fy21_exchange_network_solicitation_notice.FINAL.pdf

Fiscal Year 2021 National Environmental

Information Exchange Network Grant Program

Solicitation Notice

February 3, 2021

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Mission Support

Environmental Information

Office of Information Management

Information Exchange and Services Division

Information Exchange Partnership Branch

Fiscal Year 2021 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice

Table of Contents

I. Funding Opportunity Description

I-A. Background

I-B. EN Assistance Activities and Funding Areas 5

I-C. Environmental Results Supported by Assistance Activities 6

II. Award Information 7

II-A. General Information 7

II-B. Types of Assistance 8

III. Eligibility Information 9

III-A. Eligible Applicants 9

III-B. Threshold Eligibility Criteria for Applications 10

III-C. Funding Restrictions 11

III-D. Eligibility Criteria for Exchange Network Partnership Applications 12

III-E. Cost Sharing or Matching

III.F. Performance Partnership Grants (PPG) 12

IV. Application and Submission Information 13

IV-A. Submission Date and Time 14

IV-B. Partnership Agreements 14

IV-C. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation 14

V. Application Review Information

V-A. Evaluation Criteria 15

V-B. Review and Selection Process 19

V-C. Anticipated Award Dates 20

V-D. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation 20

VI. Award Administration Information 20

VI-A. Award Notification 20

VI-B. Administration and National Policy Requirements 21

VI-C. Reporting 21

VI-D. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation 22

VII. Agency Contacts 22

Appendices

Appendix A: Funding Opportunities Under Funding Area 1

Appendix B: Funding Opportunities Under Funding Area 2 35

Appendix C: Funding Opportunities Under Funding Area 3 68

Appendix D: Promoting Reuse of Exchange Network Partner Products 74

Appendix E: Detailed Instructions for Preparing and Submitting Application 75

Cover Letter Overview 76

Project Narrative Overview 77

Mandatory Grant Attachments 80

Additional Attachments (as applicable) 81

Detailed Instructions for Submitting Applications 83

Appendix F: Optional Pre-Submission Checklist 87

Appendix G: Glossary of Terms/Phrases 89

Fiscal Year 2021 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice

Overview Information

Agency Name and Office:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Mission Support – Environmental Information

Funding Opportunity Title:

FY 2021 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program

Announcement Type:

Request for Applications

Notice Funding Opportunity Number:

EPA-OMS-21-01

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

66.608

Information Dates:

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 – Deadline for submitting applications to EPA Friday, October 1, 2021 – Period of performance start date

1. Funding Opportunity Description The EPA Exchange Network Grant Program is soliciting project applications using the Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) to:

➢ Facilitate sharing of environmental data, especially through shared and reusable services.

➢ Reduce burden and avoid costs for co-regulators and the regulated community.

➢ Streamline data collection and exchanges to improve its timeliness for decision making.

➢ Increase the quality and access to environmental data through discovery, publishing, outbound and analytical services so it is more useful to environmental managers.

➢ Increase data and IT management capabilities needed to fully participate in the EN.

Section I-B summarizes the FY21 EN Funding Areas and provides links to activities (as detailed in Appendices A, B, and C) which are eligible for funding.

FY 2021 is the 20th year EPA will award competitive funding to eligible partners for projects through the Exchange Network Grant Program. Between FY 2002 and FY 2020, EPA provided approximately $243 million for state, tribal, and territorial awards and associated program support through the grant program. As of October 1, 2020, all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 83 tribes, and 5 territories have received EN grants. For descriptions of previously awarded EN Grants, please see:

https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/previous-exchange-network-grant-projects.

https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/previous-exchange-network-grant-projects

I-A. Background The Exchange Network (EN) was launched in 2002 as an inter-governmental, collaborative partnership of EPA, states, territories, and tribes to foster better environmental management and decision-making through increased access to timely, high quality environmental information. This was achieved through a standards-based approach to facilitate environmental data sharing among EPA, states, tribes and territories. The framework adopted allows organizations to exchange data over the Internet regardless of the specific information technology used (see http://www.exchangenetwork.net/).

Over the last 20 years, the EN and the EN Grant Program adapted approaches to reflect evolving technologies and programmatic needs. The E-Enterprise Digital Strategy (EEDS), released in April 2020, reflects this evolution and, as a living document, will continue to be updated to incorporate new technological developments and changing programmatic needs. The EEDS serves as a high-level framework for an environmental enterprise that is Customer-Centric, Information-Centric, and based on Shared Platforms and Services. The funding opportunities (as detailed in Appendix A, B, & C) within this Solicitation Notice (SN) encompass these principles and will continue to do so in future versions. The most current version of the EEDS is available at: https://e-enterprisefortheenvironment.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Interim-E-Enterprise-Digital-Strategy-V-2.0.pdf.

