EPA-OCSPP-OPS-2024-009.pdf

Funding Opportunity Announcement EPA-OCSPP-OPS-2024-009

US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs

Funding Opportunity Announcement:

Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP)

EPA-OCSPP-OPS-2024-009

Federal Agency and Office Name: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)

Funding Opportunity Title: Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP)

Announcement Type: Request for Applications (RFA) - Initial Announcement

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OCSPP-OPS-2024-009

Assistance Listing Number: 66.716-Surveys, Studies, Investigations, Training, Demonstration & Education Outreach

Dates: Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov on or before 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on November 15, 2024. Applications received after the closing date and time will NOT be considered for funding. The project period for the award resulting from this solicitation is estimated to begin in October 2025. The proposed project period is up to five (5) years.

To allow for efficient management of the competitive process, EPA requests submittal of an informal notice of an Intent to Apply by [approximately 3-4 weeks after posting] to OPPGA@epa.gov. Please include the number of this announcement (EPA-OCSPP-OPS-2024-

009) on 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 in order 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 specified on this RFA.

SUMMARY: In accordance with Assistance Listing 66.716, EPA is soliciting applications from the following eligible entities to submit applications under this announcement: any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Native American Organizations, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any agency or instrumentally thereof exclusive of local governments (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals). Native American Organizations include Indian groups, cooperatives, corporations, partnerships, associations. This solicitation is for the performance period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030.

FUNDING/AWARDS

The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $3,000,000 over a five-year period. Up to $535,000 is expected to be available in FY 2026. Incremental funding up to $600,000 will be made available for subsequent years depending on funding availability, satisfactory performance and other applicable considerations allowing the project to continue for up to a total of five years.

CONTENTS BY SECTION

I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Application and Submission Information V. Application Review Information VI. Award Administration Information VII. Agency Contacts

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP) courses have been conducted since 1990. Courses are selected by a State-led Steering Committee and the agenda and details of each course are developed by individual PREP planning groups, comprised of state/Tribal/territory and U.S. EPA employees. U.S. EPA provides all the funding for PREP through a grant, utilizing State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) funds.

Under this grant competition, PREP anticipates supporting a yearly set of four courses each lasting four full days. Attendees are trained on practical, up-to-date information on technical, policy and management related issues as well as a wide array of cutting-edge pesticide topics that allow them to better address pesticide issues and serve the citizens of their states, Tribes and territories.

The courses, offered in an informal setting and usually in an educational environment, provide attendees an opportunity to learn and interact with their peers as well as federal counterparts. PREP curriculum relies upon the expertise of both private and public sector individuals to offer course participants current perspectives on issues relevant to the regulation of pesticides. Prior to each course, states, Tribes and territories are asked to nominate individuals from their agencies for attendance. Courses typically include both classroom and field instruction.

B. Scope of Work

1. Purpose and Scope

In accordance with Assistance Listing 66.716, the cooperative agreement awarded under this program is intended to provide pesticide educational training to managers and senior staff of states, Tribes, and U.S. territories working under FIFRA Cooperative Agreements, to develop or enhance their ability to formulate and implement pesticide regulatory programs, and/or undertake new initiatives.

2. Objectives

Applicants must demonstrate in their application how their project will address the following objectives:

a. Provide a set of four high quality training courses annually to pesticide managers and senior staff of states, Tribes and U.S. territories working under FIFRA Cooperative Agreements. Topics will be selected by a PREP Steering Committee and cover a wide variety of pesticide issues. Each course should consist of four meeting days and educate up to 25 participants.

b. Foster the building of networks and collaborative relationships among states, Tribes, U.S.

territories, the EPA and other federal and state agencies, to more effectively utilize limited resources aimed at implementing pesticide regulatory programs.

c. Provide a forum to learn about emerging pesticide issues that impact state, Tribal and US territory programs, and share effective strategies.

d. Quantitatively and qualitatively measure the success of the training provided according to training recipients to improve future programs.

e. Develop and make available alternate training tools, such as web-based training, specific video-recorded PREP sessions, etc.

Note: Alternate training tools, when requested by the PREP Steering Committee, may result in reducing the number of in-person training courses offered.

