Grant Program to Assess, Evaluate and Promote Development of Tribal Energy and Mineral Resources - BIA-000-0006-DEMD.docx

Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Discretionary Grant Program to Assess, Evaluate and Promote Development of Tribal Energy and Mineral Resources

AGENCY:

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED)

ACTION: Solicitation of Proposals: Discretionary.

SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), through the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED), hereby solicits grant proposals from Federally-recognized Indian tribes and tribal energy resource development organizations for projects that assess, evaluate, or otherwise promote the processing, use, or development of energy and mineral resources on Indian lands. Grant awards are subject to the availability of funds as appropriated by Congress and allotted to IEED.

DATES: Grant proposals must be received before 5:00 pm Mountain Daylight Time, 09/25/2017. IEED will not consider grant proposals received after this date.

ADDRESSES: The preferred submittal method is to send digital files to us via email (refer to Section D: Submission of Application in Digital Format). Files include the proposal / statement of work, budget, tribal resolution and other supporting documents. These can be emailed to IEEDGrants@bia.gov, Attn: Energy and Mineral Development Program. If you cannot submit these via email, label in the same heading and submit these files on a CD, DVD or thumb drive and mail to 13922 Denver West Parkway, Suite 200 Lakewood CO, 80401, Attn: Energy and Mineral Development Program. Fax paper copies of your proposal will not be accepted. Complete submissions must be received by the deadline established in the DATES section above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about the EMDP program or the application process, please contact Amy Wilson, telephone 720-407-0623 or e-mail Amy.Wilson@bia.gov.

If you have technical questions about the energy and mineral resources you wish to assess, evaluate or promote, please contact the appropriate DEMD representatives listed below:

Solid Mineral Projects (Metals, Industrial Minerals, Sand and Gravel, Coal, etc.): Duane Matt, telephone 720-407-0605, email Duane.Matt@bia.gov Fluid Mineral Projects (Oil, Natural Gas, Geothermal): Roger Knight, telephone 720-407-0613, email Roger.Knight@bia.gov Renewable and Distributed Energy Projects (Biomass, Hydropower, Wind, Solar, etc.): Michael Stevenson, telephone 720-407-0626, e-mail Michael.Stevenson@bia.gov On-Line Information: There is additional information about EMDP grants on our web site, http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/IEED/DEMD/TT/TF/index.htm. There you will find frequently asked questions, best practices for creating proposals and Tribal resolutions, and general information about the technical assistance which DEMD can provide upon written request.

GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTIONS

A. Background B. Items to Consider Before Preparing an Application for an Energy and Mineral Development Program Grant C. How to Prepare an Application for Energy and Mineral Development Funding D. Submission of Application in Digital Format E. Application Evaluation and Administrative Information F. When to Submit G. Where to Submit H. Funding and Transfer of Funds I. Reporting Requirements for Award Recipients J. Requests for Technical Information K. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement A. Background The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development’s Division of Energy and Mineral Development administers the Energy and Mineral Development Program. This solicitation seeks proposals for energy and mineral projects that conduct resource inventories and assessments, feasibility studies, or other pre-construction studies necessary to promote the use and development of known energy and mineral resources. Energy and mineral resources may include: conventional energy resources such as oil, gas, coal, uranium, and coal bed gas; renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, biomass, hydro, and geothermal; industrial minerals such as sand and gravel; precious minerals such as gold, silver, and platinum; base minerals such as lead, copper, and zinc; and ferrous metal minerals such as iron, tungsten, and chromium.

In past years, DEMD has received more EMDP grant proposals than could be funded for that year. Therefore, applicants compete for funding, and DEMD has discretion to award funds to a limited number of the highest-rated proposals. DEMD has established ranking procedures with defined criteria for rating proposal merits so that awards are as fair and equitable as possible.

EMDP grants are based on non-recurring appropriations in the Federal budget. These funds are provided on a year-to-year basis, and may or may not be provided in future years.