Applicants should note that the Evaluation Criteria (Section V-A) was updated in FY21 to better align with the three principles of the E-Enterprise Digital Strategy (EEDS) and ten points are now directly associated with an application’s adherence to the EEDS.

I-B. EN Assistance Activities and Funding Areas This Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice requests states, tribes, inter-tribal consortia, and territories submit applications with goal(s) supporting the three EN funding areas. EN grant applicants can apply under one, or multiple, of the three following FY21 Exchange Network funding areas within a single application:

➢ Funding Area 1: Increased Data Access and Innovative Business Processes.

- Specific EN funding opportunities under EN Funding Area 1 are detailed in Appendix A.

- These funding opportunities are open to both individual applicants (up to $200,000) and eligible partnerships (up to $400,000).

➢ Funding Area 2: Eliminate paper submittals and expand e-reporting.

- Specific EN funding opportunities under EN Funding Area 2 are detailed in Appendix B.

- These funding opportunities open to both individual applicants (up to $200,000) and eligible partnerships (up to $400,000).

➢ Funding Area 3: Augment the information management capacity of EN partners.

- Specific EN funding opportunities under EN Funding Area 3 are detailed in Appendix C.

- Three specific funding opportunities are available, dependent on applicant type:

o Individual Capacity Building (individual applicant opportunity) (up to $200,000);

o Individual Capacity Building with Mentorship (individual applicant opportunity with mentorship support and optional funding) (up to $215,000);

o Collaborative Capacity Building (partnership opportunity) (up to $400,000).

- Note: The opportunities found within Appendix C are only available to U.S. Territories, federally recognized Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages, and inter-tribal consortia of federally recognized tribes (e.g. the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission).

https://e-enterprisefortheenvironment.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Interim-E-Enterprise-Digital-Strategy-V-2.0.pdf https://e-enterprisefortheenvironment.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Interim-E-Enterprise-Digital-Strategy-V-2.0.pdf https://e-enterprisefortheenvironment.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Interim-E-Enterprise-Digital-Strategy-V-2.0.pdf https://e-enterprisefortheenvironment.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Interim-E-Enterprise-Digital-Strategy-V-2.0.pdf http://www.exchangenetwork.net

EPA will determine the eligibility of each applicant (see Section III-A). EPA will then evaluate applications from eligible applicants based on the ev aluation criteria in Section V-A.

Applicants should specifically state which EN funding area(s) they are applying under within the

‘Project Description’ section of their project narrative. For example, an applicant should detail that they are applying for EN Funding Area 2 and EN Funding Area 3, under the funding opportunities ‘WQX’ and ‘Individual Capacity Building’.

Applicants may also propose projects that include activities other than the options listed in Appendices A, B, and C provided they conform to EN technologies, services, and specifications. If an applicant is proposing a project which does not have a specific funding opportunity write-up, this should be clearly stated in the project narrative in the ‘Project Description’ section. The applicant should also note which EN Funding Area(s) would be supported by the proposed project. For example, a Toxic

Release Inventory (TRI) data exchange project (which doesn’t have a funding opportunity) supports the elimination of industry paper reporting and expansion of e-reporting. Therefore, this proposed project would fall under Funding Area 2.

Applicants are responsible for reading and complying with the instructions and criteria described in this solicitation. Please note that extensive application guidance is available in Appendix E, an optional pre-submission checklist tool is available in Appendix F, and that optional, fillable templates are available on the EN website under 'Resources for Applicants and Grantees '.

I-C. Environmental Results Supported by Assistance Activities The activities to be funded under this announcement are intended to support EPA’s FY 2018-21 Strategic Plan Goal 3: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness, Objective 3.4:

‘Streamline and Modernize’. Applicants are encouraged to read the full text of Goal 3, Objective

3.4 under the EPA Strategic Plan at: https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2018-2022-epa-strategic-plan.

Applicants must explicitly state that their application supports Goal 3, Objective 3.4: ‘Streamline and Modernize’ and identify specific language under this objective which links to their proposal’s project outputs within their project narrative. Please note that FY21 Exchange Network grant applications are not required to reflect all aspects of this strategic objective, nor are they restricted to permitting projects. An example of how an applicant might capture this information is available in the optional project narrative template on the EN website.

