Foa_Content_of_NOAA-NOS-ORR-2025-25974.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

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Table of Contents

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Executive Summary

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application and Submission Information

V. Application Review Information

VI. Award Administration Information

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

Executive Summary Federal Agency Name NOS Office of Response and Restoration (ORR) Funding Opportunity Title FY25 NOAA Marine Debris Removal under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Announcement Type Competitive Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-NOS-ORR-2025-25974

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.999 Dates This funding opportunity requires a Letter of Intent (LOI) to be submitted to grants.marinedebris@noaa.gov for competitive review before a full proposal can be submitted. LOIs must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, September 27, 2024. If invited, full proposals must then be submitted in Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) and validated by eRA on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, January 31, 2025.

Funding Opportunity Description The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) is a division of the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration.

Authorized in the Marine Debris Act, codified at 33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq., the NOAA MDP supports the development and implementation of marine debris assessment, removal, and prevention projects that benefit coastal habitat, waterways, and marine and Great Lake resources. Marine debris is defined as "any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes" (15 C.F.R. § 909.1). The mission of the NOAA MDP is to investigate and prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris.

Through this solicitation, NOAA seeks to support large marine debris removal projects with funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (PL 117-58). The overall objective of this funding opportunity is to support impactful, large marine debris removal projects that will improve the resilience of the coastal and marine environment. This competition considers impactful projects to be those that will have long-lasting, transformational benefits to marine and coastal NOAA Trust Resources, coastal communities, and/or local economies.

mailto:grants.marinedebris@noaa.gov http://www.grants.gov

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The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) describes the types of projects that are eligible for funding, as well as the proposal requirements and how applications will be evaluated. NOAA anticipates up to $47,000,000 will be available for this grant solicitation. The minimum federal request for this solicitation is $1,000,000. The maximum federal request is $10,000,000. The typical funding request will range from $2,000,000 to $6,000,000. Proposals requesting over $6,000,000 are expected to be proposals including a subaward competition for other organizations to identify and apply for funding for localized removal activities. Proposals requesting over $6,000,000 solely identifying marine debris targets for direct removal organized by the applicant should provide a detailed justification for why this amount of funding is needed. The exact amount of funds to be awarded and the number of awards made will be at the discretion of NOAA following pre-award negotiations with highly meritorious applicants.

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective The overall objective of this funding opportunity is to support impactful, large marine debris removal projects that will improve the resilience of the coastal and marine environment and ensure the project benefits persist beyond the funding period. Funding for this solicitation is available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (PL 117-58).

Marine debris is defined as "any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes" (15 C.F.R. § 909.1). The NOAA MDP, authorized in the Marine Debris Act, codified at 33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq., supports the development and implementation of marine debris assessment, removal, and prevention projects that benefit coastal habitat, waterways, and marine and Great Lake resources.

This is one of two NOAA MDP federal funding opportunities in support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to address the removal of marine debris. A second opportunity, NOAA-NOS-ORR-2025-25572 “NOAA Marine Debris Interception Technologies under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”, will support the removal of marine debris through interception technologies for the benefit of NOAA trust resources.

B. Program Priorities

The strongest applications will fully incorporate all of the program priorities for this competition. In some cases, projects may not be able to meet all of these priorities and could still be competitive if they include a description of the limitations preventing them from meeting the full set of priorities. Part of the evaluation criteria (see Section V.A.) is based on how the application materials incorporate the following program priorities:

• Impactful, large marine debris removal activities to benefit NOAA trust resources.

The highest priority for this funding opportunity is to support impactful, large marine debris removal projects that will improve the resilience of the coastal and marine environment through long-lasting, transformational benefits to marine and coastal NOAA Trust Resources. Applicants may conduct removal activities on their own, collaborate with other organizations, pass-through funding to subawardees, or administer a nationally- or regionally-focused competitive funding opportunity to allow for funding of smaller projects and lower the administrative burden on applicant organizations. Proposed work should be directed at supporting new or impactful efforts, or programs that require funding to scale-up or expand their existing efforts to achieve broader and more impactful outcomes.