3. Activities to be Funded

Activities to be funded under this cooperative agreement support the purpose and objectives listed above. Applications must demonstrate, at a minimum, how the applicant will address the following activities:

a. Assess the training needs of the PREP clientele by summarizing needs expressed by participants on course evaluation forms and annual surveys Assist in preparing any other summary information as requested by the PREP Coordinator.

b. Coordinate Planning Group meetings to create course agendas or training approaches. Assemble a Planning Group, consisting of approximately 7-8 state/Tribal and EPA employees for each course annually. The goal of the Planning Groups is to develop an appropriate curriculum for each course in accordance with the guidance from the PREP Steering Committee. Planning Groups generally meet once a week for several weeks until the planning is complete.

c. Conduct a set of four training courses annually each lasting four days for up to 25 participants per course. The locations of the training courses can vary within the United States to take advantage of different environments and types of pesticide usage across the country. Activities in support of the classroom training include:

Retain appropriate training consultants and instructors based on course needs, trainer availability and course budget. The course content will generally focus on pesticide programmatic issues (e.g., water quality, worker safety, endangered species, and certification and training); and pesticide compliance and enforcement issues, but may also include additional topics needed to support effective state and Tribal pesticide programs such as, managerial and leadership training, risk communication training, issues related to homeland security, laboratory issues, new regulatory programs and emerging issues.

Ensure adequate audio/visual technology in meeting spaces to support virtual presentations as needed.

Research the possibility of at least one field trip site per course. Field trips should, if possible, support a major theme of the overall course.

Collect and collate course materials from instructors and presenters in a timely manner and arrange for their distribution prior to each course.

Secure classroom space for all courses.

Secure and pay for lodging for all non-federal course participants and develop a system of paying participants for per diem food expenses.

Make arrangements for working lunches that allow participants additional time for further networking, rapport building, informal discussions on implementation issues, or new ideas.

Arrange and pay for participant travel costs to and from the course.

Confirm all logistical arrangements for trainer/instructor participation for all courses and arrange for payment as necessary.

Establish a qualitative and quantitative evaluation system for participants and instructors to be used in developing future training.

d. Develop “off-the-shelf” training tools (e.g., web-based training, recorded PREP sessions, etc.) in lieu of classroom training when requested by the PREP Steering Committee.

e. Maintain PREP related information in an existing format using Excel or other similar software.

Appropriate fields for the database will be selected in conjunction with the PREP Coordinator such that reports can be generated on various topics, such as attendee history, etc.

f. Design and maintain a PREP Website. A Website will be designed to communicate both historical and current information on PREP course offerings, agendas, and course participants. The website will be updated as necessary to keep the information current and as new information becomes available.

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

Measures

Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7A1, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance

Agreements,” EPA must link proposed assistance agreements to the Agency’s Strategic Plan.

EPA also requires that applications 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 https://www.epa.gov/grants/linking-assistance-agreements-environmental-results) Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan.

The activities to be funded under this solicitation support the FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan.

Awards made under this solicitation will support Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment, Objective 7.1: Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety of the Strategic Plan.

EPA also 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, https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order- 57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements).

Applicants must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the goals and objectives described above.

EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs works to address the safe use of pesticides by providing high quality training. Specifically, PREP is an educational program, designed for senior state, territory and tribal managers who conduct pesticide regulatory and enforcement programs, to provide practical up-to-date information on technical, policy, and management issues, as well as a wide array of cutting-edge pesticide topics. This training assists them to better serve the citizens of their states, Tribes and territories, by reducing chemical risks (exposure to pesticides) in their communities and in the environment. The training also assists with improved compliance monitoring and enforcement of both the state and federal pesticide laws.

1. Outputs

The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work products related to an environmental goal and objective, that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance agreement funding period.

The anticipated outputs of this cooperative agreement are to successfully accomplish the activities listed in Section 1.B.3 as well as any additional activities proposed by the applicant.

Examples of anticipated outputs include, but are not limited to:

a. Classroom training for FIFRA state, territory and Tribal lead agencies;

b. Increased number of trained individuals in core FIFRA programmatic, and compliance and enforcement activities as well as in new science and regulatory issues pertaining to pesticides;

c. Electronic course materials for participants and electronic materials for distribution to organizations that did not attend;

d. “Off-the-shelf” training tools (web-based, CDs, videos) in lieu of classroom training; and

e. Training assessment tool for use in program evaluation and improvement.

2. 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 PREP Program. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period.

Examples of anticipated outcomes include, but are not limited to:

a. Increased knowledge and enhanced capabilities of the states, Tribes and U.S. territories to implement quality pesticide regulatory programs, leading to better protection of human health and the environment.

b. Increased partnerships between states, Tribes, U.S. territories, the EPA and other federal and state agencies involved in aspects of pesticide regulatory programs leading to increased efficiencies and use of resources.

