EPA-OMS-25-01_modification.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Applications Due: Wednesday, April 30, 2025

EPA Office of Mission Support

Fiscal Year 2025 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OMS-25-01 i

Contents

1. Basic Information

A. Executive Summary: 1 B. Key Information: 1 C. Key Dates: 1 D. Funding Details: 2 E. Agency Contact Information: 2 F. Other Funding Considerations: 3

2. Eligibility 3

A. Eligible Applicants 3

(1) Other Eligibility Requirements 4

B. Cost Sharing 6

(1) Performance Partnership Grants 6

3. Program Description 7

A. Purpose, Priorities, and Activities 7 B. Program Goals and Objectives 9 C. Statutory Authority 10 D. Funding Type 10

4. Application Contents and Format 12

A. Application Forms 12 B. Applicants Using Contractors 13 C. Coalition (EN Partnerships) Applications 13 D. Other Program Specific Application Information 14

Quality Assurance (QA) Document Submittal Requirements 14 EN Reusability Requirement 15 EN IT Component Registration Requirement 15

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines 15

A. Submission Dates and Times

B. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) 15 C. Submission Instructions 16 D. Technical Issues with Submission 16 E. Intergovernmental Review 16

6. Application Review Information 17

A. Responsiveness Review 17 B. Review Criteria 17 C. Review and Selection Process 21

Other Evaluation Factors 22

D. Risk Review 22

7. Award Notices 22 ii

8. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 22 B. Reporting 23 C. FFATA and FSRS Reporting 23

9. Other Information 23

A. Additional Provisions for Applicants 23

Other Relevant Applicant/Grantee Information 23

Appendices Appendix A: EN Project Opportunities Under Funding Area 1 24

Appendix B: EN Project Opportunities Under Funding Area 2 30

Appendix C: EN Project Opportunities Under Funding Area 3 50

Appendix D: Reusability, EEDS, and Budget Guidance and Resources 56

Identifying Items for Reuse 56 Alignment with the E-Enterprise Digital Stragegy (EEDS) 57 How to Correctly Calculate and Capture a Project Budget Across Attachments 59

Appendix E: Detailed instructions for Preparing Application Attachments 65

Attachment 1: Cover Letter 66 Attachment 2: The Project Narrative 66 Attachment 3: The Budget Narrative Attachment Form 74 Attachment 4: Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) 74 Attachment 5: Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424-A) 75 Attachment 6: Key Contacts Form 75 Attachment 7: Pre-Award Compliance Review 75 Attachment A: Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement 75 Attachment B: Information for Inter-Tribal Consortia 76 Attachment C: Formal Project Partners 76 Attachment D: Formal Project Mentor 76 Attachment E: List of Prior Exchange Network Assistance Agreements 77 Attachment F: Documentation Certifying Applicant Status as an Instrumentality of a State/Tribe 77

Appendix F: Optional Pre-Submission Checklist 78

Appendix G: Glossary of Terms/Phrases 81

1. Basic Information U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Mission Support (OMS) –Information Technology/Information Management

Fiscal Year 2025 National Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) Grant Program Solicitation Notice

A. Executive Summary:

The Exchange Network (EN) was launched in 2002 as an inter-governmental, collaborative partnership of EPA, states, territories, and Tribes to foster better environmental management and decision-making through increased access to timely, high quality environmental information. This was achieved through a standards-based approach to facilitate environmental data sharing among EPA, states, Tribes, and territories. The framework adopted allows organizations to exchange data over the Internet regardless of the specific information technology used. (See https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork and http://www.exchangenetwork.net/).

The EN continues to evolve to adapt to emerging technologies and to meet new programmatic needs. Applicants are encouraged to participate in EPA’s EN Forum which is a call that is held monthly to discuss how to improve and better use the EN services and partnerships. The Forum is open to all participants; see https://exchangenetwork.net/exchange-network-forum/.

The EPA EN Grant Program is soliciting project applications to:

Facilitate sharing of environmental data, especially through shared and reusable services.

Reduce burden and avoid costs for co-regulators and the regulated community.

Streamline data collection and exchanges to improve its timeliness for decision making.

Increase the quality and access to environmental data through discovery, publishing, outbound and analytical services so it is more useful to environmental managers.

Increase data and IT management capabilities needed to fully participate in the EN.