Removals should also be conducted with a focus on alternative disposal methods when possible, which means applicants should use disposal methods that are the most environmentally friendly given the location, availability, and resources of the specific removal effort. Examples of alternative disposal may include: recycling, reuse, waste-to-energy, or other innovative disposal methods.

Removal projects that include monitoring activities to demonstrate long-term outcomes are encouraged. Long-term outcomes can be described as the anticipated benefits to habitats, communities, and the economy. Examples include the ecological services to be restored, benefits to local economies from an increase in tourism, the economic benefit to fishers from the removal of ghost gear, jobs created, or how planned prevention activities will sustain the benefits of the marine debris removal activity. All monitoring activities must be complementary to proposed large-debris removal efforts.

• Preventing the reaccumulation of debris through complementary and targeted marine debris prevention activities.

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To ensure the outcomes and benefits of the removal activities are sustained beyond the award period, applicants should incorporate prevention strategies to prevent the reaccumulation of the targeted debris. Competitive applications will design prevention strategies that are complementary to the debris types that are being targeted for removal. Proposals that have clearly targeted prevention activities that include the community(s) that are the source of the marine debris and/or the individual or community behavior(s) leading to the debris issue will be prioritized.

Please note, applications must meet the primary objective for this competition and proposals focusing on prevention activities without large marine debris removal activities will not be competitive for this funding opportunity.

• Advance the principles of diversity, equity, justice, inclusion, and accessibility in removal activities that will benefit local communities, especially Tribes and/or those facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens

All applications should demonstrate how their work will advance the principles of diversity, equity, justice, inclusion, and accessibility throughout the proposed work. Prevention and removal activities should prioritize collaboration with diverse entities and groups. These include (but are not limited to) collaborations with public and nonprofit organizations, community and watershed groups, anglers, boaters, industry (e.g., commercial and recreational fishing industries, other marine industries, and plastic and waste management industries), corporations and businesses, youth groups, students, academia, Tribes, and local and state government agencies. Collaboration may occur in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, working with stakeholders for whom there is currently limited direct engagement on marine debris issues, encouraging diverse perspectives from project leaders and partners (including, but not limited to, sectors, age, career stage, gender, ethnicity, disability, geography), incorporating different learning or engagement approaches into the project, or translation of resources/signage into other languages (see signage requirements in sections IV.B.4 Budget Justification and VI.B.2 Special Award Conditions).

In addition to the efforts above, applicants should identify any project activities that will take place within, have a portion of the benefits flow to, and/or meaningfully engage with the local community impacted by the targeted debris. NOAA MDP will prioritize projects that clearly incorporate meaningful engagement (see definition below) with the local community where project activities will occur. Meaningful engagement relies on the involvement of those communities that may be affected by a project, in a way that builds trust and addresses barriers to participation. Members of the community that may be affected by project activities should be an integral part of the project visioning and decision-making. This may include but is not limited to the identification of project goals, selection/prioritization of debris targets to remove, and project implementation, and/or developing solutions to any challenges that arise throughout the project period. The goal is to ensure that the scope of the activities is inclusive of the priorities and needs of communities and that the benefits of the activities flow back to the community impacted by the targeted debris.

Outreach or communications directed to communities without any description for how feedback and ideas from the community receiving the messaging will be incorporated into the project, will not be considered meaningful engagement, but should still be described as project benefits. For examples on how to incorporate the local community into your proposal, please see the NOAA MDP website (https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources).

Projects meeting all other competition priorities and that clearly identify project activities taking place within, have a portion of the benefits flow to Tribes and/or communities facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens as identified by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool will be more competitive. The most competitive projects will be those that also meaningfully engage with Tribes and/or communities facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens.

Please see the definitions below for a clear understanding of these priorities.

Definitions

• Impactful: refers to long-lasting, transformational benefits to marine and coastal NOAA Trust Resources.