Authorizing Statutes for this program include:

· The Snyder Act of November 2, 1921, 25 U.S.C 13, 42 Stat. 208, P.L. 67-85; 90 Stat. 2233, P.L. 94-482

· The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, 25 U.S.C. 461 et seq., 48 Stat. 984, P.L. 73-383; P.L. 103-263

· The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C 450, 88 Stat. 2203, P.L. 93-638, P.L. 100-472; 102 Stat. 2285, P.L. 103-413

· Indian Mineral Development Act of 1982, 25 U.S.C 2106, 86 Stat. 1940, P.L. 97-382

· Umatilla Basin Project Act, 16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq., P.L. 100-557

· Energy Policy Act of 2005, 25 U.S.C 3501, (P.L. 102-486, Title XXVI – The Energy Policy Act of 1992, § 2601, as amended P.L. 109-58, Title V, § 503(a), Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 764) The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (25 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) requires the Secretary to, ‘‘establish and implement an Indian energy resource development program to assist consenting Indian tribes and tribal energy resource development organizations.’’ It also requires the Secretary to, ‘‘provide grants to Indian tribes and tribal energy resource development organizations for use in carrying out projects to promote the integration of energy resources, and to process, use, or develop those energy resources, on Indian land….’’ B. Items to Consider Before Preparing an Application for an Energy and Mineral Development Program Grant

1. Indian Land The term “Indian land” means any tract or interest therein, in which the surface or mineral estate is owned by one or more Federally-recognized Indian tribes, in Federal trust or restricted status. Proposals must be used by an Indian tribe for energy and mineral resource inventory, energy and mineral resource development feasibility studies, or other pre-construction studies necessary to support development of energy and mineral resources on Indian lands.

2. Tribes’ Compliance History DEMD will monitor all EMDP grant awards for statutory and regulatory compliance. Tribes that misuse funds may forfeit remaining funds in that and future EMDP years. DEMD may review the use of any prior awards before deciding to fund current year proposals, and may request further explanation from tribes with outstanding project funds from previous years (see section 4).

3. BIA Sanctions List Tribes that are currently under BIA sanction at Level 2 or higher resulting from non-compliance with the Single Audit Act are ineligible for an EMPD grant award. Tribes at Sanction Level 1 will be considered for funding.

4. Completion of Previous Energy and Mineral Development Projects DEMD will not usually consider additional funding for a new EMDP project proposal until any previous year’s EMDP project from the same applicant is complete and documented. We do understand, however, that delays beyond the control of the applicant sometimes occur. DEMD will consider any explanation provided in conjunction with a new EMDP grant proposal. For instance, if previous year grant funds were seriously delayed through no fault of the applicant, and the prior project is not yet complete for that reason, DEMD would probably not reject a new EMDP grant proposal solely on that basis.

6. Multi-Year Projects EMDP funding is subject to annual appropriations by Congress, so DEMD can only fund single-year projects. DEMD is aware that many projects require several years of studies before development can occur. Therefore, if a tribe has received an EMDP grant in a previous year, the tribe may submit an EMDP proposal for the current year. DEMD will competitively evaluate the new proposal, and the previous year funding will not guarantee current funding.

Correspondingly, DEMD will not allow budget line items for securing data or products already available at DEMD. Check first if DEMD does not have a particular data set, then EMDP funds may be used to acquire such data.

There may also be other places an applicant can secure existing data, thereby avoiding some or all of the cost of securing new data. Before submitting an EMDP proposal that includes acquiring new data, applicants should search thoroughly for preexisting data. Even older data may still have considerable value. Modern data processing and interpretation techniques may allow for updating or improving older data. Applicants should look into this possibility with DEMD staff or with a reputable consultant.

