EPA-REG2-LCRD-P2-2022-1 - FINAL.pdf

COVID-19 Update: EPA is providing flexibilities to applicants experiencing challenges related to

COVID-19. Please see the Flexibilities Available to Organizations Impacted by COVID-19 clause in

Section IV of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses.

FEDERAL AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 2, Land, Chemicals and

Redevelopment Division (LCRD)

TITLE: FY 2022 and FY 2023 Region 2 Source Reduction Assistance in Communities Grants

ACTION: Request for Application (RFA)

RFA NUMBER: EPA- REG2-LCRD-P2-2022-1

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NO.: 66.717

IMPORTANT DATES:

September 15, 2022 Issuance of RFA

November 14, 2022 Application submission deadline (See Section IV.B for submission instructions)

December 15, 2022 Approximate date for EPA to notify applicants of results

January 30, 2023 Approximate date of award

DATES: To be considered for funding, applications must be received no later than the date and time of the submission deadline of Monday, November 14, 2022, by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time (ET).

Application packages must be submitted electronically to Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) on or before this date and time in order to be considered for funding. See Section III.C.2. for more details about the deadline and Section IV.B. for submission instructions.

EPA will host an information webinar for potential applicants and interested stakeholders on

Wednesday, October 5, 2022, from 2:00 – 3:30 pm (ET). The link to the webinar is here.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_M2JjY2Q5MjUtZjAxOS00YzI1LTkyOTYtNTE0MmE2ODVhMjhi%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2288b378b3-6748-4867-acf9-76aacbeca6a7%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22df139adc-dd0b-43b3-a417-8597950c8e19%22%7d

CONTENTS BY SECTION:

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background

B. Scope of Work

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage & Anticipated Outcomes, Outputs, & Performance Measures

D. Statutory Authorities

E. How Does EPA Define P2?

F. What is Not P2?

G. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

II. Award Information

A. Funding Available

B. Partial Funding Provision

C. Possible Number of Agreements Awarded

D. Length of Project Period

E. Funding Type

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Entities

B. Cost Sharing /Matching Funds and Leveraged Resources

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

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

B. Submission Instructions

C. Technical Issues with Submission

D. Application Materials

E. Content of Application Submission

V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

B. Review and Selection Process

C. Other Factors

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirement

C. Reporting Requirement

D. Disputes

VII. Agency Contact

Appendices

A. Guidance for Developing P2 Case Studies

B. Itemized Budget Detail Guidance

C. Quality Assurance Guidance for Environmental Outcome Reporting for Source Reduction

Assistance in Communities Grant Projects

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background

Source Reduction Assistance grants support various technical assistance methods including research, investigation, experiments, education, training, studies, and/or demonstration of innovative techniques using source reduction approaches (also known as “pollution prevention” and herein referred to as

“P2”). P2 means reducing or eliminating pollutants from entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal - which is how EPA defines pollution prevention.

B. Scope of Work

Source Reduction Assistance in Communities Approach

EPA Region 2 is announcing a grant competition to fund “Source Reduction Assistance in

Communities” assistance agreements that support research, investigation, study, demonstration, outreach, education, and training using source reduction approaches (also known as “pollution prevention” and herein referred to as “P2”). P2 means reducing or eliminating pollutants from entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal.

EPA is particularly interested in receiving applications that offer hands-on practical P2 tools, information and/or innovative P2 approaches to measurably improve public health and the surrounding environment, by reducing the use of hazardous substances, reducing toxic pollutants, supporting efficiencies in reducing resource use (e.g., water and energy), and reducing business expenditures and liability costs.

EPA Region 2 is interested in receiving applications for community-based projects that are performed in and benefit States or communities within EPA Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, U.S.

