Notice of Funding Opportunity

Applications Due: Thursday, October 15, 2026

Office of Water

Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OW-OWM-26-03 i

Contents

1. Basic Information

A. Executive Summary B. Key Information:

C. Key Dates:

D. Funding Details:

E. Agency Contact Information:

F. Other Funding Considerations

2. Eligibility

A. Eligible Applicants

(1) Other Eligibility Requirements

B. Cost Sharing

3. Program Description

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

4. Application Contents and Format

A. Application Forms B. Project Narrative Description C. Applicants Using Contractors D. Release Copies of Applications E. Coalition Coverage

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

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

6. Application Review Information

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

Other Evaluation Factors

D. Risk Review

7. Award Notices

8. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements B. Reporting ii

C. Subaward and Executive Compensation Reporting

9. Other Information

A. Additional Provisions for Applicants

1. Basic Information

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Water, Office of Wastewater Management

Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant Program

For more information visit our website here.

A. Executive Summary

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1459E to accelerate career pipelines in the water utilities sector and provide access to water utility workforce opportunities. This action advances the Administration’s priorities, including the goals of Make America Healthy Again, by focusing on building the nation’s water workforce which is critical to ensuring public health and environment protection. Consistent with the law, this action will help inform people about the role of water and wastewater utilities in their communities and increase the awareness of water utility career opportunities.

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support expanding career opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector and elevating public awareness about jobs in the water workforce. Eligible applicants under this funding opportunity are Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), nonprofit organizations, and public works departments and agencies. Eligible activities include apprenticeship and internship programs, education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students, regional industry collaborations, and training programs designed to support decentralized workforce. Efforts should aim for measurable results and clearly show tangible benefits for water systems and communities. The proposed activities support the Agency’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative’s Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American. Examples include training individuals through an apprenticeship program and placing them into water sector jobs, training individuals for industry accreditation, and developing collaborations with community colleges, technical schools, utilities to address the water utility employment needs.

C. Key Dates:

September 14, 2026 11:59 pm ET NOFO Questions Submission Deadline

September 22, 2026 2:00 pm ET Informational Webinar

B. Key Information:

Opportunity Number:

EPA-OW-OWM-26-03

Assistance Listing:

66.445

Announcement Type:

Initial

Funding Available:

Up to $10,800,000

Number of Awards:

Up to 15 https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/innovative-water-infrastructure-workforce-development-program https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-lee-zeldin-announces-epas-powering-great-american-comeback https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-lee-zeldin-announces-epas-powering-great-american-comeback

October 15, 2026 11:59 pm ET Application Submission Deadline

January 2027 Anticipated Notification of Selection

April 2027 Anticipated Award Notification

D. Funding Details:

It is anticipated that up to 15 awards will be made under this announcement. The amount of funding is expected to be between $1,000,000 and $7,800,000 per award for Project Area 1, and between $250,000 and $1,000,000 per award for Project Area 2-4, depending on Agency funding levels, the quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. Awards funded under this opportunity are expected to have a three year project period.

E. Agency Contact Information:

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

Technical Contact: Hana Abate; WaterWorkforceNOFO@epa.gov

Eligibility Contact: Hana Abate; WaterWorkforceNOFO@epa.gov

Electronic Submissions Contact: Grants.gov: support@grants.gov; 1-800-518-4726

Note to Applicants: EPA will respond to questions from individual applicants regarding threshold eligibility criteria, administrative issues related to the submission of the application, and requests for clarification about any of the language or provisions in the announcement. EPA will not meet with individual applicants to discuss draft applications, provide informal comments on draft applications, or provide advice to applicants on how to respond to ranking criteria. Applicants are responsible for the contents of their applications. Applicants should raise any questions they may have about this funding opportunity to the contact identified above as soon as possible so that any questions may be clarified prior to submitting a proposal. In addition, if necessary, EPA may clarify threshold eligibility issues with applicants prior to making a final eligibility determination.

