystems from the risks posed by chemicals and pesticides. The awardees of the FTEP and HCI grants will educate farmworkers on pesticide safety and healthcare providers on recognizing and treating pesticide-related illness, respectively. This NOFO aims to protect communities by providing grant technical assistance to farmworker and healthcare provider training organizations to support them with navigating complex grant processes and ensuring that resources are available to them that take their cultural and organizational needs into account, thus bolstering their capacity to implement their pesticide safety projects efficiently and effectively. Technical assistance to potential applicants of future iterations of the FTEP and HCI aims to improve access to federal funds and result in strong grant applications with outputs and outcomes applicable to the HCI and FTEP programs. Please read EPA’s FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan8 for more information.

2. Outputs

The term output means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal and objective produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance-agreement funding period. The anticipated outputs of this cooperative agreement should aim to successfully accomplish the activities listed in Section I. Funding Opportunity Description - B. Scope of Work and Objectives - 4. Activities to be Funded, as well as any additional activities proposed by the applicants. For example, an output of this cooperative agreement could be trainings and workshops on reporting requirements, workplan and budget development, modifications, communication with EPA project officers, and other aspects of EPA grants policies. This ties to the above example activity of developing and delivering trainings and workshops on grants administration and compliance topics.

Additional examples of anticipated outputs from the cooperative agreement to be awarded under this announcement include, but are not limited to:

7 https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan 8 https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf

Grants Administration and Compliance

• Trainings and workshops on grants administration and compliance.

• Manuals, guides, fact sheets, and recorded webinars on grants administration and compliance.

• Meetings with grant recipients and subrecipients on grants administration and compliance.

• Documents (such as workplans and budgets) reviewed and/or edited.

• Peer learning sessions.

Application Process and Development

• Trainings and workshops on application development and the grant application process.

• Manuals, guides, fact sheets, and recorded webinars on application development and the grant application process.

• Meetings with potential applicants and subrecipients on application development and the grant application process.

• Documents (such as workplans and budgets) reviewed and/or edited.

• Applications submitted for the next iteration of the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements.

Technical Assistance Activities for Organizational Needs and Cultural Context

• Surveys, interviews, success stories, or other evaluations (e.g., reporting measures, types of TA requested).

• Quarterly and final programmatic and financial reports to EPA, including performance measures corresponding to project evaluation.

• Interpretation services contracted or bilingual staff employed.

• Trainings and resources developed in/translated into other languages.

• Services and resources tailored to the barriers faced by nonprofit organizations who might apply to subsequent iterations of the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements and possible subawards.

3. Outcomes

The term outcome means the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health related, or programmatic in nature, but must be quantitative and correlate with the objectives of the workplan. They do not have to be achieved within an assistance agreement funding period. Using the example output above, an outcome from this cooperative agreement could be an improved capacity to manage federal grants among recipients of the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements.

Additional examples of anticipated outcomes from the cooperative agreement to be awarded under this announcement include, but are not limited to:

• Grant recipients and subrecipients of the current HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements have an improved understanding of grants administration and compliance and EPA grants policy.

• Reports, workplans, and budgets submitted to EPA by grant recipients and subrecipients of the current HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements are in full compliance with EPA grants policy.

• Grant recipients and subrecipients of the current HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements administer the awards efficiently and effectively with minimal questioned costs, audits, and performance issues.

• Potential applicants and subrecipients of subsequent iterations of the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements have an improved understanding of the grant application process, application development, and EPA grants policy.

• Increase in the number, quality, and responsiveness of applications to subsequent iterations of the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements and associated subawards – particularly from farmworker or healthcare provider training nonprofit organizations who have been limited in their ability to have meaningful access to federal resources and funding opportunities.

4. Performance Measures

The applicant should develop performance measures that measure the various outputs and outcomes and describe them in their application. These performance measures will help gather insights, be the mechanism to track progress concerning successful processes, and will provide the basis for developing lessons to inform future recipients. Additional details on reporting requirements are included in Section VI. D. An example of a performance measure for this cooperative agreement could be the number of organizations the grant recipient trains in grants administration and compliance. Another example could be the number of potential applicants to future HCI and FTEP agreements who seek technical assistance with drafting grant applications and go on to apply for those funding opportunities.