Application Submission Deadline

Anticipated Notification of Selection

C. Key Dates:

April 30, 2025 11:59 pm ET

July 2025

September 2025 Anticipated Award Notification

B. Key Information:

Opportunity Number:

EPA-OMS-25-01

Assistance Listing:

66.608

Announcement Type:

Initial

Funding Available:

$9,500,000

Number of Awards:

Approximately 30 – 35 https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork http://www.exchangenetwork.net/ https://exchangenetwork.net/exchange-network-forum/

D. Funding Details:

It is anticipated that up to 35 award(s) will be made under this announcement. Awards are expected to be in the $200,000 to $600,000 range, depending on Agency funding levels, the quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations.

Applicants applying under an individual opportunity may request up to $400,000 in funding. Applicants applying under a partnership opportunity may request funds up to $600,000 if the partnership eligibility criteria outlined in Section 4C is met. Applicants specifically applying under the Individual Capacity Building with Mentorship opportunity as described in on Page 53 may request up to $415,000 if all requirements are met.

Awards funded under this opportunity are expected to have a 3-year project period.

E. Agency Contact Information:

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

Technical Contact: EN Grant Program; ENGrantProgram@epa.gov

Eligibility Contact: EN Grant Program; ENGrantProgram@epa.gov

Regional Contact(s): See: https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/forms/contact-us-about-environmental-information-exchange-network

EN Project Opportunity Contacts:

EN Project Opportunity Contact Type Email/Link Adv. Water Quality Monitoring […] Program Email WQX@epa.gov

Open Data, Data Modern., Digital Transform.[…] POC: Dwane Young young.dwane@epa.gov

EIS Website: See Contact List https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories/air-emissions-points-contact

CAER Website:

See ‘Contact Us’ https://www.epa.gov/combined-air-emissions-reporting/forms/contact-us-about-combined-air-emissions-reporting

ICIS Support Portal https://usepa.servicenowservices.com/oeca_icis?id=icis _homepage

NPDES “Ask a Question” Portal https://usepa.servicenowservices.com/oeca_icis

RCRAInfo POC: Rebecca Kane kane.rebecca@epa.gov

UST Finder Application Website: See Contact List https://www.epa.gov/ust/underground-storage-tank-ust-headquarters-contacts eBeaches Website:

See ‘Support’ https://www.epa.gov/beaches/submitting-beach-data-epa

SDWIS POC: Justin Wright wright.justin@epa.gov WQX Program Email wqx@epa.gov ATTAINS Program Email attains@epa.gov DWSRF/CWSRF POC: Howard Rubin Rubin.HowardE@epa.gov Capacity Building POC: Beth Jackson Jackson.elizabeth@epa.gov Note: Applicants proposing projects that do not fall under a specific EN project opportunity should reach out to the EN Grant Program (ENGrantProgram@epa.gov) for the appropriate technical contact.

mailto:ENGrantProgram@epa.gov mailto:ENGrantProgram@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/forms/contact-us-about-environmental-information-exchange-network https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/forms/contact-us-about-environmental-information-exchange-network mailto:WQX@epa.gov mailto:young.dwane@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories/air-emissions-points-contact https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories/air-emissions-points-contact https://www.epa.gov/combined-air-emissions-reporting/forms/contact-us-about-combined-air-emissions-reporting https://www.epa.gov/combined-air-emissions-reporting/forms/contact-us-about-combined-air-emissions-reporting https://www.epa.gov/combined-air-emissions-reporting/forms/contact-us-about-combined-air-emissions-reporting https://usepa.servicenowservices.com/oeca_icis?id=icis_homepage https://usepa.servicenowservices.com/oeca_icis?id=icis_homepage https://usepa.servicenowservices.com/oeca_icis mailto:kane.rebecca@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/ust/underground-storage-tank-ust-headquarters-contacts https://www.epa.gov/ust/underground-storage-tank-ust-headquarters-contacts https://www.epa.gov/beaches/submitting-beach-data-epa https://www.epa.gov/beaches/submitting-beach-data-epa mailto:wright.justin@epa.gov mailto:wqx@epa.gov mailto:attains@epa.gov mailto:Rubin.HowardE@epa.gov mailto:Jackson.elizabeth@epa.gov mailto:ENGrantProgram@epa.gov

F. Other Funding Considerations:

Tribal Commitment: EPA remains committed to awarding Tribal assistance agreements equal to at least 20 percent of the appropriated funds. The actual award amounts and number of Tribal assistance agreements awarded under this set-aside may differ from the estimated amounts for many reasons including the number of meritorious applications received, agency priorities, and funding availability. In addition, EPA reserves the right to increase or decrease (including decreasing to zero) the total number of and award amount under this set-aside or change the ratio of assistance agreements awarded.

