epa-r9-19-lcrd_508_c_final.pdf

Agency Name: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Funding Opportunity Name: Lead-Based Paint Program

Announcement Type: Request for Applications (RFA)

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-R9-19-LCRD

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 66.716

SUMMARY

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 (EPA) is soliciting applications under this

RFA for projects from eligible entities that advance state, tribal, or local agencies’ capacity to prevent, identify, and mitigate lead-based paint hazards to reduce the risk of childhood lead exposure in communities in Region 9. Region 9 covers the states of Arizona (AZ), California

(CA), Hawaii (HI), Nevada (NV), as well as American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the

Northern Marianas Islands, and 148 federally-recognized tribes

(https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-9-pacific-southwest). Potential activities include training, convening of stakeholders and partners to increase cooperation and collaboration, ordinance development, and other activities that would enhance state, tribal, or local agencies’ efforts to proactively address lead-based paint hazards and promote lead-safe work practices.

Implementation projects are not eligible for funding under this announcement. An implementation project is one 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. Projects should transfer information or advance the state of knowledge.

Applicants should consider carefully the information provided for each evaluation criterion.

The total amount anticipated to be awarded under this announcement is approximately $60,000 of fiscal year 2019/2020 funds under the authority of Section 10 of the Toxic Substances Control

Act. EPA anticipates awarding one or two cooperative agreement(s) from this announcement.

The award amount for each cooperative agreement will be no more than $60,000 in federal funds with a typical project period of no more than two years. The award amounts and number of awards are subject to availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. A broad range of entities, as described in Section III.A, are eligible to submit applications under this announcement.

IMPORTANT DATES:

December 6, 2019 Applications must be received by EPA via Grants.gov by 8:59 p.m.

Pacific Time (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time).

December 2019 Selected applicants notified.

January 2020 Awards made.

The above dates (other than the December 6, 2019 application submission date) are anticipated dates and may be subject to change.

https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-9-pacific-southwest https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-9-pacific-southwest

Contact: David Yogi

Phone: (415) 972-3350

Email: yogi.david@epa.gov

Contents of Full Text Announcement:

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application and Submission Information

V. Application Review Information

VI. Award Administration Information

VII. Agency Contact

Appendix A. Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions

Appendix B. Budget Detail Sample

Appendix C. Grant Application Checklist and EPA Grant Resources mailto:yogi.david@epa.gov mailto:yogi.david@epa.gov

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

Although various efforts have been undertaken and progress has been made to reduce childhood lead exposure in the U.S., lead continues to pose a risk to children’s health in communities across the country and approximately 500,000 children still have elevated blood lead levels.1

Lead is particularly dangerous to children because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults’ bodies and children’s brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. No safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Even low blood lead levels in children are associated with decreased cognitive function, decreased academic achievement, decreased intelligence, and increased incidence of problem and attention-related behaviors.2

The risk for lead exposure is not the same for all children. Racial and income disparities continue to persist. National data demonstrate African American children and children from families with low income have higher blood lead levels on average compared to their counterparts.3,4 In addition, results from national housing surveys demonstrate African American households are more likely to have lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards compared to white households and households with low income are more likely to have lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards than households with higher income.5

Childhood lead disparities are a significant environmental justice issue that the EPA is working to eliminate under EPA’s Environmental Justice 2020 Action Agenda. EPA defines environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies. Meaningful involvement means that: (1) potentially affected community residents have an appropriate opportunity to participate in decisions about a proposed activity that will affect their environment and/or health; (2) the public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency’s decision; (3) the concerns of all participants involved will be considered in the decision-making process; and

(4) the decision-makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected.