3. Performance Measures

The applicant should develop and describe performance measures they expect to achieve through the proposed activities. Performance measures help gather insights and track progress on the project and will serve as the basis for lessons to inform future projects. The description of performance measures should include:

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

b. 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 the FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. 136r which authorizes the Agency to issue assistance agreements for research, public education, training, monitoring, demonstration and studies. This cooperative agreement will support FIFRA by enhancing the capabilities of state, Tribe, and U.S. territory pesticide managers and senior staff through an increase of knowledge and networking with other participants to implement quality regulatory programs. This will lead to better protection of human health and the environment.

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

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

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;

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

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

F. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including but not limited to those related to confidential business information, contracts, and subawards under grants, and proposal assistance and communications, can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses. These, and the other provisions that can be found at the website link, are important, and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in section VII of this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. What is the amount of funding available?

The total estimated amount available for award under this announcement is up to $3,000,000, depending on availability of funds, satisfactory performance and other applicable considerations.

EPA anticipates awarding up to $535,000 for FY26. At the conclusion of the first-year period of performance, incremental funding from OPP of an estimated $535,000 to $600,000 for each additional year may be made available, allowing the project to continue for up to a total of five

(5) years depending on Agency priorities, available funding levels, satisfactory performance of the recipient and other applicable considerations. EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards under this solicitation.

B. How many agreements will EPA award in this competition?

EPA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement subject to the availability of funds and quality of evaluated applications, and other applicable considerations. In addition, EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available after the original selection is made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of the original selection decision.

C. 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 applicant 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.

D. What is the project period for awards resulting from this solicitation?

The estimated project period for the award resulting from this solicitation will begin in October 2025. The proposed project period is up to five (5) years.

E. What type of award(s) will EPA make resulting from this solicitation?

EPA intends to award cooperative agreements under this solicitation. Cooperative agreements provide for substantial involvement between the EPA Project Officer and the selected applicant(s) in the performance of the work supported. Although 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:

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

2. Collaboration during performance of the scope of work;

3. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 and 2 CFR 200.318, review of proposed procurement(s);

4. Approving qualifications of key personnel (EPA will not select employees or contractors employed by the award recipient); and

5. Review and comment on reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (the final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient).

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.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

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

A. Eligible Entities

In accordance with Assistance Listing 66.716, EPA is soliciting applications from the following eligible entities to submit applications under this announcement: any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Native American Organizations, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any agency or instrumentally thereof exclusive of local governments (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals).

Note: Native American Organizations include Indian groups, cooperatives, corporations, partnerships, associations.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing or matching is not required as a condition of eligibility.

C. Threshold Eligibility Requirements

Applications will be eliminated from the competition if the threshold eligibility criteria listed below are not met at the time of application submission. Only applications from eligible entities (see above) that meet all of these criteria will be evaluated against the ranking factors in Section V of this announcement. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

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

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

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

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

2. EPA will consider only one application from each eligible applicant, including units of government and institutions of higher education (IHE). If EPA receives more than one application from an eligible applicant (e.g., different agencies of a governmental unit or different departments of the same IHE) EPA will contact the applicant to determine which application the applicant wants EPA to consider.

3. Applicants must be eligible to receive funding under this announcement. (See Section IIIA

Eligible Entities above)

4. The proposed project period of performance must not exceed five years.

5. The maximum funding level requested for the first year of the project must not exceed $535,000, and $3,00,000 for five years. Applications requesting more than the maximum funding for the first year and overall for 5 years will be rejected.

6. Applications must support EPA Strategic Plan Goal 7, Objective 7.1; Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety.

7. The application must address all of the objectives listed in Section IB2 and activities listed in Section IB3.

8. Ineligible activities: If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities (e.g., trainee stipends), 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.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

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

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

B. Grants.gov Submission Instructions

SAM.gov Registration Instructions

Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must have an active SAM.gov registration. If you have never done business with the Federal Government, you will need to register your organization in SAM.gov. If you do not have a SAM.gov account, then you will create an account using login.gov to complete your SAM.gov registration. SAM.gov registration is FREE. The process for entity registrations includes obtaining Unique Entity ID (UEI), a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned an entity by SAM.gov, and requires assertions, representations and certifications, and other information about your organization. Please review the Entity Registration Checklist for details on this process.