This may include the footprint of removal work and/or long-term outcomes such as the anticipated benefits to habitats, communities, and the economy.

• Large debris: refers to abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs), derelict fishing gear (DFG), and other debris that is unable to be easily collected by hand.

• Meaningful engagement: refers to an intentional exchange between the applicant and the local community where both have multiple opportunities to ensure the other is correctly understanding each other’s perspectives and ideas.

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5

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• Monitoring: refers to project-specific, pre- or post-removal data collection where important ecological metrics (large debris accumulation over time, habitat/species impacts, changes in ecosystem services, vegetation, etc.) are analyzed to show the effect of the removal project.

• NOAA Trust Resources: refer to marine habitats and resources in which NOAA has a stewardship interest.

This includes resources associated with National Marine Sanctuaries, Marine Monuments, National Estuarine Research Reserves, and areas under state coastal management programs, including Areas of Concern within the Great Lakes. NOAA trust resources also include commercial and recreational fishery resources (marine and Great Lakes fish and shellfish); coastal habitats; diadromous fish species;

endangered and threatened marine species; marine mammals and marine turtles; marshes, mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs, other coastal habitats; Essential Fish Habitat (EFH); and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs). For the purposes of this competition, NOAA trust resources may also include transient or transboundary marine species.

• Tribe, tribal, or tribal governments: refers to both federally and non-federally recognized Tribes and Tribal governments as well as Native or Indigenous organizations.

This funding competition uses the following definitions from Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government:

• Equity: means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment.

• Accessibility: means the design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them.

• Diversity: is defined as a collection of individual attributes that together help organizations achieve objectives.

• Inclusion: is defined as a culture that connects each person to the larger organizing structure.

C. Program Authority Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq.); Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (PL 117-58)

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability NOAA anticipates up to $47,000,000 will be available for this grant solicitation. The minimum federal request under this solicitation is $1,000,000 and the maximum federal request is $10,000,000. The typical funding level for the federal share of project awards ranges from $2,000,000 to $6,000,000. Proposals requesting over $6,000,000 are expected to be proposals including a subaward competition for other organizations to apply for funding for localized removal activities.

The exact amount of funds to be awarded and the number of awards made will be at the discretion of NOAA following pre-award negotiations. Publication of this opportunity does not obligate NOAA to award any specific project or obligate all or any part of available program funds. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for any or all proposals. The number of awards to be made under this solicitation will depend on the number and quality of eligible applications, the amount of funding requested by recommended applicants, the merit and ranking of the proposals, and other program funding needs. Awards may include funding from other MDP program funding, other programs, or agencies.

B. Project/Award Period Applications should cover a project period of two to four years in duration. The earliest anticipated start date for awards will be no sooner than October 1, 2025. Applicants selected to receive funding may be asked to modify the project fieldwork start date to accommodate any delays in federal funding or environmental compliance consultations. It is recommended that applicants include pre-removal planning time into their proposal to avoid negative impacts if administrative or other delays occur. The start date should always begin on the first day of the month and the end date should always end on the last day of any given month when making a projection for the award start and end dates.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

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Selected applications will be funded through cooperative agreements since NOAA staff will be substantially involved in certain aspects of those projects selected for funding. Substantial involvement may include, but is not limited to, tracking the progress of projects through site visits; developing progress report templates; evaluating, and approving project progress reports; participating in regular conference calls; engaging with the recipient on environmental compliance requirements, technical collaboration, or permitting assistance; supporting the development of public-facing communication materials or events; and reviewing manuscript drafts (if any).

