EPA-OW-OWOW-24-02.pdf

Federal Agency Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Office of Water/Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds

Funding Opportunity Title: Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program

Announcement Type: Request for Applications (RFA)

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OW-OWOW-24-02

Assistance Listing Number: 66.441

Key Dates:

• March 28, 2024: The EPA will host Information Session Webinar #1 about this announcement on March 28, 2024 at 1pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Webinar registration is available at: https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants.

• April 9, 2024: The EPA will host Information Session Webinar #2 about this announcement on April 9, 2024 at 2:30pm EDT. Webinar registration is available at:

https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants.

• April 26, 2024: Questions about this RFA must be submitted in writing via e-mail and must be received by the Agency Contact identified in Section VII by April 26, 2024. Written responses will be posted on EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants.

• May 10, 2024: All applications must be received by electronic submission through Grants.gov by 11:59 P.M. EDT, May 10, 2024, in order to be considered for funding. Late applications will not be considered for funding.

Note to Applicants:

Following EPA’s evaluation of applications, all applicants will be notified regarding their status.

If you name subawardees/subgrantees and/or contractor(s) in your application to assist you with the proposed project, pay careful attention to the information in the CONTRACTS AND SUBAWARDS provision found in Section IV.d of the EPA Solicitation Clauses at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses.

https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants-hwcg https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants-hwcg https://grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses

Contents

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background on Healthy Watersheds Program

B. Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program Background and Objective

C. Environmental Results and Linkage to Strategic Plan

D. Statutory Authority

E. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Amount of Funding

B. Type of Funding

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

B. Cost Sharing/Match Requirements

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Form of Application Submission

B. Content of Application Submission

C. Submission Dates and Times

D. Additional Provisions for Application Incorporated Into the Solicitation

E. Communications with Applicants

F. Information Sessions

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Ranking Criteria

B. Review and Selection Process

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

C. Reporting

D. Disputes

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)

B. Data Sharing

C. Invasive Species Control

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications from eligible applicants to manage the Healthy Watersheds Consortium (HWC) Grant Program to continue efforts to accelerate and expand the strategic protection of healthy freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems and their watersheds across the country. This grant program will advance the protection of healthy watersheds by supporting an array of projects to build watershed protection capacity and support actions to protect healthy watersheds.

A. Background on Healthy Watersheds Program The stated objective of the Clean Water Act (CWA) is “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters” (33 U.S.C. Section 1251(a); CWA Section 101(a)). Over the past five decades, the EPA’s water programs have focused primarily on restoring impaired waters and reducing pollutant levels in waterways. The EPA launched the Healthy Watersheds Program to place a renewed emphasis on maintaining the integrity of the nation’s healthy waters and to leverage these waters to accelerate restoration successes. The EPA’s Healthy Watersheds Program aims to maintain and increase the numbers of healthy waters and watersheds across the United States.

Key Definitions

Healthy Watersheds:

The EPA’s Healthy Watersheds Program considers healthy watersheds to be those in which natural land cover supports dynamic hydrologic and geomorphic processes within their natural range of variation (e.g., sediment storage and deposition); habitat of sufficient size and connectivity to support native aquatic and riparian species; and water quality that supports healthy biological communities. (US EPA, 2012. Identifying and Protecting Healthy Watersheds:

Concepts, Assessments, and Management Approaches. U.S. EPA, EPA-841-B-11-002).

Healthy Watersheds Protection:

Healthy watersheds protection refers to the suite of management activities to achieve watershed-level goals, typically centering on preserving, enhancing, or improving aquatic ecosystems and supporting natural landscape and watershed processes, such as hydrology, in largely healthy watersheds. Healthy watersheds protection projects should represent strategic priorities from an existing plan (e.g., regional, state/Tribal, basin or watershed-scale, or those covering another targeted geographic area, such as source water protection areas) or strategy intended to protect healthy watersheds.

Over the last decade, the EPA’s Healthy Watersheds Program has supported states and other partners that are implementing proactive, holistic approaches to protect healthy waters and watersheds in the following program focus areas:

• Clean Water Act Integration: Supporting states and other clean water partners to refine approaches to protect healthy waters and watersheds through CWA program https://www.epa.gov/hwp https://www.epa.gov/hwp/key-documents-healthy-watersheds-program#concepts https://www.epa.gov/hwp/key-documents-healthy-watersheds-program#concepts implementation (e.g., see protection language within the CWA 303(d) Vision and CWA 319 Program Guidelines, as well as materials from the July 2022 CWA 303(d) and 319 Protection Learning Exchange).

