FY24 DWPR P2P NOFO R24AS00324.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity No. R24AS00324

Desalination and Water Purification Research Program:

Pitch to Pilot FY 2024

U.S. Department of the Interior May 2024

Mission Statements The U.S. Department of the Interior protects and manages the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and affiliated Island Communities.

The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.

Cover Photo – Reclamation’s Expeditionary Unit Water Purifier in 2011. (Bureau of Reclamation)

Synopsis Federal Agency Name: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Research and

Development Office Funding Opportunity Title: Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Pitch to Pilot FY 2024 Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Funding Opportunity Number: R24AS00324

Assistance Listing Number: 15.560

Dates:

(See NOFO Sec. D.4)

Application due dates:

Phase I - Technical Proposal: July 24, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.

Mountain Daylight Time

Phase II - Virtual pitch presentation for selected applicants:

October 16-17, 2024

Eligible Applicants:

(See NOFO Sec. C.1)

Applicants eligible to receive financial assistance to fund activities under this NOFO include: state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, Native American tribal governments, institutions of higher education, nonprofits, individuals, and for profit organizations.

Foreign entities are not eligible to apply. Federal agencies are not eligible to apply.

Recipient Cost-Share:

(See NOFO Sec. C.2)

Cost share is not required, but strongly encouraged. Non-federal cost share is a Phase I evaluation criterion.

Federal Funding Amount:

(See NOFO Sec. B.1)

Up to $300,000 per application

Estimated Number of Agreements to be Awarded:

(See NOFO Sec. B.4)

Approximately $1,500,000 is available under this NOFO. The number of awards will depend on the amount requested by each applicant, quality of the applications received, and the amount of Federal funding available.

Intergovernmental Review:

(See NOFO Sec. D.5)

This NOFO is subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” A list of states that have elected to participate in the intergovernmental review process is at www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf i http://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf http://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf

Application Checklist The following tables contain a summary of the information that applicants are required to submit.

√ Mandatory Application Components Section Page X Mandatory Federal Forms:

SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

SF-424A: Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs

(OMB)

SF-424B: Assurances—Non-Construction Programs (OMB) OR SF-424D: Assurances—Construction Programs (OMB)

4040-0019: Project Abstract Summary (OMB)

See Sec. D.2.1. 9

X Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) registration

See Sec. D.3. 16

X Technical Proposal (use Project Narrative Attachment Form to upload in grants.gov)

See Sec. E.1. 23

X Budget Narrative (use Budget Narrative Attachment Form to upload in grants.gov)

See Sec D.2.1.6. 12

√ Recommended Application Components Section Page

X Environmental and cultural resources compliance See Sec. F.2.1.1. 32

X Required permits or approvals See Sec. D.2.2.2. 13

X Overlap or duplication of effort statement See Sec D.2.2.3. 13

X Conflict of interest disclosure statement See Sec D.2.2.4. 14

X Uniform audit reporting statement See Sec D.2.2.5. 15

X Certification Regarding Lobbying See Sec. D.2.2.6. 15

X SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (required, if applicable)

(OMB)

See Sec. D.2.2.7. 15

X Letters of Support See Sec. D.2.2.8. 15

X Letter of Funding Commitment See Sec. D.2.2.9. 15

X Personnel Qualifications See Sec. D.2.2.10. 16 iii javascript:downloadFile('https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424_4_0-V4.0.pdf');

javascript:downloadFile('https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424A-V1.0.pdf');

javascript:downloadFile('https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424B-V1.1.pdf');

javascript:downloadFile('https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424D-V1.1.pdf') https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/readonly/Project_AbstractSummary_2_0-V2.0.pdf https://sam.gov/content/home https://sam.gov/content/home javascript:downloadFile('https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SFLLL_2_0-V2.0.pdf');

Contents Section A. Program Description

A.1. Authority A.2. Background, Purpose, and Program Requirements A.3. Other Related Funding Opportunities

Section B. Federal Award Information B.1. Total Funding B.2. Expected Award Amount B.3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates B.4. Number of Awards B.5. Type of Award

Section C. Eligibility Information C.1. Eligible Applicants C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching C.3. Other C.4. Eligible Projects

Section D. Application and Submission Information D.1. Address to Request Application Package D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission D.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) D.4. Submission Date and Time D.5. Intergovernmental Review (if applicable) D.6. Funding Restrictions

