nep_coastal_watersheds_rfa.pdf

Federal Agency Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds

Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2018 Support of the National Estuary Program Coastal

Watersheds Grant

Announcement Type: Request for Applications (RFA)

Catalog of Domestic Assistance Number: 66.456

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OW-OWOW-18-04

Dates: All applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov as explained further in Section IV. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 P.M. EST, December 20, 2018. Late applications will not be considered for funding. Questions must be submitted in writing via e-mail and must be received by the Agency Contact identified in Section VII before, December 5, 2018.

Written responses will be posted on EPA’s website at: www.epa.gov/nep.

Note to Applicants: Following the EPA’s evaluation of applications, all applicants will be notified regarding their status. If you name subawardees/subgrantees and/or contractor(s), including individual consultants, as part of your application as partners to assist you with the proposed project, pay careful attention to the CONTRACTS AND

SUBAWARDS provision found at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses.

SUMMARY

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications from eligible applicants for the National Estuary Program (NEP) Coastal Watersheds Grant to support projects that address urgent and challenging issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of coastal and estuarine areas. EPA seeks applicants to address the priorities established by Congress that include, but are not limited to:

1. loss of key habitats resulting in significant impacts on fisheries and water quality such as seagrass, mangroves, tidal and freshwater wetlands, forested wetlands, kelp beds, shellfish beds, and coral reefs;

2. recurring harmful algae blooms;

3. unusual or unexplained marine mammal mortalities;

4. proliferation or invasion of species that limit recreational uses, threaten wastewater systems, or cause other ecosystem damage;

5. flooding and coastal erosion that may be related to sea level rise, changing precipitation, or salt marsh, seagrass, or wetland degradation or loss;

6. impacts of nutrients and warmer water temperatures on aquatic life and coastal ecosystems, including low dissolved oxygen conditions in estuarine waters; and

7. contaminants of emerging concern found in coastal and estuarine waters such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and microplastics.

https://www.epa.gov/nep https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses

Specifically, EPA is soliciting applications from eligible applicants to administer a national competitive subaward grant under one assistance agreement to be awarded under this announcement. Activities expected to be performed by the recipient include, but are not limited to:

• Administering a national competitive subaward grant, including: preparing and issuing a subaward competitive solicitation responsive to priorities of the NEP

Coastal Watersheds Grant; establishing review criteria and expert panels for evaluating and selecting subawards; and overseeing and monitoring subawards to support the urgent and challenging environmental issues and priorities that threaten coastal and estuarine areas as described in Section I.A and Section I.B of this announcement;

• Providing technical support to subawardees by coordinating outreach, training, information resources, and peer-to-peer technology transfer, including convening at least one annual webinar for subawardees to learn from each other and share with

EPA;

• Qualitatively and quantitatively measuring and reporting the outputs and outcomes of the environmental results of the NEP Coastal Watersheds projects to be accomplished through the competitive subawards; and

• Capturing and documenting lessons learned from the subaward projects including any new successful methods, approaches, techniques or practices to improve coastal and estuarine waters, their habitats, and living resources.

The competitive subaward process proposed by the applicant must be on a national scale and recipients must address urgent and challenging environmental issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of coastal and estuarine areas. Applications should reflect the applicant’s familiarity with the NEP (see www.epa.gov/nep) and the key role of EPA approved NEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs) in addressing the relevant environmental issues. The competitive subaward process described in the application should also demonstrate how it will support coastal and estuary protection and restoration subaward projects located completely within the geographic areas as defined by the EPA in this RFA. The geographic areas are HUC 12s from the Watershed Boundary Dataset that are within or intersect NEP study areas, and drain to the coast or estuarine systems. Subaward projects must occur completely within the boundary of these identified geographic areas in order to be eligible to be considered for subaward funding. A high-resolution map of these eligible areas can be found by going to www.epa.gov/nep. Existing CCMPs are also available at www.epa.gov/nep.