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

Please note that SAM.gov registration is different than obtaining a UEI only. Obtaining an UEI only validates your organization's legal business name and address. Please review the Frequently Asked Question on the difference for additional details.

Organizations should ensure that their SAM.gov registration includes a current e-Business (EBiz) point of contact name and email address. The EBiz point of contact is critical for Grants.gov Registration and system functionality.

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

Grants.gov Registration Instructions

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

Grants.gov registration is FREE. If you have never applied for a federal grant before, please review the Grants.gov Applicant Registration instructions. As part of the Grants.gov registration process, the EBiz point of contact is the only person that can affiliate and assign applicant roles to members of an organization. In addition, at least one person must be assigned as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Only person(s) with the AOR role can submit applications in Grants.gov.

Please review the Intro to Grants.gov-Understanding User Roles and Learning Workspace - User Roles and Workspace Actions for details on this important process.

Please note that this process can take a month or more for new registrants. Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through Grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the application submission deadline.

Contact Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov to resolve technical issues with Grants.gov. Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545-5035. The Grants.gov Support Center is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, excluding federal holidays.

Application Submission Process

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to Grants.gov and click the "Search Grants" button in the task bar at the top of the page. Then enter the opportunity number, EPA-OCSPP-OPS-2024-009 in the box noting “Opportunity Number.”

The electronic submission of your application to this funding opportunity must be made by an official representative of your organization who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal financial assistance. If the submit button is grayed out, it may be because you do not have the appropriate role to submit in your organization. Contact your organization's EBiz point of contact or contact Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov

Applicants need to ensure that the AOR who submits the application through Grants.gov and whose UEI is listed on the application is an AOR for the applicant listed on the application. Additionally, the UEI listed on the application must be registered to the applicant organization's SAM.gov account. If not, the application may be deemed ineligible.

1. Application Submission Deadline:

Your organization’s AOR must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than November 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application and allow for unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit.

Please submit all of the application materials described below using the Grants.gov application package accessed using the instructions above.

2. Application Materials The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

Mandatory Documents:

1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

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

3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

4. EPA Form 4700-4 – Preaward Compliance Review Report

5. Project Narrative Attachment Form – Use this to submit your Project Narrative, prepared as described in Section IVD of this announcement.

Optional Documents:

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

C. Technical Issues with Submission

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

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

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

3. Send an email with the Funding Opportunity Number (FON): EPA-OCSPP-OPS-2024-009 in the subject line to wire.cindy@epa.gov before the application deadline time and date and must include the following:

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

b. Description of the issue

c. The entire application package in PDF format.

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

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

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

D. Content of Application Package Submission

All applications must contain all of the following forms and documents, completed and signed, in the sequential order shown. Additional guidance on completing the documents is available through EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment website.

1. Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance

2. SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs

3. SF 424B, Non-Construction Programs

4. EPA Form 4700-4, Pre-Award Compliance Review Report for All Applicants Requesting Federal Financial Assistance

5. EPA Form 5700-54, Key Contacts Form

6. Narrative Proposal (attach narrative proposal document as described below called Project Narrative Attachment Form in Grants.gov)

Narrative Proposal The Narrative Proposal must contain all parts (I-VII) described below, in sequential order as shown. Each page must be numbered, formatted for 8.5 x 11inch paper, and be single-spaced.

Electronic files must be legible and in Adobe Acrobat PDF or MS Word for Windows. The contents of the narrative proposal for sections I-IV cannot exceed the page limits identified below for each section. Pages past the page limit for each section will not be considered. Federal forms, resumes and letters will not count toward any page limit.

I. Cover Page (1 page limit) II. Table of Contents (2 page limit)

III. Executive Summary (3 page limit) IV. Workplan (20 page limit) V. Appendix A: Timetable (not part of page limit) VI. Appendix B: Letters of Support (not part of page limit) VII. Appendix C: Resumes (not part of page limit)

I. Cover Page [1 (one) page limit]: The cover page must list the following information with the letterhead for your organization:

EPA funding opportunity number: EPA-OCSPP-OPS-2024-009 Project Title:

Project Coordinator:

Organization Name and Address:

Telephone No.: Fax No.: Email Address:

Project Duration (anticipated start date and end no later than date):

First Year Funding Request:

Total Funding Request (for the entire project):

DUNS number:

II. Table of Contents [2 (two) page limit]: A table listing the different parts of the application and the page number on which each part begins.

III. Executive Summary [3 (three) page limit]: A stand-alone, concise description of the project with objectives, outputs, and outcomes; and an assurance that your organization meets the eligibility factors, as listed in Section III (Eligibility Information).