Section E. Application Review Information E.1. Technical Proposal: Phase I Evaluation Criteria E.2. Pitch Presentation: Phase II Evaluation Criteria E.3. Review and Selection Process

Section F. Federal Award Administration Information F.1. Federal Award Notices F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements F.3. Reporting Requirements and Distribution F.4. Data Availability (2 CFR §1402.315) F.5. Recipient Service Delivery Option

Section G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) G.1. Reclamation Financial Assistance Contact G.2. Reclamation Program Coordinator Contact G.3. Application System Technical Support

Section H. Other Information H.1. Environmental and Cultural Resource Considerations H.2. Environmental Statutes H.3. Endangered Species Act v

Section A. Program Description

A.1. Authority

This NOFO is issued under the authority of the Reclamation Act of 1902, Sec.1 and Sec.2, and the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, Public Law (P.L.) 111- 11, §9509, Research Agreement Authority.

A.2. Background, Purpose, and Program Requirements

The United States Department of the Interior (Department), Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) Desalination and Water Purification Research Program (DWPR) works with Reclamation researchers and partners to develop innovative, cost-effective, and technologically efficient ways to desalinate and treat water.

DWPR funding plays a critical role in iterating an idea from the lab to a real-world demonstration, yielding products that serve the water treatment community and attract commercialization interest. Reclamation is interested in research where the benefits are widespread but where private-sector entities are not able to make the full investment and assume all the risks. Reclamation is also interested in research that has a national significance—where the issues are of large-scale concern and the benefits accrue to a large sector of the public.

The goal of the DWPR program is to address the need to reduce the costs, energy requirements, and environmental impacts of treating impaired and unusable water. The program also aligns with Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” by investing in development and application of advanced water treatment technologies that expand access to otherwise unusable water resources, thereby increasing water supply flexibility under the risks of long-term climate change and shorter-term drought. For further information on the DWPR Program, see www.usbr.gov/research/dwpr.

The funds provided through this NOFO will be available for selected recipients to design, construct, install, and test a pilot-scale process at an already known location using a real water source. Reclamation’s Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF) in Alamogordo, New Mexico, and Water Quality Improvement Center (WQIC) in Yuma, Arizona, may be available if a location for testing is needed.

This NOFO’s objectives are to develop innovative and disruptive new technologies or processes to:

• Reduce the costs, energy requirements, and/or environmental impacts of treating impaired and unusable water to standards necessary for an identified beneficial use.

• Improve efficiency of water treatment processes—either by improvements to pre-treatment, post-treatment, monitoring, sensors, or other innovative process/technology.

http://www.usbr.gov/research/dwpr

Notice of Funding Opportunity No. R24AS00206

• Increase effectiveness of concentrate and residuals management by reducing cost, energy, and/or environmental impacts.

• Treat brackish groundwater in a less energy-intensive way than current processes and technologies.

• Address costs, energy usage, and/or environmental impacts of seawater desalination, including intakes and/or outfalls

• Improve the detection, characterization, monitoring, separation, or destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other contaminants of concern.

In Phase I, applicants submit technical proposals in the required format and length as specified in Section D.2.1.5 Project Proposal as well as with the required content. Submission to Phase I is required for Phase II consideration.

Reclamation’s application review committee (ARC) will select a set of highly qualified applications from Phase I to move to Phase II of the application process. Submission to Phase I is required for Phase II consideration. If the selected applicants are not present for Phase II, their proposals are automatically disqualified from proceeding further and will be ineligible for an award. Phase II will entail a 30-minute virtual (web meeting) project/proposal “pitch” presentation to a review panel, followed by 20 minutes of question and answer with the review panel.

A.3. Other Related Funding Opportunities

Reclamation provides funding for other related projects through several other NOFOs under WaterSMART and the Desalination and Water Purification Research Program:

• DWPR Research: This NOFO supports projects at the laboratory and pilot scale to determine the viability of a novel process, new materials, or process modifications. See www.usbr.gov/research/dwpr/index.html.

• Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program: Through this NOFO, funding is available for projects to apply commercially available water reclamation and reuse technologies. See www.usbr.gov/watersmart/title/index.html.

• WaterSMART: Desalination Construction Projects Under the W ater Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act: Through this NOFO, funding is available for planning, design, and construction of desalination projects eligible under Section 4009(a) of the WIIN Act. See www.usbr.gov/watersmart/desalination/index.html.