Descriptions of performance measures should directly relate to project outputs and outcomes, and will include tracking, measuring, and reporting actual accomplishments against proposed outputs/outcomes and timelines/milestones.

The following are questions to consider when developing output and outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:

• What are the measurable short-term and long-term results the project seeks to achieve?

• How will you measure progress in achieving the expected results (including outputs and outcomes) and how will the approach use resources effectively and efficiently?

• Are the outputs and outcomes specific and detailed? Are specific targets included where possible? Are targets reasonable and achievable within the project period and for the funding amount?

The description of performance measures should include descriptions of:

• Overall five-year and annual goals, objectives, examples of outputs (including projects, programs, and resources) and outcomes.

• Regular reports that document all activities and efforts on project implementation, and track and measure progress achieved toward the outputs, outcomes, and milestones met in the overall five-year plan and each annual plan including customer satisfaction measures.

• A final report that demonstrates the success of the program, provides lessons learned, suggests how to carry the program forward and build on its success, and feedback from stakeholders on needed tools and resources.

D. Statutory Authority

The statutory authority for this action is Section 20 of Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136r, which authorizes the Agency to issue assistance agreements for research, public education, training, monitoring, demonstration, and studies. The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) of 2022, FY 23 Consolidated Appropriations Act PL 117-328 Section 703(a)(1)(K) amends FIFRA, reserving funds for nonprofit organizations to provide easily accessible technical assistance to grantees receiving, and potential grantees applying for, grants providing pesticide-related training to health care providers and farmworkers (as described under subparagraphs (G) and (H)).9 This cooperative agreement will implement the technical assistance provision of PRIA 5. It will support FIFRA by improving the quality of cooperative agreement programs and providing capacity-building resources for grant recipients, subrecipients, and potential applicants to the HCI and FTEP agreements, including first-time applicants and nonprofit organizations with limited resources and grant management experience.

9 https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ328/PLAW-117publ328.pdf https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ328/PLAW-117publ328.pdf

E. Human Subjects Studies

Questions about Human Subjects Studies should be directed to the Human Subjects Research Review Official.10

F. Minority-serving Institutions

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

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

1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1061(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Historically Black Colleges and Universities11

2. Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059c(b)(3) and (d)(1)). A list of these schools can be found at Tribal College or University12

3. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1101a(a)(5)). A list of these schools can be found at Hispanic-Serving Institutions 13

4. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions;

(AANAPISIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059g(b)(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; 14 and

5. Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act of 2008, 20 U.S.C. 1059e(b)(6). A list of these schools can be found at Predominately Black Institutions.15

10 https://www.epa.gov/scientific-leadership/forms/contact-us-about-programs-office-science-advisor 11 https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://msiexchange.nasa.gov/institutions?qp%5B0%5D=categories__name&qo%5B0%5D=is&qv%5B0%5D=Tribal %20College%20or%20University 13 https://sites.ed.gov/hispanic-initiative/hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis/ https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3 &source=embed&ll=40.58644586187277%2c-148.28228249999984 15 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w- 0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312532%2c-96.17229800000001&z=4 https://www.epa.gov/scientific-leadership/forms/contact-us-about-programs-office-science-advisor https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://msiexchange.nasa.gov/institutions?qp%5B0%5D=categories__name&qo%5B0%5D=is&qv%5B0%5D=Tribal%20College%20or%20University https://msiexchange.nasa.gov/institutions?qp%5B0%5D=categories__name&qo%5B0%5D=is&qv%5B0%5D=Tribal%20College%20or%20University https://sites.ed.gov/hispanic-initiative/hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis/ https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3&source=embed&ll=40.58644586187277%2c-148.28228249999984 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3&source=embed&ll=40.58644586187277%2c-148.28228249999984 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w-0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312532%2c-96.17229800000001&z=4 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w-0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312532%2c-96.17229800000001&z=4

Section II. Award Information A. What is the amount of funding available?

The total estimated funding expected to be available for awards under this competitive opportunity is up to $1.47 million over five years with an estimated $140,000 for the first year of the project and no more than $350,000 per year for the remaining four years.

Funding is dependent upon Agency appropriations, funding availability, Agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. The actual award amount may differ from the estimated amounts subject to the availability of funds, the quality of evaluated applications, and other considerations. EPA reserves the right to increase or decrease the total number of awards and award amounts, or not make any awards.