NOAA may choose to award partial funding as part of a multi-year award. If incremental or multi-year funding is awarded, in which NOAA only awards funds initially for the first phase of a project, NOAA will work with selected applicants in structuring the award accordingly, so as to ensure project needs and the timing of project activities aligns with expected funding availability. Once funds are awarded, recipients of multi-year awards will not need to compete for funding in subsequent years for the same award. NOAA has no obligation to provide any additional prospective funding in connection with that award in subsequent time periods; additional funding is contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued relevance to program mission and priorities, and the availability of funds.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants As outlined in the Marine Debris Act, eligible applicants from the United States, its territories, or Freely Associated States include:

• State, local, Tribal, and territory governments whose activities affect research or regulation of marine debris

• Federally and non-federally recognized Tribes and Native or Indigenous organizations

• Institutes of higher education

• Nonprofit organizations

• Commercial (for-profit) organizations with expertise in marine debris removals

Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will NOT be considered. Interested federal agencies may collaborate with eligible applicants but may not receive funds through this competition.

Foreign organizations and foreign public entities (see 2 CFR 200.1) from outside of the freely associated states are not eligible to apply.

NOAA is strongly committed to broadening the participation of veterans, minority-serving institutions, Tribes, and entities that work in communities facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens. The NOAA MDP encourages applicants of all backgrounds, circumstances, perspectives, and ways of thinking to apply.

To be eligible to apply or receive an award, applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations;

SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. The complete registration process for all three systems can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants must begin this activity as soon as possible and well before the proposal due date.

Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov, if needed (refer to Section IV. Applications and Submission Information, Section C). Organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov registrations; however, all registrations must be in place by time of application submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.

For more information on how to meet these registration and application submission requirements without errors, we advise all to carefully review relevant Applicant and Grantee Training modules:

https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training. Additionally, we advise that all carefully read the ‘Full Proposal Requirements’ section below.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement There is no non-federal matching requirement for this funding. However, the opportunity to provide cost sharing, leveraged funds, and in-kind support is acceptable.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/sam.gov/content/home__;!!FiG2giev53vN!6sxfF1sAvFOjycyhk2fdYVMXfZUYW1Ds_UXVaciBtzYJKo3z8ULHyQvQg4Ofc9vYVkBUxe6XLOLToDr9jML3HFOGrg$ https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.grants.gov/ https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html__;!!FiG2giev53vN!6sxfF1sAvFOjycyhk2fdYVMXfZUYW1Ds_UXVaciBtzYJKo3z8ULHyQvQg4Ofc9vYVkBUxe6XLOLToDr9jMLXTbXHRA$ https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/key-initiatives/gems/register-your-organization-era-commons https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training

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Applicants planning to include non-federal match in their proposals should refer to 2 C.F.R. 200.306 for cost sharing or matching policies. Additional resources on these policies may be found here:

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources. Applicants with approved indirect cost rates planning to provide cost sharing may propose a portion or all of their indirect costs as match, since the valuation of such costs has already been federally approved and documentation is readily available. Refer to Section IV.F "Funding Restrictions" for information on indirect costs.

For funded applications that include non-federal match funds within the proposed budget, the ratio of approved NOAA funds to non-federal match funds will be legally binding. NOAA is under no obligation to reduce an award’s match requirement once the award document is signed by the recipient.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility Other criteria that may affect eligibility include:

• Applicants proposing applications to renew or supplement previously-awarded NOAA projects are allowed; however such proposals will be subject to the competitive process and will not receive preferential treatment.

• This funding opportunity is not intended for removal efforts in non-coastal states or inland areas outside the Great Lakes watershed.

• Project activities must benefit NOAA trust resources and take place within the United States, its territories, or Freely Associated States. Projects proposing removals in international waters, including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, are not eligible.

• Applications that target large debris removals that will simultaneously collect smaller scale debris are eligible, but the focus of the proposed work and benefits should be on the large scale marine debris removals.

• Applications addressing microplastics or microfibers are not priorities for this solicitation and will be withdrawn from the review, as will research and development proposals.

• Funding for the development of new marine debris databases will not be awarded through this competition.

• Activities that are eligible for removal and reimbursement under a Federal Disaster Declaration will not be considered for use of federal dollars under project awards in this competition.