In ensuring that the goals of this RFA are met, applicants should:

• demonstrate how they will seek subawardees to carry out actions in an EPA-approved CCMP or clearly link their proposed projects and activities to existing State or local-approved community-based watershed management plans that advance the goals of the RFA;

• describe the method in which they intend to measure and report the environmental results of the subaward projects; and https://www.epa.gov/nep

• account for how they intend to capture and document the lessons learned from the subaward projects.

These are examples of the types of activities expected of the applicant. In addition to considering these examples, applicants may also describe alternative approaches for managing and issuing competitive subawards on a national basis in the geographic areas as defined by this RFA. Education and outreach activities are not eligible as stand-alone subaward projects but may be part of a larger on-the-ground implementation project.

Funding provided under this announcement supports the following goal and objective of

EPA’s Strategic plan for FY 2018 – FY 2022: Goal 1- Core Mission: Deliver real results to provide Americans with clean air, land, and water, and ensure chemical safety;

Objective 1.2 - Provide for Clean and Safe Water: Ensure waters are clean through improved water infrastructure and, in partnership with states and tribes, sustainably manage programs to support drinking water, aquatic ecosystems, and recreational, economic, and subsistence activities. Information on the EPA Strategic Plan is available at www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.

Eligible applicants under this announcement include state, interstate, tribal, inter-tribal consortia and regional water pollution control agencies and entities, state coastal zone management agencies, and other public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, and organizations1. Applicants must have the ability to work nationally within the defined geographic areas and be capable of undertaking activities that advance the NEP Coastal

Watershed priorities. Non-profit private universities and colleges and non-profit institutions of higher education are considered non-profit organizations and are eligible under this announcement. Non-profit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the

Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply under this announcement.

The total federal amount of funding expected to be available under this announcement is approximately $4 million ($1,000,000 for the years one through four) depending on

Agency funding levels, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. It is anticipated that one cooperative agreement will be incrementally funded under this announcement with a six-year project period. Subawards awarded under the cooperative agreement are anticipated to have project periods ranging from one to two years. EPA requires the applicant to provide a minimum 25% match of the total

1 Non-profit organization, as defined by 2 CFR Part 200, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations. Note that 2 CFR Part 200 specifically excludes the following types of organizations from the definition of non-profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation: (i) institutions of higher education;

and (ii) state, local and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments. While not considered to be a non-profit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR Part 200, Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA. For-profit colleges, universities, and trade schools are ineligible.

https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

Federal request (see Section III.B for information on the minimum non-federal cost share/match requirement).

EPA expects that funding for each subaward will range from $75,000 to $250,000 per project. Note: applicants can identify a slightly different range for each subaward as part of their application narrative. The subawards funded under the cooperative agreement are anticipated to have project periods ranging from one to two years, and must be completed prior to the end of the cooperative agreement project period. The subaward projects must be completed in sufficient time to allow the recipient, to, for example, aggregate results and ensure that subawardees have been reimbursed for eligible incurred costs.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. BACKGROUND

Due to rapid population growth and a changing climate, our coastal watersheds face a host of challenges, among them industrial and municipal wastewater discharges, stormwater and polluted runoff from urban and agricultural areas, releases from septic systems, the physical alteration or loss of habitats, changes in species distribution in response to warming waters, and coastal flooding and shoreline erosion from storm surge and sea level rise.

Not only do these urgent and challenging issues cause declines in water quality, living resources, their habitats, and overall ecosystem health, they also have significant economic and socio-economic impacts. These can include contamination of fish, shellfish, and sediments; marine mammal mortalities; closed beaches and shellfish beds;

aquatic dead zones, fish die offs, and toxic algal blooms; spread of invasive species; and loss or degradation of important habitats.

This affects our quality of life and local economies that depend on healthy coastal habitats and waters. Protecting and restoring coastal watershed ecosystems functions and services is essential to withstand the stress caused by these urgent and challenging issues.

More holistically addressing the sources of these pollutants is also critical to prevent further impacts and degradation.

B. NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM COASTAL WATERSHEDS GRANT

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of the Clean Water Act 320(g) NEP Coastal Watersheds Grant is to address urgent and challenging environmental issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of coastal and estuarine areas by implementing actions in EPA approved NEP

CCMPs (www.epa.gov/nep), or other existing State or locally approved community-based local watershed management plan activities that advance the goals of this RFA and occur completely within the geographic boundary of the eligible areas defined in the

RFA. The NEP Coastal Watersheds Grant can demonstrate measurable results toward that goal by supporting competitive subaward projects that, for example:

• implement priority actions identified in one of the 28 EPA approved NEP CCMPs

(www.epa.gov/nep), or other existing state or locally-approved community-based watershed management plans that meet the goals of this RFA. All priority actions implemented through subaward projects must occur completely within the geographic boundary of the areas defined by this RFA;

• demonstrate on-the ground or tangible quantifiable improvements to coastal and estuarine habitats and living resources completely within the geographic areas defined by this RFA;

• provide results of monitoring and assessment that generate new understanding of systems under stress in these geographic areas defined by this RFA;

• achieve advances in new approaches, practices, methods, or techniques for preventing and addressing threats to estuaries, and improving conditions of coastal and estuarine waters, and the health of living resources in the geographic areas defined by the RFA;

and

• demonstrate the establishment or improvement of sustainable local capacity to prevent and address urgent and challenging issues that affect the areas defined in this

RFA.

This RFA focuses on developing and managing a competitive subaward program to address urgent and challenging environmental issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of coastal and estuarine areas defined by the RFA, including the priority issues identified by Congress. These priority issues include, for example, but are not limited to:

• loss of key habitats resulting in significant impacts on fisheries and water quality such as seagrass, mangroves, tidal and freshwater wetlands, forested wetlands, kelp beds, shellfish beds, and coral reefs;

• recurring harmful algae blooms;

• unusual or unexplained marine mammal mortalities;

• proliferation or invasion of species that limit recreational uses, threaten wastewater systems, or cause other ecosystem damages;

• flooding and coastal erosion that may be related to sea level rise, changing precipitation, or salt marsh, seagrass, or wetland degradation or loss;

• impacts of nutrients and warmer water temperatures on aquatic life and coastal ecosystems, including low dissolved oxygen conditions in estuarine waters; and

• contaminants of emerging concern found in coastal and estuarine waters such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and microplastics.

In their applications for this RFA, applicants should demonstrate their ability, and describe an approach, for serving as an organization to manage the NEP Coastal

Watersheds Grant. Specifically, as part of their project approach in the project narrative, applicants should demonstrate their ability to, for example:

• Administering a national competitive subaward grant, including: preparing and issuing a subaward competitive solicitation responsive to priorities of the NEP

Coastal Watersheds Grant; establishing review criteria and expert panels for evaluating and selecting subawards; and overseeing and monitoring subawards to support the urgent and challenging environmental issues and priorities that threaten coastal and estuarine areas as described in Section I.A and Section I.B of this announcement;

• Provide technical support to subawardees by coordinating outreach, training, information resources, and peer-to-peer technology transfer, including convening at least one annual webinar for subawardees to learn from each other and share with

EPA;

• Qualitatively and quantitatively measure and report the outputs and outcomes of the environmental results of the NEP Coastal Watersheds projects accomplished through the competitive subawards; and

• Capturing and documenting lessons learned from the subaward projects including any new successful methods, approaches, techniques, or practices to improve coastal and estuarine waters, their habitats, and living resources.

The competitive subaward process proposed by the applicant must be on a national scale and recipients must address urgent and challenging environmental issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of coastal and estuarine areas. Applications should reflect the applicant’s familiarity with the National Estuary Program (NEP) (see www.epa.gov/nep) and the key role of EPA approved NEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs) in addressing the relevant environmental issues. The competitive subaward process described in the application should also demonstrate how it will support coastal and estuary protection and restoration subaward projects located completely within the geographic areas as defined by the EPA in this RFA. The geographic areas are HUC 12s from the Watershed Boundary Dataset that are within or intersect NEP study areas, and drain to the coast or estuarine systems. Subaward projects must occur completely within the boundary of these identified geographic areas in order to be eligible to be considered for subaward funding. A high-resolution map of these eligible areas can be found by going to www.epa.gov/nep. Existing CCMPs are also available at www.epa.gov/nep.