B. Partial Funding

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

C. How Many Agreements Will EPA Award in this Competition?

EPA intends to award one cooperative agreement under this solicitation.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this solicitation, consistent with Agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available after the original selection(s) is made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decisions.

D. What is the Project Period for Awards Resulting from this Solicitation?

The project period for awards resulting from this solicitation is estimated to begin in June 2025. Proposed project periods should span five (5) years. The five-year project period for this award is designed to align approximately with the project periods for the HCI and FTEP cooperative agreements.

E. Funding Type

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

• Close monitoring of the successful applicant’s performance to verify the results proposed by the applicant.

• Collaboration during performance of the scope of work.

• In accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 and 2 CFR 200.318, review of proposed procurement.

• Approving qualifications of key personnel (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).

Section III. Eligibility Information Note: Additional provisions that apply to this Section can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses.16

A. Eligible Entities

In accordance with 66.720—PRIA 5: Farm Worker and Health Care Provider Training and Education Grants—eligibility for this technical assistance program is limited to nonprofit organizations with demonstrated experience providing technical assistance to farmworker or healthcare provider training organizations. Examples of entities eligible for this funding opportunity under 66.720 include public and private nonprofit institutions and organizations (including institutions of higher education and hospitals).

Nonprofit organization, as defined by 2 CFR 200.70, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations. Note that 2 CFR Part 200.1 specifically excludes the following types of organizations from the definition of nonprofit organization because

16 https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses they are separately defined in the regulation: (i) institutions of higher education; and (ii) state, local, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments.

While not considered to be a nonprofit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR 200.1, institutions of higher education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this NOFO. Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 CFR 200.1 are also eligible to apply. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.

Groups of two or more nonprofit organizations may choose to form a coalition and submit a single application for this assistance agreement. However, one entity must be responsible for the cooperative agreement. Coalitions must identify which eligible organization will be the recipient of the assistance agreement, and which nonprofit organization(s) will be subrecipients. EPA awards funds to one eligible applicant as the recipient even if other eligible applicants are named as partners or co-applicants or members of a coalition or consortium. The recipient is accountable to EPA for the proper expenditure of funds. The coalition agreement must also specify roles in performing the scope of work for the agreement. Coalitions are not required in applications, and EPA is not specifically encouraging coalitions.

Organizations applying for a cooperative agreement as a coalition with another organization must have entered into a written agreement designating a member of the coalition to be the lead organization. The lead organization will be accountable to EPA for proper expenditure of funds and responsible for the performance of the assistance agreement and liability claims for recovery of unallowable costs. The lead organization will be EPA’s point of contact for the agreement. As provided in 2 CFR 200.332, subrecipients (organizations in the coalition who are not the lead organization and receive subawards from the lead organization) are accountable to the lead organization for proper use of EPA funding.

Subrecipients must be consistent with the definition of subaward in 2 CFR 200.1 and comply with EPA’s Subaward Policy,17 including that every organization that receives a subaward have a unique entity identifier (DUNS number).

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, 17 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/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements18 for guidance on competitive procurement requirements and consultant compensation. Do not name a procurement contractor (including a consultant) as a partner or otherwise in your application unless the contractor has been selected in compliance with competitive procurement requirements.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

No cost sharing/matching funds, voluntary cost sharing, or leveraged resources are required as a condition of eligibility under this competition. Voluntary cost sharing, if proposed, will not be considered during the evaluation of proposals.

Applicants are not required to but may also choose to commit to a voluntary cost share.

Voluntary cost sharing is when an applicant voluntarily proposes to legally commit to provide costs or contributions to support the project beyond what is required by the mandatory cost share. Voluntary cost shares must be included in the budget detail portion of the project narrative and on the applicant’s SF-424 and SF-424A forms. In addition, the applicant must describe in the application how and when the applicant will obtain the voluntary cost share and how the funding will be used. Voluntary cost share contributions must be for eligible costs. Applicants may use their own funds or other sources for voluntary cost share if the standards of 2 CFR Part 200, as applicable, are met. If the source of an applicant’s proposed cost share is a named project partner, the applicant must provide a letter of commitment from the named project partner. Note that even if a project partner provides a letter of commitment, it is the grant recipient who is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the voluntary cost share is met.

