Final SNEP_pass-through RFA 4-14-17.pdf

SOUTHEAST NEW ENGLAND PROGRAM

2017 Request for Applications

Federal Agency Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Region 1

Funding Opportunity Title: Coastal Watershed Restoration Grant Program for the Southeast New England Program

(SNEP)

Announcement Type: Request for Applications (RFA)

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-R1-SNEP-2017

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.129

Important Dates

RFA posted in

Grants.gov

April 14, 2017

Information Webinar May 9, 2017 2:00 – 3:30 (see Section VII and http://www.epa.gov/snecwrp for details)

Closing date and application deadline

June 12, 2017 is the closing date for application packages to be submitted in order to be considered for funding. Application packages must be submitted electronically to

EPA through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) by 11:59 pm EDT.

Applicant notification July 17, 2017: EPA expects to notify the selected applicant.

Award of funds September 22, 2017: EPA expects to award funds.

Dates: Applications must be received by electronic submission through Grants.gov on or before 11:59 P.M. EDT

June 12, 2017. Late applications will not be considered for funding. Questions about this RFA must be submitted in writing via e-mail and must be received by the Agency Contact identified in Section VII by May 29, 2017. EPA will post written responses on EPA’s website at: http://www.epa.gov/snecwrp. Following evaluation of applications, EPA will notify all applicants regarding their status.

Note to Applicants: If the applicant names subawardees/sub-grantees and/or contractor(s) in their proposal to assist with the proposed project, pay careful attention to the information in the CONTRACTS AND SUBAWARDS provision found at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/solicitation_provisions.htm.

Also Note: Funding under this announcement is currently authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, and Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017. The continuing resolution funding government operations expires April 28, 2017. Accordingly, this funding announcement is anticipatory in nature with the expectation of Fiscal Year 2017 funding. While EPA expects funding to become available, applicants should be aware that if appropriations do not become available or significant changes are made to EPA’s funding authority, EPA may be required to modify or cancel this announcement and determine whether and how to proceed. EPA expressly reserves the right to make no awards under this announcement or to incrementally fund a selected award subject to the availability of funding or other considerations.

For purposes of this RFA:

The “applicant” refers to the organization submitting an application.

“Grant Program” refers to the Coastal Watershed Restoration Grant Program for the Southeast New England

Program

“SNEP” refers to the Southeast New England Program. The term “SNEP geographic boundaries” refers to the south-facing coastal watersheds between Westerly, Rhode Island and Chatham, Massachusetts, the watersheds of the Narragansett Bay and Buzzards Bay National Estuary Programs (NEPs), and offshore islands of Martha’s

Vineyard, Nantucket, Elizabeth Islands (Town of Gosnold, MA), and Block Island (Town of New Shoreham, RI).

Projects must occur within this geographic area to be eligible to be considered for funding. A high-resolution map of the SNEP area is found in Appendix A and at http://www.epa.gov/snecwrp/background-information-southeast-new-england-coastal-watershed-restoration-program.

http://www.epa.gov/snecwrp http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.epa.gov/snecwrp http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/solicitation_provisions.htm

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 over the term of the grant funding period. As an example, an output for a Phragmites removal project would be the removal of Phragmites from a specific number of acres.

The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will be achieved by carrying out an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature, must be quantitative, and may not necessarily be achievable within a grant funding period. As an example, an outcome for a Phragmites removal project would be a diversified, more natural ecosystem that sustains a wide variety of native species.