In ensuring that the goals of this RFA are met, applicants should:

• demonstrate how their application will seek subawardees to carry out actions in an

EPA- approved CCMP or clearly link their proposed projects and activities to existing

State or local-approved community-based watershed management plans that advance the goals of the RFA;

• describe the method in which they intend to measure and report the environmental results of the subaward projects; and

• account for how they intend to capture and document the lessons learned from the subaward projects.

These are examples of the types of activities expected of the applicant. In addition to considering these examples, applicants may also describe alternative approaches for managing and issuing competitive subawards on a national basis in the geographic areas as defined by this RFA. Education and outreach activities are not eligible as stand-alone subaward projects but may be part of a larger on-the-ground implementation project.

As stated above, this RFA is for an applicant who would receive a direct award from

EPA and would provide competitive subawards to other eligible subaward entities on a national basis. The description of eligible applicants for both a direct award, and the subsequent competitive subawards is provided below.

C. EPA STRATEGIC PLAN LINKAGES AND ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES,

OUTPUTS, AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The activities to be funded under this announcement support EPA’s FY 2018 – FY 2022

Strategic Plan. Awards made under this announcement will support Goal 1- Core

Mission: Deliver real results to provide Americans with clean air, land, and water, and ensure chemical safety; Objective 1.2 - Provide for Clean and Safe Water: Ensure waters are clean through improved water infrastructure and, in partnership with states and tribes, sustainably manage programs to support drinking water, aquatic ecosystems, and recreational, economic, and subsistence activities.

Information on the FY 2018 – FY 2022 Strategic Plan is available at https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html.

Additional information regarding the EPA’s discussion of environmental results in terms of “outputs” and “outcomes” can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-

57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements.

All proposed projects must demonstrate a linkage to the Strategic Plan Goal and

Objective, and include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs. To the maximum extent practicable, applications should also include well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the overall goal of enhancing the ecological and economic well-being of the geographic areas as defined in this RFA.

Outputs

Environmental outputs (or deliverables) refer to an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal or objective, that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative, but must be measurable during an assistance agreement project period.

Examples of anticipated environmental outputs from the assistance agreement awarded under this announcement may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The number of projects that address urgent and challenging issues that threaten ecological and economic well-being in geographic areas as defined by this RFA funded through subawards.

• The development and verification of subawardee tracking (reporting) systems;

• The number of new partnerships formed or existing partnerships strengthened that contribute to the ecological and economic well-being of coastal and estuarine areas as defined by this RFA;

https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.html https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements

• The number of acres, linear miles or feet of habitat created, re-established, rehabilitated, or enhanced funded through subaward projects;

• Pollutant (e.g. nutrients and sediment) load reductions in coastal and estuarine waters as defined by this RFA; and

• The number of lessons learned captured from the subaward projects.

Outcomes

Environmental outcomes are the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective, and are used as a way to gauge a project’s performance and take the form of output measures and outcome measures. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related or programmatic in nature. Outcomes must be quantitative and may not necessarily be achieved within an assistance agreement funding period. Outcomes may be short term (changes in learning, knowledge, attitude, skills), intermediate (changes in behavior, practice, or decisions), or long-term (changes in condition of the natural resource).

Examples of anticipated environmental outcomes from the cooperative agreement to be awarded under this announcement may include, but are not limited to, the following within the defined coastal and estuarine areas:

• A changes made to regulations, codes, and/or ordinances to promote coastal watershed-based protection and restoration;

• An increased capacity among state and local governments to address urgent and challenging coastal and estuarine issues;

• An improvement in the function of estuarine, near-shore, wetland, and upland habitat communities are improved;

• A decrease in the quality of habitat that is impaired by non-native invasive species.

• An implementation of innovative watershed-based nutrient reduction strategies;

• Coastal wetlands will have a pathway or an improved pathway for landward migration in response to sea level rise;

• A change in behavior of community members occurs that results in improved conditions in coastal and estuarine waters.