Additional Awards: EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this solicitation, consistent with Agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than 6 months after the original selection decisions.

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.

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

• Federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages.

• Inter-Tribal Consortia of federally recognized Tribes.

• States.

• U.S. Territories (i.e., American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the

District of Columbia, Guam, Palau, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands).

• Instrumentality of a State or Tribe (i.e., some regional air pollution control districts or public/Tribal universities) o Entities asserting they are agencies or instrumentalities of a state must provide a letter from the appropriate state Attorney General (AG) certifying the applicant is an agency or instrumentality of the state.

o Entities asserting they are instrumentalities of a Tribe must provide a certification and supporting documentation from the Tribal council or other appropriate tribal government official certifying they are an instrumentality of the Tribe.

o EPA will not accept or review an application which does not include the required documentation.

The EPA recognizes that environmental programs and associated reporting obligations are sometimes delegated to local governments. Local governments are eligible to apply for EN assistance agreements if they can demonstrate that they are an instrumentality of the state by providing the documentation described in the preceding bullets. However, most local governments implementing EPA programs are not agencies or instrumentalities of the state and therefore not eligible to apply. Interstate commissions and other interstate entities, likewise, are not eligible. EPA encourages ineligible parties to partner with an eligible lead applicant (see Section 4C).

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Indian%20Tribe) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(State)

(1) Other Eligibility Requirements

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

1. Initial applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section 5 of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section 5D on or before the application submission deadline noted in Section 5A of this solicitation. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section 5C to ensure their application is timely submitted. Please note that applicants experiencing technical issues with submitting through Grants.gov should follow the instructions provided in Section 5D, which include both the requirement to contact Grants.gov and email a full application to EPA prior to the deadline.

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

3. An application must explain how the proposal supports one or more of the three (3) FY25 EN funding areas. Applicants should note that all three EN funding areas are of equal priority and that there is no preference given for applications which support more than one.

o Funding Area 1: Increased Data Access and Innovative Business Processes;

o Funding Area 2: Eliminate Paper Submittals and Expand e-Reporting;

o Funding Area 3: Augment the Information Management Capacity of EN Partners

(open to U.S. Territories, federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages, and inter-Tribal consortia of federally recognized Tribes ONLY).

4. An application must include goal(s) leading to completion of activities listed in Appendix A, B, or C, or others consistent with the EN funding areas. Applicants must also clearly state the anticipated outputs and outcomes which will result from the completion of their goals and objectives. Examples include but are not limited to: any data flow(s) brought into production, any Application Programming Interfaces (API) service(s) brought into production, and the creation of any new API documentation, data management plan(s), data standards or schema, open data portals, web applications, etc.

5. An application must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section 5 and Appendix E of this announcement or else they will be rejected. However, where a page limit is expressed in Section 4A 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.

6. Applications must not request more than:

o $400,000 for single applicant applications (except eligible applicants under the

Individual Capacity Building with Mentorship opportunity (see Appendix C), which can request up to $415,000); or o $600,000 for eligible EN partnership applications (see Section 4C).

7. Applicants may only submit 1 application under this opportunity. This restriction applies both to single applicants and, in the case of a EN partnership (coalition) application, to applicants applying either as the lead applicant or as an eligible formal partner. Applicants that submit more than 1 application will be contacted to determine which application to evaluate. The remaining application(s) will be deemed ineligible.

8. Applicants must not have more than four active Exchange Network assistance agreements with the Agency as of as of December 31, 2024. EPA considers an assistance agreement active if the Agency has not yet approved the final technical report. EPA will consider an agreement inactive if the Regional Project Officer (RENC) approves the applicant’s final technical report on or before this date.

o Applicants that are applying under an EN partnership but are not the lead recipient will not be considered as having an active assistance agreement. Also, agencies within a state are treated as separate applicants under this criterion (e.g., Alabama Department of Environmental Quality and Alabama Department of Public Health).