• WaterSMART: Water Recycling and Desalination Planning: Through this NOFO, funding is available for planning and pre-construction activities to facilitate project development and to provide assistance with the preparation of water recycling and desalination feasibility studies. See https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/title/planning.html.

https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/ https://www.usbr.gov/research/dwpr/ http://www.usbr.gov/research/dwpr/index.html http://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/title/index.html http://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/desalination/index.html https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usbr.gov%2Fwatersmart%2Ftitle%2Fplanning.html&data=05%7C02%7CATiffenbach%40usbr.gov%7Cb975870e0397491602e308dc4dd0520a%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C638470804334765219%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gnpHAtdXpNKPyZFqL5h%2BMuCtzZeGA84aPdqZBs5aiBk%3D&reserved=0

Section B. Federal Award Information

B.1. Total Funding

Approximately $1,500,000 is available for this NOFO. The total amount of funding for awards under this NOFO will depend on FY 2025 appropriations.

B.2. Expected Award Amount

Maximum Award:

$300,000

Minimum Award:

No minimum award amount

B.3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates

Agreements are not effective until fully executed with signature from the Grants Officer.

Reclamation may award the maximum award amount in Federal funds to an applicant over the 18-month project period.

Anticipated award date: March 31, 2025

Reclamation expects to contact Phase I applicants if selected/not selected for Phase II in September 2024 and expects to contact potential award recipients and unsuccessful Phase II participants in December 2024 (or later if necessary), subject to the timing of final FY 2025 appropriations.

Anticipated project completion date: September 30, 2026

B.4. Number of Awards

Approximately five to six awards, depending on the amount requested by each applicant and the amount of Federal funding available under this NOFO.

B.5. Type of Award

Project awards will be made through cooperative agreements. Under cooperative agreements, the successful applicant should expect Reclamation to have substantial involvement in the project.

This includes:

• collaboration and participation with the successful applicant in the management of the project and close oversight of the successful applicant’s activities to ensure that the program objectives are achieved, and

• possible oversight, including review, input, and approval at key interim stages of the project.

Section C. Eligibility Information This section addresses the considerations or factors that determine applicant or application eligibility. This includes the eligibility of particular types of applicant organizations, any factors affecting the eligibility of the principal investigator or project director, and any criteria that make particular projects ineligible. Federal agencies should make clear whether an applicant's failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the time of an application deadline will result in Reclamation returning the application without review or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude Reclamation from making a Federal award.

C.1. Eligible Applicants

C.1.1. Eligible Applicants:

☒00—State governments

☒01—County governments

☒02—City or township governments

☒04—Special district governments

☒06—Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

☒07—Native American Tribal governments (Federally recognized)

☒11—Native American Tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized Tribal governments)

☒12—Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

☒13—Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

☒20—Private institutions of higher education

☒21—Individuals

☒22—For profit organization other than small businesses

☒23—Small businesses

☒*25—Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification)

C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Non-Federal cost share is not required but is strongly encouraged. Cost sharing may be made through direct cash contributions, third-party in-kind contributions, or combinations thereof.

Cost share funding is an evaluation criterion; see Section E.1.7 Evaluation Criterion G: Non- Federal Cost Share. Note that cost share amounts will be verified for projects considered for funding. If the reported cost share cannot be verified, funding for the project may be subject to change or delay. As such, it is strongly recommended that reported cost share complies with requirements and regulations found in this section and its sub-sections.

Other sources of Federal funding may not be counted towards the required cost share. The exception to this requirement is where the Federal statute authorizing a program specifically provides that Federal funds made available for such program can be applied to matching or cost sharing requirements of other Federal programs, such as awards to tribal organizations under P.L. 93-638, as amended. If it is determined that the Federal funding cannot be applied towards the non-Federal cost share, the work associated with the funding may be removed from the proposed project or the Federal funding will be counted toward the Federal cost share for the project. Please identify any other Federal funding received for the Project.

See Section D.2.1.6 Budget Detail and Narrative for information on reporting cost share funding in your application. All cost-share contributions must meet the applicable administrative and cost principles criteria established in 2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200.

Third-party in-kind contributions may be in the form of equipment, supplies, and other expendable property, as well as the value of services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the proposed project. The cost or value of third-party in-kind contributions that have been or will be relied on to satisfy a cost-sharing or matching requirement for another Federal financial assistance agreement, a Federal procurement contract, or any other award of Federal funds may not be relied on to satisfy the cost-share requirement for an award under this NOFO. Applicants should refer to 2 CFR §200.434 Contributions and donations for regulations regarding the valuation of third-party in-kind contributions, available at www.ecfr.gov.