In addition to Goal 3, Objective 3.4, proposed projects can also support other strategic goals and objectives of the EPA strategic plan, including:

➢ Goal 1: A Cleaner, Healthier Environment o Objective 1.1 Improve Air Quality o Objective 1.2 Provide for Clean and Safe Water o Objective 1.3 Revitalize Land and Prevent Contamination o Objective 1.4 Ensure Safety of Chemicals in the Marketplace

➢ Goal 2: More Effective Partnerships o Objective 2.1 Enhance Shared Accountability o Objective 2.2 Increase Transparency and Public Participation

➢ Goal 3: Greater Certainty, Compliance, and Effectiveness o Objective 3.2 Create Consistency and Certainty o Objective 3.5 Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2018-2022-epa-strategic-plan https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2018-2022-epa-strategic-plan https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources

An applicant’s project narrative should specifically note if any strategic plan goals or objectives (as listed above) are supported by the proposed project in addition to Goal 3, Objective 3.4.

An applicant’s project narrative must also include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project. EPA requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements). These statements should be written in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes, and should clearly demonstrate how the project will contribute to the goals and objectives described above.

An example of how an applicant might capture additional supported goals and environmental results within their project narrative is available in the optional project narrative template.

II. Award Information

II-A. General Information In FY21, EPA expects to award about $8,000,000 in 20-30 assistance agreements of up to $400,000 each. The exact number of grants will depend on the final amount of EPA’s appropriation for the grant program, the number of applications submitted to EPA by the application deadline, the amounts of proposed project budgets, and the quality of proposals.

Most awards will be in the $50,000 to $200,000 range. Applicants applying under an individual opportunity may request up to $200,000 in funding. Applicants applying under a partnership opportunity may request funds up to $400,000, if the partnership eligibility criteria outlined in Section III-D is met. An eligible applicant specifically applying under the Individual Capacity Building with Mentorship opportunity may request up to $215,000 if all requirements are met.

The standard period of performance for each project is three years.

EPA remains committed to awarding tribal assistance agreements equal to at least 10 percent of the appropriated funds. The amount awarded to tribes may be greater than this minimum level, depending on the merit of tribal applications and on the competitive review of all applications.

Additional Awards EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections. EPA will make any additional selections for awards no later than six months from the date of the original selections.

Partial Funding In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund an application, it will do so in a manner not prejudicing any applicants or affecting 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.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf

II-B. Types of Assistance EPA may award assistance agreements funded through the EN Grant Program as grants or cooperative agreements, as a single applicant or a partnership, with or without in-kind services, and/or as part of the applicant’s Performance Partnership Grant (PPG) or Consolidated Grant. Applicants should identify whether they are requesting direct funding, in-kind services, or a combination of the two in both their cover letter and project narrative (see pages 76 & 77). EPA will consider an applicant’s preferences when the Agency decides what type of assistance to award.

EPA will consider the following options for awarding EN resources:

➢ Grant: Grants represent direct funding to a recipient to support an identified project with defined environmental results. If the recipient does not identify a preference, EPA’s default award will be a grant.

➢ Cooperative Agreement: A cooperative agreement anticipates substantial involvement from EPA, in collaboration with the recipient, to achieve project results. EPA will negotiate the precise terms and conditions of “substantial involvement” as part of the award process if a cooperative agreement is chosen. Federal involvement may include close monitoring of the recipient’s performance, collaboration during the performance of the scope of work, and, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 and 2 CFR 200.318, as appropriate, review of proposed procurements, reviewing qualifications 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.

➢ In-Kind Services: EPA will consider grantee requests to use all or a portion of awarded grant funds to provide in-kind services to the recipient through an EPA contract vehicle. Applicants should request and justify project efficiencies they expect from this approach.

➢ Single Applicant Awards: Single applicant awards have a maximum funding threshold of $200,000, except for qualifying single applicants applying under the Individual Capacity Building with Mentorship who may request up to $215,000.

➢ Partnership Awards (see sections IV-B and III-D): For projects including one or more EN partner EPA will consider the higher funding limit ($400,000). Partnerships formed from Agencies within a single state, territorial or tribal government are not considered eligible.

➢ Performance Partnership Grants (PPG)/Consolidated Grants: In 1996, Congress authorized EPA to award Performance Partnership Grants (PPGs). As a result, states, certain interstate agencies, and tribes can now choose to combine two or more environmental program grants into a single PPG. Territories may also consolidate their various grants through a single Consolidated Grant. An applicant whose organization has an existing Performance Partnership Grant (PPG) with EPA may request that any new grant recommended for funding be incorporated into the PPG. Similarly, a territorial applicant whose territory has a Consolidated Grant (CG) with EPA may request new awards be incorporated into the CG.