Questions about this funding opportunity must be submitted in writing via e-mail and must be received by the Agency Contact identified above by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, September 14, 2026, and written responses will be posted on EPA’s website. Please note answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), including relevant definitions, are available at the same website. EPA strongly recommends interested applicants refer to the FAQs webpage prior to submitting a question.

Informational Webinars:

The EPA will host an informational session regarding this announcement via webinar prior to the closing date of this NOFO. The webinar will be held September 22, 2026, at 2:00pm ET. Webinar registration is available online and the EPA will attempt to answer any appropriate questions in this public forum.

Information about the webinar, including webinar recording and questions and answers, will be posted on the Workforce website.

https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/innovative-water-infrastructure-workforce-development-program https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/innovative-water-infrastructure-workforce-development-program https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_iAvbuP3rRQSP7-NXpq6WVQ#/registration https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/innovative-water-infrastructure-workforce-development-program

F. Other Funding Considerations

Up to $10,800,000 may be awarded under this NOFO, depending on Agency funding levels, the quality of applications received, agency priorities, satisfactory performance of work, and other applicable considerations. Funding each year is not guaranteed. See the table below for anticipated funding levels by project area.

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 was evaluated and selected for award to maintain the integrity of the competition and selection process.

Selection or award of funding under this funding opportunity is not a guarantee of future funding. EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement 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.

2. Eligibility

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

• Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)

• Public works departments and agencies

• Nonprofit organizations

• Nonprofit professional or service organizations

• Nonprofit labor organizations

• Nonprofit community colleges

• Other nonprofit training and educational institutions

Project Area # Of Awards Anticipated

Funding Range/Award Funding Available

Project Area 1: Targeted internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship

1-8 awards $1,000,000-$7,800,000 $7.8 million

Project Area 2: Education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students

1-4 awards $250,000 -1,000,000 $1 million

Project Area 3: Regional industry and workforce development collaborations

1-4 awards $250,000 -1,000,000

$1 million

Project Area 4: Training programs for decentralized workforce

1-4 awards $250,000 -1,000,000 $1 million https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Institution%20of%20Higher%20Education%20(IHE)) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Nonprofit%20organization)

Nonprofit organization, as defined by 2 CFR Part 200, means any organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the organization's operations. Note that 2 CFR Part 200 specifically excludes the following types of organizations from the definition of nonprofit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation: (i) institutions of higher education - Institutions of Higher Education are defined at 20 U.S.C.

1001. Nonetheless, institutions of higher education who otherwise qualify as nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply as indicated in the Office of Management and Budget’s July 2017 Frequent Questions on the Uniform Grant Guidance. Nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in prohibited lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply. For profit organizations and hospitals are not eligible.

(1) Other Eligibility Requirements

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

• An applicant must meet the eligibility requirements in Section 2.A of this announcement at the time of application submission.

• Applications must address only one of the four Project Areas listed in Section 3. Applications that address more than one Project Area will not be reviewed.

• Under this NOFO, only one application can be submitted per applicant. If an applicant submits more than one application, EPA will contact them before the review process begins to determine which application(s) will be withdrawn. If the applicant is not able to communicate a decision within 48 hours of being contacted by EPA, EPA will accept the application received by Grants.gov most recently. Additional information regarding the one application per applicant requirement may be found in the FAQ document available at https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/innovative-water-infrastructure-workforce-development-program.

• Applications must address all three required elements described in Section 3.A; Project Area, Geographic Area, and Innovative Approach.

• If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the application will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding. Applicants who have any questions about the eligibility of activities proposed should clarify the issue with the agency point of contact prior to submitting their application.

• Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section 4 of this announcement or else they will be rejected.

Please see Section 6 for additional threshold criteria.

B. Cost Sharing Any cost share proposed by an applicant is voluntary. Applicants will not be scored or evaluated solely on the inclusion of voluntary committed cost share if they choose to propose cost share.