8. Using Technical Services at DEMD DEMD offers tribes many in-house technical capabilities and services at no charge. Tribes can maximize the value of EMDP projects by fully using DEMD’s services, or by using DEMD services in conjunction with reputable consultants. Services that can be provided by DEMD include:

· Searching nearby reference materials for technical literature on previous investigations and work performed in and around reservations, such as the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) library in Denver, Colorado, or the Colorado School of Mines library in Golden, Colorado

· Furnishing well production history analysis, decline curve and economic analysis of data obtained through DEMD’s in-house databases

· Providing well log interpretation, including correlation of formation tops, identification of producing horizons, and generation of cross-sections

· Supplying technical mapping capabilities, using data from well log formation tops and seismic data

· Providing contour mapping capabilities, including isopachs, calculated grids, color-fill plotting, and posting of surface features, wells, seismic lines and legal boundaries

· Furnishing seismic data interpretation and data processing

· Supplying three dimensional modeling of mine plans

· Providing economic analysis and modeling for energy and mineral projects

· Supplying marketing studies for various energy and mineral commodities

· Preliminary opportunity assessment for renewable energy resources

9. What the Energy and Mineral Development Program Cannot Fund These funds are specifically for energy and mineral pre-development project work only. Examples of elements that cannot be funded include:

· Establishing or operating a tribal office, and/or purchase of office equipment

· Salaries or fringe benefits for Tribal employees, except for clearly defined technical project related tasks. Salary requests must comply with the detailed budget component as described under Mandatory Component 3

· Indirect costs as defined by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and overhead

· Purchasing equipment such as computers, vehicles, field gear, anemometer (Met) towers, and the like, to perform pre-development activities. However, we do allow leasing these equipment types for pre-development activities

· Purchasing or leasing equipment to develop energy and mineral resources, such as solar panels, well drilling rigs, backhoes, bulldozers, cranes, trucks, etc.

· Drilling wells for the sale of hydrocarbons, geothermal resources, other fluid or solid minerals. Funds may be used for drilling exploration holes for testing, sampling, coring, or temperature surveys

· Legal fees

· Application fees associated with permitting

· Academic research projects

· Development of unproven technologies

· Training

· Contracted negotiation fees

· Purchase of data available through DEMD

· Studies directly related to meeting NEPA requirements for project development (the EMDP will support preliminary environmental issues analysis used to evaluate project feasibility)

· Attending conventions, or travel to foreign countries (In some cases, within country conventions that have relevance to the scope of the EMDP project will be allowed. This will be evaluated on a case by case basis and will require written justification within the proposal)

· Any other activities not authorized by the tribal resolution or by the award letter

10. Performance of EMDP Projects At the applicant’s discretion, EMDP projects can be performed a number of ways, including by—

· Qualified tribal personnel

· A Federal government agency (such as DEMD, the U.S. Geological Survey, or the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE))

· A State government agency (such as a State geological survey)

· One or more qualified consultants

· A private company or firm We place no requirements or restrictions on how an applicant may contract with outside parties to perform EMDP functions, except that the applicant must adhere to its own Grant policies and procedures, such as applicable tribal laws. In addition, applicants should avoid EMDP projects that place inexperienced personnel in key positions or create or continue conflicts of interest, such as having a resource assessment performed by an outside consultant that is also competing for development rights in the resource being studied.

C. How to Prepare an Application for Energy and Mineral Development Funding A complete EMDP grant proposal must contain each of the following mandatory components (described in detail below):

· A current tribal resolution authorizing the proposed project

· A proposal describing the planned activities and deliverable products

· A detailed budget estimate

· Designated tribal project lead A funding request that does not contain all of these mandatory components will be considered incomplete and returned to the tribe with an explanation. An applicant whose proposal is returned for this reason will be allowed to address the incompletion and resubmit for consideration, provided all issues are addressed before the application deadline listed under DATES, above.