An applicant should include the PPG number or CG number in both their cover letter and project narrative. An applicant may also request to create a new PPG that includes the project proposed under this solicitation. Absent a request from the recipient for inclusion in or creation of a PPG or CG, EPA will award the grant in a stand-alone vehicle. See Section III- F for additional information on PPGs.

III. Eligibility Information The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for the Exchange Network Grant Program is

66.608 (https://beta.sam.gov/).

III-A. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants for the Exchange Network Grant Program include states, U.S. Territories (i.e., American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, Guam, Palau, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands), federally recognized Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages and inter-tribal consortia of federally recognized tribes (e.g., the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission).

Other entities, such as regional air pollution control districts and some public universities may apply for assistance if they are agencies or instrumentalities of a state under applicable state laws. These entities, as well as other applicants asserting they are agencies or instrumentalities of a state, must provide with the application a letter from the appropriate state Attorney General certifying the applicant is an agency or instrumentality of the state. EPA will not consider an application which does not include the required documentation.

EPA recognizes the delegation for some programs extends to local governments, which are responsible for reporting data to EPA. Local governments can demonstrate they are instrumentalities of the state by providing the documentation described in the preceding paragraph which demonstrates the applicant’s eligibility to apply for Exchange Network grants. However, most local governments implementing EPA programs are not agencies or instrumentalities of the state and therefore, are not eligible to apply. EPA encourages such entities to partner with a state applicant to allow for their data to be reported and shared through the EN. Interstate commissions and other interstate entities, likewise, are not eligible to apply and are encouraged to partner with a state applicant.

EPA will only evaluate applications from eligible entities. Interested parties not meeting the eligibility criteria may consider partnering with eligible applicants (see examples below).

Examples of Eligible Applicants:

➢ State Department of Environmental Quality

➢ Territorial Environment Division

➢ Tribal Council on behalf of two or more tribal environmental and/or health agencies

➢ State Department of Public Health

➢ Tribal Water Quality Administration

➢ State Office of the Chief Information Officer

➢ Regional Air Quality Board delegated authority for the air program

➢ State university formally designated as an instrumentality of the state

EPA will notify applicants ineligible for funding within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination. Applicants with questions about eligibility can contact Erika Beasley, at beasley.erika@epa.gov.

https://beta.sam.gov/ mailto:beasley.erika@epa.gov

III-B. Threshold Eligibility Criteria for Applications Applications from eligible applicants (see Section III-A) are only eligible for Exchange Network funding if they meet the requirements listed below.

a. An application must include goal(s) leading to completion of activities listed in Appendix A, B, or C, or others consistent with the EN funding areas. Completion in the context of the EN means placing a data flow, data publishing, web service, or other eligible projects into production.

b. An application must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or they will be rejected. However, where an application page limit is expressed in Section IV, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed (note that a maximum of ten pages is allowed for the project narrative).

a. In addition, an application must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV and Appendix E of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV) on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV of this announcement.

b. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV and Appendix E: Detailed Instructions for Submitting Applications through Grants.gov of this announcement to ensure their application is timely submitted.

c. An application submitted after the submission deadline will be considered late and deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate it was late due to EPA mishandling or because of technical problems associated with Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to submit their application on time through grants.gov because they did not allow enough time to properly register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission.

Applicants should receive email confirmation from Grants.gov of their application’s submission within two business days in the form of two emails:

➢ The first email, sent immediately after submission, will confirm receipt of the application by grants.gov and contain a tracking number.

➢ The second email will indicate the application has been successfully validated or rejected due to errors.

Applicants should also confirm receipt of their application with Erika Beasley at beasley.erika@epa.gov as soon as possible after the submission deadline. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

c. An application must not have:

a. Project periods longer than three years.

b. Budgets greater than $200,000 for single applicant applications (except eligible applicants under the Individual Capacity Building with Mentorship opportunity, which can request up to $215,000.)

c. Budgets greater than $400,000 for partnership applications.

Note: Applicants may submit more than one application; however, applicants are not eligible to receive more than one award under this Solicitation.

https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ mailto:beasley.erika@epa.gov https://grants.gov https://Grants.gov https://Grants.gov https://grants.gov

d. Applicants may not have more than four active Exchange Network assistance agreements with the Agency as of as of December 31, 2020. EPA considers an assistance agreement active if the Agency has not yet approved the final technical report. EPA will consider an agreement inactive if the Regional Project Officer approves the applicant’s final technical report on or before this date.