Virgin Islands, and eight federally recognized Indian Nations), and that will create and/or promote and use new and/or existing P2 tools and information, green technology solutions, innovative financing partnerships or approaches, and multi-media and multi-stakeholder leadership approaches to measurably improve public health and the environment, by reducing the use of hazardous substances, reducing toxic pollutants, or supporting efficiencies in the reduction of pre-consumer resources (such as greenhouse gas emissions, plastics, water, and energy), and reducing beneficiary organization costs. Beneficiaries can include, for example: for-profit and not-for-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, cooperatives and worker-owned businesses, local municipal governments, religious organizations, universities/colleges, secondary schools, consortia, and associations. Applicants will need to select at least one of the following technical assistance methods as the primary approach for performing the grant activity: a) research, b) investigation, c) experiments, d) education, e) training, f) studies, and/or g) demonstration of innovative techniques.

Where feasible and appropriate, EPA strongly encourages applicants to emphasize P2 technical assistance, as described above, that can address Environmental Justice (EJ) concerns in underserved communities and/or climate change impacts. Applicants should describe in their application narrative how they will address EJ and climate change impacts in the communities of concern.

EPA describes EJ 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 people have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health;

the public's contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision; community concerns will be considered in the decision-making process; and decision makers will seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected. For purposes of this competition and the evaluation of applications, “underserved communities” means people/communities of color, low income, tribal and indigenous populations, and other vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing medical conditions.

Climate change poses risks to human health, the environment, cultural resources, the economy, and quality of life. These changes are expected to create further challenges to protecting human health, welfare, and the environment. Under this solicitation applicants should address how climate change impacts may be addressed by providing P2 technical assistance to businesses and other organizations to reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and/or increase energy efficiency to benefit the environment and health of communities. Climate change refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period. In other words, climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, among others, that occur over several decades or longer.

GHGs are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. GHGs include, but are not limited to, Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Fluorinated gases.

Applicants are encouraged to develop projects that apply innovative green technology solutions, use a community-based leadership approach, use service-learning and multi-media approaches, and/or leverage innovative financing to promote and implement pollution prevention and sustainability-based projects that lead to measurable and beneficial results.

Community leadership is an integral component in the development of a local community based P2 initiative. Strong community leadership can sustain commitments for environmental and social improvement through service learning, innovative governance, and communities of practice, and be aligned with allied jobs, economic development, and other cross-sector partnerships. A vision for a strong, long-term financing mechanism also reflects the likelihood of a sustainable community based project that can extend into the future and can be exemplified by designing an innovative financing model or tapping into a unique set of public and private financing mechanisms (e.g., micro loans, crowd funding, partner resource exchanges, leveraging other economic development incentives, or leveraging other private and public grant funds) for P2 interventions to ensure continuous and integrated progress after the project period.

Awardee budgets and workplans may set aside funds from the potential two years of federal funding for an optional third year to collect and report on the P2 processes and practices adopted, outputs, and outcomes, and to complete P2 case studies and other amplification efforts.

Critical Elements

The Critical Elements of a Source Reduction Assistance in Communities application must include:

• Local measurable environmental and public health improvements and investments,

• An emphasis on P2 technical assistance that can address priorities in communities,

• Use of at least one of the following technical assistance methods to address P2 activities:

research, investigation, applied experiments, outreach and education, training, studies, and/or demonstration of innovative techniques and green technology,

• Multi-stakeholder problem solving, leadership, collaboration, outreach, and capacity building,

• Leveraging existing partnerships and/or developing new partnerships within the community

• Documenting and sharing solutions identified and developed so that others can replicate these practices and outcomes,

• Developing at least one or more P2 case studies and other mechanisms to amplify results (see

Appendix A for additional guidance),

• Documenting and reporting on P2 recommendations, progress, outputs, and outcomes that result from the technical assistance provided to the beneficiaries.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage & Anticipated Outcomes, Outputs, & Performance Measures

Program Goals and Objectives: Pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7a1, “Environmental

Results under EPA Assistance Agreements (https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-

03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf),” EPA must review the linkage of proposed assistance agreements with the Agency’s Strategic Plan. The activities funded under this announcement will support EPA’s Final FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan (https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-

03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf) under Goal 7 (Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the

Environment); Objective 7.1 (Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety Objective); Objective 7.2 (Promote

Pollution Prevention). The program anticipates that assistance agreements (grants and cooperative agreements) awarded under this announcement will achieve the agency’s goal and objective for P2 by addressing the required output and outcome performance measures provided directly below. Application narratives must explicitly explain how the work proposed will support the EPA Strategic Plan goal and objective identified above.