9. Applications must not request funds for activities or deliverables for which the applicant has previously received funds. If a proposed goal is similar to one previously funded, the application must describe how previously funded activities differ from those currently proposed or how the current application will complement past or ongoing work.

10. Applicants must not use EN funding for the following functions:

o Construction costs;

o Operations and maintenance of:

previously developed or implemented EN projects;

flows, including minor schema updates for existing flows;

o Workshops and Conferences not initiated, advertised, and conducted for the benefit of the recipient and other state, Tribal, territorial, or local representatives or public participants or are conducted primarily for EPA’s benefit;

o Pre-Award Costs not previously requested to cover pre-award costs incurred 90 days or less before the award date;

o Management Fees more than the direct costs and indirect costs at the rate approved by the applicant’s cognizant audit agency or at the rate provided for by the terms of the agreement negotiated with EPA;

o Development and deployment of new physical nodes implementing the Exchange Network protocol and specification;

o Statutory Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications & Video Surveillance Equipment Services Unless an exception or waiver applies, Section 889 of the National Defense

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, Public Law 115-232 (section 889), prohibits the use of Federal funds by recipients and subrecipients to procure (enter into, extend, or renew contracts) or obtain equipment, systems, or services that use “covered telecommunications equipment or services” as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Section 889 also prohibits the use of Federal funds by recipients and subrecipients to enter into a contract with an entity that “uses any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services” as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system.

The Office of Management and Budget’s implementing regulations at 2 CFR

200.216 provide additional information on the prohibitions in section 889.

These regulations state, among other things, that “[A]s described in Public Law 115-232, section 889 covered telecommunications equipment is telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities).” Other prohibitions may also apply. Certain prohibited equipment, systems, or services, including equipment, systems, or services produced or provided by entities identified in section 889, are recorded in the System for Award Management (SAM) exclusion list.

If an application includes any ineligible tasks or activities (e.g., does not fall within the EN Funding Areas, has been previously funded, falls under the above funding restrictions), 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.

Please see Section 6 for additional threshold criteria.

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

(1) Performance Partnership Grants

Funds for a grant awarded under this opportunity may be included in a PPG. Applicants should indicate in their application submission if they anticipate incorporating the proposed project, if selected for funding, into an already existing PPG or if they intend to create a new PPG that would include the project proposed under this funding opportunity. The PPG should be in place before the time of award or created concurrently with the award of the assistance agreement funds. The proposed project under this grant solicitation must have a project period that is within the PPG project period. It cannot be longer than the PPG project period.

A PPG enables entities to combine funds from more than one environmental program assistance agreement into a single assistance agreement with a single budget. Under this competition, state and interstate agency applications must first be selected under the competitive grant process described in this solicitation and, in accordance with 40 CFR 35.138, the work-plan commitments that would have been included in the work-plan must be included in the PPG work-plan. After the funds have been included in the PPG, the recipient does not need to account for these funds in accordance with the funds’ original program source, as long as all the competitive work plan components are completed.

Similarly, Tribal and inter-Tribal consortia applications must first be selected under this competitive grant process in accordance with 40 CFR 35.535. If a proposed PPG work-plan differs significantly from the work-plan approved for funding under this competition, the Regional Administrator must consult the National Program Office (see 40 CFR 35.535). The purpose of this consultation requirement is to address the issue of ensuring that a project which is awarded funding under this competition is implemented as proposed once combined with other grant programs in a PPG.

For further information for awards included in PPG, see the final rules on Environmental Program Grants for state and interstate agencies at 40 CFR Part 35, Subpart A and Tribes and inter-Tribal Consortia at 40 CFR Part 35, Subpart B. Local governments are not eligible for PPGs.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.216 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.216 https://sam.gov/content/home https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-35/subpart-B/subject-group-ECFR832711b28c33684/section-35.535 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-35/subpart-A?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-35/subpart-B?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-35/subpart-B?toc=1

3. Program Description A. Purpose, Priorities, and Activities The three EN Funding Areas described below are open to either individual applicants, EN partnership applicants, or both, unless otherwise specified. An individual applicant is a single eligible organization that submits a project proposal that includes work that will be managed and completed by that organization. An EN partnership entails the submission of a coalition proposal by an eligible lead organization who will share in the work, coordination, and benefit of the proposed project with one or more partnering organizations. The lead applicant organization may distribute a portion of awarded funds to their partner(s) through subaward(s); see Section 4C for requirements and further information.