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Address to Request Application Package Complete application packages, including required federal forms, general instructions, and supplementary instructions specific to this competition can be found on Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) under opportunity NOAA-NOS-ORR-2025-25974. If the application forms and instructions cannot be downloaded from Grants.gov, please contact Amanda Dwyer (amanda.dwyer@noaa.gov, 240-533-0402).

B. Content and Form of Application This section provides an overview of the required Letter of Intent (LOI) and full proposal elements. Applicants must follow the LOI and full application requirements stated in this announcement, or they will not be considered.

Applicants should reference Section V.A. of this NOFO to review this competition’s evaluation criteria, and develop proposals with those criteria in mind.

LETTER OF INTENT REQUIREMENT:

Applicants must submit a LOI and receive an invitation from the NOAA MDP before submitting a full proposal. LOIs should be submitted as an email attachment to grants.marinedebris@noaa.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern time on September 27, 2024. Please see Section IV.D. “Submission Dates and Time” for LOI submission instructions.

The goal of the competitive LOI process is to streamline the proposal review and to be able to provide feedback and guidance on invited application ideas. Those applicants whose LOIs do not strongly align with program objectives and priorities, as determined by the NOAA MDP (through the review process described below in Section V.A.

“Evaluation Criteria”), will not be invited to submit full applications.

The LOI must be no more than three (3) pages in length. It should be single spaced, use 11- or 12-point font on an 8.5” x 11” page size and have page margins no smaller than 1” on each edge. A fourth page may be submitted showing only project site maps and photographs of the project area and/or the debris targeted for removal.

The LOI should include the following components:

http://www.grants.gov

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a) Applicant Organization

b) Project Title

c) Principal Investigator(s) Name, Address, Telephone Number and Email Address. Briefly describe the PI or organization’s capacities, experience, and/or expertise that would lead to a successful removal project. A list of primary project partners and their roles/contributions should also be part of this section.

d) Project Location: List the geographic area(s) in which the project will be implemented. Include geographic coordinates of removal site(s), if known.

e) Project Type: State if the removal activities will be conducted by the applicant/project team, administered through a nationally- or regionally-focused subaward competition, or a combination of both.

f) Project Description: Clearly state the purpose of the project and briefly list specific tasks to be accomplished with requested funds.

For all applicants the description should include:

• The type(s) of debris targeted for removal (ADVs, DFG, etc.) and a clear explanation for why this type or category of debris was chosen

• The need/severity of the debris problem related to the proposed removal site(s)

• The known or anticipated number of specific debris targets to be removed

• The proposed techniques that will be used and indicate the duration of the project

• A summary of the complementary prevention activities to address reaccumulation of the targeted debris.

Prevention activities should include the community(s) that are the source of the marine debris and/or the individual or community behavior(s) leading to the debris issue will be prioritized. If the primary source of the debris is from outside of the local community and an effective prevention/outreach approach is not possible for the target debris, proposals should clearly explain the relevance and likely benefits of any other prevention activities that are proposed.

• Any complementary monitoring activities planned For applicants conducting direct removals the description should also include:

• The identification/selection/prioritization process of the specific debris targets proposed for removal. If the specific targets are not currently known please clearly describe how and when the debris targets will be identified and selected for removal if the project is funded.

For applicants administering a nationally- or regionally-focused subaward competition the description should also include:

• The total amount of requested funding to be allocated to subawards and the expected range of funding for individual subawards

• Proposed approach for planning and executing the competition

• General evaluation criteria and/or prioritization/selection factors for selecting proposed removal projects

(i.e. subawardees capability of planning and executing removal operations, incorporation of meaningful engagement, removals with Tribes, in communities facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens, etc.)

• The target audience for this competition, how they were selected and how they will be reached

g) Anticipated removal activity start date (not the proposed award start date)

h) Funding: Indicate the approximate amount of federal funds requested and approximate amount of non-federal match anticipated, if applicable.

i) Project Outcomes and Metrics:

• Describe how project activities will be impactful for NOAA trust resources (habitats and species expected to benefit), coastal communities, and/or local economies and how the project benefits will be sustained beyond the life of the project. NOAA will prioritize applications that demonstrate clear removal and disposal outcomes. Please indicate if any of the benefits will be going to Tribes and/or communities facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens.