Further description of these mandatory components is as follows:

1. Mandatory Component 1: Tribal Resolution

Tribal Resolution components - Tribal resolutions should not specify a starting date for the project to avoid complications in the event of funding delays or similar contingencies. Each tribal resolution must include:

· A description of the energy and mineral resource to be studied

· A statement that the tribe is willing to consider developing any potential energy and mineral resource discovered

· A statement describing how the tribe wishes to have the EMDP project performed (i.e., by whom) We also recommend including in the resolution, a statement to the effect that the tribe will consider public release of information obtained from the EMDP project. By this, we mean summary information suitable for publications, press releases, or presentation at government or private meetings and conferences. We do not mean providing copies of detailed proprietary data or reports to any individual, private company or government agency without the tribe’s written permission.

Note: Any information in the possession of DEMD or submitted to DEMD throughout the EMDP process, including final work product, constitute as government records and may be subject to disclosure to third parties under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, and the Department of the Interior’s FOIA regulations at 43 CFR part 2, unless a FOIA exemption or exception applies or other provisions of law protect the information. Applicants may, but are not required to, designate submitted information in connection with the EMDP as confidential commercially or financially sensitive information, as applicable. That may help DEMD shield such information from FOIA disclosure under the procedures described in 43 CFR part 2.

2. Mandatory Component 2: EMDP Proposal EMDP grant proposals must be as brief and clear as possible, with a project proposal, statement of work, and description of deliverable products not to exceed 20 letter-sized pages. Visual materials, including charts, graphs, maps, photographs and other pictorial presentations are included in the 20-page limit.

While the EMDP grant proposal itself is limited to 20 pages, an applicant may use appendices for supplemental materials, such as:

· An overview of a tribe’s history, location, government structure, population makeup, etc.

· Descriptions of previous work performed relating to the EMPD grant proposal, including work done under any previous EMDP grant award

· Further detail on technologies or methodologies in the proposal with which DEMD reviewers may be unfamiliar Tribes that do not have a staff geoscientist, engineer, or private consultant available to prepare the technical part of an EMDP grant proposal may contact DEMD for guidance. Since DEMD will be reviewing EMDP grant proposals, there are limits to what DEMD staff can do to help in preparing a proposal. Also, DEMD can assist in identifying outside companies or consultants to assist Tribes if desired. If proposal assistance is needed, contact DEMD as indicated in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice. Make requests as early as possible to give DEMD time to help well before the application deadline.

The EMDP proposal should include the following sections:

(a) Overview and Technical Summary of the Project: Prepare a brief overview of the proposal, no longer than one page. Include:

· Elements of the proposed project

· Reasons for the project

· Total funding requested

· EMDP project lead authorized to make decisions on the day-to-day grant activities

(b) Project Objective, Technical Description, and Scope of Work: (To the extent possible) Description of the resource to be examined, such as particular oil or gas deposit, or the regional market for the use of renewable power.

Describe the location on Indian lands where the energy and mineral resource is located, and where the project is to be performed. Include relevant page size maps and graphs.

Describe any existing energy and mineral resource information pertinent to the application and provide references. If the energy and mineral resource is known to exist or is being produced nearby, discuss the possible extension or trend of the deposit onto the Indian lands identified in the proposal. The proposal should not seek to create data or information already in existence.

Describe whether the project is new or builds on previous work that is partially complete. Explain how the project is phased, how long it is expected to take through completion, and what element the current project is intended to satisfy. Note: EMDP grant funding is appropriated annually. There is no guarantee that funding for a multi-stage project will be available or awarded from one fiscal year to the next.

Describe whether the project proposal involves work or resources located in an archeological, environmentally or culturally sensitive area. The applicant must cooperate with DEMD when considering and addressing any such concerns.

Describe the tribe’s motivation to develop the proposed energy and mineral resource, including any short and long term benefits to the tribe.

Describe the project goals and objectives.