Please note that the phrase ‘EN project opportunity’ refers to the specific EPA data flow/project write-ups – (see Appendices A-C) that fall under one of the three EN Funding Areas below. These project opportunity write-ups (which are listed and hyperlinked below) include a project description, relevant program status and plans, suggested project activities and estimated costs, options for in-kind services and continuation of funding (if applicable), and additional links and resources. Applicants are encouraged to use the suggested potential activities as project goals or objectives, as applicable.

The FY25 EN Funding Areas and associated EN project opportunities include:

• Funding Area 1: Increased Data Access and Innovative Business Processes:

EN Project Opportunities under EN Funding Area 1 are detailed in Appendix A and include:

o Advanced Water Quality Monitoring Using Sensor Technologies (see page 25) o Open Data, Data Modernization, & Digital Transformation Projects including Geospatial

Data (see page 27)

These EN project opportunities under EN Funding Area 1 are open to both individual applicants (up to $400,000) and eligible EN partnership applicants (up to $600,000).

Note: Projects under EN project opportunities appropriately utilizing Virtual Exchange Services (VES) capabilities in their implementation can be considered for funding in FY25. VES provides foundational EN capabilities for exchanging data, comparable to physical nodes. VES continues to be a supported capability that can be leveraged to deliver on many of the data exchange opportunities outlined in Appendices A-C. EPA encourages applicants to consider the options under the ‘Open Data, Data Modernization, and Digital Transformation Projects including Geospatial Data’ project opportunity to support foundational activities (e.g., ICIS Digital Services projects, eBeaches projects, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund & Clean Water State Revolving Fund projects).

• Funding Area 2: Eliminate paper submittals and expand e-reporting.

EN Project Opportunities under EN Funding Area 2 are detailed in Appendix B and include:

o AIR:

Emission Inventory System (EIS) (see page 31) Combined Air Emissions Reporting (CAER) (see page 32) o ENFORCEMENT & COMPLIANCE:

Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) Digital Services (see page 34) Electronic Reporting of Nat. Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

Data (see page 36) o LAND MANAGEMENT:

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information System (RCRAInfo) (see page 38) UST Finder Application (V2) to Support National and State Underground Storage

Tank Programs (see page 39)

• NOTE: This opportunity is open to state applicants (excluding state universities), as well as some US territories and Tribes with appropriate delegated authority.

o WATER:

eBeaches (see page 41) Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) (see page 42)

• NOTE: Some activities under this opportunity are restricted by applicant type; see the ‘potential activities’ table on page 42 for more details.

Water Quality Exchange (WQX) (see page 44) Assessment TMDL Tracking And ImplementatioN System (ATTAINS) (see page 46) Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) & Clean Water State Revolving

Fund (CWSRF) (see page 48)

Unless otherwise noted, EN project opportunities under EN Funding Area 2 are open to both individual applicants (up to $400,000) and eligible EN partnership applications (up to $600,000).

• Funding Area 3: Augment the information management capacity of EN partners.

EN Project Opportunities under EN Funding Area 3 are detailed in Appendix C and include:

o Individual Capacity Building (see page 51) Individual applicant opportunity (up to $400,000).

o Individual Capacity Building with Mentorship (see page 53) Individual applicant opportunity (up to $400,000) with optional mentor funding

(up to $15,000) (for a total of up to $415,000).

o Collaborative Capacity Building (see page 55)

EN partnership opportunity (up to $600,000).

The “EN project opportunities” within Appendix C are only available to U.S. Territories, federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages, and inter-Tribal consortia of federally recognized Tribes (e.g., the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission). Note: State applicants or applicants who are instrumentalities of the state or a Tribe (see Section 2A Eligible Applicants) are not eligible for projects under Funding Area 3.

Applicants should specifically state which EN funding area(s) and EN project opportunities they are applying under within the ‘Project Description’ section of their project narrative. For example, an applicant who proposes a project incorporating both the EN project opportunities ‘Water Quality Exchange (WQX)’ and ‘Individual Capacity Building’ should explicitly name both of these EN project opportunities and state that these opportunities support EN Funding Area 2 (WQX) and EN Funding Area 3 (Individual Capacity Building).