• Healthy Watersheds Assessments: Providing technical resources and support for partners working to identify healthy watersheds vulnerable to degradation, based on the EPA’s Healthy Watersheds Assessment Framework (e.g., see EPA’s Preliminary Healthy Watersheds Assessments).

• Healthy Watersheds Protection: Investing directly in projects that demonstrate the array of techniques and approaches to protect healthy watersheds (e.g., see summaries of projects supported under the Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grants Program between 2016 and 2022).

• Growing Protection-Based Partnerships: Building partnerships across EPA programs and with external partners to align resources to protect healthy watersheds, as well as integrate healthy watersheds protection within broader landscape-based initiatives (e.g., see EPA’s 2022 Watershed Protection Guide for Land Trusts).

Today, healthy watersheds protection plays an increasingly critical role in achieving the CWA objective and the EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. Through the Healthy Watersheds Program, EPA aims to continue progress towards these goals:

1. Mitigating the need for water quality restoration and helping ensure restoration success. Proactive watershed planning and management can prevent or mitigate the need for water quality restoration, which frequently requires significant resource investments and sustained efforts over years to achieve success. Healthy, functioning watersheds can also provide the building blocks that anchor water quality restoration efforts.

2. Maintaining the resilience of aquatic ecosystems to climate change. Intact natural systems are more resilient because base flows are preserved during periods of drought, impacts of floods are mitigated through storage of surface and ground water in floodplains and wetlands, riparian corridors allow for species migration, and carbon is sequestered in the natural land cover. As a result, resilient, healthy watersheds help reduce environmental and human health impacts of climate change.

3. Protecting healthy waters that local communities depend upon, including those disadvantaged, historically marginalized and overburdened. There is an inextricable connection between the health of waters, their surrounding watersheds, and the communities that live in them. Healthy watersheds support healthy waters, which together provide a wide range of ecosystem services necessary for social and economic well-being, including social and health benefits provided by nature-based recreation and reduced costs associated with water treatment and flooding.

B. Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program Background and Objective

The objective of the Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program is to accelerate and expand the strategic protection of healthy watersheds, including freshwater, estuarine, and https://www.epa.gov/tmdl/Vision https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-09/documents/319-guidelines-fy14.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-09/documents/319-guidelines-fy14.pdf https://www.eli.org/freshwater-ocean/cwa-303d-and-319-protection-learning-exchange-presentations-and-materials https://www.eli.org/freshwater-ocean/cwa-303d-and-319-protection-learning-exchange-presentations-and-materials https://www.epa.gov/hwp/download-preliminary-healthy-watersheds-assessments https://www.epa.gov/hwp/download-preliminary-healthy-watersheds-assessments https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants-hwcg https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-07/Advancing_Watershed_Protection_Through_Land_Conservation_EPA_July_2022.pdf marine ecosystems, across the country through a cooperative agreement and subsequent subawards. The HWC Grant Program was first launched in 2015, supported with $3.75 million in funding from the EPA. The grant program funding supported a total of 56 subawards across approximately 25 states and 9 EPA regions. These projects demonstrated an array of new and innovative protection techniques and approaches, including implementing watershed protection plans, building organizational and social infrastructure needed for long-term protection efforts, and employing innovative, new strategies for achieving watershed protection goals. In total, these projects supported by the HWC Grant Program contributed to the protection of more than 1 million land acres and more than 5,100 stream miles, primarily via land conservation and enhanced regulatory protections. You can learn more about past subaward projects here.

The EPA is providing funding under this RFA to continue to accelerate and expand the strategic protection of healthy watersheds including freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems, across the country through a cooperative agreement and subsequent subawards. Subawards must be consistent with the definition of that term in 2 CFR 200.1 and comply with the EPA’s Subaward Policy. In their applications, applicants should demonstrate their ability, and describe an approach, for serving as an intermediary organization to manage the HWC Grant Program and build partnerships to leverage and sustain the Consortium. Applicants should specify any specialized experience and expertise developing and implementing partnership-based programs to protect healthy watersheds, including in or to benefit disadvantaged, historically marginalized and overburdened communities.