Voluntary committed cost sharing is a binding requirement of Federal award. Applicants who propose voluntary cost share must include the costs/contributions on the SF-424, SF-424A Budget Information form, and Budget Detail.

https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/innovative-water-infrastructure-workforce-development-program https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/innovative-water-infrastructure-workforce-development-program

If an applicant proposes voluntary cost share the following apply:

1. A voluntary committed cost share is subject to the match provisions in the grant regulations

(2 CFR 200.306).

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

3. The recipient may not use other sources of federal funds to meet a voluntary cost share unless the statute authorizing the other federal funding provides that the federal funds may be used to meet a cost share requirement on a federal grant.

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

3. Program Description

A. Purpose, Priorities, and Activities Purpose: EPA is soliciting applications from eligible applicants for projects in four Project Areas as discussed in further detail below. While EPA expects to make at least one award in each area, there is no guarantee that this will be done, and EPA may redistribute the awards per area based on the quality of applications received and other applicable considerations. Currently, water utilities face challenges in recruiting, training, and retaining employees. These challenges are exacerbated with roughly one-third of the water sector workforce eligible to retire in the next 10 years. Additionally, as the technologies that are used in the water sector become more advanced (e.g., state of the art water reuse technology), there is a growing need to train and employ water protection specialists with specialized technical skills.

This program is aimed at funding workforce development programs through an increased collaboration among Federal, State, and local governments; and institutions of higher education to accelerate career pipelines and provide access to workforce opportunities. It aims to address the challenges faced by the water workforce in several key areas to help develop the next generation of water workers. A particular focus of this NOFO is to support water workforce development in rural, small, and tribal communities.

The proposed activities support the Agency’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative’s Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American.

Program Office Priorities: Ensuring that all Americans have safe water to drink and essential wastewater services is a top priority for EPA and the Office of Water. The grant program supports the missions of both the Office of Wastewater Management (OWM) and the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW). OWM’s mission is to protect public health and the environment by supporting the Clean Water Act and related statutes. OWM promotes effective and responsible wastewater treatment, disposal, infrastructure, and management and by encouraging the protection and restoration of watersheds. OGWDW protects public health by supporting the Safe Drinking Water Act and related statutes and promotes the safety of the nation’s drinking water. Awards made through this funding opportunity will increase the number of trained water professionals and provide more opportunities for future water professionals to meet the demands of the water industry.

Activities will support the development of a sustainable workforce dedicated to maintaining https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-2%2Fsection-200.306&data=05%7C02%7CPersico.Grace%40epa.gov%7C69ff25b5d00a44f3ace908de06754cdf%7C88b378b367484867acf976aacbeca6a7%7C0%7C0%7C638955298021847981%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=PVp%2FkiY8rEvDppj0kYyAURvOC9NYiGS72Td1U2NPZIQ%3D&reserved=0 drinking water and wastewater systems, ensuring the protection of public health and the environment. These efforts should aim for measurable results, clearly showing tangible benefits in communities.

This funding opportunity is being offered under Federal Assistance Listing 66.445.

Required Elements: Each application narrative must address the following three elements.

• 1. Project Areas: Each application must explicitly identify and thoroughly address one and only one of the Project Areas listed in Section 3.A.(1).

• 2. Geographic Area: Applicants must describe their proposed plan to share (or make available to geographically diverse areas) the Project Area, the results of the Project Area, and the lessons learned. For the purposes of the Project Areas, an example of “results” mean: (1) developing and providing targeted internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, or post-secondary bridge programs for skilled water utility trades; and (2) an evaluation of how these programs have helped expand public awareness about the job opportunities in the water sector and addressed the workforce needs of drinking water and wastewater utilities. For the purposes of this announcement, “geographically diverse” means in different areas of the country.

EPA is asking applicants to specifically provide information on how they intend to expand awareness to individuals from rural, small, and tribal communities. The application should describe the applicant’s proposed community outreach strategies and cultural competencies, particularly if the project will include work with tribes and/or limited resource communities.