1 President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children. (2016). Key Federal Programs to Reduce

Childhood Lead Exposures and Eliminate Associated Health Impacts. Retrieved from https://ptfceh.niehs.nih.gov/features/assets/files/key_federal_programs_to_reduce_childhood_lead_exposures_and_eliminate_ass ociated_health_impactspresidents_508.pdf

2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Toxicology Program. (2012). NTP Monograph: Health Effects of

Low-Level Lead. Retrieved from https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/ohat/lead/final/monographhealtheffectslowlevellead_newissn_508.pdf

3 QuickStats: Percentage of Children Aged 1–5 Years with Elevated Blood Lead Levels, by Race/Ethnicity—National Health and

Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 1988–1994, 1999–2006, and 2007–2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep

2016;65:1089. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6539a9

4 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2017, Aug. 31). America’s Children and the Environment (ACE): Biomonitoring—

Lead. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/ace/ace-biomonitoring-lead

5 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. (2011). American

Healthy Homes Survey: Lead and Arsenic Findings. Retrieved from https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/AHHS_REPORT.PDF https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-2020-action-agenda https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-2020-action-agenda https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/learn-about-environmental-justice https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/learn-about-environmental-justice https://ptfceh.niehs.nih.gov/features/assets/files/key_federal_programs_to_reduce_childhood_lead_exposures_and_eliminate_associated_health_impactspresidents_508.pdf https://ptfceh.niehs.nih.gov/features/assets/files/key_federal_programs_to_reduce_childhood_lead_exposures_and_eliminate_associated_health_impactspresidents_508.pdf https://ptfceh.niehs.nih.gov/features/assets/files/key_federal_programs_to_reduce_childhood_lead_exposures_and_eliminate_associated_health_impactspresidents_508.pdf https://ptfceh.niehs.nih.gov/features/assets/files/key_federal_programs_to_reduce_childhood_lead_exposures_and_eliminate_associated_health_impactspresidents_508.pdf https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/ohat/lead/final/monographhealtheffectslowlevellead_newissn_508.pdf https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/ohat/lead/final/monographhealtheffectslowlevellead_newissn_508.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6539a9 http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6539a9 https://www.epa.gov/ace/ace-biomonitoring-lead https://www.epa.gov/ace/ace-biomonitoring-lead https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/AHHS_REPORT.PDF https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/AHHS_REPORT.PDF

Under the Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health

Effects, EPA is committed to working with a range of partners and stakeholders to prevent childhood lead exposure, especially in communities disproportionately affected by lead hazards.

Children can be exposed to lead in various ways, but lead-based paint hazards remain a major source of childhood lead exposure nationally. EPA’s Region 9 office has undertaken and supported various programmatic activities to protect children from lead-based paint hazards. For example, EPA Region 9 has awarded grants to support lead outreach and education, healthy homes visits, and healthy child care visits; provided lead outreach materials to several agencies and organizations; and sponsored free lead renovation, repair, and painting training classes to help increase the number of contractors who are certified in lead-safe work practices and promote compliance with EPA’s Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule.

EPA’s RRP Rule aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities. These activities can create hazardous lead dust when surfaces with lead paint, even from many decades ago, are disturbed. The RRP Rule requires workers to be certified and trained in the use of lead-safe work practices, and requires renovation, repair, and painting firms to be EPA-certified. These requirements apply to firms performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities and pre-schools built before 1978.

Recently, EPA Region 9 supported a pilot project to provide education and training on lead-based paint hazards to local code enforcement officers across California. The pilot project also facilitated discussion of how code enforcement offices can promote compliance with EPA’s RRP

Rule as well as discussion of how code enforcement officers can use state and/or local codes to address lead-based paint hazards. Based on the results of this pilot project and the potential to expand the range of stakeholders EPA Region 9 collaborates with to prevent childhood lead exposure, EPA Region 9 is issuing this Request for Applications (RFA) to solicit project applications that replicate or expand upon this pilot project.

Under this RFA, EPA seeks to award cooperative agreements to eligible recipients who are best able to undertake activities that will support and accomplish the following goals:

• Increase knowledge and understanding of EPA’s RRP Rule among code enforcement officers, building inspectors, and other agency staff serving in similar capacities.

• Increase the adoption and implementation of practices among code enforcement officers, building inspectors, and other agency staff serving in similar capacities that (1) promote compliance with EPA’s RRP Rule, (2) increase the consideration of lead safety into their inspections, (3) improve their response to questions and concerns regarding lead-based paint hazards, and/or (4) improve compliance with lead-related state, tribal, or local codes.