Note: If an agency is a participant in an EN partnership grant, but not the lead agency, their participation in the grant will not be counted as an active assistance agreement. Also, agencies within a state are treated as separate applicants. For example, Alabama Department of Environmental Quality and Alabama Department of Public Health are separate applicants.

e. Applications must not request funds for activities or deliverables for which the applicant has previously received funds. If a proposed goal is like one previously funded, the application must describe how previously funded activities differ from those currently proposed or how the current application will complement past or ongoing work.

III-C. Funding Restrictions Applicants may propose EN project funding for costs associated with personnel salaries and fringe benefits, Intergovernmental Personnel Act Agreements (IPAs) travel, travel related to EN activities, equipment, supplies, contractual costs, in-kind services provided by EPA and indirect costs.

Applicants may propose EN project funding for development, modernization, and enhancement activities. All proposed project costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance with Federal guidelines. Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E

- Cost Principles found in the Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

Applicants may not use EN funding for the following functions:

➢ Construction costs

➢ Operations and maintenance including previously developed or implemented EN projects

➢ Workshops and Conferences not initiated, advertised and conducted for the benefit of the recipient and other state, tribal, territorial or local representatives or public participants or are conducted primarily for EPA’s benefit

➢ Pre-Award Costs not previously requested to cover pre-award costs incurred 90 days or less before the award date

➢ Management Fees more than the direct costs and indirect costs at the rate approved by the applicant’s cognizant audit agency or at the rate provided for by the terms of the agreement negotiated with EPA

➢ Development and deployment of physical nodes implementing the Exchange Network protocol and specification

➢ Operations and maintenance of flows, including minor schema updates for existing flows

If an application includes any ineligible tasks or activities (e.g., does not fall within the EN Funding Areas, has been previously funded, falls under the above funding restrictions), that portion of the application will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b92dafdc0dc040efbf2b17e05815540c&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#sp2.1.200.e

III-D. Eligibility Criteria for Exchange Network Partnership Applications EPA will consider the higher funding limit ($400,000) for projects including one or more qualifying Exchange Network partners. The lead partner for a partnership application must demonstrate the project’s support for the identified EN priorities and explain how the partnership components justify additional funding. EPA will not consider partnerships formed from within a single state, territorial, or tribal government as eligible. For instance, a partnership between an environment and a health department within a state is not an eligible partnership. EPA will limit funding for intrastate projects to $200,000, the maximum funding for a single-jurisdiction grant for an EN application in FY21.

EPA will only consider applications for partnership projects if the project’s work is intended to be nationally scalable, to give these projects the best opportunity to succeed on the national/regional scale. Applicants without partners should apply for the individual opportunities, which may result in scalable products, but are usually focused on activities supporting their own organizations’ business goals to integrate their business into the EN.

III-E. Cost Sharing or Matching Grants for Exchange Network projects do not require applicants to share cost or match funds.

III-F. Performance Partnership Grants (PPG) Funds for a grant awarded under this solicitation may be included in a PPG. Applicants should clearly state in both their cover letter and project narrative if they anticipate incorporating the proposed project, if selected for funding, into an already existing PPG or if they intend to create a new PPG including the project proposed under this solicitation. The PPG should be in place before the time of grant award or created concurrently with the award of the grant funds. The proposed project under this grant announcement must have a project period within the PPG project period. It cannot be longer than the PPG project period. A PPG enables entities to combine funds from more than one environmental program grant into a single grant with a single budget. Whenever possible, the applicant should provide the PPG number within their application’s cover letter and project narrative.

Under this competition, state and interstate agency applications must first be selected under the competitive grant process described in this announcement and, in accordance with 40 CFR 35.138, the workplan commitments have been included in the workplan must be included in the PPG workplan. After the funds have been included in the PPG, the recipient does not need to account for these funds in accordance with the funds’ original program source. Similarly, tribal and intertribal consortia applications must first be selected under this competitive grant process in accordance with 40 CFR 35.535. If a proposed PPG workplan differs significantly from the workplan approved for funding under this competition, the Regional Administrator must consult the National Program Office (see 40 CFR 35.535).

The purpose of this consultation requirement is to address the issue of ensuring a project which is awarded funding under this competition is implemented as proposed once combined with other grant programs in a PPG. For further information, see the final rules on Environmental Program Grants for state and interstate agencies at 40 CFR Part 35, Subpart A and tribes and intertribal consortia at 40 CFR Part 35, Subpart B.