SUMMARY

EPA is soliciting applications from eligible entities (see Section III.A) under this announcement to support goals of the SNEP for coastal watershed restoration. SNEP is a geographically-based program serving as a collaborative framework for advancing ecosystem resiliency, protecting and restoring water quality, habitat, and ecosystem function, and developing and applying innovative policy, science, and technology to environmental management in southeast coastal New England. These broad goals were informed by input from members of a Steering Committee that includes the States of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, key environmental and watershed organizations, local tribes, and other Federal agencies. Objectives under these goals include improving water quality to reduce the impact of nutrients on water quality and aquatic life; restoring physical processes that support critical habitat and ecosystem function; and aligning restoration and management efforts on a regional scale to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency. This RFA reflects those objectives and focuses primarily on reducing the impacts of nutrients, especially nitrogen, on aquatic life and coastal ecosystems, restoring physical processes that support critical habitat and ecosystem function, and measuring, monitoring, and reporting change in condition and the effectiveness of actions.

Under this focus, EPA intends to fund a selected applicant to manage a competitive subaward grant program to support projects that build capacity to implement strategic protection and restoration of coastal ecosystems and their watersheds, including associated water quality and aquatic habitats, in southeast New England.

This RFA sets forth a competitive process to solicit and select an eligible organization to administer the SNEP subaward grant program under one assistance agreement to be awarded under this announcement. Eligible applicants may include existing partnerships of organizations, partnerships of organizations formally created in response to this

RFA, and individual organizations. EPA seeks applicants that will administer a grant program to address the SNEP priorities of (1) reducing the impacts of nutrients, especially nitrogen, on aquatic life and coastal ecosystems, (2) restoring physical processes that support critical habitat and ecosystem function; and (3) measuring, monitoring, and reporting change in condition and the effectiveness of actions through projects and partnerships implemented by tribal, state, and local government agencies; non-governmental organizations (NGOs); academic institutions;

technology developers; scientists; and other eligible groups.

For the purposes of this program, a partnership is an entity linked with or in a collaborative arrangement with other groups or organizations having similar goals for the restoration of southeast coastal New England. The selected recipient will manage the assistance agreement to bring together partners and to provide subawards to eligible subawardees.

Specifically, EPA is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants to:

Administer the subaward grant program, including: preparing and issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) responsive to SNEP priorities; establishing review criteria and expert panels for evaluating and selecting subawardee proposals; establishing guidelines for the program; and making and overseeing subawards to support

SNEP coastal watershed restoration goals as described in Section I.A and Section I.B of this announcement;

Provide technical support to subawardees by coordinating outreach, training, information resources, and peer-to-peer tech transfer, including convening at least one annual regional meeting for subawardees to learn from each other;

Qualitatively and quantitatively measure and report the outputs and outcomes of the environmental results of the

SNEP projects accomplished through the subawards;

Further SNEP priorities through partnerships, networking, and facilitating subawardees to develop and commit to future partnering and implementation efforts;

Communicate, transfer, and expand the successes of the subaward projects and the SNEP ecosystem-based approach by conducting outreach through traditional and new media.

Dispense monies to subaward recipients in a timely manner to reduce unliquidated obligations and as required by applicable grant regulations; and

Ensure that subaward activities align with the SNEP priorities identified in this RFA.

The competitive award must be SNEP-region in scale1 and support projects that address common priorities within the

SNEP boundaries. Funding provided under this announcement supports Goal 2 of the Fiscal Year 2014-2018 EPA

Strategic Plan - Protecting America’s Waters: Protect and Restore Watersheds and Aquatic Ecosystems2.

Eligible applicants under this RFA are tribal, state, regional, and local governments; institutes of higher education;

nonprofit institutions and organizations; intertribal consortia; and interstate agencies. 3; Applicants must have the authority and ability to work in all SNEP state, regional, and local jurisdictions, and be capable of undertaking activities that advance SNEP priorities.

EPA expects the total estimated funding available for awards under this competitive opportunity will be up to $5 million for FY2017, and up to a total of approximately $12 million over three years through FY2020. The total estimated funding for three years is approximately $12 million. EPA expects to fund one cooperative agreement under this RFA for a single entity to coordinate and manage the grant process contingent upon funding availability, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. However, EPA expressly reserves the right to make no award or to incrementally fund a selected one.