IV. Workplan [20 (twenty) page limit]: The narrative proposal workplan must directly and explicitly describe how the proposed project meets the guidelines in Sections I – III of this announcement (including the requirements in Section I and the applicable threshold eligibility criteria in Section III) and all evaluation criteria described in Section V.

The narrative proposal workplan must contain all parts in sequential order as shown below:

Project title

Part I. Project Scope and Approach

a. Project Scope, Goal, and Objectives (See Section I)

Explain how the overall approach and plan will meet program objectives.

Describe a plan that includes the following:

• Purpose Statement - A one sentence description of what will be accomplished as a result of the project that benefits the public and potential audience(s) served.

• Stated goal and a numbered list of concisely written objectives linked to the purpose of the program that are specific, realistic, and measurable.

o How the goal and objectives are linked to EPA Strategic Plan Goal 7, Objective 7.1.

o How the objectives listed in Section IB2 and associated activities listed IB3 will be addressed.

b. Project Design/Detailed Workplan

Describe in detail the approach and plan for meeting all the administrative and substantive needs of the PREP Program while also maintaining a collaborative relationship and communicating effectively with EPA:

• A well-conceived approach that demonstrates an understanding of Indian country and a respect for Tribal sovereignty.

• A list of outputs linked to expected outcomes, and the changes or benefits to human health and the environment that are anticipated.

o Describe in detail the project activities to be funded (See Section I.B.2 and

I.B.3 for activities to be included at a minimum.)

• How lessons learned from previous or existing efforts will be used or considered for this project.

o How the workplan builds upon or considers lessons learned from previous or existing efforts and how they will be used or considered to benefit this project.

• A clear and practical approach to evaluate performance.

o Clearly describe the expected project outputs and outcomes and how progress towards achieving them will be tracked and measured, and how the project will be evaluated.

• A well-conceived approach for tracking and reporting progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes to EPA.

o Include a plan to submit 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.

c. Project Milestone Schedule

Provide a milestone schedule that:

• Covers each of the five years of the cooperative agreement, with a breakout of the project activities into phases with associated tasks and a timeframe for completion of tasks, and

• Includes an approach, procedures, and controls for ensuring awarded grant funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner.

Part II. Outreach, Transferability, and Sustainability

a. Describe the applicant’s history of working with a broad range of local, state, and national stakeholders.

b. Explain how the project design promotes meaningful involvement of partner organizations.

Provide evidence of stakeholder participation and partnership in the project. Describe the potential collaborators, partnerships, coalitions, and/or existing networks you offer to increase possibility of project success. State the roles the people or organizations will play in the project.

c. Outline how the project will be disseminated and promoted to ensure project information and outcomes are clearly presented and reach the intended audience and potential audiences.

d. Describe how the project will ensure that information and outcomes will be of use to other organizations and stakeholders so that the project may continue after EPA funding ends.

Part III. Programmatic Capability and Environmental Results Past Performance

Submit a list of federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include Federal grants and cooperative agreements but not Federal contracts) that your organization managed within the last three years (no more than 5 agreements, and preferably EPA agreements) and describe (1) whether and how you were able to successfully complete and manage those agreements, (2) your history of meeting the reporting requirements under the agreements including whether you submitted adequately and timely reports 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 (3) 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. Include the Project Officer’s name, email address, and phone number of these past projects.

In evaluating applicants under these factors in Section V, EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources, including information from EPA files and from current/prior grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information provided by the applicant). If you do not have any relevant or available past performance or past reporting information, please indicate this in the application and you will receive a neutral score for these factors (a neutral score is half of the total points available in a subset of possible points). If you do not provide any response for these items, you may receive a score of 0 for these factors.

In addition, provide information on 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.

Part IV. Budget Narrative

In addition to the SF-424A form, prepare an overall budget table of $3,000,000 spread over five years. Also, prepare a detailed budget and narrative describing the first allotment of incremental funding estimated to be $535,000. Explain the need for this funding under each of the appropriate budget categories as listed below. Include activities that could be executed if additional funds become available. Link each task or activity from the project workplan to the associated resources needed to accomplish the activity. Include sufficient detail for EPA to determine if the costs are eligible, allocable, reasonable, and allowable.

a. Personnel - Include only direct costs for salaries of those individuals who will perform work directly for the project. Identify the personnel type by full or part-time employee.