As part of their project approach in the project narrative (see Section IV.B.2.b), applicants should demonstrate their ability to:

i. Prepare and advertise a subaward competition, establish criteria for evaluating and selecting subawardee applications, and make subawards to support healthy watershed protection high-impact demonstration projects and capacity-building projects that: (1) include a variety of partners; (2) develop or represent priorities of a plan or strategy intended to protect healthy watersheds, or some other prioritization scheme based on a healthy watersheds assessment; and (3) include a plan for tracking and communicating the successes of the subaward project;

ii. Oversee and monitor subawardees for successful completion of subaward projects supported by the HWC Grant Program;

iii. Provide technical support to subawardees by, for example, facilitating peer-to-peer exchanges to provide opportunities for knowledge transfer in the development and implementation of healthy watersheds protection strategies, including through conducting one in-person national meeting, one virtual national meeting, and regional-specific virtual meetings, as appropriate;

iv. Develop a strategy to promote, grow, and sustain the HWC Grant Program over the duration of the cooperative agreement, including through program development, partnerships, and networking;

v. Collaborate with the EPA in highlighting the HWC Grant Program in engagements with clean water partners (e.g., state and local partners implementing CWA programs) to https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-consortium-grants-hwcg 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 increase understanding of and support for healthy watersheds protection;

vi. Communicate the successes of the subaward projects through written materials such as fact sheets, press releases, blogs, and websites;

vii. Qualitatively and quantitatively measure and report on the outputs and outcomes of environmental results of the healthy watersheds projects accomplished through the subawards.

Applicants may include any other activities in the subaward RFA that they believe will help promote and attain the objectives and goals described in the announcement.

Geographic Scope of HWC Grant Program The competitive subaward process proposed in the project approach must be on a national scale by allowing for subaward project applications from across the 50 United States, Tribal Lands, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories (i.e., Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa).

Subaward Project Types Applicants should address how they will ensure that competitive subawards will support one of the following project types, as described below. In all cases, subaward projects should have the following components: (1) include a variety of partner organizations; (2) advance a new or existing plan or strategy intended to protect healthy watersheds, or some other prioritization scheme based on a healthy watersheds assessment; and (3) include a plan for tracking and communicating the successes of the subaward project. Consistent with the goals of the Justice40 Initiative, applicants are strongly encouraged to describe the approach to solicit subaward applications from organizations seeking to protect healthy watersheds in or to benefit disadvantaged, historically marginalized and overburdened communities.

Subawards awarded under the cooperative agreement are anticipated to have project periods ranging from approximately two to three years. The subawards need to be completed in sufficient time for the recipient to, for example, aggregate results and ensure that subawardees have been reimbursed for all incurred costs. Funding for each subaward may range from approximately $50,000 to $150,000 per project. Applicants may identify a slightly different range for each subaward as part of their project narrative.

Subaward Project Type #1: Healthy Watershed Protection High-Impact Demonstration Projects: Subaward funds should be provided for projects that advance components of a new or existing plan or strategy, such as leveraging funding to protect a particular property, that will directly result in the protection of a healthy watershed. These projects typically leverage a HWC Grant subaward many times over for maximum results. Additionally, these projects must demonstrate a new or experimental protection technique or approach that has the potential to be replicated and scaled to advance healthy watersheds protection regionally or nationally (e.g., a project that demonstrates the potential to unlock significant support via partnerships or financing to support healthy watersheds protection). The EPA expects that the results of the project will be disseminated so that others can benefit from https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40-epa the knowledge gained from the demonstration projects. New approaches may include applications of new settings or environments that are not yet well studied. HWC Grant subaward funds cannot be used for the purchase of land or conservation easements.

Partner funds that are independent of the HWC federal funding and are not part of the required non-federal cost share/match for HWC subawards may be used to purchase land or conservation easements.

Subaward Project Type #2: Healthy Watershed Protection Capacity-Building Projects:

Subaward funds should be provided for projects that will grow the organizational capacity needed for large-scale, long-term healthy watershed protection. These projects should identify existing or proposed funding or strategies to be deployed with increased capacity for project implementation (i.e., projects should demonstrate how the increased capacity will allow the subawardee to secure funding or implement a strategy needed to accelerate long-term watershed protection). Projects should also leverage participation from multiple agencies responsible for aquatic ecosystem, land, habitat, and water resource protection/management as well as other appropriate partners (e.g., non-governmental organizations, other federal agencies).