• 3. Innovative Approach: Applicants must include innovative approaches to address the workforce needs of drinking water and wastewater utilities. For the purposes of this announcement, “innovative” means new ideas and methods that are original and creative in approach. The applicant should demonstrate how these innovative approaches have the potential to effectively reach the intended audience. As an example, this could mean a proposed approach to share the project activity, results, and lessons learned at workforce specialty conference(s) that include water utilities that are geographically diverse, of varying sizes, and serve urban, suburban and rural populations. Applicants may also propose innovative approaches that have proved to be successful in other sectors and may have a high degree of transferability to the water sector.

EPA is particularly interested in results produced through this grant program that are scalable and have potential to be utilized by the broader water sector, including water utilities.

All applications submitted under Project Areas 1-4 must address the Section 4.B. Project Narrative Components. All eligible applications under the specific Project Areas 1-4 will be evaluated based on the criteria in Section 6 including how well and thoroughly the Project Area is addressed.

(1) Project Areas Project Area 1: Targeted internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and postsecondary bridge programs for skilled water utility trades.

Under Project Area 1, EPA is soliciting applications to expand public awareness about job opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector and address the workforce needs of drinking water and wastewater utilities. This may be achieved by developing and implementing, for example, but not limited to, targeted internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and post-secondary bridge programs for priority water utility trades through:

(1) On-the-job training, including registered apprenticeships;

(2) Skills development;

(3) Test preparation, including developing test materials for skilled trade apprenticeships;

(4) Advance training in the water utility sector relating to construction, utility operations treatment and distribution, infrastructure, customer service, maintenance, and engineering; or

(5) Other supportive services and participant support costs (e.g., apprenticeship stipend and training materials, reasonable costs for transportation, childcare subsidies) to facilitate post-secondary success.

Project Area 2 - Education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students.

Under Project Area 2, EPA is soliciting applications to expand student awareness about the job opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector and to address the workforce needs of drinking water and wastewater utilities by developing education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students and providing training opportunities for secondary and higher education students that:

(1) Inform students about the value of water and water infrastructure and the role of drinking water and wastewater utilities in their communities;

(2) Increase student awareness of career opportunities in the water sector, and increase student exposure to water utility careers through various work-based learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom;

(3) Connect students to career pathways related to water utilities;

(4) Provide hands-on contextualized learning opportunities;

(5) Offer dual enrollment credit for post-secondary education and training programs;

(6) Create a direct connection to water utility and industry employers; and/or

(7) Build integrated learning laboratories in secondary educational institutions.

For the purposes of this announcement, “secondary education” means education beyond the elementary grades and “higher education” means education beyond the secondary level (e.g., community colleges, vocational schools and/or university level).

For the purposes of this announcement, “contextualized learning” means relating subject matter content to meaningful situations that are relevant to students.

Project Area 3: Regional industry and workforce development collaborations to address water utility employment needs and coordinate candidate development, particularly in small and rural areas, areas of high unemployment or for water utilities with a high proportion of retirement eligible employees.

Under Project Area 3, EPA is soliciting applications to expand public awareness about job opportunities in the water sector and address the workforce needs of utilities by establishing regional industry and workforce development collaborations that will address drinking water and wastewater utility recruitment and retention issues. Small and rural utilities face distinct workforce challenges, including difficulty attracting and retaining qualified operators and an aging workforce nearing retirement.

Strengthening workforce pipelines in rural areas is essential to ensuring reliable water services, protecting public health, and sustaining critical infrastructure. Applications should describe water utility employment needs in rural areas and provide information on if and how candidate development will occur in areas with high unemployment or for water utilities with high proportion of retirement eligible employees in the water utility community. States are beginning to encounter critical staffing shortages in areas of high unemployment and where water utilities have a high proportion of retirement eligible employees or forceable workforce vacancies. Under this activity, applications should demonstrate a proposed approach to further the goal of building a stronger and more effective water utility workforce through collaboration opportunities with school systems, technical colleges, universities, labor organizations, community-based organizations, and other utilities.

For the purposes of this project area, “results” mean (1) developing and implementing collaborative initiatives with school systems, technical colleges, universities labor organizations, community-based organizations, and/or other utilities; and (2) an evaluation of how these initiatives addressed (will address) the recruitment and retention needs of water and wastewater utilities.