Local governments are not eligible for PPGs.

https://ecfr.federalregister.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-35/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR8b7b79acbd4180b/section-35.138 https://ecfr.federalregister.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-35/subpart-B/subject-group-ECFR3443448c28bbe82/section-35.535

IV. Application and Submission Information Applicants for the FY21 Exchange Network Grant program must submit an application package to EPA through the Grants.gov website (or by an alternative method for those applicants with an approved Grants.gov Exception) on or before Wednesday, March 31, 11:59 PM Eastern.

Appendix E includes an overview of application package requirements, as well as an overview of required attachments and detailed submission instructions:

(Page 76) Cover Letter [Mandatory; use ‘Other Attachments Form’ to submit] (Page 77) Project Narrative [Mandatory] (Page 80) Mandatory Grant Attachments

• Budget Narrative Attachment Form

• SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance

• SF 424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs

• EPA Form 5700-54 Key Contacts Form

• EPA Form 4700-4 Pre-Award Compliance Review Report (Page 81) Additional Attachments [use ‘Other Attachments Form’ to submit], as applicable

• Personnel Attachments, including staff resumes

• Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

• Additional Information for Inter-Tribal Consortium

• Formal Project Partners:

o Support Letter(s) o Roles and Responsibilities o Distribution of Funds

• Formal Project Mentor(s):

o Support Letter(s) o Roles and Responsibilities o Distribution of Funds

• List of Prior Exchange Network Assistance Agreements

➢ NOTE: Please note that if your application is selected for award, and that award amount is over $100,000, you are required to submit the form ‘EPA Lobbying Form 6600-06’ to EN Program Manager Erika Beasley (Beasley.erika@epa.gov) upon receiving a notification of selection.

(Page 83) Detailed Instructions for Submitting Applications

Additional guidance tools are available to applicants:

• Appendix F (see page 87) provides a pre-submission checklist tool to help applicants avoid common application errors and to ensure a complete application package.

• An optional, fillable Cover Letter Template is available on the EN website (click here).

• An optional, fillable Project Narrative Template is available on the EN website (click here).

• An optional, fillable Budget Narrative Attachment Form Template is available on the EN website (click here).

EPA may require applicants to submit missing or updated documents to complete the funding package of an application selected for award. EPA will provide further instructions for submittal of additional or updated documents.

https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:Beasley.erika@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources

IV-A. Submission Date and Time Completed application packages as described in Appendix E: Detailed Instructions for Submitting Applications through Grants.gov must be sent electronically via Grants.gov (or by an alternative method for those applicants with an approved Grants.gov Exception) no later than Wednesday, March 31, 11:59 PM Eastern.

IV-B. Partnership Agreements EPA awards funds to one eligible applicant as the recipient even if other eligible applicants are partners or members of a coalition or consortium. The awardee is accountable to EPA for the proper expenditure of funds, programmatic and administrative reporting and attainment of program and environmental results.

Grantees may provide subgrants or subawards to fund partner work within the overall project, provided the recipient complies with applicable requirements for subawards or subgrants including those contained in 2 CFR Part 200. Successful applicants cannot use subgrants or subawards to avoid requirements in EPA grant regulations for competitive procurement by using these instruments to acquire commercial services or products from for-profit organizations to carry out its assistance agreement. More detailed information on contracts and subawards under grants can be found at www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses.

EPA panels will review applicants’ qualifications, past performance and reporting history and will consider, as appropriate and relevant, the qualifications, expertise and experience of formal partners.

Applicants should detail their own project roles and responsibilities, experience and past performance and those of their formal partners. Section V describes in detail the evaluation criteria and process EPA will use to make selections under this Notice.

More information about Partnership Agreements can be found in Section III-D.

IV-C. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation Additional provisions applying to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including but not limited to those related to confidential business information, contracts and subawards under grants and proposal assistance and communications can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses. These and the other provisions found at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses are important and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