Provide a detailed description of the scope of work and explain the selection of the proposed methodology. For example, if the project involves a geochemical sampling survey, explain how and why the applicant decided upon the quantity of samples to be obtained, what type of sampling to target, the soil horizons to be tested, the general location of sampling, how the samples are to be analyzed, and why the applicant chose geochemistry as its exploration technique. Furnish similar explanations and details for geophysics, geologic mapping, core drilling, or any other type of assessment planned.

(c) Deliverable Products: Describe all deliverable products the proposed EMDP project is to generate, including all technical data to be obtained during the study. Describe any maps to be generated and how they will help define energy and mineral resource potential. Discuss the content of any planned status reports as well as the final EMDP project report.

(d) Resumes of Key Personnel: Provide the resumes of key personnel intended to perform EMDP project work and the nature of their involvement, including their relationship to the applicant as tribal staff, consultant, subcontractor, etc.

3. Mandatory Component 3: Detailed Budget Estimate The EMDP budget must be sufficiently detailed for DEMD staff to gain a reasonable understanding of all elements of the project proposal, plus the relative emphasis placed on each element. Budget details should reflect all reasonably anticipated costs and contingencies, be internally consistent with the rest of the proposal, and allow the review panel to analyze the benefit of all project components. The budget breakdown and organization must indicate that the EMDP project proposal has been closely considered, and would neither waste funds nor fail to support important project elements.

If the EMDP proposal has distinct phases or elements handled by different persons at different times, or discrete categories of expense that can be helpful to break out, budget organization should present sub-budgets or summaries that emphasize those phases, elements or categories. For instance, contract and consulting fees, fieldwork, lab and testing fees, travel and similar categories of expense should be grouped in a budget summary, even if they would not occur sequentially as the project proceeds, so that reviewers can evaluate the overall reasonableness of these expenses against the value of the EMDP proposal as a whole.

In particular, a well-presented budget will clearly show the following costs, grouped into appropriately distinct phases or elements of the project:

(a) Contracted Personnel Costs. All contracted personnel and consultants must be identified in the budget, along with their respective positions and the hours allocated for their proposed function(s).

The function and qualifications of any consultant or contracted personnel must be clearly identified in Mandatory Component 2: EMDP Proposal.

If hired for a fixed fee, the contracted personnel’s or consultant’s expenses should be itemized as part of the project budget.

If not hired for a fixed fee, provide the estimated cost of their activities and the basis of that estimate.

(b) Travel Estimates. Provide estimates for airfare, vehicle rental, lodging, and/or per diem, based on the current Federal government per diem schedule for the applicable region of the country and time of travel.

(c) Data Collection and Analysis Costs. Itemize these costs in sufficient detail for reviewers to evaluate the charges. For example, break down drilling and sampling costs in relation to mobilization costs, footage rates, testing and lab analysis costs per core sample.

(d) Other Expenses. Separately identify computer or equipment rental, report generation, drafting, advertising, and similar costs for the proposed project.

4. Mandatory Component 4: Designated Tribal Project Lead The EMDP grant proposal must identify a designated tribal representative to oversee the project work, make authorized decisions during the course of the project, and be responsible for submitting quarterly and final progress reports, plus financial status reports, as discussed later in this announcement. This person will be referred to as the “Tribal Project Manager”. The designated tribal project lead may not be a consultant.

Include the following contact information:

· Name of the designated tribal project lead;

· Mailing address;

· Telephone number;

· Fax number (if computer-based document transmission is unavailable, or simply as a back-up method of communication); and

· E-mail address.

D. Submission of Application in Digital Format Submit the entire EMDP grant proposal, including the budget, in digital form. Unless specifically approved in advance by DEMD, applicants should break down the application submission into four separate files: 1) EMDP Proposal 2) Tribal Resolution 3) Estimated Budget; and 4) Designated Tribal Project Lead. Please include the Tribal Name in all electronic submissions. For example: (Name of tribe) EMDP Proposal, (Name of tribe) Tribal Resolution, (Name of tribe) Tribal Budget, and (Name of Tribe) Designated Tribal Project Lead.