An incrementally funded award will be subject to the availability of funding, future appropriations, satisfactory performance of work, and other applicable considerations. EPA requires the applicant to provide a minimum 25% match of the total Federal request (see Section III.B for information on the minimum non-federal 25 percent cost share/match requirement).

Current authorization for SNEP funding is contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 and the Further

Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017, which give EPA the authority to award grants and cooperative agreements to carry out SNEP, including planning, research, monitoring, outreach, and implementation projects within the SNEP geographic area. The Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017, expires on April 28, 2017. As a result, applicants should be aware that if appropriations do not become available or significant changes are made to EPA’s funding authority after this date, EPA may be required to modify or cancel this announcement and determine whether and how to proceed.

Other Application Information: For the applicant’s convenience, EPA has created an RFA web page at http://www.epa.gov/snecwrp to provide information relating to the RFA process as well as a link to frequently asked questions (FAQs). EPA encourages all applicants to sign up for SNEP’s mailing list by sending an email to

SEcoastalNE@epa.gov requesting to be placed on the list to receive any updates regarding this RFA, the review process, and/or selections.

FUNDING/AWARDS: The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is up to $12 million over three years. We anticipate awarding a single cooperative agreement from this announcement, subject to availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.

CONTENTS BY SECTION

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application and Submission Information

V. Application Review Information

1 See Appendix A for map of SNEP geographic boundaries and program description 2 EPA’s Strategic Plan is available at http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.

3 See Section III. A for definitions of eligible and ineligible entities

VI. Award Administration Information

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information (Appendices)

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

I.A. Background

The objective of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) is to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters." Despite continuing progress in achieving these goals, coastal ecosystems are recognized as particularly vulnerable to upstream pollution sources, fragmented management, and the impacts of stressors such as extreme weather and sea-level rise. The coastal watersheds of southeast New England are prime examples of this vulnerability. The economy and community health of this region are directly tied to its unique ecological systems. These systems are currently impaired by excessive nutrients from wastewater, septic systems, and other land-based sources, and face future threats to resiliency from increasing ecological stressors and shifting socio-economic patterns. Traditionally, agencies and organizations have sought to address these problems independently, separated by jurisdictions, institutional identities, and issues in reconciling different uses and priorities.

These factors call for a more holistic approach to protecting aquatic ecosystems. SNEP’s focus on the region’s urgent common issues offers an opportunity to connect these jurisdictions, institutions, and programs. SNEP is a geographically-based program intended to serve as a collaborative framework for advancing ecosystem resiliency, protecting and restoring water quality, habitat, and ecosystem function, and developing and applying innovative policy, science, and technology to environmental management in southeast coastal New England. A critical aspect of this framework is the integration of physical processes, water quality, and critical habitat at a regional, watershed, and/or landscape scale. This ecosystem-based approach increases the effectiveness of regional restoration efforts throughout the SNEP region to enhance the impact and scale of local efforts and limit duplication. It enables sharing of financial and management resources, and builds sustainable frameworks and partnerships needed to invest in wise restoration and proactive measures over the long-term.

SNEP’s role as a partnership facilitator among government and non-governmental organizations is central to its mission to empower collective action that not only improves water quality and restores habitat, but also sustains coastal ecosystem services and functions that promote important community values for health and safety, resilient economies, and protected uses.

I.B. Grant Program Objectives

Coastal ecosystems are dynamic, interconnected in the landscape through hydrological, biological, and land-based processes, and they must be protected as systems in order to maintain their integrity and the benefits they provide;

among waterbodies, coastal ecosystems are even further challenged by the complexity and variability of their underlying natural regimes. Understanding and maintaining system functions are also important for withstanding stressors such as extreme weather impacts, sea-level rise, habitat loss, degraded riparian and flood plain services, urbanization, and loss of connectivity corridors for key species. Management approaches at multiple scales are critical to successfully protecting and restoring watershed and ecosystem functions and services. Finally, prioritization based on vulnerability and/or other factors is necessary given limited resources. This RFA focuses on SNEP’s priority to (1) reduce the impacts of nutrients, especially nitrogen, on aquatic life and coastal ecosystems, (2) restore physical processes that support critical habitat and ecosystem function, including those that control nutrient processes, and (3) measure, monitor, and report on changes in condition and effectiveness of actions.