C.3. Other

Reclamation conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions Database for all applicant entities and their key personnel prior to award and ineligibility condition apply to this Federal program.

If the SAM.gov Exclusions Database identifies any entities or key personnel as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, Reclamation cannot award funds to them.

http://www.ecfr.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/exclusions https://sam.gov/content/exclusions

Section C. Eligibility Information

C.4. Eligible Projects

The program office will review all proposed projects to determine whether the application is an eligible activity under the NOFO and can proceed to merit review evaluation.

Eligible projects are innovative pilot-scale technologies or processes tested at flow rates above one gallon per minute using natural water sources (rather than synthetic or laboratory-made feed water). Innovative is defined herein as an approach, process, and/or technology that is not being implemented at full scale in the United States but shows promise for scaled-up implementation in the field of water treatment. This pilot testing is typically used to determine the technical, practical, and/or economic feasibility of a process or technology.

Projects not eligible for funding under this NOFO include, but are not limited to:

• Proposals for planning activities eligible under the WaterSMART: Water Recycling and Desalination Planning funding opportunity.

• Proposals of work currently funded under an existing Reclamation financial assistance agreement.

• Proposals for the construction of permanent research facilities.

• Proposals for the testing of established water treatment processes for the purposes of generating site specific information.

Section D. Application and Submission Information This section informs potential applicants how to get application forms, kits, or other materials necessary for them to apply.

D.1. Address to Request Application Package

This NOFO includes all information, documents, and electronic addresses needed to submit an application through grants.gov. If the applicant is unable to access this information electronically, the Financial Assistance staff may provide paper copies of any documents referenced in this NOFO via an email request from the applicant. All required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab for this funding opportunity on grants.gov.

D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

All applications must conform to the requirements described in this section. There will be two phases in this application process:

Phase I: A technical proposal, budget narrative, and all mandatory federal forms are required to be submitted in the required format and length as specified in Section D.2.1. Mandatory Federal Forms through 2.1.6. Budget Detail and Narrative (Attachment B-Suggested Format). A set of highly qualified applications from Phase I will be selected by the application review committee (ARC) to move to Phase II of the application process. The criteria described in Section E.1 Technical Proposal: Phase I Evaluation Criteria will be used to make that determination.

Phase II: Phase II applicants are required to prepare a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for a virtual pitch presentation for the ARC. Presentations will be evaluated using the criteria described in Section E.2. Technical Presentation: Phase II Evaluation Criteria.

D.2.1. Mandatory Federal Forms

Failure to submit all mandatory forms will result in the elimination of the application from further consideration.

D.2.1.1. SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance Applicants must submit the Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. The SF-424 must be complete, signed and dated. Reclamation will consider any applications that fail to include an SF-424 with a valid unique entity identifier (UEI) number by the submission deadline as ineligible and will result in the elimination of the application from further consideration.

https://doimspp.sharepoint.com/sites/FAPolicy/Shared%20Documents/General/NOFO%20Revision%20Group/New%20NOFO%20Template/grants.gov mailto:sha-dro-fafoa@usbr.gov javascript:downloadFile('https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424_4_0-V4.0.pdf');

https://grants.gov

D.2.1.2. SF-424 (A) Budget Information Form Applicants must submit and complete the SF-424A, Budget Information.

D.2.1.3. SF-424 (B or D) Assurances Form A person legally authorized to commit the applicant to performance of the project must sign the SF-424B, Assurances—Non-Construction Programs or SF-424D, Assurances—Construction Programs, a nd submit the appropriate form with the application.

D.2.1.4. Project Abstract Summary The applicant must complete and submit the Project Abstract Summary form with the application package. This must include:

• funding opportunity number,

• goals and objectives of the proposed project,

• summary of project activities,

• performance goals including milestones and expected outcomes, and

• the intended beneficiaries, and any subrecipient activities, if known.

If selected for an award, information provided on this form will be used to create a summary of your project to be posted on Reclamation’s DWPR website. Reclamation will transmit this information to USASpending.gov and be viewable by the public.