Successful applicants who include voluntary cost share will be legally obligated to provide the proposed voluntary cost share that is included in the approved project budget. If the proposed voluntary cost share does not materialize during the performance period of the grant or cooperative agreement, the EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by 2 CFR Part 200.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

Threshold eligibility criteria are requirements that if not met by the time of application submission, will result in the elimination of the application from consideration for funding. Only applications from eligible applicants (see Section III. Eligibility Information, 18 https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance

A. Eligible Entities) that meet all these criteria will be evaluated against the ranking criteria in Section V. Application Review Information of this announcement. If necessary, EPA may contact applicants to clarify threshold eligibility questions prior to making an eligibility determination. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration due to the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

The threshold eligibility criteria for application content and submission are as follows:

1. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV. Application and Submission Information of this announcement or else they will be rejected.

2. Where a page limit is expressed in Section IV. Application and Submission Information, with respect to the application, or parts thereof, in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in application format, including selecting a legible font type and size for use in the application.

3. In addition, initial applications must be submitted through Grants.gov19 as stated in Section IV. Application and Submission Information of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV.) on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV. of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV. of this announcement to ensure that their application is timely submitted. Please note that applicants experiencing technical issues with submitting through Grants.gov should follow the instructions provided in Section IV., which include both the requirement to contact Grants.gov and email a full application to EPA prior to the deadline.

4. Applications submitted outside of Grants.gov will be deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was due to EPA mishandling or technical problems associated with Grants.gov or SAM.gov.20 An applicant’s failure to timely submit their application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a submission outside of Grants.gov.

5. The proposal must address all objectives described in Section I.B.3. Objectives.

6. Submissions must contain specific outputs and outcomes and state how those will be measured and documented.

19 http://www.grants.gov/ 20 https://sam.gov/content/home http://www.grants.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/home https://Grants.gov https://Grants.gov https://Grants.gov https://Grants.gov https://Grants.gov

7. Applications must not exceed a performance period of five years or request a funding level of more than $1.47 million for the full performance period.

8. Applicants must be nonprofit organizations with demonstrated experience in providing technical assistance to farmworker or healthcare provider training organizations.

9. EPA will consider only one application from each eligible applicant including units of government and institutions of higher education.

10. Ineligible activities: If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible activities/costs (e.g., trainee stipends, fundraising costs, or any expenses related to alcohol), 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.

Note: Allowable costs are those costs necessary and reasonable for the performance of the grant that are consistent with the policies and procedures that apply uniformly to both EPA grant activities and other activities of an organization. Unallowable costs are those that EPA will not reimburse as part of a grant or cooperative agreement.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information A. Requirement to Submit through Grants.gov and Limited Exception

Procedures

Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the Grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If your organization has no access to the internet or access is very limited, you may request an exception for the remainder of this calendar year by following the procedures outlined at the Exceptions to the Grants.gov Submission Requirement webpage.21 Please note that your request must be received at least 15 calendar days before the application due date to allow enough time to negotiate alternative submission methods. Issues with submissions with respect to this opportunity only are addressed in Appendix A - Technical Issues with Submission.

21 https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement https://Grants.gov https://Grants.gov

B. Submission Deadline and Instructions

Complete application submission instructions are provided in Appendix A. The instructions provide important information on registering in SAM.gov,22 registering and submitting an application through Grants.gov,23 and address technical issues with submission.

Your organization’s Authorized Official Representative (AOR) must submit your complete application electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than December 5, 2024, 11:59 p.m. ET. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your complete application and allow for unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit. Please note that this process can take a month or more for new registrants.

Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically.

Please note that successful submission of your application through Grants.gov does not necessarily mean your application is eligible for award. Any application submitted after the application time and date deadline will be deemed ineligible and not be considered.

C. Application Materials

The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

• Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

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

• EPA Key Contacts Form (5700-54)

• Pre-award Compliance Review Report Form (4700-4)

• Project Narrative Attachment Form: Use this to submit your Project Narrative, prepared as described below in Section IV.D. Narrative Proposal. Additional information about the budget is in Appendix B.

• Brief resumes (not to exceed two pages each) for the project coordinator and key staff.

The following documents are optional:

• Letters of Support – May be…