For purposes of this RFA, EPA considers strategic protection and restoration to be ecosystem-scale multi-stakeholder strategies, plans, or actions implemented by an entity or organization capable of proactive protection and targeted enhancement or improvement within an ecosystem-based approach.

Under this approach, EPA intends to fund a selected applicant to manage a competitive subaward grant program that captures the SNEP strategic restoration priorities of (1) reducing the impacts of nutrients on aquatic life and coastal ecosystems; (2) restoring physical processes that support critical habitat and ecosystem function, including those that control nutrient processes; and (3) measuring, monitoring, and reporting change in condition and the effectiveness of actions. Applicants should demonstrate their ability and describe their approach to manage a competitive SNEP subawards program that addresses these priorities.

EPA expects to award up to $12 million in total over three years as a cooperative agreement under this RFA for a single entity to coordinate and manage the subaward program, contingent upon funding availability, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. However, EPA expressly reserves the right to make no award or to incrementally fund an award funded under this announcement. An incrementally funded award will be subject to the availability of funding, future appropriations, satisfactory performance of work, and other applicable considerations. EPA requires that the applicant provide a minimum 25 percent match of the total federal request (see

Section III.B for information on the minimum 25 percent non-federal cost share/match requirement). EPA expects funding for each subaward to be up to $750,000; however, applicants may justify a different range as part of their application narrative. Subawards funded under the cooperative agreement must be completed prior to the end of the cooperative agreement project period.

Activities to be performed by the recipient include, but are not limited to:

Administering the subaward grant program, including preparing and issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) responsive to the priorities listed above, establishing review criteria and expert panels for evaluating and selecting subawardee proposals, establishing guidelines for the program, and making and overseeing subawards to support coastal watershed restoration goals as described in Section I.A and Section I.B of this announcement;

Providing technical support to subawardees by coordinating outreach, training, information resources, and peer-to-peer tech transfer, including convening at least one annual regional meeting for subawardees to learn from each other;

Qualitatively and quantitatively measuring and reporting the outputs and outcomes of the environmental results of the SNEP projects accomplished through the subawards;

Furthering SNEP priorities through partnerships, networking, and facilitating subawardees to develop and commit to future partnering and implementation efforts;

Communicating, transferring, and expanding the successes of the subaward projects and the SNEP ecosystem-based approach by conducting outreach through traditional and new media.

Dispensing monies to subaward recipients in a timely manner to reduce unliquidated obligations and as required by applicable grant regulations; and

Ensuring that subaward activities align with SNEP priorities identified in this RFA.

The above are examples of the types of activities expected of the applicant. In addition to considering these examples, applicants may also describe alternative approaches for managing and issuing subawards. For several example subaward activities, see Appendix D.

At present, the statutory authority for this action is the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 and the Further

Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017, which currently authorize EPA to award grants and cooperative agreements to carry out SNEP, including planning, research, monitoring, outreach, and implementation projects within the SNEP geographic area. Applicants should be aware that if appropriations do not become available or significant changes are made to EPA’s funding authority, EPA may be required to modify or cancel this announcement and determine whether and how to proceed. EPA expressly reserves the right to make no awards under this announcement or to incrementally fund a selected award subject to the availability of funding or other considerations.

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

Under Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,” EPA must link proposed assistance agreements to 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 (http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-

03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf).

Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan. All applications must support progress towards EPA’s 2014-2018 Strategic Plan Goal

2 “Protect and Restore Watersheds and Aquatic Ecosystems: Protect, restore, and sustain the quality of rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands on a watershed basis, and sustainably manage and protect coastal and ocean resources and ecosystems”4, and towards Strategic Measures (Improve Water Quality on a Watershed Basis and Improve Coastal and Ocean Waters) (http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget).

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 project(s) to be funded under this announcement may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Number and list of subaward recipients (list must be in easy to use and read formatted spreadsheets or other similar electronic tool);

Use of online grant management tools (e.g., tools for subaward applicants to apply; for review teams to read and rank subaward applicants);

Partnerships formed or strengthened that contribute to measurably reduced nutrient impacts and improved or restored aquatic ecosystems;

Numbers of acres and/or miles of restoration and conservation practices implemented that preserve or restore connectivity and/or support natural ecosystem and watershed processes;

Number of restoration, watershed, and/or land use plans designed, developed, or implemented;

Number of plans for testing and implementing approaches, and for sharing and adopting successful outcomes, lessons learned, technologies developed, approaches gleaned, and best practices employed from the activities’ projects;

Development of databases of regional data such as precipitation, streamflow and volume, nutrient concentrations and discharge information, and land-use nutrient loadings to enable targeted action;

Implementation of monitoring coverage, practices, and indicators focused on expanding capacity to measure, monitor, and report changes in impacts and aquatic ecosystem condition;

Criteria and methods for evaluating and tracking success and sustainability of actions implemented through projects.

Progress reports and a final report will also be a required output, as specified in Section VI.C of this announcement, “Reporting Requirement.”

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.

Examples of potential outcomes under activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Creation of sustainable partnerships and/or other management collaboratives to operate across the SNEP region;

Changes made to regulations, codes, and/or ordinances to promote watershed-based management;

Implementation of innovative watershed-based nutrient reduction strategies;

Deployment of shared monitoring protocols, data, and reporting networks;

Improved capacity among state and local governments to finance, implement, and monitor regionally scaled habitat projects;

Improved collective knowledge about how the physical processes of SNEP watersheds have improved, resulting in reduction in the amount of nutrients discharged in SNEP watersheds and an improvement in the ecosystem services and functions of SNEP watersheds;

Recovery of healthy aquatic life in nearby surface waters based on before- and after-project measurements; and

Cost savings resulting from project implementation

4 EPA’s Strategic Plan is available at http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.

Performance Measures. Applicants should also develop performance measures expected to be achieved through management of the SNEP grant program and describe them in the application. These performance measures will offer insights into long-term progress, will be the mechanism to track progress on successful process and outcome strategies, and will provide the basis for lessons to inform future recipients.

Applicants should consider the following questions when developing output and outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:

What are the measurable short term and longer term results the projects funded will achieve?

How will progress be measured in achieving the expected results (including outputs and outcomes) and how will their proposed approach use resources effectively and efficiently?

II. AWARD INFORMATION

II. A. Funding Amount and Expected Number of Awards

EPA plans to award one cooperative agreement for activities under this RFA and expects the total estimated funding available for awards under this competitive opportunity will be up to $5 million for FY2017, and up to a total of approximately $12 million over three years through FY2019. The total estimated funding for three years is approximately $12 million. The total estimated funding for three years is approximately $12 million.

EPA reserves the right to reject all proposals and make no award under this announcement. EPA also reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available after the original selection is made. Any additional selection for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decision.

A minimum cost share/match of 25 percent of the federal request is required under this RFA (see Section III.B for more information on the minimum non-federal cost share/match requirement).

II.B. Award Type

EPA has determined that a cooperative agreement is the appropriate funding vehicle for this project. Cooperative agreements are used under circumstances where substantial involvement is anticipated between EPA and the recipient during performance of the activity(ies). Federal involvement may include close monitoring of the recipient’s performance; collaboration during the performance of the scope of work; review of proposed procurements (in accordance with 2 CFR 200.318(i)); review of key personnel; and/or review and comment on the content of printed or electronic publications prepared. EPA does not have the authority to select employees or contractors employed by the recipient. The final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient.