Proposals not provided in digital form will be considered incomplete. An applicant who is unable to submit its proposal electronically may copy its files to a compact disc (CD, DVD or thumb drive) and mail it.

Acceptable formats are Adobe Acrobat PDF and Microsoft Word and Excel. The budget should be in table format in Microsoft Excel. Files must have descriptive file names to help DEMD quickly locate specific components of the proposal, and use file name extensions that clearly indicate the software application used to prepare the documents (e.g., doc, docx, pdf). Documents that require an original signature, such as cover letters, tribal resolutions and other letters of tribal authorization should be scanned and submitted electronically as a PDF.

E. Application Evaluation and Administrative Information

1. Administrative Review Upon receiving an EMDP grant proposal, DEMD will perform a preliminary review to determine if it contains the four mandatory components, appears to have enough technical and scientific information to permit an evaluation, and does not duplicate or overlap previous or currently funded EMDP projects. The administrative review will also confirm that the project location meets the Indian land requirement as defined in Section B. Items to Consider Before Preparing an Application for an Energy and Mineral Development Program Grant.

DEMD staff may return a proposal that it deems incomplete or ineligible. In appropriate circumstances it may retain the proposal but request additional information.

2. Ranking Criteria A DEMD panel will review and rank each complete EMDP grant proposal using these four criteria:

(a) Resource Availability.

(b) Project Concept and Viability.

DEMD seeks to fund studies for projects that have a reasonable chance of being viable and that will support informed economic development decisions. Reviewers will therefore rate the proposals based on the overall viability of the proposed project and the likeliness that the project will be completed. To receive a high score in this ranking criterion, the proposal should clearly discuss barriers that could impact the viability of the project and the progress that has been made to address and mitigate those barriers. These barriers may include issues regarding marketability, permitting, economics, financing, technology readiness, environmental impacts, and social perceptions.

DEMD's ranking panels will also consider the project's stage of development, the time and expense needed for it to be completed, and the likelihood that the study will result in a completed project. The panel will rank more highly projects closer to fruition and more likely, in the near term, to result in economic benefits to the tribal community.

Consider that the DEMD ranking panels will be asking questions during its review such as: Are the economic development goals and objectives of the project clearly defined? Is the proposed project economically viable? (To what extent have the off-take markets been identified? What level of progress has been made to define costs and revenues of the project? ) To what extent does the proposal quantify the economic benefits expected to result from project completion (employment rates, increased income levels, energy costs savings, etc.). How certain are these various benefits? What level of progress has the project made in developing the organizational business structure and business plan? What level of progress has the tribe made in obtaining or planning project financing? What level of progress has the project made in completing the necessary development permits, contracts and agreements? Is the proposed project technically viable? (Will the project be incorporating commercially proven technologies? What level of progress has been made towards final engineering designs?)

(c) Goals and Commitment to the Project.

To make wise use of limited funding, DEMD seeks to provide funding to applicants that display strong sense of commitment to the goals of the EMDP and that they are seriously willing to consider developing the proposed project.

Concerning an applicant’s willingness to develop, the proposal should include a willingness-to-develop statement that sufficiently explains the applicant's attitude towards developing its resources and its commitment level. DEMD will also evaluate an applicant's willingness to develop based upon its willingness to release project data to potential development partners (assuming the applicant does not have sufficient in-house expertise to undertake development on its own).

Concerning the applicant's commitment to the project, the applicant should explain how the tribe will participate in the study, including the level of involvement and technical expertise of its project representatives and contact persons, and whether the project will involve direct contact with the applicant's natural resource department, tribal council, energy office, etc. The proposal should also clearly explain the current status of the proposed project and specific contributions the applicant has made towards the project to date.