D.2.1.5. Project P roposal The project proposal must be no longer than 12 pa ges, with a typeface no smaller than 11-point, and have at least 1-inch margins on all sides. The 12-page limit applies to all information described in Section D.2.1.5 P roject Proposal.

The project proposal should i nclude:

Title Page The title page should p rovide a brief and descriptive title for the proposed work that indicates the nature of the project. Include the name and address of the applicant, and the name, address, e-mail address, and telephone of the project manager.

Table of Contents The table of contents should include all major sections of the project proposal.

Executive Summary The executive summary should include:

• The date, applicant name, city, county, and state.

• Describe the problem to be solved, the proposed solution, and how the proposed solution is superior to currently available technologies or approaches.

https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/readonly/Project_AbstractSummary_2_0-V2.0.pdf https://www.usbr.gov/research/dwpr/ https://doimspp.sharepoint.com/sites/FAPolicy/Shared%20Documents/General/NOFO%20Revision%20Group/New%20NOFO%20Template/USASpending.gov

Section D: Application and Submission Information

• Summarize the proposed project activities and how these activities address one or more objectives of this NOFO. Describe how project success will be measured and the potential impacts of a successful project.

• State the proposed project length and estimated completion date for the proposed project.

• Identify the proposed project location(s) and state if any work will be conducted at a federal facility or on federal land.

Project Location The project location should provide specific information on the area in which the applicant will work including a map showing the geographic location and a brief narrative. For example: the {project} is located in {state and county} approximately {distance} miles {direction, e.g., northeast} of {nearest town} in {township, range, and section}. If selected for funding, Reclamation may request additional detail regarding the applicant’s project location.

Problem Statement Describe the problem to be addressed by the proposed project, including why current approaches or technologies are insufficient and how the proposed approach or technology improves on current shortcomings. Include information on what is already known, either from previous research efforts or a literature review. Describe how the proposed work aligns with one or more of the objectives shown in Section A.2. Background, Purpose, and Program Requirements.

Prior work and results Describe previous research and/or technology development that supports the need for the proposed pilot testing. Identify relevant experience of key project team members for the proposed work. Identify the current technology readiness level (TRL) of the proposed technology (using the TRL definitions provided in Section E.1.2. Evaluation Criterion B:

Project Readiness).

Technical approach and project activities Describe the technical approach and proposed research and testing activities to be conducted under the project. Include enough detail on the proposed technology or approach to permit a comprehensive evaluation of the proposal. The applicant’s understanding will be established not only by the proposed approach, but also by identifying potential technical challenges that may be faced throughout the proposed testing, and mitigation strategies for these challenges.

Describe in detail the tasks to be conducted, including the development of the final technical report. For each task, describe planned activities and expected outcomes and milestones.

Describe the staff levels, expertise, and number of staff hours required for the proposed project.

Provide the location(s) of the proposed pilot testing, water type(s) to be tested, and system flow rate.

As applicable, provide figures and/or calculations to represent a flow diagram, mass/energy balance, and/or similar ways to describe the proposed technology or approach, including process inputs and outputs demonstrating a knowledge of feed, product, and residual streams.

Identify the TRL that can be achieved if the proposed project is implemented (using the TRL definitions in Section E.1.2. Evaluation Criterion B: Project Readiness).

Work Plan and Schedule Provide a work plan based on the technical approach and project activities. Clearly describe the proposed duration of pilot testing at a flow rate(s) sufficient to inform operational sizing of full-scale units, identify operational difficulties, identify potential process foulants and mitigation, and appropriateness of test duration ultimately demonstrating technological viability. Identify any potential schedule risks and mitigation strategies for addressing these risks. The work plan should include a schedule showing individual tasks with significant milestones identified for the work to be accomplished. Clearly and concisely convey this schedule using a table, Gantt chart, project network diagram, or other visual format. Time for final report preparation (using a Reclamation provided template) should be included in the work plan. The final report will be posted publicly.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) Plan Identify the proposed QA/QC protocols to be used throughout the project, including but not limited to data checks, peer review, instrument calibration, etc.

Responses to Evaluation Criteria (See Section E.1. Technical Proposal: Phase I Evaluation Criteria for additional details, including a detailed description of each criterion and points associated with each.)

The responses to evaluation criteria portion of your application should clearly describe how the proposed project addresses each criterion (in the order presented) to assist in the complete and accurate evaluation of your application. It is not necessary to repeat information provided in other sections of the proposal. Rather than repeating information, provide a reference to other sections of the proposal.