EPA also requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf

03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf). Applicants must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the

EPA Strategic Plan goal and objectives described above.

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 time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance agreement funding period. Examples of expected outputs from the project(s) to be funded under this announcement include the following: meetings, conference calls, training sessions, P2 tools, case studies, or other measurable efforts towards an environmental goal. Semi-annual progress reports and a comprehensive final report will be required outputs, as specified in Section VI (C) “Reporting

Requirements” of this announcement. Applicants must describe their outputs and will be evaluated on their clarity and thoroughness.

Outcomes. The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature, but must be quantitative. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period. Projects to be funded under this announcement are expected to produce at least one, and preferably all, of the following environmental outcomes:

• Reduction in pounds of hazardous material used and of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants released,

• Reductions in gallons of water used,

• Reductions in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) released, and

• The dollar savings associated with achieving reductions in hazardous material use, hazardous releases, water use, and energy use, including savings from reduced regulatory burden.

Applicants are also encouraged to measure, when appropriate, other important innovative financing, investment, and leadership metrics relevant to the setting of the project. Applicants must describe their outcomes and will be evaluated on their clarity and thoroughness.

The following are questions to consider when developing output and outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:

i) What are the measurable short-term and long-term results that the project will achieve?

ii) How does the plan measure progress in achieving the expected results (i.e., outputs and outcomes) and how will the approach use resources effectively and efficiently? How will the innovative leadership and financing approaches contribute to sustainable short and longer-term improvements in the community?

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policyenvironmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements

D. Statutory Authorities

The Source Reduction Assistance in Communities agreements will be awarded under the following EPA statutory authorities: Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3), as amended; Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3), as amended; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, as amended; Safe

Drinking Water Act, Section 1442 (a)(1) and (c), as amended; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section

8001(a), as amended; and Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, as amended. All application activities must apply at least one of the statutory authorities listed above. The grant authorities within each statute authorize the agency to award assistance agreements for research, investigations, experiments, outreach and education, training, surveys, studies, and/or demonstration of innovative techniques.

For projects that will support demonstration activity, the project 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. The applicant must clearly explain in the application how the P2 technologies, methods, or approaches used are new or experimental and how the project otherwise meets the requirements of a demonstration as described in this RFA. If your project uses technologies, methods or approaches that have been used previously in other geographic areas and/or business sectors, then your application must include an explanation as to how your demonstration project is different from such prior projects and is a true demonstration.

The applicant must also explain what will be learned in the industry from the demonstration project. If your project is truly a demonstration and complies with other eligibility factors, then it will be considered for funding.

D. How Does EPA Define P2?

Pollution prevention, also called "source reduction," is any practice which reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling of discarded material, treatment, or disposal; and reduces the hazards to public health and the environment associated with the release of those substances, pollutants, or contaminants. P2 practices include equipment or technology modifications, process or procedure modifications, reformulation or redesign of products, substitution of raw materials, and improvements in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control.

EPA has also interpreted P2 as including practices that increase efficient use of water, energy, raw materials, or other resources that may protect natural resources through conservation methods, or in-process recycling (i.e., process improvements to reuse materials within the same business/facility in the production process). Reducing the amount of pollution in the environment means producing less waste to control, treat, or dispose. Less pollution means fewer hazards posed to public health and the environment.