For these projects, federal involvement would typically be in an advisory capacity. This involvement could include participation in grantee review panels and workshop/forum planning committees as well as involvement in communication and data sharing efforts. EPA will not make final subaward decisions or selections; the grantee will make the final subaward selections and administer the subawards. All of the work conducted under funded subawards is to support efforts to restore the SNEP ecosystem.

Specifically, EPA expects to be substantially involved by:

• Monitoring performance to verify the results proposed in applicant’s application;

• Collaborating during performance of the scope of work;

• Reviewing any proposed procurements and subawards in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317, 200.318, 200.330, and 200.331;

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

• Reviewing and commenting on reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (applicants make final decisions on the content of reports).

EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial involvement as part of the award process with the selected applicant.

II.C. Partial Funding

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

II.D. Expected Project Period

The expected project period for the cooperative agreements is up to 5 years, with funding provided on an annual basis.

No commitment of funding can be made beyond the first year. The expected start date for the awards resulting from this RFA is October 1, 2017. In order to ensure timely closeout and reporting of results, please note that projects funded under subawards from this award must be completed no later than six months before the end of the project period.

II.E. Pre-Award Costs

Recipients may incur otherwise eligible and allowable pre-award costs up to 90 days prior to award at their own risk without prior approval of EPA’s award official. Pre-award costs must comply with 2 CFR 200.308. If EPA determines that the requested pre-award costs comply with the relevant Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Cost

Principles (2 CFR Part 225 for government entities, 2 CFR Part 220 for educational institutions, and 2 CFR Part 230 for non-profit organizations), and that the costs are justified as allocable to the project, then these costs may be included as allowable expenditures at the time that the assistance award document is prepared. However, if for any reason EPA does not fund the proposal or the amount of the award is less than the applicant anticipated, then EPA is under no obligation to reimburse the applicant for these costs incurred. Thus, applicants incur pre-award costs at their own risk. Costs incurred more than 90 days prior to award require the approval of EPA Region 1’s grant official.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

III. A. Eligible Applicants

Assistance under SNEP is available to state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments; institutions of higher education;

nonprofit institutions and organizations; intertribal consortia; and interstate agencies. Applicants must have the authority and ability to work in all SNEP state, local, and regional jurisdictions and be capable of undertaking activities that advance SNEP priorities, including managing potentially complex fiscal and administrative requirements. Private businesses, federal agencies, and individuals are not eligible to apply; however, EPA encourages them to work in partnership with eligible applicants on projects. Applicants are not limited to the geographic area of southeastern coastal New England, but their projects must be carried out within the SNEP geographic region; EPA encourages applicants to have at least one local partner from within the SNEP geographic area. Applications must be SNEP-region in scale (see map in Appendix A for a map of the SNEP region) and support projects that address SNEP priorities within the SNEP boundaries.

The geographic area of the southeast New England Region includes south-facing coastal watersheds between

Westerly, Rhode Island to Chatham, Massachusetts, the watersheds of the Narragansett Bay and Buzzards Bay

National Estuary Programs (NEPs), and off-shore islands of Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Elizabeth Islands (Town of Gosnold, MA), and Block Island (Town of New Shoreham, RI). Subaward projects must take place within this geographic area to be eligible for consideration of funding. A high resolution map of the SNEP area is provided at http://www.epa.gov/snecwrp/background-information-southeast-new-england-coastal-watershed-restoration-program and in Appendix A.

For-profit organizations are not an eligible entity for this funding opportunity. Additionally, non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply.