Applicants may also propose projects other than the potential options listed in Appendices A, B, and C, provided they conform to EN technologies, services, and specifications. If an applicant is proposing a project which does not correspond to a specific EN project opportunity, this should be clearly stated in the project narrative within the ‘Project Description’ section. The applicant should also note which EN Funding Area(s) would be supported by the proposed project.

For example, a Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data exchange project (which doesn’t relate to a specific EN project opportunity described in this announcement) supports the elimination of industry paper reporting and expansion of e-reporting. Therefore, this proposed project would fall under Funding Area 2: Eliminate paper submittals and expand e-reporting.

B. Program Goals and Objectives The activities to be funded under this funding announcement support the FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan. All activities must support one or more of the following agency goals and objectives:

Goal 1 - Tackle the Climate Crisis;

o Objective 1.1 - Reduce Emissions that Cause Climate Change;

o Objective 1.2 - Accelerate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts;

o Objective 1.3 - Advance International and Subnational Climate Efforts;

Goal 2 - Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights;

o Objective 2.1 - Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State and Local Levels;

Goal 3 - Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance;

o Objective 3.2 - Detect Violations and Promote Compliance;

Goal 4 - Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities;

o Objective 4.1 - Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution and Health Impacts;

o Objective 4.2 - Reduce Exposure to Radiation and Improve Indoor Air;

Goal 5 - Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities;

o Objective 5.1 - Ensure Safe Drinking Water and Reliable Water Infrastructure;

o Objective 5.2 - Protect and Restore Waterbodies and Watersheds;

Goal 6 - Safeguard and Revitalize Communities;

o Objective 6.1 - Clean Up and Restore Land for Productive Uses and Healthy Communities;

o Objective 6.2 - Reduce Waste and Prevent Environmental Contamination;

o Objective 6.3 - Prepare for and Respond to Environmental Emergencies; and

Goal 7 - Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment o Objective 7.1 - Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety; and o Objective 7.2 - Promote Pollution Prevention.

Applicants must identify in the ‘project description’ section of their project narrative (see Appendix E) which goal(s) and objective(s) from the EPA Strategic Plan are supported by their proposed project.

Include both the number and title of each supported goal and objective (e.g., ‘Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis, Objective 1.2 Accelerate Resilience and Adaption to Climate Change Impacts’), and briefly describe for each supported goal/objective how the proposed project will support them. All applications must support at least one strategic goal and strategic objective, but multiple may be supported.

Applicants should also identify which EPA strategic goal and objective is most supported by each project goal as identified in the ‘Project Goals, Outputs, and Outcomes’ section of the project narrative.

Applicants should only list one strategic goal and objective per project goal; if there are multiple options, applicants should choose the best fit. Please note that the same strategic goal and objective may be listed for multiple project goals.

https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

Additionally, the project narrative should include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project. EPA requires that applicants adequately describe the environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under their assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1) to demonstrate how funded projects will contribute to the EPA strategic goals and objectives above. An example of how applicants might capture supported strategic goals, objectives, and environmental results is available in the optional project narrative template.

C. Statutory Authority This program is authorized by the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2024, H.R. 4366.

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

Grants represent direct funding to a recipient to support an identified project with defined environmental results. If the recipient does not identify a preference, EPA’s default award will be a grant.

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

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

• collaboration during performance of the scope of work;

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

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

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

Applicants should identify their preferred assistance agreement type (grant or cooperative agreement) in both their cover letter and project narrative. EPA will consider an applicant’s preferences when the Agency decides what type of assistance to award, with one exception: the ‘UST Finder Application (V2)’ project opportunity (see Appendix B) is only offered as a cooperative agreement.

In-Kind Services: EPA will consider grant recipient requests to use all or a portion of awarded grant funds to provide in-kind services to the recipient through an EPA contract vehicle. Interested applicants should request and justify project efficiencies they expect from this approach. EPA reserves the right to decide whether in-kind services will be provided. The recipient may not direct the work provided through in-kind services. These services are managed by EPA.