E. What is Not P2?

For purposes of this announcement, P2 does not involve practices which alter the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics or the volume of a pollutant, hazardous substance or contaminant through a process or activity which itself is not integral to and necessary to produce a product or in providing a service. See Pollution Prevention Act Section 6603 and 40 CFR 35.343 and 35.662. The following are not P2 activities and cannot serve as the basis for P2 grant funding: recycling of discarded materials, waste clean-up, disposal activities, managing or processing of non-hazardous solid waste (e.g., paper, cardboard, glass, plastics), and the implementation of Lean manufacturing activities that do not involve reductions in the use/release of hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, greenhouse gas releases or water use. If any of these activities represents more than a small and ancillary part of the proposed work, EPA will not consider the application for an award. For assistance with recycling of discarded materials, waste clean-up, disposal and management or processing of non-hazardous solid waste activities, please refer to EPA’s Reduce, Reuse, Recycle website.

G. 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 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 (usually in Section VII) to obtain the provisions.

II. Award Information

A. Funding Available

Based on the Congressional appropriation received in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and anticipated in FY 2023 for the P2 Program, EPA Region 2 plans to award a total of approximately $228,000 in grant funding.

B. Partial Funding Provision

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund an application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the application was evaluated and selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.

Additionally, the total available funding will be disbursed over a two-year period, with up to $107,000 available in the first year and an additional $121,000 available in the second year, contingent upon the availability of funds, the quality of applications, and other applicable considerations. The available amount of funds will be divided equally between the number of awardees, so for example if there is only one grantee in the first year, it will receive the entire available $107,000, whereas if three grantees are selected from the competition, they will equally split the available funds. The same situation applies for funds available in the second year. It is anticipated that assistance agreements awarded under this announcement will have two-year project periods with an optional third year as explained in Section

1.A. above.

C. Possible Number of Agreements Awarded

EPA anticipates award of up to three grants under this announcement with a total combined value of up to $228,000. The federal funding amounts for individual grant awards under this announcement can range from $70,000 to $228,000. Funding is dependent upon availability of funds, quality of evaluated applications, Agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards under this announcement. In addition, EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selection. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of the original selection.

D. Length of Project Period

The estimated project period for the award(s) resulting from this solicitation will begin in February

2023. Proposed project periods will be two years (with an optional third year to collect and report on the

P2 practices adopted and to complete P2 case studies as discussed in Section I.A. above).

E. Funding Type

The funding for the selected project will be in the form of a grant. A grant is an award of financial assistance by the federal government to an eligible recipient in the form of money, property, or in-kind assistance in lieu of money by the federal government to an eligible recipient. The term does not include technical assistance from federal employees or other assistance in the form of revenue sharing, loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies, insurance, or direct appropriations. Also, the term does not include assistance, such as a fellowship or other lump sum award, for which the recipient is not required to account. The EPA will not be substantially involved in the performance of grants.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Entities

Eligible applicants include States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, any territory or possession of the United States, local governments, city or township governments, independent school district governments, state controlled institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, (other than institutions of higher education) private institutions of higher education, community-based grass roots organizations, and federally-recognized tribes and intertribal consortia.

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 non-profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation. While not considered to be a nonprofit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR 200.1, public or nonprofit Institutions of Higher

Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA. Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 CFR 200.1 are also eligible to apply as nonprofits or as instrumentalities of the unit of government depending on the applicable law.

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 /Matching Funds and Leveraged Resources

1. Cost Sharing/Matching Funds

Source Reduction Assistance in Communities grant recipients, as required by the P2 Program, must provide at least a five percent match of the total allowable project cost. For example, the federal government will provide 95 percent of the total allowable project cost and the recipient will provide the remaining 5 percent. To further illustrate, if the total project cost is $80,000, to meet the 5% cost share/match requirement, the applicant must be able to provide $4,000 in cash or in-kind contributions to be eligible to receive $76,000 in federal grant funding from EPA.