• Develop new partnerships between EPA Region 9 and state, tribal, or local agencies to further efforts to protect children from lead-based paint hazards, advance environmental justice, and eliminate lead disparities.

https://www.epa.gov/lead/federal-action-plan-reduce-childhood-lead-exposure https://www.epa.gov/lead/federal-action-plan-reduce-childhood-lead-exposure https://www.epa.gov/lead/federal-action-plan-reduce-childhood-lead-exposure https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-program https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/us-epa-selects-alameda-countys-healthy-homes-department-lead-training-grant https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/us-epa-selects-alameda-countys-healthy-homes-department-lead-training-grant

B. Scope of Work

EPA is accepting applications from eligible entities (see Section III.A) for development, education, training, or demonstration projects that advance capacity of code enforcement officers, building inspectors, or other agency personnel serving in similar capacities to protect children and other residents from lead-based paint hazards and promote compliance with EPA’s

RRP Rule. EPA’s expectation is that awards issued under this RFA will help advance state, tribal, or local agencies’ capacity to prevent and mitigate children’s exposure to lead-based paint hazards well beyond the period of performance of the awards.

Applications submitted for consideration under this RFA should include structural and/or programmatic components to sustain long-term efforts to protect children from lead-based paint hazards. Examples of structural and programmatic components include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Development of ordinances or permit requirements that will protect children from lead-based paint hazards.

• Development of a program incorporating periodic inspection of residential rental properties built before 1978 for lead-based paint hazards.

• Provision of EPA-accredited lead RRP training to code enforcement officers, building inspectors, or other agency personnel serving in similar capacities.

• Convening workshops or establishing workgroups that include representatives from agency offices/programs and community-based organizations to help increase more efficient collaboration among code enforcement, building inspection, public health, or other agency offices/programs in order to provide integrated services to prevent or mitigate childhood exposure to lead-based paint hazards.

• Development of training or educational materials, guidance documents, or other materials to help code enforcement officers, building inspectors, or other agency personnel serving in similar capacities to adopt and implement practices that (1) promote compliance with

EPA’s RRP Rule, (2) increase the consideration of lead safety into their inspections, (3) improve their response to questions and concerns regarding lead-based paint hazards, and/or (4) improve compliance with lead-related state, tribal, or local codes.

Applications should also describe the following:

• The localities or areas in Region 9 that will benefit from the proposed project and the burden of childhood lead exposure (i.e., childhood blood lead level rates, percentage of pre-1978 housing units, etc.) in these localities or areas. Applicants may propose local-level, state-level, or regional-level projects.

• Any existing efforts being undertaken by code enforcement officers, building inspectors, or other agency personnel serving in similar capacities in the target localities or areas to protect children from lead-based paint hazards, and how the prosed project will improve, supplement, or expand existing efforts.

• How the proposed project’s components create sustained activities that will continue beyond the period of performance of the award.

• How the project promotes environmental justice and helps to minimize and/or reduce exposures and negative impacts of lead-based paint hazards in communities (including but not limited to minority, low-income, and tribal communities) that have been or are more likely to be adversely affected by lead-based paint hazards than other communities.

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

Measures

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

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

EPA also requires that grant applicants and recipients adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-

03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf).

1. Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan: The activities to be funded under this announcement support EPA’s FY 2018-22 Strategic Plan. Awards made under this announcement will support Goal 2, “More Effective Partnerships,” Objective 2.1, “Enhance Shared

Accountability.” Under this objective, EPA will “Improve environmental protection through shared governance and enhanced collaboration with state, tribal, local, and federal partners using the full range of compliance assurance tools.” Applicants must explain in their application how their project will further this objective. Please read

EPA’s FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan (www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan) for more information.

EPA also requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf).

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

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

Expected outputs from the projects to be funded under this announcement may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Number of new RRP firm certifications in localities where training has occurred.

http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

• Number of ordinances or permit requirements developed to protect children from lead-based paint hazards;

• Number of programs developed incorporating periodic inspection of residential rental properties built before 1978 for lead-based paint hazards;

• Number of people who received training and number of people taking action as a result of the training;

• Number of workgroups or partnerships created or expanded; and

• Number of local agencies undertaking actions to (1) promote compliance with EPA’s

RRP Rule, (2) increase the consideration of lead safety into their inspections, (3) improve their response to questions and concerns regarding lead-based paint hazards, and/or (4) improve compliance with lead-related state, tribal, or local codes.

Progress reports and a final report will also be required outputs, as specified in Section

VI.C. “Reporting Requirement,” of this RFA.