Applicants may include any other activities in the subaward solicitations that they believe will help promote and attain the program objective described in this announcement (see Section I.B).

Demonstration projects must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches, where the results of the project will be disseminated so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained in the demonstration project. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not a demonstration project. That is an implementation project. Implementation projects are not eligible for funding under this announcement. However, implementation projects funded by partners using funds that are independent of this federal funding and are not part of the required non-federal cost-share/match are permitted. (See Section III.B of the announcement for information on leveraged funding/resources).

Project Partnerships Effective partnerships are critical to achieving the goal of the HWC Grant program to accelerate and expand the strategic protection of healthy watersheds across the United States. Through the HWC Grant program, the EPA seeks to support opportunities to build partnerships across EPA programs and with external partners to align resources to protect healthy watersheds, as well as integrate healthy watersheds protection within broader landscape-based initiatives. In their applications for this RFA, applicants should:

• Identify and describe the entities with whom you will partner to successfully conduct the project;

• Include a clear description of the roles of the specific partners in the project’s components/tasks. Partnerships may, for example, provide technical expertise, and/or provide leveraged resources and opportunities for implementation projects; and

• Describe how these partnerships will contribute to the success of the HWC Grant.

Leveraging Through the HWC Grant program, the EPA seeks to leverage the total project costs (i.e., federal EPA grant funding, plus required 40% non-federal cost-share/mach) to secure additional funds/resources to accelerate and expand the strategic protection of healthy watersheds across the United States. For example, the EPA anticipates opportunities to leverage the HWC Grant program to secure support for healthy watersheds protection from recent federal historic investments via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (e.g., America the Beautiful Challenge program) and Inflation Reduction Act (e.g., US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation programs). In their applications for this RFA, applicants should detail how they will leverage EPA funding to secure assistance, including funding beyond the required non-federal cost-share/match requirement, from partner entities.

Applicants should specify the type and amount of anticipated leveraged funding, how the funds will be obtained, and the likelihood that the leveraging will materialize during the grant project period. See Evaluation Factor V.A.6 in Section V of this RFA for more information.

If the applicant chooses to identify any partner entities who will receive subawards or procurement contracts (including consultants), please pay careful attention to the CONTRACTS AND SUBAWARDS provision found at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses. The EPA will not consider their qualifications unless the applicant selects them in compliance with applicable regulations and provisions.

Applicants may propose to use a portion of the assistance funds to defray transportation and subsistence expenses for non-federal attendees to attend the national meeting. The applicant is solely responsible for determining a methodology for selecting and funding reimbursement requests and providing a report on how participating non-federal attendees benefited from the meetings. The EPA will not participate in the selection or approval of individuals who receive travel assistance. Please see the EPA Guidance on Participant Support Costs for more information.

C. Environmental Results and Linkage to Strategic Plan The activities to be funded under this solicitation support the EPA’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. Awards made under this announcement will support Goal 5 - Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities: Provide clean and safe water for all communities and protect our nation’s waterbodies from degradation, Objective 5.2: Protect and Restore Waterbodies and Watersheds: Address sources of water pollution and ensure water quality standards are protective of the health and needs of all people and ecosystems.

All proposed projects must demonstrate the linkage to the Strategic Plan and include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs, and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that https://www.nfwf.org/programs/america-beautiful-challenge?activeTab=tab-1 https://www.nfwf.org/programs/america-beautiful-challenge?activeTab=tab-1 https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/priorities/inflation-reduction-act https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/priorities/inflation-reduction-act https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2018-g05-r1 https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan demonstrate how the project will contribute to the overall goal of restoring and protecting aquatic ecosystems. Additional information regarding the EPA’s Strategic Plan and discussion of environmental results can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements.

Environmental Outputs (or deliverables) refer to an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal or objective, that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during the assistance agreement funding period.

Examples of anticipated environmental outputs from the cooperative agreement to be awarded under this announcement (including subawards awarded under the cooperative agreement) include, but are not limited to:

• Development of national consortium of partners, including co-funders, to support healthy watersheds protection efforts.

• Development of healthy watersheds protection partnerships to align and leverage resources among subawardees and partners to achieve coordinated protection goals.