Consultants, contractors, or employees of other partner organizations are not “personnel”.

b. Travel - Include the travel location(s), estimated number of trips, estimated total mileage, applicable reimbursement rate, and number of nights lodging required throughout the entire project period for your personnel only. (Travel for consultants, contractors, subawardees, or partner organizations goes in “Other Direct Costs”.)

c. Equipment - Include only equipment proposed purchased as a direct cost. This does not include equipment to be leased/rented and service/maintenance contracts. Include costs for each item.

d. Supplies - Include tangible personal property other than equipment. Include a brief description of the supplies required to perform the work and categorized by major supply category. Example: office supplies, computer supplies, etc.

e. Contractual (including consultant) Services - List services and associated costs that are to be carried out by an individual or organization other than the applicant in the form of a procurement relationship. Consultants are contractors. Include a brief description of the scope of work or services to be provided.

NOTE:

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. Applicants are not required to identify subrecipients and/or contractors (including consultants) in their application. However, if they do, the fact that an applicant selected for award has named a specific subrecipient, contractor or consultant in the application EPA selects for funding does not relieve the applicant of its obligations to comply with subaward and/or competitive procurement requirements as appropriate. Please note that applicants may not award sole source contracts to consulting, engineering, or other firms assisting applicants with the application solely based on the firm’s role in preparing the application.

Refer to Section IV.d. of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses for more information on this important topic.

f. Other Direct Costs- Include only those types of direct costs that do not fit in any of the other budget categories. Examples include: occasional photocopying at commercial locations (printing and binding services are contractual), rental of meeting space or instructional facilities, and sub-award costs.

g. Subawards - Any award of financial assistance by any legal agreement made by the recipient to an eligible sub-recipient. Funding may be used to provide subawards of financial assistance, which includes using subawards to fund partnerships, provided the recipient complies with applicable requirements for subawards including those contained in 2 CFR Part 200. Applicants must provide a line item amount for subawards in the Budget Narrative for the “Other Direct Costs” category.

EPA funds may only be used for purposes set forth in the assistance agreement and must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Assistance agreements funds may not be used to match funds for other federal grants, lobbying, or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used to sue the Federal government or any other governmental entity. All costs identified in the budget must conform to applicable Federal Cost Principles contained in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E.

If recommended for funding, you will be required to submit a copy of your organization’s Indirect Cost Rate Agreement if your proposed budget includes indirect costs. (see RAIN-2018- G02 for more information about indirect costs).

Part V. Appendix A: Timetable Provide a timetable for each project objective.

Part VI. Appendix B: Letters of Support If the project narrative describes partnerships, funding, or in-kind services, a letter of support may be included in the application. Letters of support are not required. If submitted, letters of support should clearly state the intent of the partner and their contribution, cash or in-kind services to the project. Letters of recommendation will not be considered.

Part VII. Appendix C: Resumes Provide brief resumes for the project coordinator and key staff.

Part VIII. Submission Dates and Times

The closing date and time for submission of applications is November 15, 2024, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET). Applications submitted after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Only eligible entities whose application(s) meet the threshold criteria in Section III of this announcement will be reviewed according to the evaluation criteria set forth below.

Applicants must directly and explicitly address these criteria as part of their application package submittal in the project narrative. Each application will be rated under a points system, with a total of 100 points possible.

A. Evaluation Criteria

Criterion Points

1. Project Goals and Objectives.

Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on the extent to which they explain how they will achieve the purpose, goals and objectives described in Section I.B.2, and the associated activities in Section I.B.3.

2. Project Approach/Design/Methods.

Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on the quality and extent to which the work plan:

Demonstrates an approach to carry out a high-quality training program that meet the program objectives (10 points);

Demonstrates knowledge of pesticide issues relevant to states, Tribes and U.S. territories (5 points);

Includes the use of technology to enhance the educational experience and leverage resources (e.g., videotape sessions, etc.) (5 points);

Demonstrates the ability to conduct training programs at and outside of the applicant’s home base (5 points);

Demonstrates the ability to create alternative training tools (web-based, CDs, etc.) in lieu of classroom training (5 points); and

Describes the ability to build upon or consider lessons learned from existing efforts (5 points).

3. Project Performance Measures & Expected Outputs and Outcomes.

Under this criterion, the Agency will evaluate the effectiveness of the applicant’s plan for tracking and measuring its progress toward achieving expected project outputs and outcomes as described in Section I.C.

Criterion Points

4. Past Performance - Programmatic Capability and Reporting on Environmental Results:

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