If an applicant has a strategic development plan outlining long term objectives, goals, and methodology for creating sustainable tribal economic development, the applicant should discuss it in the EMDP grant proposal, in addition to how the proposal fits within that strategic plan. Similarly, if the applicant has some other overall plan of action into which the EMDP grant proposal fits (such as pertinent tribal resolutions, economic development plans, planned housing development, construction projects, etc.), that too should be described.

Consider that the DEMD ranking panels will be asking questions during its review such as: Does the proposal explain how committed the applicant is to the project? Is the tribe's willingness to develop the renewable energy resource clearly stated in the tribal resolution supporting the EMDP grant application and does the full council support the development? Does the applicant have an existing strategic development plan and/or plan of action that includes developing its energy or mineral resources? Is the tribe's current business environment conductive to development? Who has the applicant designated as performing the scope of work activities, and what are that person's credentials? What financial and/or non-financial resources is the applicant committing to this project and are these commitments clearly reflected in the budget and scope of work? Which tribal departments will be involved to some extent in the proposed project activities? What impact will DEMD funding have on the project’s goals and objectives? What is the applicant’s prior experience with renewable energy development? To what extent does the proposal quantify other project benefits that are important to the tribe’s long term strategic goals? (environmental benefits, energy security, etc.) Does the proposal otherwise clearly demonstrate the tribe's willingness to develop and commitment to the project?

(d) Appropriateness of the Technical Proposal and Statement of Work– Reviewers will rate the overall proposal and budget request for completeness, organization, and appropriateness in the context of achieving the stated goals and objectives of the project. Reviewers will also consider the extent to which the budget reflects allowable expenses and that the proposal is in conformance with industry standards for project development. To receive a high score in this criterion, the applicant must clearly justify why the proposed methodology and related costs are appropriate uses of EMDP funding.

The applicant should be aware that if the proposal includes un-allowable expenses, as described in the guidelines of this solicitation, those line items will be subtracted from the budget should it be selected for award. However, if DEMD determines that the proposal in its entirety is not an allowable use of funds, the proposal will be declined.

Consider that the DEMD ranking panels will be asking questions during its review such as: Does the proposal clearly explain whether the project is new or builds on previous work, how the project is phased, the timeline to completion, and what element the current proposal will satisfy? Is it clear that the proposal is not duplicating previous work? Does the proposal clearly describe the project deliverables? Is the proposal well organized and does it address all of the elements listed in Mandatory Component #2 from the solicitation guidelines? Does the budget comply with Mandatory Component #3 from the solicitation guidelines? Is the budget detailed enough to explain how and when funds are to be spent? Are line item budget numbers appropriate and reasonable to complete the proposed tasks? Are specified techniques and methodologies reasonable and in conformance with best practices? Does the proposal adequately explain how the techniques and methods to be used in the project meet the goals and objectives of the proposal? Are the stated scope of work tasks and deliverables achievable within the one year time period of the grant? Are key personnel appropriately qualified to complete the stated deliverables? Is a logical project management structure in place to ensure that work will be completed on time and on budget? Does the proposal appropriately account for the use of DEMD’s in house technical capabilities and information data sets?

3. Ranking of Proposals and Award Letters Complete EMDP grant proposals will be reviewed and ranked within separate resource commodity groups: Solid Minerals, Fluid Minerals, or Renewable and Distributed Energy. Each group will have a separate review panel and will rank EMDP proposals using the selection criteria outlined above according to the weights shown in the following table.

We will accept applications at any time before the deadline (09/25/2017) stated in the DATES section of this notice, and will send a notification of receipt to the return address on the application package, along with a determination of whether or not the application is complete. Submitted EMDP grant proposals will receive a prompt reply indicating if the application was received and readable.

G. Where to Submit Submit the energy and mineral development proposals to DEMD at the address (IEEDGrants@bia.gov) listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Applicants should also forward a copy of their proposal to their own BIA Agency and Regional offices.