Additional information regarding the EPA’s discussion of environmental results in terms of “outputs” and “outcomes” can be found at: www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements.

D. STATUTORY AUTHORITY

The statutory authority for the assistance agreement to be awarded under this announcement is section 320(g)(4) of the Clean Water Act (FWPCA § 320(g)(4); 33

U.S.C. § 1330(g)(4)). Section 320(g)(4) authorizes issuance of competitive assistance agreements to address urgent and challenging issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of coastal areas.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements

A. AMOUNT OF FUNDING

The EPA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement under this announcement. The total federal amount of funding expected to be available under this announcement is approximately $4 million ($1,000,000 for the years one through four) depending on

Agency funding levels, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. The successful applicant should provide the EPA with a negotiated, six-year work plan covering six distinct one-year periods of performance. Subawards awarded under the cooperative agreement are anticipated to have project periods ranging from one to two years. The subawards need to be completed in sufficient time for the recipient to, for example, aggregate results and ensure that subawardees have been reimbursed for eligible incurred costs. EPA expects funding for each subaward will range from $75,000 to $250,000. Note: Applicants can identify a slightly different range for each subaward as part of their project narrative.

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

The EPA reserves the right to make no awards under this announcement. In addition, EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decisions.

B. TYPE OF FUNDING

It is anticipated that one cooperative agreement will be funded under this announcement.

The grantee will make the final subaward selections and administer the subawards. When the cooperative agreement is awarded, the EPA will have substantial involvement with the project workplan and budget. Although EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial involvement as part of the award process, the anticipated substantial EPA involvement for the project selected may include:

1. Close monitoring of the recipient’s performance to verify the results proposed by the applicant;

2. Collaboration during the performance of the scope of work and budget;

3. In accordance with the applicable regulations at 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (200.317 through 200.326), as appropriate, review of proposed procurements;

4. Review of qualifications of key personnel (EPA does not have authority to select or remove employees or contractors employed by the recipient);

5. Review and comment on content of tasks/deliverables and reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (the final decision of the content of reports rests with the recipient);

6. Review of evaluation criteria in selecting subawardees (the final decision on the evaluation criteria rests with the recipient);

7. EPA staff will review the subaward competitive solicitation and may provide comments to ensure consistency with the applicant's scope of work (the recipient is responsible for the content of, and all final decisions regarding, the subaward competitive solicitation including the disposition of any EPA comments on the subaward competitive solicitation);

8. EPA staff participation in the review process for selection of subawardees (the majority of the selection panel members must be non-federal members);

9. EPA review and approval of the substantive terms of subawards to verify compliance with federal requirements (the final decision on the selection of subawardees rests with the recipient);

10. Upon request by the recipient and subject to the availability of personnel, EPA-provided access for the recipient to EPA scientific expertise, sampling protocols, publicly available data, and other forms of technical assistance.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Under CFDA 66.456, eligible applicants under this announcement are state, interstate, tribal, inter-tribal consortia, and regional water pollution control agencies and entities, state coastal zone management agencies, other public or nonprofit private agencies2, institutions, and organizations, who can select, award, and manage subaward projects within the defined geographic boundaries of the NEP Coastal Watershed Program.

Non-profit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of

1995 are not eligible to apply under this announcement.

Nonprofit organizations may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the definition of a nonprofit organization in 2 CFR § 200.70. Interstate agencies may be asked to provide a citation to the statutory authority, which establishes their status.

The term “interstate agency” is defined in CWA section 502 as “an agency of two or more states established by or pursuant to an agreement or compact approved by the

Congress, or any other agency of two or more states, having substantial powers or duties pertaining to the control of pollution as determined and approved by the Administrator.”

(Administrator refers to the head of the EPA.)

2 Non-profit organization, as defined by 2 CFR Part 200, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations. Note that 2 CFR Part 200 specifically excludes the following types of organizations from the definition of non-profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation: (i) institutions of higher education;

and (ii) state, local and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments. While not considered to be a non-profit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR Part 200, Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA. For-profit colleges, universities, and trade schools, are ineligible.