It is suggested that applicants copy and paste the evaluation criteria in Section E.1. Technical Proposal: Phase I Evaluation Criteria into their applications to ensure that all necessary information is adequately addressed.

D.2.1.6. Budget Detail and Narrative (Attachment B-Suggested Format)

Budget Detail and Narrative In the budget detail and narrative section, applicants should describe and justify requested budget items and costs. Applicants should provide details to support the SF-424A, “Object Class” categories. The budget narrative must clearly identify all items of cost (total estimated project cost), including those contributed as non-Federal cost share by the applicant (required and voluntary), third-party in-kind contributions, and those covered using the funding requested from Reclamation, and any requested pre-award costs.

The total project cost is the sum of all allowable items of costs, including all required cost sharing and voluntary committed cost sharing, including third-party contributions necessary to complete the project. Applicants must include detailed descriptions of all cost justifications (see Reclamation’s suggested format in Attachment B for more detail). Costs, including the valuation of third-party in-kind contributions, must comply with the applicable cost principles contained in

2 CFR, §200.

Please note that the costs for preparing and applying in response to this NOFO, including the development of data necessary to support the proposal, are not eligible Project costs under this NOFO, nor are they eligible for cost-share contributions, and must not be included in the Project budget.

Budget items must be reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary to the supported activity.

Refer to 2 CFR §200, for applicable administrative requirements and cost principles. See 2 CFR §200.407, Prior written approval (prior approval), for more information.

Failure to submit a budget narrative will result in the elimination of the application from further consideration.

Applicants may use the Budget Narrative Attachment Form as an example of the required elements of the budget narrative.

D.2.2. Recommended Application Components

D.2.2.1. Environmental and Cultural Resources Compliance Compliance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (as further detailed in Section H. Other Information) will be required for all funded projects. Further, monitoring, measurement, or other field work may be required to complete environmental and cultural resources compliance, with some of the field work also requiring individual compliance provided by the applicant.

D.2.2.2. Required Permits or Approvals Federal, state, tribal, and/or county permits or approvals may be required to implement the proposed project. In the application, state whether the project will require any permits or approvals and explain the plan and schedule for obtaining these permits or approvals.

If a proposal includes improvements to Federal facilities, Reclamation may also require additional reviews and approvals prior to implementation to ensure the Bureau can approve any necessary easements, land use authorizations, or special permits consistent with the requirements of 43 CFR §429 and that the development will not impact or impair project operations or efficiency.

D.2.2.3. Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement Applicants should address if there is any overlap between the proposed project and any other active or anticipated proposals or projects in terms of activities, costs, or commitment of key personnel. If any overlap exists, the applicant must provide a description of the overlap in the application for review.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.407 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.407 https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/BudgetNarrativeAttachments_1_2-V1.2.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-429

Applicants must state if the proposal submitted for consideration under this program does or does not in any way duplicate any proposal or project that has been, or will be, s ubmitted for funding consideration to any other potential funding source—whether it be Federal or non-Federal. If such a circumstance exists, the applicant must detail when the other duplicative proposal(s) were submitted, to what Agency or financial assistance program, and when funding decisions are expected to be announced. If at any time another Federal awarding agency awards funds to the applicant that would be duplicative of the funding requested from Reclamation, applicants must notify the NOFO point of contact or the program coordinator immediately.

D.2.2.4. Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement Per the Financial Assistance Interior Regulation, 2 CFR §1402.112, all applications must state if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission.

Applicability

(1) This section intends to ensure that non-Federal entities and their employees take appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of interest in their responsibilities under, or with respect to, Federal financial assistance agreements.

(2) In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by recipients and by subrecipients, the conflict-of-interest provisions in 2 CFR §200.318 applies.

Notification

(1) Non-Federal entities, including applicants for financial assistance awards, must disclose, i n writing, a ny conflict of interest to the Department of the Interior awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with 2 CFR §200.112.

(2) Recipients must establish internal controls that include, at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or eliminate identified conflicts of interest. The recipient is responsible for notifying the Reclamation financial assistance officer in writing of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those reported by subrecipients.

Restrictions on Lobbying Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under a grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR §18 and 31 U.S.C. §1352.