III. B. Cost Sharing/Match Requirements

All applicants must demonstrate that they can contribute a minimum non-federal cost share/match of 25 percent of the federal request.

http://www.epa.gov/snecwrp/background-information-southeast-new-england-coastal-watershed-restoration-program

Match/cost shares can be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions, such as the use of volunteers and/or donated time, equipment, expertise, salaries or other verifiable costs and must be carefully documented. Involvement from foundations, watershed groups, private sector, eligible governmental, as well as non-conventional partners can help with the match. The match/cost share must be for allowable project costs under the SNEP funding authority described in sub-section I.E, and any restrictions on the use of grant funds also apply to the use of cost share/matching funds. In the case of salaries, applicants may use either minimum wage or fair market value. All funds are subject to federal audit. Applicants that do not describe how they will meet the minimum match/cost share requirement in their submission will not be considered for funding. Other federal grants may not be used as cost shares/matches without specific statutory authority. Regulations governing match/cost share requirements are at 2 CFR 200.306.

To calculate the minimum match under this RFA, divide the total federal request by four using the following formula:

Total Federal Funds Requested ($) divided by four (4) = minimum cost share/match ($).

For example, if the applicant is requesting $3,750,000, they must be able to provide $937,500 in cash or in-kind contributions as cost share/match. The federal funds plus the match is the total project cost.

III. C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

Only proposals from eligible entities (see Section III.A above) that meet the following threshold eligibility criteria will be evaluated against the criteria in Section V.B. Applicants must meet the following threshold criteria to be considered for funding. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified in writing within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

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. Note that if the application exceeds the page limitation stated in Appendix C, EPA will not review the excess pages and the information they contain will not be factored into the evaluation.

Applications must be submitted through www.grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed 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. 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 System for Award

Management (SAM) system issues (found at SAM.gov). An applicant’s failure to timely submit their application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission. Applicants should confirm receipt of their application with the designated contact identified in Section VII as soon as possible after the submission deadline—failure to do so may result in the application not being reviewed.

Applications must support EPA Strategic Plan Goal 2, ‘Protect and Restore Watersheds and Aquatic Ecosystems’.

(See Section I.C)

Applications must show how the cost-share requirements of Section III.B will be met

If a proposal is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the proposal will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the proposal, render the entire proposal ineligible for funding.

IV: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

IV. 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. 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 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 Barbara Perkins

USEPA Headquarters

William Jefferson Clinton Building

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N. W.

Mail Code: 3903R

Washington, DC 20460

Courier Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Barbara Perkins

Ronald Reagan Building

1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Rm # 51267

Washington, DC 20004

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

Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

Organization Name and 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 proposal 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, 2016, it is valid for any competitive or non-competitive application submission to EPA through

December 31, 2016). 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, 2016 with a submission deadline of January 15, 2017, the applicant would need a new exception to submit through alternative methods beginning January 1, 2017.

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.

IV.B. Submission Instructions

The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative of your institution who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal assistance. For more information on the registration requirements that must be completed in order to submit an application through grants.gov, go to

Grants.gov and click on “Applicants” on the top of the page and then go to the “Get Registered” link on the page. If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, please encourage your office to designate an Authorized

Organization Representative (AOR) and ask that individual to begin the registration process as soon as possible.

Please note that the registration process also requires that your organization have a DUNS number and a current registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) and the process of obtaining both could take a month or more. Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the submission deadline.

Registration on grants.gov, SAM.gov, and DUNS number assignment is FREE.

Applicants need to ensure that the AOR who submits the application through Grants.gov and whose DUNS number is listed on the application is an AOR for the applicant listed on the application. Additionally, the DUNS number listed on the application must be registered to the applicant organization’s SAM account. If not, the application may be deemed ineligible.

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to Grants.gov and click on “Applicants” on the top of the page and then “Apply for Grants” from the dropdown menu and then follow the instructions accordingly.