• Number of projects completed that demonstrate innovative and replicable approaches for protecting healthy watersheds (e.g., via land use planning or protection demonstration/training projects).

• Number of HWC meetings hosted for subawardees and project partners to share strategies and support national and regional-based communities of practice for healthy watersheds protection.

Environmental Outcomes are the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related or programmatic in nature, must be quantitative, and may not necessarily be achieved within an assistance agreement funding period. Outcomes may be short-term (changes in learning, knowledge, attitude, skills), intermediate (changes in behavior, practice, or decisions), or long-term (changes in condition of the natural resource).

Examples of environmental outcomes anticipated as a result of the assistance agreement to be awarded under this RFA (including subawards awarded under the cooperative agreement) may include but are not limited to:

• Increased number of stream miles, acres of lakes and wetlands protected (i.e., in which water quality degradation has been avoided) as a result of HWC Grant subaward projects.

• Increased understanding of and support/funding for healthy watersheds protection among clean water programs (e.g., CWA funding programs, drinking and wastewater communities).

• Accelerated protection of critical areas within healthy watersheds, identified using existing assessments, plans, and strategies.

• Establishment of enduring networks among partners that result in the sustained protection of healthy watersheds.

• Increased protection of an integrated aquatic ecological network of hubs and corridors https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements providing ecosystem functions at state and regional scales.

• Maintained and increased resiliency of healthy watersheds, contributing to reduced impacts of flooding and other natural hazards exacerbated by climate change.

As part of the application, applicants should describe how the project will result in the protection of water and/or wetland resources and link the anticipated outputs and outcomes to the Agency’s Strategic Plan. Further information is in Section IV.B of this RFA. Additional information regarding EPA’s definition of environmental results in terms of outputs and outcomes can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements.

D. Statutory Authority The statutory authority for the assistance agreement and the subaward agreements to be funded under this announcement is Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), which restricts the use of funding to the following: conducting or promoting the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Projects that are demonstrations must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches where the results of demonstration projects will be disseminated so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained from the demonstration projects. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not considered a demonstration project. Such projects are implementation projects. Implementation projects are not eligible for funding under this announcement.

Funds received under this announcement cannot be used for the purchase of land or conservation easements. However, partner funding that is independent of this federal funding and not part of the required non-federal cost share/match may be used for implementation projects, such as for example, the purchase of land or conservation easements.

Application tasks that are or might be required by a previous or pending permit (e.g., CWA section 404 permit, CWA section 402 permit, CWA section 401 certification) or federal, state, tribal, territory, or local government regulatory requirement(s) are not eligible for funding because they are implementation tasks. Purchase of vehicles (including boats, motor homes, etc.) and office furniture are not eligible for funding under this program. The lease of vehicles may be eligible for funding, but it is contingent on justification of need in the proposal narrative.

Projects must be performed entirely within the 50 United States, Tribal Lands, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories (i.e., Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa). Proposed projects must comply with all state and federal regulations applicable to the project area. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure compliance.

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

E. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation Additional provisions that apply to sections III, IV, V, and VI of this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, can be found at the EPA Solicitation Clauses. These provisions are important for applying to this solicitation and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please contact the EPA point of contact listed in this solicitation in Section VII to obtain the provisions.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Amount of Funding The EPA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement under this announcement for approximately $2,100,000, depending on Agency funding levels and other applicable considerations. The cooperative agreement is anticipated to be incrementally funded at an average of approximately $350,000 per year over a six-year project period, based on funding availability, satisfactory performance, and other applicable considerations. The successful applicant should provide the EPA with a negotiated, six-year work plan covering six distinct one-year periods of performance.

In appropriate circumstances, the EPA reserves the right to partially fund an application by funding discrete portions or phases of a proposed project. If the EPA decides to partially fund an application(s), 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.

The EPA reserves the right to make no awards under this announcement. In addition, the EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decisions.