Federal Award: $76,000

+ Cost share/match requirement: $4,000

Total Project Cost = $80,000

The match requirement must be demonstrated at the time of application by documenting, in the proposed budget, the type of match being provided and how it will be used. Cost sharing and matching contributions may include, but are not limited to, dollars; in-kind goods and services (e.g., volunteered time, photocopying and printing services); third-party contributions consistent with 2 CFR 200.306(b);

or university faculty time or effort which can be offered as a cash contribution if the cost sharing occurs during the assistant agreement period and while the faculty member is under a continuing contract with the university.

If a partnership is formed with another federal government program, the cash or in-kind contribution from the federal entity may not be used by the applicant to meet the match requirement of the Source

Reduction Assistance in Communities assistance agreement. In addition, if partnerships will involve contracts and/or subawards, applicants are strongly advised to consult the applicable rules for using contracts and subawards in federal assistance agreements. Applicants will find a discussion of the applicable rules in Section IV of the EPA Solicitation Clauses website at:

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses

Note: Cost sharing and matching requirements for applications under $200,000 for the U.S. Virgin

Islands are waived as a matter of law as authorized by the Omnibus Territories Act, as amended, 48 U.S.C. Section 1469a.

2. Leveraged Resources

Leveraged resources or "leveraging" is when an applicant proposes to provide additional resources to support or complement the proposed project which are above and beyond the EPA grant funds that they are requesting and are not part of the match requirement. Examples of leveraging include the resources and expertise of partners (such as other Federal or state grants) or innovative financing partnerships

(such as, but not limited to, Community Development Financial Institutions, micro-loans, voluntary resource exchanges and donations, job development training investments, foundation-derived funds and crowd-funding, and other private or non-profit funding sources) where the leveraging leads to a longer-term sustainable effort beyond the grant period. If applicants elect to leverage resources and partnerships, then the applicant must document how the leveraging will enhance the implementation of

P2 recommendations, outputs, and outcomes provided to the beneficiaries during and after the grant period.

If an applicant chooses to leverage resources, the leveraging should only be described in the applicant’s project narrative and should not be included in the project budget on the SF-424 or SF-424A. If applicants propose to leverage funds, EPA expects them to secure the leveraged resources described in their applications. If the proposed leveraging does not materialize during the performance period of the grant, EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action authorized under 2 CFR Part 200.

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 entities (see above) that meet all the criteria will be evaluated against the ranking factors in Section V of this announcement.

Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration because of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. 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. Where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the narrative proposal, pages exceeding the page limitation will not be reviewed.

2. Initial applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this announcement (except in 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 submitted.

3. 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 www.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 www.SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission. Applicants should confirm receipt of their application with Dale Carpenter, Carpenter.Dale@epa.gov as soon as possible after the submission deadline—failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

4. The applicant must be an eligible entity as described in Section III.A. above.

5. All applications must specify and promote the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan, as described in Section I.C.

6. Applications must conform to the Scope of Work as described in Section I.B. of this solicitation.

7. Applications must be focused on source reduction activities, as defined in Section I.A.

8. Projects that are demonstrations must involve new or not widely applied 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.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:Carpenter.Dale@epa.gov

9. 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.

10. Applications must be for projects performed within EPA Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Puerto

Rico, Virgin Islands and Federally recognized Indian Nations).

IV. Application and Submission Information

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 received at least 15 calendar days before the application due date to allow enough time to negotiate alternative submission methods. Issues with submissions with respect to this opportunity only are addressed in section c. Technical Issues with Submission below.

B. Submission Instructions

1. SAM.gov (System for Award Management) Registration Instructions

Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must have an active SAM.gov registration. If you have never done business with the Federal Government, you will need to register your organization in SAM.gov. If you do not have a SAM.gov account, then you will create an account using login.gov to complete your SAM.gov registration. SAM.gov registration is FREE.

The process for entity registrations includes obtaining Unique Entity ID (UEI), a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned an entity by SAM.gov, and requires assertions, representations and certifications, and other information about your organization. Please review the Entity

Registration Checklist for details on this process.