Please note: To apply through grants.gov, you must use Adobe Reader software and download the compatible Adobe

Reader version. For more information about Adobe Reader, to verify compatibility, or to download the free software, please visit Adobe Reader Compatibility Information on Grants.gov

You may also be able to access the application package for this announcement by searching for the opportunity on

Grants.gov. Go to Grants.gov and then click on “Search Grants” at the top of the page and enter the Funding

Opportunity Number, EPA-R1-SNEP-2017, or the CFDA number that applies to the announcement (CFDA 66.129), in the appropriate field and click the Search button.

Please note that Grants.gov is strongly encouraging users to sign up for and use their “Workspace” feature when applying for opportunities. Grants.gov will be phasing out the “legacy” application process, so EPA recommends that all applicants begin using Workspace as soon as possible so they are prepared when the “legacy” application process is no longer available.

Application Submission Deadline: Your organization’s AOR must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than June 12, 2017. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application process and allow for unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit.

Please submit all of the application materials described below using the grants.gov application package that you downloaded using the instructions above. For additional instructions on completing and submitting the electronic application package, click on the “Show Instructions” tab that is accessible within the application package itself.

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. Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B)

4. Grants.gov Lobbying Form

5. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

6. EPA Form 4700-4 – Preaward Compliance Review Report

7. Narrative Proposal (Project Narrative Attachment Form)-prepared as described in Appendix C of this announcement

Applications submitted through grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically.

If you have not received a confirmation of receipt from EPA (not from grants.gov) within 30 days of the application deadline, please contact Karen Simpson, at (617) 918-1672. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

IV.C. Technical Issues With Submission

1. Once the application package has been completed, the “Submit” button should be enabled. If the “Submit” button is not active, please call Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726. 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. Applicants should save the completed application package with two different file names before providing it to the AOR to avoid having to re-create the package should submission problems be experienced or a revised application needs to be submitted.

2. Submitting the application. The application package must be transferred to Grants.gov by an AOR. The AOR should close all other software before attempting to submit the application package. Click the “submit” button of the application package. Your Internet browser will launch and a sign-in page will appear.

Note: Minor problems are not uncommon with transfers to Grants.gov. It is essential to allow sufficient time to ensure that your application is submitted to Grants.gov BEFORE the due date identified in Section IV of the solicitation. The

Grants.gov support desk operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except Federal Holidays.

A successful transfer will end with an on-screen acknowledgement. For documentation purposes, print or screen capture this acknowledgement. If a submission problem occurs, reboot the computer – turning the power off may be necessary – and re-attempt the submission.

3. Transmission Difficulties. If transmission difficulties that result in a late transmission, no transmission, or rejection of the transmitted application are experienced, and following the above instructions do not resolve the problem so that the application is submitted to Grants.gov by the deadline date and time, follow the guidance below.

The Agency will make a decision concerning acceptance of each late submission on a case-by-case basis. All emails, as described below, are to be sent to SECoastalNE@epa.gov with the FON in the subject line. If you are unable to email, contact Karen Simpson at (617) 918-1672. Be aware that EPA will only consider accepting applications that were unable to transmit due to Grants.gov or relevant www.Sam.gov system issues or for unforeseen exigent circumstances, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access. Failure of an applicant to submit timely because they did not properly or timely register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov is not an acceptable reason to justify acceptance of a late submittal.

a. If you are experiencing problems resulting in an inability to upload the application to Grants.gov, it is essential to call Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 before the application deadline. 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. Be sure to obtain a case number from Grants.gov. If the problems stem from unforeseen exigent circumstances unrelated to Grants.gov, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access, contact Karen Simpson at (617) 918-1672.

b. Unsuccessful transfer of the application package: If a successful transfer of the application cannot be accomplished even with assistance from Grants.gov due to electronic submission system issues or unforeseen exigent circumstances, and you have already attempted to resolve the issue by contacting Grants.gov, send an email message to SECoastalNE@epa.gov prior to the application deadline. The email message must document the problem and include the Grants.gov case number as well as the entire application in PDF format as an attachment.

c. Grants.gov rejection of the application package: If a notification is received from Grants.gov…