3. Outcomes: The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be qualitative and environmental, behavioral, health-related or programmatic in nature, but must also be quantitative. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period.

Expected outcomes from the projects to be funded under this announcement may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Increased knowledge of and compliance with EPA’s RRP Rule as well as state, tribal, or local codes related to lead-based paint;

• Improved ability of code enforcement officers, building inspectors, and other agency staff to identify, prevent, and mitigate lead-based paint hazards;

• Increased number of children living in lead-safe housing; and

• Decreased number of children with elevated blood lead levels.

4. Performance Measures: The applicant should also develop performance measures they expect to achieve through the proposed activities and describe them in their application.

These performance measures will help gather insights and will be the mechanism to track progress concerning successful processes and output and outcome strategies and will provide the basis for developing lessons to inform future recipients. It is expected that the description of performance measures will directly relate to the project outcomes and outputs. The following are questions to consider when developing output and outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:

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

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

• For projects that include training activities, how does the plan measure the effectiveness of training materials and delivery? How will the plan measure actions taken or commitment to action by training attendees as a result of the training?

• For projects that involve the development of a model program or best practices, how does the plan measure adoption of the model program or best practices by other agencies or organizations?

D. Statutory Authority

The statutory authority for the Lead-Based Paint Program is Section 10 of the Toxic Substances

Control Act, 15 U.S.C. §2609, which authorizes EPA to award grants for the purpose of conducting research, development, monitoring, education, training, demonstrations, and studies necessary to carry out the purposes of the Act. Projects funded under this RFA will support development, education, training, or demonstration projects that advance state, tribal, or local agencies’ efforts to prevent and reduce exposure to lead-based paint hazards.

Demonstrations 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 considered a demonstration project. Implementation activities are not eligible for funding under this announcement.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. What is the amount of funding available?

The total estimated funding expected to be available for awards under this competitive opportunity is approximately $60,000. Award amounts are expected to range from $30,000 to

$60,000. Funding is dependent upon agency appropriations, funding availability and other applicable considerations.

The amount of federal funding requested by an applicant should not be less than $30,000 and must not exceed $60,000.

B. Partial Funding

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions 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, thereby maintaining the integrity of the competition and selection process.

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

It is anticipated that approximately one to two cooperative agreement(s) will be awarded under this announcement subject to the availability of funds, the number and quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with

Agency policy and other applicable considerations, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of the original selections.

In addition, EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards under this announcement or to make fewer awards than anticipated.

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

The estimated project period for awards resulting from this solicitation is expected to begin in

January 2020, with an estimated completion date of January 2022.

E. Funding Type

The funding for selected projects will be in the form of a cooperative agreement.

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

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

• collaboration during performance of the scope of work;

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

• approving qualifications of key personnel (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).

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Entities

Eligible applicants under this Request for Applications include state and local governments, the

District of Columbia, federally-recognized Indian tribal governments, Native American

Organizations, U.S. territories and possessions, and public and private non-profit institutions/organizations (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals).

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

No matching funds are required under this competition. Cost sharing/matching is not required as a condition for eligibility under this competition and will not be considered during evaluation of applications.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

These are requirements that if not met by the time of application submission will result in elimination of the application from consideration for funding. Only applications from eligible applicants (see Section III.A. of this RFA) that meet all of these threshold eligibility criteria will be evaluated against the ranking criteria in Section V of this RFA. If necessary, EPA may contact applicants to clarify threshold eligibility questions prior to making an eligibility determination.

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. Application Content and Submission

a. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and application content requirements set forth in Section IV and Appendix A of this RFA or they will be rejected. However, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the Project Narrative, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. If a double-spaced Project Narrative is submitted, it will only be reviewed up to the equivalent of the 9-page single-spaced page limit for the Project Narrative specified in Section IV.C.3 of the announcement (Section IV.C.3 establishes a 9-page single-spaced Project Narrative page limit which would be the equivalent of 18 double-spaced pages; any double-spaced pages in excess of 18 will not be reviewed).

b. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV) on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this announcement to ensure that their application is timely and properly submitted.

c. Applications submitted after the submission deadline will be considered late and deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was late due to EPA mishandling or because of technical problems associated with

Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in

SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission.