Project Area 4: Education and training programs, including internship or apprenticeship programs, designed for decentralized water workers (i.e., private well and/or septic system service professionals) to support public health outcomes for communities that rely on private wells for drinking water or decentralized systems for adequate treatment and disposal of wastewater.

Under Project Area 4, EPA is soliciting applications to expand public awareness about job opportunities in the decentralized drinking water (i.e., private wells) and/ or wastewater (i.e., septic systems) sectors, and address the workforce needs of the decentralized water workforce (such as inspectors, operation and maintenance [O&M] providers, designers, installers, etc.) through supporting public health outcomes of communities that rely on these systems. This may be achieved by developing and implementing, for example, but not limited to, education and training programs at higher education institutions, or internship/apprenticeship programs that prioritize decentralized water skilled trades through:

(1) New training program(s) at higher education institutions (i.e., community colleges);

(2) Growth of existing training program(s) at higher education institutions;

(3) On-the-job training, including registered apprenticeships;

(4) Skills development;

(5) Test preparation for state level licensing requirements;

(6) Advanced training in the decentralized water sector relating to site evaluation, design, installation, inspection/monitoring, and operations/maintenance of systems; or,

(7) Other supportive services and participant support costs (e.g., apprenticeship stipend and training materials, reasonable costs for transportation, childcare subsidies) to facilitate growth potential of decentralized water workers.

For the purposes of this announcement, “higher education” means education at the technical college, community college, or university level. For the purposes of this announcement, “Private well” is defined as a well owned by a homeowner or group of homeowners that supplies drinking water to fewer than 25 people and contains fewer than 15 service connections. “Decentralized wastewater systems” are defined as: septic or onsite or clustered systems used to collect, treat, and disperse or reclaim wastewater from a small community, tribe, or service area that are publicly or privately-owned and/or serve tribal communities (except for systems owned by U.S. federal entities). For further details regarding decentralized wastewater systems refer to the EPA “Overview of Clean Water State Revolving Fund Eligibilities” decentralized chapter at: https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf/overview-clean-water-state-revolving-fund-eligibilities.

(2) Project Partnerships

Effective partnerships are important for the success of projects solicited under this announcement. In their applications, applicants should identify appropriate and necessary partnerships to successfully conduct the project. Applicants should also include a clear description of the roles of specific partners, or planned partners, in the project’s components and/or tasks. If you choose not to partner, applications will be evaluated based on how the applicant demonstrates how it will successfully conduct the project and meet the objectives described in Section 3 without the use of partners.

(3) Transfer of Results

The application should include a description of the applicant’s proposed approach for active transfer of project results, and methods and/or effective strategies to water utilities, states, tribes, and/or other interested stakeholders so that others may better build their water workforces. This should include a detailed explanation of how the proposed results will or could be scaled for the broader water sector, along with the proposed approaches that will or could be utilized to support such wider adoption by the water sector. Examples of ways to transfer results include: i. Sharing the results with relevant drinking water and/or wastewater utilities and other relevant organizations and stakeholders; ii. Conducting webinars or other outreach efforts, that address workforce needs, to drinking water and wastewater utilities; and/or iii. Sharing the results at conference(s) that include water utilities.

(4) Environmental Results

Applicants are required to describe how funding will help EPA achieve outputs and outcomes under Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American, in their responses to the criteria in Section 6. Outputs and outcomes specific to each project will be identified as deliverables in the negotiated workplan if the application is selected for award. Recipients will be expected to report progress toward the attainment of expected project outputs and outcomes during the project performance period. Outputs and outcomes are defined as follows:

https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf/overview-clean-water-state-revolving-fund-eligibilities https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf/overview-clean-water-state-revolving-fund-eligibilities

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

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

Examples of anticipated outputs for Project Area 1, Targeted internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and post-secondary bridge programs for skilled water utility trades, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• An increased number of participants in existing or new internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, post-secondary bridge programs for skilled water utility trades, including programs addressing emerging water workforce needs.