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

Please note that SAM.gov registration is different than obtaining a UEI only. Obtaining an UEI only validates your organization’s legal business name and address. Please review the Frequently

Asked Questions on the difference for additional details.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement https://login.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=51a2fa061b0bcd500ca4a97ae54bcb18 https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=51a2fa061b0bcd500ca4a97ae54bcb18 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0051214&sys_kb_id=dd40f4ef1b9641d0937fa64ce54bcb7a&spa=1 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0051214&sys_kb_id=dd40f4ef1b9641d0937fa64ce54bcb7a&spa=1

Organizations should ensure that their SAM.gov registration includes a current e-Business

(EBiz) point of contact name and email address. The EBiz point of contact is critical for

Grants.gov Registration and system functionality.

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

2. Grants.gov Registration Instructions

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

Grants.gov registration. Grants.gov registration is FREE. If you have never applied for a federal grant before, please review the Grants.gov Applicant Registration instructions. As part of the

Grants.gov registration process, the EBiz point of contact is the only person that can affiliate and assign applicant roles to members of an organization. In addition, at least one person must be assigned as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Only person(s) with the AOR role can submit applications in Grants.gov. Please review the Intro to Grants.gov-Understanding

User Roles and Learning Workspace – User Roles and Workspace Actions for details on this important process.

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

Contact Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov to resolve technical issues with Grants.gov. Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545-

5035. The Grants.gov Support Center is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, excluding federal holidays.

3. Application Submission Process

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to Grants.gov and click the red “Apply” button at the top of the view grant opportunity page associated with this opportunity.

The electronic submission of your application to this funding opportunity must be made by an official representative of your organization who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal financial assistance. If the submit button is grayed out, it may be https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLxg5Tu3qHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLxg5Tu3qHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsPRj4ILn7Y https://gditshared.servicenowservices.com/hhs_grants mailto:support@grants.gov https://gditshared.servicenowservices.com/hhs_grants because you do not have the appropriate role to submit in your organization. Contact your organization’s EBiz point of contact or contact Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

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

4. Application Submission Deadline

Your organization's AOR must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than 11:59 PM ET on Monday, November 14. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application and allow for unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit.

Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically. Please note that successful submission of your application through Grants.gov does not necessarily mean your application is eligible for award. Any application submitted after the application deadline time and date deadline will be deemed ineligible and not be considered.

C. Technical Issues with Submission

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

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

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

3. Send an email with the funding opportunity number, EPA-REG2-LCRD-P2-2022-1, in the subject line to carpenter.dale@epa.gov before the application deadline time and date. The e-mail must include the following:

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

b. Description of the issue,

c. The entire application package in PDF format.

Without this information, EPA may not be able to consider applications submitted outside of

Grants.gov. Any application submitted after the application deadline time and date deadline will be deemed ineligible and not be considered.

mailto:support@grants.gov https://gditshared.servicenowservices.com/hhs_grants https://gditshared.servicenowservices.com/hhs_grants mailto:carpenter.dale@epa.gov

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

EPA will make decisions concerning acceptance of each application submitted outside of

Grants.gov on a case-by-case basis. EPA will only consider accepting applications that were unable to submit through Grants.gov due to Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues or for unforeseen exigent circumstances, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access.

Failure of an applicant to submit prior to the application submission deadline date because they did not properly or timely register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov is not an acceptable reason to justify acceptance of an application outside of Grants.gov.

D. Application Materials

The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

Mandatory Documents:

1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424),

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

3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54,

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

5. Project Narrative Attachment Form: Use this to submit your Project Narrative, prepared as described in Section IV.E below.

Optional Documents:

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

E. Content of Application Submission

The following documents are required for all application packages. In addition to the mandatory documents listed in Section IV.D above, all applications must contain a “Narrative

Proposal,” and a “Budget Table and Budget Narrative.” The “Narrative Proposal,” a maximum of 15 pages in length, must explicitly describe the applicant’s proposed project and specifically address each of the evaluation criteria disclosed in Section V.A “Evaluation Criteria,” and the threshold eligibility criteria in Section III.C.