2. Applications must further EPA’s current priorities for enhancing shared accountability, which focus on improving environmental protection through shared governance and enhanced collaboration with state, tribal, local, and federal partners using the full range of compliance assurance tools. (See Section I.C.1.)

3. 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. 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.

4. Ineligible activities: 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.

5. Applications which request EPA assistance funds in excess of $60,000, as specified in

Section II.A of this RFA, are not eligible and will not be reviewed.

6. Projects must be performed within one or more of the states of EPA Region 9, specifically

Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, Tribal lands within the jurisdiction of Region 9, as well as in the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern

Mariana Islands, to be eligible to apply for funding. Applicants need not be located within the boundaries of EPA Region 9 to be eligible to apply for funding so long as the project will be performed within the geographic boundaries of the Region.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

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

Applicants, except as noted below, must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the Grants.gov instructions in this announcement and Appendix A.

If an applicant does not have the technical capability to apply electronically through Grants.gov because of limited or no internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials to Grants.gov, the applicant must contact OMS-ARM-

OGDWaivers@epa.gov or the address listed below in writing (e.g., by hard copy, email) at least

15 calendar days prior to the submission deadline under this announcement to request approval to submit their application materials through an alternate method.

Mailing Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Jessica Durand

USEPA Headquarters

William Jefferson Clinton Building

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Mail Code: 3903R

Washington, DC 20460 http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:OMS-ARM-OGDWaivers@epa.gov mailto:OMS-ARM-OGDWaivers@epa.gov mailto:OMS-ARM-OGDWaivers@epa.gov mailto:OMS-ARM-OGDWaivers@epa.gov

Courier Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Jessica Durand

Ronald Reagan Building

1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Rm # 51278

Washington, DC 20004

In the request, the applicant must include the following information:

• RFA Number (EPA-R9-19-LCRD)

• Organization Name and Unique Entity Identifier (e.g., DUNS)

• Organization’s Contact Information (email address and phone number)

• Explanation of how they lack the technical capability to apply electronically through

Grants.gov because of 1) limited internet access or 2) no internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials through Grants.gov.

EPA will only consider alternate submission exception requests based on the two reasons stated above and will timely respond to the request—all other requests will be denied. If an alternate submission method is approved, the applicant will receive documentation of this approval and further instructions on how to apply under this announcement. Applicants will be required to submit the documentation of approval with any initial application submitted under the alternative method. In addition, any submittal through an alternative method must comply with all applicable requirements and deadlines in the announcement including the submission deadline and requirements regarding application content and page limits (although the documentation of approval of an alternate submission method will not count against any page limits).

If an exception is granted, it is valid for submissions to EPA for the remainder of the entire calendar year in which the exception was approved and can be used to justify alternative submission methods for application submissions made through December 31 of the calendar year in which the exception was approved (e.g., if the exception was approved on March 1, 2019, it is valid for any competitive or non-competitive application submission to EPA through December

31, 2019). Applicants need only request an exception once in a calendar year and all exceptions will expire on December 31 of that calendar year. Applicants must request a new exception from required electronic submission through grants.gov for submissions for any succeeding calendar year. For example, if there is a competitive opportunity issued on December 1, 2018, with a submission deadline of January 15, 2019, the applicant would need a new exception to submit through alternative methods beginning January 1, 2019.

Please note that the process described in this section is only for requesting alternate submission methods. All other inquiries about this announcement must be directed to the Agency Contact listed in Section VII of the announcement. Queries or requests submitted to the email address identified above for any reason other than to request an alternate submission method will not be acknowledged or answered.

B. Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions (see Appendix A)

Your organization’s authorized official representative (AOR) must submit your complete application electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than December 6, 2019, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

C. Content of Application Submission

The application package must include all of the following materials:

1. Grant Application Forms. Please complete the forms as appropriate.

a. Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance. Please note that the organizational Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number must be included on the SF-424. Organizations may obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711.

b. Standard Form 424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs

c. Standard Form 424B, Non-Construction Programs

d. EPA Form 4700-4, Pre-Award Compliance Review Report for All Applicants

Requesting Federal Financial Assistance

e. Key Contacts Form

2. Project Narrative. The project narrative must explicitly describe how the proposed project meets the guidelines established in Sections I-III of this announcement (including the threshold eligibility criteria in Section III.C) and must address each of the evaluation criteria set forth in Section V. The Project Narrative (a through f below) cannot exceed a maximum of 9 single-spaced typewritten pages, including the Summary