Flexibilities Available to Organizations Impacted by COVID-19 Applicants for competitive opportunities should continue to submit their applications to EPA electronically through Grants.gov. However, there are limited exceptions to this requirement under certain circumstances as stated in Section IV of announcements. As is standard policy, if an applicant has internet accessibility issues (related to COVID-19 or not) that prevent them from using Grants.gov, they may request a Grants.gov Exception. Instructions for how to request a Grants.gov Exception are contained in Section IV of the announcement and can also be found here. On a case by case basis, applicants may also request permission from the applicable program or grants office to submit their application outside of Grants.gov due to unforeseen exigent circumstances for a specific opportunity. Submittal issues related to COVID-19 may qualify as unforeseen exigent circumstances.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://ecfr.federalregister.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.grants.gov%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cmcgown.erin%40epa.gov%7C521e9143140d4e16bcae08d87aa9c67c%7C88b378b367484867acf976aacbeca6a7%7C0%7C0%7C637394216878280850%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=K2ppdqkt0m4md5XZP1tbKTxiq0T9whmBaq7YjihNT0A%3D&reserved=0 https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-12/documents/grants_gov_exceptions_info_sheet_as_of_12_4_2017.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-12/documents/grants_gov_exceptions_info_sheet_as_of_12_4_2017.pdf https://Grants.gov https://Grants.gov

Applicants for EPA funding opportunities that are experiencing technical difficulties in applying for an opportunity because of SAM.gov registration issues or because of operational issues related to COVID-19 may submit their applications via an alternative method, such as email. As described in the instructions in Section IV of this Solicitation Notice, applicants should contact Erika Beasley (beasley.erika@epa.gov) of the funding opportunity to notify them of the issue and request approval to submit the application outside of Grants.gov. Please note that applicants afforded this flexibility should still initiate registration with SAM.gov by the time of application submission to the extent possible. If they are selected for award, not having an active SAM registration will delay the processing of the award because they must have an active SAM registration for EPA to issue an award.

Statutory Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Equipment Services Unless an exception or waiver applies, Section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, Public Law 115-232 (section 889), prohibits the use of Federal funds by recipients and subrecipients to procure (enter into, extend, or renew contracts) or obtain equipment, systems, or services that use “covered telecommunications equipment or services” as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Section 889 also prohibits the use of Federal funds by recipients and subrecipients to enter into a contract with an entity that “uses any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services” as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. The Office of Management and Budget’s implementing regulations at 2 CFR 200.216 provide additional information on the prohibitions in section 889. These regulations state, among other things, that “[A]s described in Public Law 115-232, section 889 covered telecommunications equipment is telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities).” Other prohibitions may also apply. Certain prohibited equipment, systems, or services, including equipment, systems, or services produced or provided by entities identified in section 889, are recorded in the System for Award Management exclusion list.

V. Application Review Information

V-A Evaluation Criteria EPA will only review applications, submitted by eligible entities, which meet the threshold eligibility criteria in Section III, according to evaluation criteria below. The EPA Selection Official makes final funding decisions based on an applicant’s score and other factors detailed in Section V-B.

Note: Applicants should explicitly address all these criteria in their project narrative as part of their application package submittal. The Review Panel will not review any page over the 10-page limit of the project narrative. Examples of how an applicant might address the evaluation criteria within their project narrative is available on the EN website in the optional, fillable project narrative template.

Applicants should note that the Evaluation Criteria have been updated to better align with the principles of the E-Enterprise Digital Strategy (EEDS) and ten points are now directly associated with an application’s adherence to the EEDS (see criteria 3D and 3E).

EPA scores and ranks applications, with a highest possible score of 100. The possible point totals for the five major evaluation criteria are listed in the “Points” column in the table below. Point values for each sub-component within the five criteria are listed in bold text before the relevant criterion.

mailto:beasley.erika@epa.gov https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcgi-bin%2Ftext-idx%3FSID%3D16f6f545d6e4ce7185818386009fb257%26mc%3Dtrue%26node%3Dse2.1.200_1216%26rgn%3Ddiv8&data=04%7C01%7Cmcgown.erin%40epa.gov%7C521e9143140d4e16bcae08d87aa9c67c%7C88b378b367484867acf976aacbeca6a7%7C0%7C0%7C637394216878260942%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=vgG5tBm4XkfRlXB%2BLVqvmLE3WvzQIa5rQYS7POhj7%2FY%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsam.gov%2FSAM%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cmcgown.erin%40epa.gov%7C521e9143140d4e16bcae08d87aa9c67c%7C88b378b367484867acf976aacbeca6a7%7C0%7C0%7C637394216878270897%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=JvwV%2BfZmgxw0S7waYIGuQCOHcH5eP6lsM7u%2F7K1w%2B1w%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsam.gov%2FSAM%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cmcgown.erin%40epa.gov%7C521e9143140d4e16bcae08d87aa9c67c%7C88b378b367484867acf976aacbeca6a7%7C0%7C0%7C637394216878270897%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=JvwV%2BfZmgxw0S7waYIGuQCOHcH5eP6lsM7u%2F7K1w%2B1w%3D&reserved=0 https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program#Resources https://e-enterprisefortheenvironment.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Interim-E-Enterprise-Digital-Strategy-V-2.0.pdf

Criteria Points

1. Project Outputs and Outcomes Leading to Environmental Results

A. Supporting EPA Strategic Goals/Environmental Outcomes (5 Points) Applicants will be evaluated based on the quality and extent to which their application specifically states and describes their proposed project’s alignment with language found under EPA Strategic Goal 3.4 ‘Streamline and Modernize’, as well as how it supports additional EPA goals (see Section I-B) and the achievement of environmental results.