Review Procedures The financial assistance officer will examine each conflict-of-interest disclosure based on its particular facts and the nature of the proposed grant or cooperative agreement and will determine whether a significant potential conflict exists and, if it does, develop an appropriate means for resolving it.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402/subpart-B/section-1402.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.318 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2021-title31/pdf/USCODE-2021-title31-subtitleII-chap13-subchapIII-sec1352.pdf

Enforcement Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the Government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR §200.339, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR §180).

D.2.2.5. Uniform Audit Reporting Statement All U.S. States, local governments, Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments, and non-profit organizations expending $750,000 USD, or more, in Federal award funds within an applicant’s fiscal year, must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System in accordance with 2 CFR §200 Subpart F.

U.S. State and local governments, Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments, and non-profit applicants must state if their organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year. If the applicant’s organization was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, the applicant must provide the Employer Identification Number associated with that report and state if the number is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse website.

D.2.2.6. Certification Regarding Lobbying Applicants requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funding must certify to the statements in 43 CFR §18, Appendix A. If this application requests more than $100,000 in Federal funds, the authorized official’s signature on the appropriate SF-424 form also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR § 18, Appendix A.

D.2.2.7. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable) If the applicant has made, or agreed to make, payment to any lobbying entity in an attempt to influence, or attempt to influence, an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with a covered Federal action, Reclamation will require applicants to complete and sign an SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form. Note— a contractor or other entity cannot submit this form on an applicant’s behalf.

D.2.2.8. Letters of Support Applicants should include letters from interested stakeholders supporting the proposed project, if applicable. To ensure Reclamation accurately reviews all proposals, applicants may attach any letters of support/partnership letters as an appendix. Reclamation will not consider letters of support received after the application deadline for this NOFO in evaluating an applicant’s proposed project.

D.2.2.9. Letters of Funding Commitment Describe how the non-Federal cost share of project will be obtained. Reclamation will use this information when making a determination of financial capability. Project funding provided by a source other than the applicant should be supported with letters of commitment from these additional sources and should identify the following elements:

https://ecfr.io/Title-2/Section-200.339 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180 https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18#Appendix-A-to-Part-18

• The amount of funding commitment

• The date the funds will be available to the applicant

• Any time constraints on the availability of funds

• Any other contingencies associated with the funding commitment

Commitment letters from third-party funding sources should be submitted with your project application. If commitment letters are not available at the time of the application submission, provide a timeline for submitting all commitment letters. Cost-share funding from sources outside the applicant’s organization (e.g., loans or State grants) should be secured and available to the applicant prior to award.

Reclamation will not make funds available for an award under this NOFO until the recipient has secured a non-Federal cost-share. Reclamation will execute a financial assistance agreement once non-Federal funding has been secured or Reclamation determines that there is enough evidence and likelihood that non-Federal funds will be available to the applicant after executing the agreement.

D.2.2.10. Personnel Qualifications Identify key personnel (including sub-awardees) that will directly work on project tasks and describe the type of work to be performed by each individual. Provide a statement of assurance that the proposed personnel will be available for work on the project, and a list of alternative personnel to be used in the event proposed personnel are not available as planned. Provide a brief resume (maximum two pages each) for all key personnel named.

D.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management

(SAM)

Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR §25.110 (b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR §25.110 (d)) is required to:

• register in SAM before submitting an application (instructions for registering are available at on the SAM.gov site),

• provide a valid UEI in the application, and

• maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which an applicant has an active Federal award or plan under consideration by a Federal award agency.

Meeting the requirements set forth above is mandatory.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110#p-25.110(b) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110#p-25.110(c) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110#p-25.110(d) https://sam.gov/content/home https://D.2.2.10

D.3.1. Register with the System for Award Management

Applicants must register on the SAM.gov website. Click “Help” to find user guides and other information to assist with registration. The Grants.gov “Register with SAM” page also provides detailed instructions. Applicants can contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered, SAM.gov will assign the applicant a UEI. Applicants must renew and revalidate SAM.gov registration at least once every 12 months from the previous date of registration. Applicants are strongly encouraged to revalidate registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been made to the Internal Revenue Service’s information.

There is no cost to register with SAM.gov. There are third-party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with SAM.gov; please be aware applicants can register and request help for free.

NOTE: An applicant’s SAM.gov registration process may take 6 weeks or more to complete, so please allow sufficient time to ensure applications are submitted before the closing date. Failure to submit on time because an applicant did not complete registration in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will result in the application submission being found ineligible.