• An increased number of available recruitment strategies, materials, and partnerships to inform potential applicants of internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and postsecondary bridge programs for skilled water utility trades.

Examples of anticipated outputs for Project Area 2, Education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Establishment of new partnerships with community and technical colleges to provide classroom, online, and/or on the job training experiences for elementary, secondary, or higher education students.

• Development, distribution, and use of age-appropriate educational materials for elementary, secondary, or higher education students to raise awareness about opportunities in the drinking water or wastewater utilities sector.

• Development of an innovative program or strategy in a secondary educational institution to recruit to the water utility sector workforce.

• Development of new learning laboratories in secondary educational institutions for student awareness about drinking water and wastewater job skills.

Examples of anticipated outputs for Project Area 3, Regional industry, and workforce development collaborations to address water utility employment needs and coordinate candidate development, particularly in small and rural areas, areas of high unemployment or for water utilities with a high proportion of retirement eligible employees, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Development of a new and/or increased number of regional collaboration program(s) or expansion of an existing collaboration program(s) amongst organizations to address regional water workforce needs in areas of high unemployment or for water utilities facing potentially high retirement rates.

• Establishment of new and/or increased number of partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions, labor organizations, utilities, or other organizations to address the workforce needs of water utilities.

Examples of anticipated outputs for Project Area 4, Education and training programs, including internship or apprenticeship programs, designed for decentralized water workers (i.e., private well and/or septic system service professionals) to support public health outcomes for communities that rely 14 on private wells for drinking water or decentralized systems for adequate treatment and disposal of wastewater, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• An increased number of participants in existing or new education and training programs, including internship or apprenticeship programs designed for skilled decentralized water trades.

• An increased number of existing or new education and training programs, including internship or apprenticeship programs designed for skilled decentralized water trades.

• An increased number of available recruitment strategies, materials, and partnerships to inform potential applicants of education and training programs, including internship or apprenticeship programs designed for skilled decentralized water trades.

• Establishment of new partnerships with community and technical colleges to provide classroom, online, and/or on the job training experiences for higher education students.

• Development, distribution, and use of age-appropriate educational materials to raise higher education student awareness about opportunities in the decentralized water sector.

Outcomes are the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out the activities under the grant and may gauge a project’s performance. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic; must be qualitative or quantitative; and may not necessarily be achievable during the project period. The expected outcomes for the grants awarded under these guidelines may include, but are not limited to:

Examples of anticipated outcomes for Project Area 1, Targeted internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and post-secondary bridge programs for skilled water utility trades, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• An increased number of individuals that have completed internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and post-secondary bridge programs and been placed in water and wastewater utility jobs.

• An increased number of individuals that have completed internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and post-secondary bridge programs and received industry credentials that qualify them for utility jobs.

• An increased number of individuals from limited resource communities that have been placed in water and wastewater utility jobs and/or received industry credentials that qualify them for utility jobs.

Examples of anticipated outcomes for Project Area 2, Education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Increased number of students with awareness about career opportunities in the water and wastewater sector as documented by program assessments on knowledge acquisition.

• Integration of educational program into school’s science, technology, engineering, and math activities and programs.

• An increased number of students entering the utility workforce or entering postsecondary training or education programs that support the water and wastewater utility workforce.

• Increased program availability, and student participation in programs that support individuals in limited resource communities gain knowledge about, or skills toward, careers in the water and wastewater sector.

Examples of anticipated outcomes for Project Area 3: Regional industry and workforce development collaborations to address water utility employment needs and coordinate candidate development, particularly in small and rural areas, areas of high unemployment or for water utilities with a high proportion of retirement eligible employees, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Increased number of strengthened regional collaborations that support the long-term water utility workforce needs.

• Increased number of individuals in high areas of unemployment being recruited into the water sector.

• Decreased time to backfill for retiring employees or other vacancies to sustain the workforce.

• Increase in the collective skillset of water utility employees that would meet specific requirements in career advancement (e.g., shifts in staff trained to increased levels of expertise).