Tribes must be federally-recognized, although “Treatment as a state” status is not required. Intertribal consortia must meet the requirements of 40 C.F.R. §35.504 (a) and

(c) (eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations). This section states that an intertribal consortium is eligible to receive grants only if the consortium demonstrates that all members of the consortium meet the eligibility requirements for the grant and authorize the consortium to apply for and receive assistance. An intertribal consortium must submit to the EPA adequate documentation of: (1) the existence of the partnership between

Indian tribal governments, and (2) authorization of the consortium by all its members to apply for and receive the grant(s) for which the consortium has applied.

Eligible entities for the competitive subawards issued by the successful applicant include state, interstate, tribal, inter-tribal consortia and regional water pollution control agencies and entities, state coastal zone management agencies, interstate agencies, other public or nonprofit private agencies and institutions. For the purposes of this announcement, the

EPA has determined that for-profit entities the following types of entities are ineligible for the competitive subaward program: for-profit entities. The EPA award officials will disapprove the costs of proposed subaward work to 501(c)(4) organizations identified in a subaward application, or workplan changes requiring prior approval, if the work involves lobbying activities or would otherwise violate the principles of EPA’s subaward policy.

B. COST SHARING/MATCH REQUIREMENTS

All applicants must demonstrate in their application submission how a minimum non-federal cost share/match of 25 percent of the total federal funding provided will be met.

Cost shares/matches can be in the form of cash or can come from in-kind contributions, such as the use of volunteers and/or donated time, equipment, expertise, etc., subject to the regulations governing matching fund requirements described in 2 CFR Parts 200 and

1500, as applicable. In-kind contributions often include salaries or other verifiable costs and this value must be carefully documented. In the case of salaries, applicants may use either minimum wage or fair market value. The cost share/match must be for allowable project costs. Cost share/matching funds are considered grant funds and are included in the total award amount and should be used for the reasonable and necessary expenses of carrying out the work plan. All grant funds are subject to federal audit. Any restrictions on the use of grant funds (examples of restrictions are outlined in Section III.D of this announcement) also apply to the use of cost share/matching funds. Other federal grants may not be used as cost shares/matches without specific statutory authority. Applicants that do not demonstrate how they will meet the minimum cost share/match requirement in their application submission will not be considered for funding.

The minimum match is determined by dividing the total federal funds requested by four.

EPA will use the following formula.

Total Federal Funds Requested ($) = minimum cost share/match ($) https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=ee8aaaeb886b62da5acc07bba026ab76&mc=true&node=se40.1.35_1504&rgn=div8

For example, if the total federal funds requested are $4,000,000 the applicant must be able to provide $1,000,000 in cash or in-kind contributions as cost share/match.

C. THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

These are requirements which if not met by the time of application submission will result in elimination of the application from consideration for funding. Only applications that meet all of these criteria will be evaluated against the ranking factors in Section V of the announcement. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. An applicant must meet the eligibility requirements in Section III.A of this announcement at the time of application submission, or else it will be rejected.

2. An applicant must demonstrate that it can meet the cost share/match requirements in

Section III.B of this announcement at the time of application submission.

3. Applications must address how the applicant will establish and manage a competitive subaward program on a national scale that addresses urgent and challenging environmental issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of coastal and estuarine areas.

4. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in this announcement or they will be rejected. Where a page limit is expressed in Section IV.C.2 with respect to the Project Narrative, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Section IV.C.2 establishes a 12-page, single-spaced Project Narrative page limit that includes the cover page.

5. In addition, applications must be submitted through Grants.gov, as specified in

Section IV of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically permitted as explained in Section IV) on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV of this announcement.

Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this announcement to ensure that their application is timely submitted. We encourage potential applicants to not wait until the last day to submit their applications on

Grants.gov, so that they will have a better chance to resolve any application errors prior to the deadline.