• Describe project metrics expected to be tracked, including, at a minimum when applicable: an estimate of how many pounds of debris will be removed from the marine/coastal environment and number of youth and adults served through formal or informal education/outreach.

• When applicable, the following additional metrics are encouraged to be tracked: weight of debris recycled/reused/converted to energy, types of debris captured, acreage to be cleared, number of volunteers, and number of volunteer hours.

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j) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility Description:

• Indicate how the project demonstrates principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility in the project development and throughout the proposed project activities. This may include but is not limited to:

o Identifying a project team with diverse perspectives (including, but not limited to, sectors, age, career stage, gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic) o Determining the project scope and goals o Identification/selection/prioritization of the debris targets to remove o Application preparation and proposal writing o Targeted outreach efforts o Proposed methodologies and removal approaches o Implementation/execution of project activities including addressing unexpected challenges that arise throughout the project period o Approach for hiring project team members and/or awarding contracts or subawards o Providing paid opportunities for students from the local community to participate in the proposed removal and/or prevention project activities o Developing and/or proposed execution of complementary prevention activities o Including a subaward or contract to an organization who specializes in these principles to participate in the project design and/or implementation of activities with the local community where project activities are occurring

• Describe proactive, meaningful, and equitable community engagement in the identification, design, and/or implementation of proposed projects. Applicants should describe how the meaningful engagement is ensuring that the scope of the activities is inclusive of the priorities and needs of communities and that the benefits of the activities flow back appropriately to the community impacted by the targeted debris.

Outreach or communications directed to communities without any description for how feedback and ideas from the community receiving the messaging will be incorporated into the project, will not be considered meaningful engagement, but should still be described as project benefits.

o For examples on how this may be incorporated into projects, please see the NOAA MDP website (https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources)

• Applications will be more competitive if they clearly identify project activities that will take place within, have a portion of the benefits flow to, and/or meaningfully engage Tribes and/or communities facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens. Please also describe how those benefits were identified and how they will be measured.

o LOIs must reference the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) (https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/) to identify if any known project activities are taking place in and/or benefiting or meaningfully engaging with Tribes and/or communities facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens

▪ If a community is not identified as facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens by CEJST, the applicant may provide an alternate reference or description along with the CEJST output.

An LOI template can be found at:https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources If the LOI is incomplete, does not meet the guidelines above, or is submitted late, it may not be considered. Those applicants invited to submit a full proposal will receive an email notification containing feedback and full-proposal submission instructions from NOAA MDP. NOAA MDP may limit the number of full applications invited in order to meet the Program’s expected budget or to manage the review workload.

FULL PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS (ONLY IF INVITED):

Applicants may only submit a full proposal if invited to do so by the NOAA MDP.

Applicants are required to apply through the Grants.gov website. No hardcopy applications will be accepted. Please visit https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources for helpful information on developing and submitting proposal documents/information.

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/ https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources

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Applicants are encouraged to minimize the number of files uploaded to an application by combining the proposal’s files as much as possible. Adobe PDF is the required file format for application attachments.

Important Note: Prior to submission, carefully review the PDF Guidelines for submission found here:

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm. Although this is guidance from the National Institute of Health (NIH), NOAA has recently adopted the same grant management system and is in process of developing similar guidance. Recent applicants have encountered rejected applications for formatting issues, especially:

• All attachments must be in PDF form.

• Do not use “bundling” or “portfolio” features to combine PDFs into a single document. Everything must be visible in the PDF.

• Descriptive filenames may only be 50 characters or less (including spaces).

• Keep attachment file size to 100 MB or less.

• eRA won’t accept any pages larger than the U.S. standard letter paper size (8.5” x 11”).