Examples of anticipated outcomes for Project Area 4, Education and training programs, including internship or apprenticeship programs, designed for decentralized water workers (i.e., private well and/or septic system service professionals) to support public health outcomes for communities that rely on private wells for drinking water or decentralized systems for adequate treatment and disposal of wastewater, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Increased number of individuals that have completed decentralized water education and training programs, including internship or apprenticeship programs, and been placed in decentralized water jobs.

• Increased number of individuals that have completed decentralized water education and training programs, including internship or apprenticeship programs, and been placed in decentralized water jobs.

• Increased number of individuals from communities with limited resources or access who are aware of the career opportunities in the decentralized water sector.

• Integration of educational program into school’s science, technology, engineering, and math activities and programs.

• Increased number of students from limited resource communities entering the utility workforce or entering post-secondary training or education programs that support the decentralized water workforce.

B. Program Goals and Objectives The activities to be funded under this funding announcement support Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American. All applications must be for projects that support that pillar. As utilities make critical investments in infrastructure, drinking water and wastewater utilities should also invest in the development of a strong local workforce to strengthen communities and ensure a steady pipeline of skilled workers for today and tomorrow. In addition to the drinking water and wastewater utility workforce, the workforce that designs, installs, repairs, and maintains decentralized water systems (i.e., private wells and septic systems) are of critical importance in communities and homes that are not served by a drinking water and/or wastewater utility. Drinking water and wastewater utilities, as well as decentralized water systems, provide workers with unique opportunities for access to stable, rewarding, and high-quality careers that protect and support public health and safety.

As part of the Project Narrative, applicants should describe how the project results will link the outcomes to support Pillar 1 and to the goals of:

(i) increasing educational and training opportunities for water workforce careers though mechanisms like apprenticeships and educational engagement;

(ii) expanding the public’s awareness about the different job opportunities in the water sector: and/or

(iii) connect individuals to careers in the water sector.

In addition, applicants should describe their plan and approach for tracking and measuring their progress towards achieving expected outputs and outcomes. Additional information regarding the EPA’s discussion of environmental results in terms of “outputs” and “outcomes” can be found at Linking Assistance Agreements to Environmental Results (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements).

C. Statutory Authority The statutory authority for the awards expected to be made under this funding opportunity is Section 1459E of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended, (42 U.S.C. Section 300j-19e). SDWA 1459E authorizes EPA to award grants to assist in the development and use of innovative activities relating to workforce development and career opportunities in the water utility sector, and to expand public awareness about water utilities and connect individuals to careers in the water utility sector.

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

Cooperative agreements provide for substantial involvement between the EPA Project 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).

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

https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-lee-zeldin-announces-epas-powering-great-american-comeback https://www.epa.gov/grants/linking-assistance-agreements-environmental-results https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.317 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.318

4. Application Contents and Format

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

Mandatory Documents:

1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

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

3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

4. EPA Form 4700-4 Preaward Compliance Review Report

5. Project Narrative Attachment Form: use this to submit your Project Narrative

Optional Documents:

• Other Attachments Form- Biographical Sketches

• Other Attachments Form- Negotiated Indirect Cost Agreement, if applicable

Applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in application format, including selecting a legible font type and size for use in the application.

The Project Narrative must include the sections described in Section 4.B of this announcement. The Project Narrative is limited to no more than twenty (20) typewritten, single spaced 8.5x11-inch pages (a page is one side of a piece of paper) including the cover page and executive summary. Pages should be consecutively numbered for ease of reading. It is recommended that applicants use a standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins. While these guidelines establish the minimum type size recommended, applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in selection of an appropriate font for use in the Project Narrative. Do not use a “double column” (aka newspaper) format. Do not include more than one application in any file. Additional pages beyond the 20-page limit will not be considered. Please note that supporting materials, which are limited to biographical sketches and full resumes as described below, are not considered part of the Project Narrative and are not included within the page limit.

B. Project Narrative Description The application’s Project Narrative must be typewritten and must include the information listed below, making sure to address the review criteria in Section 6. If a particular item is not applicable, clearly state this in the Project Narrative.