BIA Regional or Agency level offices receiving an EMDP grant proposal do not have to forward it to DEMD. It is meant to inform them of the applicant’s intent to perform energy or mineral studies using EMDP funding. However, BIA Regional or Agency offices are free to comment on the applicant’s proposal, or to ask DEMD for other information.

H. Funding and Transfer of Funds Our obligation under this solicitation is contingent on receipt of congressionally appropriated funds. No liability on the part of the U.S. Government for any payment may arise until funds are made available to the Grant Officer for this grant and until the recipient receives notice of such availability, to be confirmed in writing by the Grant Officer. DEMD will forward rated proposals for approval to the Acting Director of IEED; the Office of the Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs; and (with respect to grants exceeding $100,000) the Associate Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior.

(a) ASAP. All payments under this Grant will be made by electronic funds transfer through the Treasury Financial Management Service, Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) site at http://www.asap.gov/. The Recipient must be registered with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in ASAP.

(b) Invoice. The Recipient will submit all official invoices to the Bureau Project Officer, not more than once per month.

(c) System for Award Management. All payments will be deposited in the banking information designated by the Recipient in the System for Awards Management (SAM).

2. Final Reporting Requirements Final narrative and financial reports are to be submitted to the DEMD project monitor named in the award letter for the project, as well as the Grant Officer listed in the grant award. The final narrative report should include all products generated by the EMDP studies. Products include all reports and technical data obtained during the study such as geophysical data, geochemical analyses, core data, lithologic logs, assay data of samples tested, results of special tests, maps and cross sections, and the technical report describing results. The final financial status report should be submitted as Federal Financial Report, SF 425, and include a listing of the funds expended during the project, how the funds were spent, and any amount remaining. Final reports are due 90 days following the end of the project’s period of performance.

All products generated by EMDP studies belong to the applicant and cannot be released to the public without the applicant’s written approval.

3. Format Requirement for Reports and Data DEMD requests that all reports be delivered in digital format. Reports and data can be provided in either Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Spreadsheet data can be provided in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, or Adobe PDF formats. All vector figures and images should be converted to PDF format. Do not convert vector figures to raster images. If files are too large to be submitted through electronic mail, they may be copied to a CD, DVD or thumb drive and mailed.

J. Requests for Technical Assistance DEMD staff can provide, with a written request, to provide technical assistance to applicants, such as working directly with tribal staff on a proposed project, providing support documentation and data, and suggesting ways a tribe may obtain other assistance, such as from a company or consultant with special expertise. However, the applicant or its consultant must design, organize, and write the EMDP grant proposal, including its proposed budget.

If an applicant needs DEMD’s assistance with some aspect of the EMDP grant application process, and DEMD’s help would not create a conflict of interest, please ask in writing. Submit requests to DEMD’s Division Chief well in advance of the proposal deadline established in the DATES section of this solicitation to allow DEMD staff time to provide the appropriate assistance. Applicants not seeking technical assistance should also submit their EMDP proposals as far as possible in advance of the application deadline, to allow DEMD staff time to provide feedback concerning any possible deficiencies, and allow for timely application revisions if necessary.

K. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement The information collection requirements contained in this notice have been renewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under 44 U.S.C. 3504(h). The OMB control number is 1076-0174. The authorization expires on August 31, 2019. An agency may not sponsor, and you are not required to respond to, any information collection that does not display a currently valid OMB Control Number.

The information collected is used to identify eligible recipients of the EMDP grants and to obtain progress reports from selected EMDP grant recipients. The information is supplied by the respondents to obtain a benefit. The public reporting burden is estimated to be 40 hours per application and 1.5 hours per progress report per respondent. This includes the time needed to understand the requirements, gather the information, complete the application and progress report, and submit to the Department. Comments regarding the burden or other aspects of the information collection may be directed to the Information Collection Clearance Officer – Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street, NW, MS-4141, Washington DC 20240.