Indirect Costs: Indirect costs (IDCs) may be budgeted and charged by award recipients in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200. Indirect costs help ensure that grant recipients are compensated for costs incurred for allowable, allocable, and reasonable facilities and administrative costs that benefit EPA assistance agreements. These costs are for functions that are necessary to the general operations of the organization, such as space costs, utilities, accounting services, human resource services, etc. as well as other activities recipients carry out that may or may not be federally funded.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.317 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.318 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/appendix-Appendix%20IV%20to%20Part%20200

To charge indirect costs, an indirect cost rate agreement must be used according to 2 CFR 200 and must be valid until at least 9/30/2025.

• See the budget guidance in Appendix D for more information on budgeting for indirect costs.

• See the ‘Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreements’ information on page 75 in Appendix E for information on indirect cost rates and associated requirements and attachments.

Subawards and Contracts: EPA will consider applications where all or a portion of awarded assistance agreement funds will be distributed as a subaward or procurement contract. EPA strongly recommends that applicants interested in these funding mechanisms carefully review EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements. Applicants that intend to distribute all anticipated EPA funding through subaward(s) and/or procurement contracts must explain how they will manage these transactions in compliance with applicable Federal requirements without EPA funding applied to personnel. EPA also reminds applicants that they remain accountable to EPA for proper expenditures of EPA funding, even in cases where they pass-through all funding to third parties. Applicants should not identify contractors, subrecipients or program participants unless they demonstrate that applicable requirements have been met.

• Subawards: Under 2 CFR 200.1, a subaward is an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a federal program. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the pass-through entity considers a contract. Appendix A of EPA’s Subaward Policy provides detailed guidance on distinguishing between subawards and procurement contracts.

o Like grant recipients, subrecipients measure performance against program objectives, comply with award requirements, use funds to carry out program activities, and make programmatic decisions.

o Funds that are distributed to partnering organizations through eligible EN partnership awards (see Section 4C) to carry out assistance agreement activities for, and in coordination with, the lead applicant should be distributed as a subaward.

o For-profit firms and individual consultants are not eligible for subawards without prior EPA approval, which is rarely provided. For-profit firms and individual consultants are procurement contractors subject to state or Federal competitive procurement requirements.

o Subawards should be captured under the budget category ‘other’; see Appendix D for further information on including subaward(s) in a proposed project budget.

• Contracts: A contractor operates in a competitive environment, with contractors providing goods and services to the assistance agreement recipient that are ancillary to program operations. See Section 4B ‘Applicants Using Contractors’ for more information.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/documents/best-practice-guide-for-procuring-services-supplies-equipment.pdf?VersionId=gZcqfN8GrYeHErieycJVXxsZxab_lh4w chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/documents/best-practice-guide-for-procuring-services-supplies-equipment.pdf?VersionId=gZcqfN8GrYeHErieycJVXxsZxab_lh4w https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR2a6a0087862fd2c/section-200.1 https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients bookmark://AppGGLOSSContract/

4. Application Contents and Format A. Application Forms The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

Mandatory Documents:

1. Cover Letter (see page 66) o Use ‘Other Attachments Form’ from Grants.gov to submit.

2. Project Narrative (see page 66) o Use ‘Project Narrative Attachment Form’ from Grants.gov to submit.

o The project narrative has a strict page limit of 10 pages; applicants should note that the application review panel will not review any information past this 10-page limit.

3. Budget Narrative Attachment Form (see page 74)

4. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (see page 74)

5. Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) (see page 75)

6. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54 (see page 75)

7. EPA Form 4700-4 Preaward Compliance Review Report (see page 75)

Additional Attachments (Mandatory if applicable) Use ‘Other Attachment Form’ from Grants.gov to submit.

8. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (see page 75)

9. Additional Information for Inter-Tribal Consortia (see page 76)

10. Formal Project Partners (see page 76) o Support Letter(s) o Roles and Responsibilities o Distribution of Funds & Overview of Subaward Budget

11. Formal Project Mentors (see page 76) o Support Letter(s) o Roles and Responsibilities o Distribution of Funds & Overview of Subaward Budget

12. List of Prior Exchange Network Assistant Agreement(s) (see page 76)

13. Documentation Certifying Applicant Status as an Instrument. of a State or Tribe (see page 77)

Additional Guidance Tools/Resources for Applicants:

• Appendix D provides guidance on how to identify tools/resources available for reuse, additional guidance on the EEDS, and a helpful guide to composing a budget.