6. Applications submitted after the submission deadline will be considered late and deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was late due to EPA mishandling the application or because of technical problems attributable to Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues and not the applicant. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their applications through

Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in SAM.gov or

Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission.

Applicants should confirm receipt of their applications with Connie Cahanap at nep-rfa@epa.gov as soon as possible after the submission deadline. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

D. INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

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If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible activities as set forth below, 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

• Education and outreach activities are not eligible as stand-alone projects but may be part of a larger on-the-ground implementation project.

• Application tasks that are or might be required by a previous or pending permit (e.g., CWA Section 404 permit, CWA Section 402 permit, CWA Section 401 certification) or federal, state, tribal, or local government regulatory requirement(s) are not eligible for funding.

• Funds cannot be used for implementation of individual mitigation projects, mitigation banks, or in-lieu-fee mitigation programs.

• Purchase of vehicles, boats, motor homes, or office furniture valued at $5,000 or more is not eligible for funding.

• Lease of a vehicle(s) may be permitted, but is contingent on justification of need in the project narrative.

• Funds cannot be used to support political advocacy, fundraising, lobbying, or litigation.

• Projects must be performed entirely within the 50 United States, Tribal Lands, the

District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories (i.e. Guam, the Commonwealth of

Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American

Samoa.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

Applicants can download individual grant application forms, including Standard Forms

(SF) 424 and SF 424-A, from the EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment website at:

https://www.epa.gov/grants/application-kit-federal-assistance.

B. FORM OF APPLICATIONSUBMISSION

a. Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures

Applicants, except as noted below, must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If an applicant does not have the technical capability to apply electronically through grants.gov because of limited or no internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials to Grants.gov, the applicant must contact

OGDWaivers@epa.gov or the address listed below in writing (e.g., by hard copy, email) at least 15 calendar days prior to the submission deadline under this announcement to request approval to submit their application materials through an alternate method.

Mailing Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Jessica Durand

USEPA Headquarters

William Jefferson Clinton Building https://www.epa.gov/grants/application-kit-federal-assistance https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:OGDWaivers@epa.gov

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N. W.

Mail Code: 3903R

Washington, DC 20460

Courier Address:

OGD Waivers c/o Jessica Durand

Ronald Reagan Building

1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Rm # 51278

Washington, DC 20004

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

• Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

• Organization Name and Unique Entity Identifier (e.g., DUNS)

• Organization’s Contact Information (email address and phone number)

• Explanation of how they lack the technical capability to apply electronically through

Grants.gov because of 1) limited internet access or 2) no internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials through

Grants.gov.

EPA will only consider alternate submission exception requests based on the two reasons stated above and will timely respond to the request -- all other requests will be denied. If an alternate submission method is approved, the applicant will receive documentation of this approval and further instructions on how to apply under this announcement.

Applicants will be required to submit the documentation of approval with any initial application submitted under the alternative method. In addition, any submittal through an alternative method must comply with all applicable requirements and deadlines in the announcement including the submission deadline and requirements regarding applications content and page limits (although the documentation of approval of an alternate submission method will not count against any page limits).

If an exception is granted, it is valid for submissions to EPA for the remainder of the entire calendar year in which the exception was approved and can be used to justify alternative submission methods for application submissions made through December 31 of the calendar year in which the exception was approved (e.g., if the exception was approved on March 1, 2018, it is valid for any competitive or non-competitive application submission to EPA through December 31, 2018). Applicants need only request an exception once in a calendar year and all exceptions will expire on December 31 of that calendar year. Applicants must request a new exception from required electronic submission through Grants.gov for submissions for any succeeding calendar year. For example, if there is a competitive opportunity issued on December 1, 2018 with a submission deadline of January 15, 2019, the applicant would need a new exception to submit through alternative methods beginning January 1, 2019.Please note that the process described in this section is only for requesting alternate submission methods. All other inquiries about this announcement must be directed to the Agency Contact listed in

Section VII of the announcement. Queries or requests submitted to the email address identified above for any reason other than to request an alternate submission method will not be acknowledged or answered.

b. Submission Instructions

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

Grants.gov and click on "Applicants" on the top of the page and then go to the "Get

Registered" link on the page. If your organization is not currently registered with

Grants.gov, please encourage your office to designate an Authorized Organization

Representative (AOR) and ask that individual to begin the registration process as soon as possible. Please note that the registration process also requires that your organization have a Unique Entity Identifier (e.g. DUNS number) and a current registration with the

System for Award Management (SAM) and the process of obtaining both could take a month or more. Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the submission deadline. Registration on grants.gov, SAM.gov, and DUNS number assignment is FREE.