We strongly recommend that applicants attempt to submit their full proposals at least a few days prior to the due date in case these or other issues impact your submission, as they are not reasons we can extend the deadline. If you have issues during the submission process, please contact the eRA Service Desk.

Applications must adhere to page limits and any pages that exceed the limit for each section may not be reviewed.

Files that cannot be opened or downloaded will not be reviewed. Proposals will not be accepted if sent via fax or email.

Each proposal application must contain the following federal application forms (available from Grants.gov) and adhere to page limits indicated for each category, unless otherwise noted below. Required forms and content are indicated by an asterisk(*).

REQUIRED FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FORMS:

Form Number/Title

Short Description Page Limit

*SF-424

Application for Federal Assistance

Official application document where you will fill out information about your organization and key project details. The first PD/PI listed on the application must include their eRA Commons ID in the"Credential, e.g. agency login" Applicant Identifier field on the SF424 form. Failure to register in eRA Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the Applicant Identifier field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application.

N/A

*SF-424A -

Budget Information, Non-construction Programs

Provide the budget information for both federal and non-federal match funds for the proposed project. A how-to document is available here:

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources

N/A

*SF-424B -

Assurances, Non-construction Programs

Requires signature of authorized representative to provide assurances the applicant will follow and comply with listed elements.

N/A

*CD-511 -

Certifications Regarding Lobbying

Requires signature of authorized representative to provide assurances related to lobbying activities.

N/A https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources

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REQUIRED FULL PROPOSAL CONTENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:

SF-LLL -

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)

Lobbying activities are not allowed under MDP competitions for federally funded activities, so the SF-LLL should not be needed in your application.

N/A

Title Short Description Page Limit

*Project Summary

Content described below. This is designed to provide reviewers and the selection committee with a snapshot of the project. You will notice there will be the same information requested in the summary and the narrative. Please use the narrative to provide specific details for these components, and the summary to provide a high level overview of these components.

pages or less

*Project Narrative

Content described below. This document should include details for your proposed project activities. A template is available here: https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources pages or less

*Budget Justification Narrative

Content described below. This document outlines both written justification and explanation of project costs, as well as an accompanying summary table. A resource document is available here: https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources pages or less

*Data Management Plan

Content described below. This document should provide a general description of how the data collected or created under the award will be made accessible to the general public. An example is available here: https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources pages or less

Title Short Description Page Limit

*Curriculum vitae or résumés of applicant personnel

CVs or résumés of key project personnel should be included. It is up to the applicant to determine for which partners that information is critical to include.

pages or less per person

Maps Maps are strongly encouraged and should depict the geographic extent of where removal efforts will be targeted including any site location(s) and/or highlight potential removal locations

No page limit https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources

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The following sections further describe the information that should be provided in the full proposal.

1. Project Summary (3 pages or less)

a) Applicant Organization

b) Proposal Title

c) Applicant Point of Contact Name, Address, Telephone Number, and Email Address

d) Project Type: State if the removal activities will be conducted by the applicant, through a nationally- or regionally-focused subaward competition, or a combination of both.

e) Location: list the geographic area(s) in which the removal project will be implemented. Include geographic coordinates of removal sites, if known. Include if any site locations include Tribal lands and/or communities facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens

f) Funding: Indicate the amount of federal funds requested and the amount of non federal match anticipated.

g) Description:

• Clearly describe the specific marine debris issue(s) being addressed and the need for the removals/the purpose of the proposed activities including:

• Why this debris type was chosen

• NOAA trust resources that are likely to benefit

• How detrimental it is to the area and the impacts the targeted debris has on both the environment and wildlife, as well as the surrounding communities

• Clearly identify project activities that will take place within, have a portion of the benefits flow to, and/or meaningfully engage Tribes and/or communities facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens.