B. Tracking, Evaluating, and Measuring Progress (5 points) Applicants will be evaluated based on the quality and extent to which their application provides a plan for tracking, evaluating and measuring project progress, and details how the plan and associated scheduled completion dates were selected/deemed appropriate to accomplish the proposed work.

2. Project Feasibility and Approach

A. Project Roles and Responsibilities (5 points) Applicants will be evaluated based on the extent and quality to which their application names key individuals from the applicant’s organization (including the project manager and programmatic contact(s) (if applicable, see criterion 2B below)), formal partner(s) (if applicable), and mentors (if applicable), and details their job title, current organization, and their roles and responsibilities as relates to the proposed project.

In the case of an applicant who proposes to use a portion of this grant to hire key personnel, their application should include a statement of skills, knowledge, abilities and qualifications from the position’s recruitment package.

Applicants utilizing contractors or vendors for their proposed project must clearly state that in their application and outline associated roles and responsibilities.

B. Programmatic Involvement (5 points) For applications that involve the management of, transport of or access to programmatic data, applicants will be evaluated based on how well their application names and explains how the program owning the data will be involved in planning and implementing the proposed project to ensure their program requirements are met.

Applicants should explain the program office’s relationship to the applicant’s organization, name the programmatic staff who will be involved with the proposed project, and include relevant personnel details (see criterion 2A Project Roles and Responsibilities above).

For applications that do not include programmatic involvement, applicants will be evaluated based on how well their application explains why programmatic involvement is not applicable or necessary.

C. Commitment to Registering 2 New and/or Reused Resources (2 points) Applicants will be evaluated based on the extent to which their application explicitly commits to register any new resource they develop and the reuse of any existing EN resource(s) in their project.

https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2018-2022-epa-strategic-plan

3. Alignment with Exchange Network Funding Areas

A. Defining Project Goals and Outputs (5 points) Applicants will be evaluated based on the extent and quality to which their application clearly states, defines, and describes the linkage between project goals and outputs.

B. Aligning Goals with EN Program Funding Areas (5 points) Applicants will be evaluated based on the extent and quality to which their application names and describes its adherence to supported Exchange Network Grant Program Funding Areas (Section I-B) and specific Exchange Network funding opportunit(ies).

C. Connecting Goals to Business and Administrative Needs (5 points) Applicants will be evaluated based on the extent and quality to which their application identifies business and/or administrative needs which will be met by proposed project and clearly connects at least one of these needs to each project goal.

D. Demonstrating Technical Understanding (9 points) Applicants will be evaluated on the degree to which their application identifies and details the proposed technology solution(s) included in the proposed project, describes how these choices align with the three principles of the E-Enterprise Digital Strategy (EEDS)1 , describes how the proposed technology’s furthers the EEDS’s API-first framework, and demonstrates the necessary level of technical understanding to complete the work.

E. Enhancing Data Sharing and Availability (14 points) Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which their application demonstrates that it will enhance data sharing and data availability in the applicant’s own organization and among Exchange Network partners, as well as how the project will enhance data sharing and data availability using the three principles of the E-Enterprise Digital Strategy (EEDS) 1, including leveraging APIs.

F. Commitment to Reuse Existing Resources (8 points) Applicants will be evaluated based on the extent and quality to which their application demonstrates a commitment to reuse existing resources by identifying and listing project-appropriate EN tools, resources, services, widgets or applications developed by other EN partners which will be incorporated in the project.

If none are identified, applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which their application clearly states and justifies why reusable EN tools, resources and services cannot be used.

4. Budget, Resources and Key Personnel

A. Clearly Outlining a Detailed Budget (5 points) Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which their application budget is clearly stated and detailed within the project narrative, including budget amounts for each proposed goal and output and a detailed overview of project costs.

https://e-enterprisefortheenvironment.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Interim-E-Enterprise-Digital-Strategy-V-2.0.pdf…