Page—excess pages will not be reviewed. Supporting materials, such as resumes and letters of commitment, can be submitted as attachments and are not included in the 9-page limit.

a. Summary Information Page (recommended not to exceed one page)

i. Project Title

ii. Applicant Information. Include applicant (organization) name, address, contact person, phone number, fax and e-mail address.

iii. Funding Requested. Specify the amount you are requesting from EPA.

iv. Total Project Cost. Specify total cost of the project. Identify funding from other sources, including cost share or in-kind resources.

v. Project period. Provide beginning and ending dates. (Projects are anticipated to begin date and end no later than date.)

vi. DUNS number

b. Project Summary/Approach. The summary shall contain the following components:

i. Description of the localities or areas in Region 9 that will benefit from the proposed project and the burden of childhood lead exposure (i.e., childhood blood lead level rates, percentage of pre-1978 housing units, etc.) in these localities or areas.

ii. Description of any existing efforts being undertaken by code enforcement officers, building inspectors, or other agency personnel serving in similar capacities in the target localities or areas to protect children from lead-based paint hazards, and how the proposed project will improve, supplement, or expand existing efforts.

iii. Explanation of how the proposed project will accomplish the goals of this

RFA (see Section I.A).

iv. Detailed project summary including a description of the specific actions and methods to be undertaken and work products to be developed and the responsible organizations (i.e., the applicant or project partners).

v. A clearly articulated timeline of project activities and milestones. It is recommended that you insert a table in your application narrative to help organize your timeline.

vi. Description of how the proposed project’s components create sustained activities that will continue beyond the period of performance of the award.

vii. Describe how the project promotes environmental justice and helps to minimize and/or reduce exposures and negative impacts of lead-based paint hazards in communities (including but not limited to minority, low-income, and tribal communities) that have been or are more likely to be adversely affected by lead-based paint hazards than other communities.

c. Environmental Results—Outcomes, Outputs and Performance Measures.

Identify the expected quantitative and qualitative outcomes and outputs of the project (see Section I), including what performance measurements, timeline of milestones, or other means will be used to track and measure your progress towards achieving the expected outcomes and outputs and how the results of the project will be evaluated.

d. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance. This section provides an opportunity for demonstrating your qualifications to undertake the proposed project and manage a federal assistance agreement.

i. Describe your programmatic capabilities and ability to successfully implement and manage the proposed project, including staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them. Describe the qualifications of each of the key personnel conducting the project and how each person will contribute to the timeliness and achievement of the outputs and outcomes of your project.

ii. Describe your organizational experience and past history in performing tasks or activities similar to the proposed project. Explain how this experience helps ensure you will implement the proposed project successfully.

iii. Submit a list of federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include Federal grants and cooperative agreements but not Federal contracts) similar in size, scope and relevance to the proposed project that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than 5 agreements, and preferably EPA agreements) and describe (i) whether, and how, you were able to successfully complete and manage those agreements and (ii) your history of meeting the reporting requirements under those agreements including whether you adequately and timely reported on your progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes of those agreements (and if not, explain why not) and whether you submitted acceptable final technical reports under the agreements. In evaluating applicants under these factors in Section V, EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources, including information from EPA files and from current/prior grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information provided by the applicant). If you do not have any relevant or available past performance or reporting information, please indicate this in the application and you will receive a neutral score for these factors (a neutral score is half of the total points available in a subset of possible points). If you do not provide any response for these items, you may receive a score of 0 for these factors.

e. Detailed Budget Narrative (also see Appendix B, Budget Sample). This section provides an opportunity for a narrative description of the budget found in the SF-424A. Clearly explain how EPA funds will be used. Selected applicant(s) will need to submit a copy of their current indirect cost rate that has been negotiated with a federal cognizant agency prior to award.

i. Description of the budget and estimated funding amounts for each work component/task.

ii. Description of the applicant’s approach, procedures, and controls for ensuring that awarded grant funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner.

iii. Applicants must itemize costs related to personnel, fringe benefits, contractual costs, travel, equipment, supplies, other direct costs, indirect costs, and total costs. *Selected applicant(s) will need to submit a copy of their current indirect cost rate that has been negotiated with a federal cognizant agency prior to award.

iv. For applicants that provide a voluntary cost share/match, the budget narrative must clearly specify the amount of federal funding and the cost share amount for each category of total project costs for each category. Include an explanation of how the voluntary match will be met. All matching funds are subject to the regulations governing matching fund requirements at 2 CFR

Part 200.