Applicants need to ensure that the AOR who submits the application through Grants.gov and whose Unique Entity Identifier (e.g., DUNS number) is listed on the application is an

AOR for the applicant listed on the application. Additionally, the DUNS number listed on the application must be registered to the applicant organization's SAM account. If not, the application may be deemed ineligible.

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to Grants.gov and click on “Applicants” on the top of the page and then “Apply for Grants” from the dropdown menu and then follow the instructions accordingly. Please note: To apply through grants.gov, you must use Adobe Reader software and download the compatible

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

Information on Grants.gov.

You may also be able to access the application package for this announcement by searching for the opportunity on Grants.gov. Go to Grants.gov and then click on “Search

Grants” at the top of the page and enter the Funding Opportunity Number, EPA-OW-

OWOW-18-04, or the CFDA number that applies to the announcement (CFDA 66.456), in the appropriate field and click the Search button.

Please Note: All applications must now be submitted through Grants.gov using the

“Workspace” feature. Information on the Workspace feature can be found at the

Grants.gov Workspace Overview Page.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

Application Submission Deadline: Your organization’s AOR must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than

December 20, 2018, at 11:59 PM EST. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application and allow for unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit.

Please submit all of the application materials described below using the grants.gov application package that you accessed using the instructions above.

Application Materials

The following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

Mandatory Documents:

a) Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

b) Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)

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

d) Grants.gov Lobbying Form – Certification Regarding Lobbying

e) EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

f) EPA Form 4700-4 – Preaward Compliance Review Report

g) Project Narrative (Project Narrative Attachment Form) prepared as described in

Section IV of the announcement

h) Biographical sketches of major project managers, support staff members, or other major project participants for the proposed projects (Use Other Attachments Form found in the Optional Documents section)

Optional Documents:

i) Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL), if applicable

j) Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable (Use Other Attachments

Form)

k) Letters of Support, if applicable (Use Other Attachment Form)

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

If you have not received a confirmation of receipt from EPA (not from grants.gov) within

30 days of the application deadline, please contact Connie Cahanap at 202-566-1382.

Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

c. Technical Issues with Submission

1. Once the application package has been completed, the “Submit” button should be enabled. If the “Submit” button is not active, please call Grants.gov for assistance at

1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545-5035. Applicants should save the completed application package with two different file names before providing it to the AOR to avoid having to re-create the package should submission problems be experienced or a revised application needs to be submitted.

2. Submitting the application. The application package must be transferred to

Grants.gov by an AOR. The AOR should close all other software before attempting to submit the application package. Click the “submit” button of the application package.

Your Internet browser will launch and a sign-in page will appear. Note: Minor problems are not uncommon with transfers to Grants.gov. It is essential to allow sufficient time to ensure that your application is submitted to Grants.gov

BEFORE the due date identified in Section IV of the solicitation. The Grants.gov support desk operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except Federal Holidays.

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

Note: Grants.gov issues a “case number” upon a request for assistance.

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

The Agency will make a decision concerning acceptance of each late submission on a case-by-case basis. All emails, as described below, are to be sent to Connie Cahanap at nep-rfa@epa.gov with the FON in the subject line. If you are unable to email, contact Connie Cahanap at 202-566-1382. Be aware that EPA will only consider accepting applications that were unable to transmit due to Grants.gov or relevant

SAM.gov system issues or for unforeseen exigent circumstances, such as extreme weather interfering with internet access. Failure of an applicant to submit timely because they did not properly or timely register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov is not an acceptable reason to justify acceptance of a late submittal.

a. If…