1. Cover Page (included in the page limit):

i. Project title and Project Area;

ii. Name of applicant;

iii. Key personnel and contact information (i.e., e-mail address and phone number); Total project cost (specify the amount of federal funds requested and the total project cost). The Project Area addressed in the application. (If an applicant submits more than one application it will be rejected.); and

iv. The Geographic Scope of the Project

2. Executive Summary: Provide a brief summary of the proposed project (should not exceed one page). This should include a brief description of the proposed project and the anticipated environmental outputs and outcomes.

3. Workplan: The workplan must address the following sections, for a more detailed description of each section please refer to Section 3.B of this NOFO.

i. Project Area

ii. Geographic Area

iii. Innovative Approach

4. Project Partnerships: Effective partnerships are important for the success of projects under this announcement. In their applications, applicants should identify appropriate and necessary partnerships to successfully conduct the project.

Applicants should also include a clear description of the roles and responsibilities of specific partners, or planned partners, in the project’s components/tasks. If you choose not to partner, applications will be evaluated based on how the applicant demonstrates how it will successfully conduct the project and meet the objectives described in Section 3.A without partners.

5. Transfer of Results: The application should include a description of the applicant’s plan for active transfer of project results (as defined under each Project Area in Section 3A, methods and/or effective strategies to water utilities, states, tribes, and/or other interested stakeholders, so that the other entities may better build their drinking water and wastewater workforce. Reference Section 3.A of this announcement for additional information. This should include a detailed explanation of how the proposed results will or could be scaled to the broader water sector, along with the proposed approaches that will or could be utilized to support such wider adoption by the water sector.

6. Environmental Results and Measuring Progress: Stated Objective/Link to EPA’s Pillars List the objective of the project and the linkage to support Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American

a) Results of Activities (Outputs): Describe the anticipated products/results which are expected to be achieved from accomplishment of the project and describe an approach for tracking and reporting your progress toward achieving the expected project output(s); (examples of outputs can be found in Section 3.A.(2). of this announcement).

b) Projected Environmental Improvement (Outcomes): List the anticipated environmental improvements that will be accomplished because of the project.

These improvements are changes or benefits to the environment or public health which are a result of the accomplishment of the work plan commitments and outputs. Describe an approach for tracking and reporting progress toward achieving the expected project outcome(s); (examples of outcomes can be found in Section 3.A.(2). of this announcement).

7. Milestone Schedule: Provide a projected milestone schedule for the proposed project period (up to three years). The milestone schedule should provide a breakout of the project activities into phases with associated tasks, number of training and technical assistance activities projected to be completed per quarter, and a timeframe for completion of tasks and an approach for ensuring that awarded funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner. The project start date will follow award acceptance by the successful applicant.

8. Detailed Budget Narrative: Provide a detailed budget and estimated funding amounts for each project component/task. This section provides an opportunity for a narrative description of the budget or aspects of the budget found in the SF-424A such as “other” and “contractual.”

Applicants must itemize costs related to personnel, fringe benefits, contractual costs, travel, equipment, supplies, other direct costs, indirect costs and total costs. All subawardee funding should be in the “other” cost category. Describe itemized costs in enough detail for the EPA to determine the allowability of costs for each project component/task, as well as the cost-effectiveness and reasonableness of all costs. Please see the EPA’s Budget Development Guidance for additional information on preparing budget narratives, including a sample budget (Appendix 2), and the Indirect Cost Guidance. Please also reference the EPA’s training modules on how to develop a budget.

9. Programmatic Capability/Experience:

a) Organizational Experience - Provide a brief description of your organization and experience related to the proposed project, and your organization’s infrastructure as it relates to its ability to successfully implement the proposed project.

b) Staff Expertise/Qualifications - Provide a list of key staff and briefly describe their experience/expertise/qualifications, cultural competency including appropriate language fluency to serve communities in the geographic areas to be served, and knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the project,. Include an estimate of the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) workers (based on 2080 hours per year/FTE).