D.3.2. Obtain a UEI Number

Applicants must provide a valid unique entity identifier as part of the application. Applicants are required to register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application and obtain a UEI. A UEI will be assigned to entities upon registering with SAM.

D.3.3. Maintain an Active SAM Registration and UEI Number

Applicants must continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which applicants have an active Federal award, application, or plan under consideration by Reclamation. Reclamation may not make a Federal award until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if the applicants has not fully complied with the requirements by the time Reclamation is ready to make a Federal award, Reclamation may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

D.3.4. Current Responsibilities/Qualifications Information

Before awarding a grant in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold, Reclamation is required to review the SAM.gov database and consider all information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (see 41 U.S.C.

§2313).

https://sam.gov/content/home https://sam.gov/content/help https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0029912&sys_kb_id=cf698d6d1b38ad503565ed3ce54bcb46&spa=1 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:41%20section:2313%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title41-section2313)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true#:%7E:text=41%20USC%202313%3A%20Database%20for%20Federal%20agency%20contract,Procurement%20PolicyDivision%20B-Office%20of%20Federal%20Procurement%20PolicyCHAPTER%2023-MISCELLANEOUS https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:41%20section:2313%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title41-section2313)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true#:%7E:text=41%20USC%202313%3A%20Database%20for%20Federal%20agency%20contract,Procurement%20PolicyDivision%20B-Office%20of%20Federal%20Procurement%20PolicyCHAPTER%2023-MISCELLANEOUS https://Grants.gov

Optionally, applicants may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and that is currently in the designated integrity and performance system. Reclamation will consider any comments in making a judgement about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk as described in 2 CFR §200.206, “Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.”

D.4. Submission Date and Time

Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov. Grants.gov automatically generates an electronic date and time stamp in the system upon receiving the application.

Grants.gov sends an acknowledgement of receipt with the date and time stamp and a unique Grants.gov application tracking number to the applicant’s authorized representative by email.

This email from Grants.gov serves as proof of timely submission.

The applicant may submit a paper application if approved by the Reclamation Grants Officer and if the applicant is found to be under exigent circumstances (e.g., Federally declared disaster area). Applications sent by mail without prior approval will be rejected and deemed ineligible.

The applicant may request an exemption from the required electronic application submission due to exigent circumstances, by submitting an email request to the Reclamation Grants Officer for approval. Applicants may email exemption requests to [bor-sha-fafoa@usbr.gov]. All emailed exemption requests must include the following information:

1. the NOFO Number and the language: “Exigent Circumstances Request for Fiscal Year (FY) [insert year]” in the subject line of the email,

2. the NOFO title and number,

3. the application due date of the specified NOFO,

4. the Assistance Listing number,

5. the name of the applicant organization and UEI number(s),

6. the authorized organizational representative name and contact information (phone and email address),

7. the name and email of the point of contact regarding matters involving the application, and

8. the exigent circumstances justification to prevent an electronic application submission.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.206 https://doimspp.sharepoint.com/sites/FAPolicy/Shared%20Documents/General/NOFO%20Revision%20Group/New%20NOFO%20Template/grants.gov mailto:bor-sha-fafoa@usbr.gov https://Grants.gov https://Grants.gov

The Grants Officer must receive exigent circumstances requests no later than 2 weeks or 14 days before the application due date listed within the NOFO. Reclamation will acknowledge requests for exemption from required electronic application submission with a written approval or disapproval via email from the Grants Officer within 7 business days.

Unless the applicant has received an approved exemption, applicants must use grants.gov to submit proposals. Under no circumstances will Reclamation consider applications received through any other method (such as e-mail or fax) as eligible for award.

Applicant resource documents and a full set of instructions for registering with grants.gov and completing and submitting applications online are available on grants.gov. Application submission requires prior registration through grants.gov, which may take up to 21 days. In addition, please note the grants.gov system only accepts applications submitted by individuals that are registered and active in SAM as both a user and an Authorized Organizational Representative. Applicants have experienced significant delays when attempting to submit applications through grants.gov.

Proposals received after the application deadline will not be considered unless it can be determined that the delay was caused by Reclamation mishandling or technical issues with the Grants.gov application system. Please note that difficulties related to an applicant’s Grants.gov profile (e.g., incorrect organizational representative), uploading documents to Grants.gov, or an applicant’s SAM registration are not considered technical issues with the Grants.gov system.

Please note that any application submitted for…