B. Type of Funding The EPA intends to award a cooperative agreement under this solicitation. Cooperative agreements provide for substantial involvement between the EPA Project Officer and the selected applicant(s) in the performance of the work supported. Although 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 (EPA will not select employees or contractors employed by the award recipient);

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

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

• Review of evaluation criteria in selecting subawardees (the final decision on the evaluation criteria rests with the recipient);

• EPA staff will review the subaward RFA and may provide comments to ensure consistency with the applicant's scope of work (the recipient is responsible for the content of, and all final decisions regarding, the subaward RFA including the disposition of any EPA comments on the subaward RFA);

• EPA staff participation in the review process for selection of subawardees (federal employees must comprise substantially less than a majority of the panel, and the final decision on the selection of subawardees rests with the recipient));

• EPA review and approval of the substantive terms of subawards to verify compliance with federal requirements; and

• Upon request by the recipient and subject to the availability of personnel, the EPA will provide the recipient with access to EPA scientific expertise, sampling protocols, publicly available data, and other forms of technical assistance.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

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

A. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants under this announcement are nonprofit, non-governmental organizations, interstate agencies, and intertribal consortia. Universities and colleges and institutions of higher education are not eligible under this announcement. Individual states, U.S. Territories, Tribes, local governments, and for-profit organizations are not eligible under this announcement.

Nonprofit organizations that are not exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code must submit other forms of documentation of nonprofit status, such as certificates of incorporation as nonprofit under state or tribal law. Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible for EPA funding as provided in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. 1611. The EPA may ask applicants to demonstrate that they are eligible for funding under this announcement including demonstrating that they are capable of undertaking activities that advance the HWC Grant on a national basis.

The term “interstate agency” is defined in CWA section 502(2) as “an agency of two or more states established by or pursuant to an agreement or compact approved by the Congress, or any other agency of two or more states, having substantial powers or duties pertaining to the control of pollution as determined and approved by the Administrator.” An intertribal consortium is a partnership between two or more tribes that is authorized by the governing bodies of those tribes to apply for and receive assistance. (See 40 CFR 35.502.) The intertribal consortium is eligible only if the consortium demonstrates that all of its members meet the eligibility requirements and authorize the consortium to apply for and receive assistance in accordance with 40 CFR 35.504 at the time of application submission. An intertribal consortium must submit with its application to the EPA adequate documentation of the existence of the partnership and the authorization of the consortium by its members to apply for and receive the grant. (See 40 CFR 35.504.)

Consistent with the definition of Nonprofit organization at 2 CFR § 200.1, the term nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization. The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. Note that 2 CFR 200.1 specifically excludes Institutions of Higher Education from the definition of nonprofit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.

Nonprofit organizations that are not exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code must submit other forms of documentation of nonprofit status; such as certificates of incorporation as nonprofit under state or tribal law. Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible for EPA funding as provided in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. 1611.

B. Cost Sharing/Match Requirements All applicants must describe in their application submission how they will contribute a minimum of 40% of the total project cost (total federal share and applicant non-federal cost share/match) in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200.306. The cost share/match must be for eligible and allowable project costs and may be provided by the applicant or partner organization or institution (subawardees). The cost share/match may be provided in cash or by in-kind contributions. In-kind contributions often include salaries or other verifiable costs and this value must be carefully documented. In the case of salaries, applicants may use either minimum wage or fair market value. Cost share/matching funds are considered grant funds and are included in the total award amount and must be used for the reasonable and necessary expenses of carrying out the workplan. All grant funds are subject to federal audit. Any restrictions on the use of grant funds (examples of funding restrictions are outlined in Section I.C and III.C of this announcement) also apply to the non-federal cost share/matching funds.

Other federal grants may not be used as cost share/match without specific statutory authority.

All applicants must describe in their application (Section IV.B.2.d) how they will contribute the appropriate cost share/match requirement. Applicants that do not demonstrate how they will meet the minimum 40% non-federal cost share/match requirement in their application will not be considered for funding. In addition, if an applicant cannot meet the appropriate cost share/match by the time of award, they will not be eligible to receive funding.

Under this solicitation, applicants should not propose and include in their budget a voluntary non-federal cost share above the required 40% non-federal cost share. Voluntary committed https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306 cost sharing as defined at 2 CFR 200.1 is when an applicant voluntarily proposes a legally binding commitment to cover costs or provide contributions to support the project when a cost share is not required.

If the cost share/match will be provided by a subrecipient, the subrecipient’s contribution must comply with 2 CFR 200.306. Any indirect costs included in the subrecipients’ cost share contribution must be determined consistently with 2 CFR 200.332(a)(4). Successful applicants are still responsible for proper accountability and documentation of Subawardee cost share contributions.