• Applicants should clearly articulate the proposed project components including:

o Removal activities including the number of targeted removals and/or plan for surveying/scoping removal targets o Complementary prevention o Meaningful engagement activities

▪ Outreach or communications directed to communities without any description for how feedback and ideas from the community receiving the messaging will be incorporated into the project, will not be considered meaningful engagement, but should still be described as project benefits. Please see the NOAA MDP for examples on how to incorporate the local community into your proposal.

• Summarize all proposed planning and on-the-ground activities expected

Photographs Photographs are strongly encouraged and could include example debris targets or other relevant photos to aid reviewers.

No page limit

Letters of Support

Letters of support from any organizations involved in the project, other supporters of the project such as local, state, or national elected officials, or community members that would benefit from the project. Guidance can be found here:

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources

No page limit

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

Applicants with an approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement with the Federal Government must include the signed agreement if requesting these costs as part of the federal request, or are using these funds as match. This document is not required for applicants that choose to use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of MTDC (as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414) or are not using indirect funds for the project.

No page limit

Other Attachments

Other relevant attachments important to the overall understanding and evaluation of the proposed project, such as documentation of any permits necessary to perform the work proposed under the project pages or less https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/fy25-noaa-marine-debris-removal-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-applicant-resources

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• Indicate the duration of the project and provide a general timeline of activities.

• Identify stakeholders and non-federal partners that are likely to be involved and their role in the project design and execution

h) Outcomes and Metrics:

• Briefly describe the anticipated ecological and socio-economic outcomes the project is expected to produce, including how the project benefits will be sustained beyond the project. Please also describe how those benefits were identified, how they will be measured, and which if any will flow to Tribes and/or communities facing environmental/climate and socioeconomic burdens

• Provide an estimate how many pounds of debris will be removed from the coastal/marine environment, acreage to be cleared, and the number of youth and adults served through formal or informal education/outreach (if applicable).

• Provide approximate numbers for outcomes of project activities and describe how data will be recorded, characterized, and maintained. Long-term outcomes can be described as the anticipated benefits to habitats, communities, and the economy. Examples of long-term monitoring and prevention outcomes include the ecological services to be restored, benefits to local economies from an increase in tourism, the economic benefit to fishers from the removal of ghost gear, jobs created, or how planned prevention activities will sustain the benefits of the marine debris removal activity.

2. Project Narrative (15 pages or less) When writing the Narrative, applicants should understand the components of the evaluation criteria (see Section V.A.), as they explain how proposals will be scored for the application to be competitive. Applicants should not assume NOAA has any prior knowledge relative to the merits of the project described in the proposal. As such, proposals should be written with an appropriate level of detail. Applicants are encouraged to view the NOAA MDP website for examples of past and current removal projects (https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/our-work/removal). If a proposed project targets the same debris type being addressed in the same proposed location, applicants should include an explanation of how the proposed work is not duplicative to the ongoing work.

A general outline of the narrative is as follows:

a) Introduction & Outcomes

b) Project Location(s)

c) Detailed Description

• Identification/selection and description of removal targets

• Removal methods

• Disposal approach

• Prevention activities

• Monitoring activities

d) Permitting and Compliance

e) Summary of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility activities

f) Community Involvement

g) Project Implementation Timeline and Milestones

h) Roles and Responsibilities, Project Staff, and Letters of Commitment

i) References Cited

The narrative sections should include the following detailed information:

a) Introduction and Outcomes:

Include a summary of:

• The problem the proposed removal project is addressing and the need/severity of the debris problem related to the proposed removal site(s)

• If/how the removal of the targeted debris will help address other challenges the surrounding community is facing (eg. removal of debris will help improve local fisheries/food security)?

• The project’s geographic reach

• The project focus (directly conducting targeted removals and/or creating and administering a nationally- or regionally-focused competition for subawardees that will propose removal projects) https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/our-work/removal

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• The habitats, species, and/or resources (including specific NOAA trust resources (as described in Section I.B.) expected to directly and indirectly benefit from removal activities, including anticipated ecological services to be restored by debris removal

• Any benefits to the…