3. Attachments. These are not included in the 9-page limit.

a. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. If applicable, please include your current indirect cost rate that has been negotiated with a federal cognizant agency.

b. Resumes of Key Personnel. Please provide resumes for the key personnel conducting the project. Please provide no more than three resumes. Please limit each resume to one to two pages.

c. Letters of Commitment. If a partner organization is identified in the Project

Narrative, please include a letter from the partner organization describing how the organization will contribute to the project. Please do not provide letters of endorsement or recommendation.

d. Approval Letter. If applicable, please include a copy of your approval letter to use alternate means to submit an initial application.

D. Submission Date and Times

The closing date and time for submission of applications is December 6, 2019, 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time (ET). Applications submitted after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding.

E. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including but not limited to those related to confidential business information, contracts and subawards under grants, and application assistance and communications, can be found at EPA

Solicitation Clauses. These, and the other provisions that can be found at the website link, are important, and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

If an applicant intends to name a contractor (including an individual consultant) or a subrecipient

(also referred to as “subgrantee”) as a project partner or otherwise in your application, EPA recommends that you carefully review, and comply with, the directions contained in the

“Contracts and Subawards” clause that can be accessed under the Section IV.E. clause for

“Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation”: EPA Solicitation

Clauses.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Only eligible entities whose applications meet the threshold criteria in Section III of this RFA will be evaluated according to the criteria set forth below. Applicants should explicitly address these criteria as part of their application package submittal in the project narrative, following the content requirements set forth in Appendix B. Each application will be rated using a point system. Applications will be evaluated based on a total of 100 points possible.

A. Evaluation Criteria http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses

Criteria Points

Total Possible Points 100

1. Project Summary and Approach: Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate applications based on the extent and quality of the applicant’s project summary and overall approach. Specifically, EPA will evaluate the extent and quality to which the project narrative explains:

A. (4 points) Which localities or areas in Region 9 will benefit from the proposed project and the burden of childhood lead exposure in the target localities or areas.

B. (4 points) Existing efforts undertaken by code enforcement officers, building inspectors, or other agency personnel serving in similar capacities in the target localities or areas to protect children from lead-based paint hazards, and how the proposed project will improve, supplement, or expand upon existing efforts.

C. (4 points) How the proposed project will accomplish the goals of this RFA

(see Section I).

D. (15 points) The specific project activities, methods, and work products that will be used to accomplish project goals and objectives and the responsible organization(s) (e.g., the applicant or project partners).

E. (8 points) The timeline of project activities and milestones and for achieving the project goals and objectives by project end.

2. Environmental Results – Outputs, Outcomes and Performance Measures:

Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate:

A. (8 points) The effectiveness of the applicant’s plan for tracking and measuring its progress toward achieving the expected project outputs and outcomes (see Section I).

B. (8 points) The performance measures proposed by the applicant and how they will be used to help track, measure, and evaluate the applicant’s progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes.

3. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance: Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate applicants based on their ability to successfully complete and manage the proposed project taking into account their:

A. (5 points) Staff expertise and qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project;

B. (5 points) Organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project;

C. (3 points) Past performance in successfully completing and managing the assistance agreements identified in the project narrative as described in

Section IV.C. of the announcement; and

D. (3 points) History of meeting the reporting requirements under the assistance agreements identified in the project narrative as described in

Section IV.C. of the announcement, including whether the applicant submitted acceptable final technical reports under those agreements and the extent to which the applicant adequately and timely reported on their progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes under those agreements and if such progress was not being made whether the applicant adequately reported why not.

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

4. Budget: Under this criterion, EPA will evaluate applicants based on:

A. (4 points) Whether costs are reasonable to accomplish the proposed goals, objectives, and measurable environmental outputs and outcomes; and

B. (4 points) Whether the proposed budget provides a detailed breakout of the approximate funding used for each major activity.

An applicant’s budget and Budget Narrative must account for…