The total project cost is the sum of the total requested federal share and applicant cost share/match. The cost-share/match can be calculated as the following:

Based on the total federal funds requested (e.g., $2,100,000):

(1) Divide the total federal funds requested by the maximum federal share allowed.

(2) Subtract the federal funds requested from the amount derived in step 1.

(3) The amount derived from step 2 is the non-federal match.

For example:

(1) If the federal funds requested = $2,100,000 and the recipient cost-share/match is 40%, the federal share = 60% or 0.60. $2,100,000 divided by 0.60 = $3,500,000 (total project cost).

(2) $3,500,000 - $2,100,000 = $1,400,000

(3) The non-federal match = $1,400,000

Leveraging Although a 40% non-federal cost share is required as a condition of eligibility under this competition, the EPA will also evaluate applications based on a leveraging criterion (see Evaluation Factor in Section V.A.6). Leveraging is generally when an applicant proposes to provide its own additional funds/resources or those from third party sources to support or complement the project they are awarded under the competition which are above and beyond the EPA federal grant funds awarded and the required non-federal cost share/match. Leveraged funds and resources may take various forms. Leveraging may be met by funding from another federal grant, from an applicant's own resources, or resources from other third-party sources.

Any leveraged funds/resources, and their source, must be identified in the application (Section IV.B.2.f). The grant workplan should include a statement indicating that the applicant is expected to produce the proposed leveraging consistent with the terms of the announcement and the applicant's application. Leveraged funds/resources need not be eligible and allowable project costs under the EPA assistance agreement. For example, implementation projects such as purchase of conservation easements would be allowed with these leveraged funds. If applicants propose to provide this form of leveraging, the EPA expects them to make the effort to secure the leveraged resources described in their applications. If the proposed leveraging does not materialize during grant performance, then the EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.332 the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by 2 CFR 200 and 1500, as applicable.

Leveraged funds and resources should not be included in the budget. Additionally, while voluntary cost share is generally a form of leveraging, it will not be considered or evaluated under the Leveraging Evaluation Factor (Section V.A.6).

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria All applications will be reviewed for eligibility and must meet the eligibility requirements described in Sections III.A, B, and C to be considered eligible. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. An applicant must meet the eligibility requirements in Section III.A of this announcement.

2. Applicants must demonstrate in their application how they will meet the required 40% non-federal cost share/match requirements in Section III.B of this announcement.

3. Applications must address how the applicant will establish and manage a competitive subaward program on a national scale by allowing for subaward applications for building watershed protection capacity-building and watershed protection demonstration projects across the 50 United States, Tribal Lands, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories.

4. Applications must be for projects that protect or improve water quality by conducting or promoting the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Implementation projects are not eligible for funding under this announcement.

5. Demonstration projects must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches, where the results of the project will be disseminated so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained in the demonstration project. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not a demonstration and all or parts of the application will be eliminated from consideration. Such projects are implementation projects and are not eligible for funding under this announcement.

Individual project tasks that are for program implementation are not eligible for funding.

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

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

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

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

9. An applicant may submit an application requesting up to the maximum federal amount specified in this announcement: $2,100,000. If an applicant submits an application that requests more than the maximum federal amount, it will be rejected from further consideration.

10. 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.

a. The purchase of land or conservation easements are not eligible for funding because they are implementation tasks.

b. Application project tasks that are required by a previous or pending permit (e.g., CWA Section 404 permit, CWA Section 402 permit, CWA Section 401 certification) or federal, state, tribal, or local government regulatory requirement(s) are not eligible for funding because they are implementation tasks.

c. Purchase of vehicles (including boats, motor homes) and office furniture is not eligible for funding under this program. The lease of vehicles is eligible for funding under this program but must be described in the budget detail and clearly linked to project activities.

d. Projects must be performed entirely within the 50 United States, Tribal Lands, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories (i.e., Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa).

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Form of Application Submission

a. Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If your organization has no access to the internet or access is very limited, you may request an exception for the remainder of this calendar year by following the procedures outlined here. Please note that your request must be https://grants.gov/ https://grants.gov/ https://grants.gov/ https://grants.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/home https://grants.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/home https://grants.gov/ https://grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement received at least 15 calendar days before the application due date to allow enough time to negotiate alternative submission methods.