Narrative Proposal. Narrative proposals must be concise, well organized, and not exceed 15 typed, single-line spaced, 8 1/2 x 11” pages, which includes the one-page Summary Information

Page. The font shall not be smaller than 10 points. The “Summary Information Page” page, item

“a” below, is included in this page limit. The Narrative Proposal must provide the information detailed in this section and include responses to all Section III.C, Threshold Criteria; Section

V.A, Evaluation Criteria; as well as the information identified in Section I, Funding

Opportunity Description. Detailed information about your proposed project must be provided.

https://gditshared.servicenowservices.com/hhs_grants https://gditshared.servicenowservices.com/hhs_grants https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/

Do not include discussions of broad principles that are not specific to the proposed work or project covered by your application. Responses to evaluation criteria should include the criteria number and title but need not restate the entire text of the criteria. Sufficient detail must be provided to allow for an evaluation of the merits of the proposal. Vague descriptions, redundancy, and failure to address each of the evaluation criteria will result in a lower ranking.

The Narrative Proposal must substantially conform to the following outline and content:

a. Summary Information Page (maximum of one-page) must include:

i. Project Title.

ii. Applicant Name. Identify the name of the organization submitting the application.

iii. Organization’s UEI number.

iv. Project Summary. Briefly describe the project in one to four sentences.

v. Contact Information. Include name, title, address, email address, phone number.

You can list both a primary and an administrative contact.

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

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

viii. Project Period. Provide estimated beginning and ending dates.

b. The Narrative Proposal Work Plan should provide the information below on how the applicant will implement and conduct its project and discuss how the proposal addresses each of the evaluation criteria in Section V of this announcement. The Narrative Proposal

Work Plan must include:

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

• Detailed project summary, description of specific actions, innovative approaches, and methods to be undertaken and the responsible institutions, including estimated timeline for each task,

• Provide a clear and detailed explanation describing how the project addresses an environmental and/or human health concern through the implementation of pollution prevention and source reduction,

• Description of the associated work products to be developed,

• Explanation of how the project benefits the target audience,

• A clear and detailed explanation of how the project addresses the requirements in Section I.C (Strategic Plan Linkage),

• Description of the roles of the applicant and partners,

• Description of the applicant’s organization and experience related to the proposed project,

• Description of staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project,

• Description of how the project is replicable or transferable to other entities or communities.

• Description of whether the project would address EJ concerns in underserved communities and/or climate change impacts.

ii. Environmental Results and Performance Measurement: Anticipated Outcomes and

Outputs. Describe what success looks like for your project. Describe the qualitative or quantitative outputs and outcomes that you will track to demonstrate that your project meets your intended objectives.

Anticipated Outcomes. Specify the expected environmental outcomes including those described in Section I.C, Measuring Environmental Results: Anticipated

Outcomes and Outputs of this announcement. Discuss how you propose to track and measure your progress towards achieving the project outcomes and results.

Include quantitative targets for outcomes when applicable. (Refer to Section V.A, Evaluation Criteria).

Anticipated Outputs. Identify the expected project outputs, including those described in Section I.C, Measuring Environmental Results: Anticipated Outcomes and Outputs of this announcement and describe how you will track and measure your progress towards achieving the expected project outputs. Outputs, quantitative or qualitative, must be measurable during the project performance period. Include quantitative targets for outputs when applicable.

Additional output and outcome measures connected to leadership approach and financing can be added here in addition to the four required P2 outcomes.

Identified Support for the Project: Here is where to describe community groups who support your project, partners who will assist you, and any local or state policies or laws which support or require the activities of the work plan. Leveraged funds also get included here. If funds, even from outside organizations, are necessary for the completion of the work plan, they must be included in the budget breakout. Applications will be evaluated on the strength of this support for the project. This can also be an area to discuss your community leadership approach and financing approaches when applicable.

iii. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance. Submit a list of federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include federal grants and cooperative agreements but not federal contracts) that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than five 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…