• Appendix F provides a pre-submission checklist tool to help applicants avoid common application errors and to ensure a complete application package.

Optional templates for an applicant’s cover letter, project narrative, and budget narrative are available at: www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources.

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.

http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources

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

Do not name a procurement contractor (including a consultant) as a “partner” or otherwise in your application unless the contractor has been selected in compliance with competitive procurement requirements. If an applicant selected for award has named a specific subrecipient, contractor, or consultant in the application, it does not relieve the applicant of its obligations to comply with subaward and/or competitive procurement requirements.

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

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

Non-competitive procurement is not allowable without EPA approval, which is provided only in select cases. Applicants must provide a detailed justification when using this procurement method. See 2 CFR 200.320(c) for more information.

o Note: An existing relationship or a history of prior work completed by a contractor, consultant, or vendor does not justify the use of non-competitive procurement. Similarly, proximity of a contracting firm to an applicant’s organization is not sufficient reasoning. One example of a valid non-competitive procurement rationale is that software required for the proposed project is proprietary and developed by the contractor; therefore, the item is available only from a single source.

Contractor/consultant/vendor costs should be captured under the budget category ‘contractual’ and calculated by multiplying the estimated projected hours by the estimated contractor rate. See Appendix D for further contract budget guidance.

o Note: Individual consultants are subject to an hourly wage cap of $93.53.

C. Coalition (EN Partnership) Applications EPA will consider the higher funding limit ($600,000) for projects including one or more qualifying Exchange Network partners, as defined below, to form an EN partnership (coalition) application. A coalition is formed when two or more eligible applicants coordinate to submit a single application.

Coalitions must identify which single eligible organization will be the recipient of the grant (the ‘lead applicant’) and which eligible organization(s) (EN partners) will receive subawards from the recipient (the “pass-through entity”).

The pass-through entity that administers the grant and subawards will be accountable to the EPA for proper expenditure of the funds and reporting and will be the point of contact for the coalition.

Subawards must be consistent with the definition of that term in 2 CFR 200.1 and comply with the EPA’s Subaward Policy.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-04/epa_subaward_policy_frequent_questions.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-04/epa_subaward_policy_frequent_questions.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d/section-200.320 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d/section-200.320 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Subaward) https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients

The lead applicant must meet the eligibility requirements under the EN Grant Program (see Section 2A).

The lead applicant, or prime recipient, of a partnership application must also demonstrate how the proposed project supports the identified EN priorities and explain how the partnership components justify additional funding. Partnership applications that do not demonstrate this will be deemed ineligible.

Eligible partners are separate units of government (e.g., a state partnering with another state, a state partnering with a non-federally recognized Tribe, a federally recognized Tribe partnering with a state university, or a territory partnering with a non-profit). Examples of ineligible partnerships include an eligible lead applicant partnering with a local government as defined by 2 CFR 200.1 within the same state jurisdiction (e.g., a state and a city within the state’s boundaries), an eligible lead applicant partnering with a university (public or private) within the state’s boundaries, or an eligible lead applicant partnering with a for-profit firm or individual consultant.

EPA will not consider partnerships formed from within a single state, territorial, or Tribal government as eligible.

D. Other Program Specific Application Information Quality Assurance (QA) Document Submittal Requirements

EPA will review applications to determine what QA documentation is required, if any. QA requirements will be communicated to the grantee at the time of award by the applicant’s Regional Exchange Network Coordinator (RENC).

EN grant projects which include environmental information operations (EIO) such as collection and/or data monitoring, etc., will be required to submit applicable QA documentation such as a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and/or a Quality Management Plan (QMP). Grant recipients are responsible for submitting any required QA documentation within 90 days of the award issuance date.

RENCs may reject semi-annual progress reports (see Section 8B) for grant recipients who fail to submit and implement required QA documentation. Additionally, project work (goals and outputs) which includes EIO cannot begun until the formal approval of submitted QA documentation by EPA.

Applicants who believe their projects include EIO are encouraged to budget for the preparation and submission of QA documentation within their project workplan (as the first goal(s) and output(s) of the proposed project).

Applicants are encouraged to review the following links for additional information on QA:

• Quality Management Plan (QMP) Standard and EPA's Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)

Standard; contain quality specifications for EPA and non-EPA organizations and definitions…