NOAA-NOS-OCM-2024-2008247 NOFO Report.pdf

National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Land Acquisition and Construction Program for Fiscal Year 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 4 C. Program Authority 7

II. Award Information 7 A. Funding Availability 7 B. Project/Award Period 7 C. Type of Funding Instrument 8

III. Eligibility Information 8 A. Eligible Applicants 8 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 8 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 10

IV. Application and Submission Information 11 A. Address to Request Application Package 11 B. Content and Form of Application 11 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 21 D. Submission Dates and Times 22 E. Intergovernmental Review 22 F. Funding Restrictions 22 G. Other Submission Requirements 23

V. Application Review Information 24 A. Evaluation Criteria 24 B. Review and Selection Process 28 C. Selection Factors 30 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 31

VI. Award Administration Information 31 A. Award Notices 31 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 32 C. Reporting 40

VII. Agency Contacts 41 VIII. Other Information 41

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 42

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Land Acquisition and Construction Program for Fiscal Year 2024

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-OCM-2024-2008247

Federal Assistance Listings Number: 11.420, Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves

Dates: Complete grant applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, February 9, Funding Opportunity Description: The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) consists of estuarine areas of the United States and its territories designated and managed for research and educational purposes (Reserve). Each Reserve within the NERRS is chosen to represent a different bio-geographic region and to include a variety of ecosystem types in accordance with the classification scheme of the national program as specified in 15 C.F.R. Part

921. By funding Reserve lead agencies and universities to conduct land acquisition and construction projects that support the NERRS mission, NOAA will strengthen protection of key land and water areas, enhance long-term protection of Reserve areas for research and education, and provide for facility and exhibit construction activities that meet the highest sustainable design standards possible. Each Reserve supports a wide range of beneficial uses important to ecological, economic, recreational, and aesthetic values, which are dependent upon the maintenance of a healthy ecosystem. The sites provide habitats for a wide range of ecologically and commercially important species of fish, shellfish, birds, and other aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Each Reserve was designated to ensure its effectiveness as a conservation unit and as a site for long-term research and monitoring. In maintaining their effectiveness, the Reserves may find it necessary to expand their boundaries through strategically planned land acquisitions and/or to develop or enhance their reserve facilities, including their in-situ monitoring infrastructure, to meet the demands of research, monitoring, and education program objectives.

NOAA anticipates approximately $8.5 million in Fiscal Year 2024 will be available to designated lead Reserve agencies or universities in coastal states. NOAA anticipates funding between 5-20 construction and acquisition projects, project periods typically covering 12-36

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 42 months, but can be up to 60 months. Final project selections are subject to availability of funds and negotiation with NOAA.

The NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) encourages applicants and awardees to support the principles of diversity and inclusion when writing their proposals and performing their work. Diversity is defined as a collection of individual attributes that together help organizations achieve objectives. Inclusion is defined as a culture that connects each employee to the organization. Promoting diversity and inclusion improves creativity, productivity, and the vitality of the climate research community in which OCM engages.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 3 of 42

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

NOAA provides funding to designated Reserve agencies for acquiring additional property interests, for facilities planning and design, acquisition of vehicles & vessels, and for construction projects that serve to strengthen protection of reserve key land and water areas; to enhance long-term protection of reserve areas for research and education; and provide for facility infrastructure and exhibit construction. Construction projects may be new projects or upgrades and/or retrofits to existing structures.

Within the mandated NERRS management plans, construction and acquisition plans require the following information:

Construction plans must include general descriptions of proposed projects, general cost estimates and timelines. Sufficient information must be provided for both major and minor proposed construction projects to clearly articulate requirements in the initial phase of the project. See 15 C.F.R. 921.13(a)(6).

Acquisition plans must identify the ecologically key land and water areas of the Reserve, rank these areas according to their relative importance, describe the methods of acquisition, and include a strategy for establishing adequate long-term state control of these lands to provide protection for Reserve resources and ensure a stable environment for research. See 15 C.F.R. 921.13(a)(7).

B. Program Priorities

Overall, priority will be given to projects that support the protection and operation of a reserve and increase a reserve’s natural or built infrastructure’s resiliency and sustainability in the face of climate change effects. There are no funding caps for either acquisition or construction projects. Planning and design projects do have a funding cap, see below.

Regarding acquisitions projects, priority will be given to those projects that: (i) protect pathways for habitat and species migrations in response to sea level rise or changing lake levels; (ii) reduce existing stressors that hinder the ability of species or ecosystems to withstand climatic events; (iii) protect key ecosystem features, (e.g. keystone species or habitats); (iv) maintain species or habitat diversity; and (v) support the managed retreat of a reserve’s core facilities infrastructure. One exception is non-core/buffer lands that are

Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 42 identified as acquired for Reserve facility construction.

Regarding construction:

Planning and design projects: The planning and design of new or upgraded facilities and other infrastructure is recognized as a necessary and sometimes stand alone aspect of the facilities construction process. Planning and design is eligible as part of a larger construction project (20% of total share of project costs) or as its own proposal in support of future reserve construction projects. Applicants may request up to $500,000 for stand-alone planning and design projects.

Construction projects including new construction, upgrades and retrofits to existing facilities or campus infrastructure, and or enhancements to existing nature-based infrastructure.

Projects over $3 million should be proposed as a multi-phased project . Multi-phased projects allow facility projects with large costs to be reviewed and scored as one project, but funded and implemented in phases over a series of up to five years. Successful applicants with multi-phased projects will receive incremental funding via a multi-year award (subject to availability of funds per annum) and need not reapply in future years, but update phase cost considerations given potential for inflation and labor modification and needs will be required per phase. These awards are subject to negotiation on an annual basis. Projects that extend beyond five years must recompete for funding in a subsequent competition cycle.

Given the scope and scale of multi-phased projects, detailed documentation of completed planning and design phase of the project must be included in the application package.

Infrastructure not only includes structures like docks, piers, storage, etc. but also includes System-wide Monitoring Program infrastructure and if submitted should incorporate resilient or sustainable features.

Nature-based infrastructure projects should employ approaches that mimic or support natural processes, such as, living shorelines and wetlands creation to minimize the adverse impacts of coastal hazards and flooding on facilities that are located in the floodplain. Such projects should be consistent with NOAA’s Guidelines for Nature-based Infrastructure.

Purchase of vehicles and vessels to support the array of reserve research, stewardship, training and education or outreach activities.

Regarding construction projects, priority will be given to core facilities (See the Draft National Estuarine Research Reserve Standard Reserve 2023), that meet two or more of the following qualifications:

Facility is proposed in already disturbed areas outside of the 100-year flood zone and minimally disrupt the environment;

Facility design is expected to conserve and protect water resources;

Notice of Federal Funding Page 5 of 42

Facility proposed will incorporate sustainable design principles (National Estuarine Research Reserve Sustainable Design Guidelines), Facility proposed optimizes energy performance reducing the Reserve’s greenhouse gas emissions and overall carbon footprint;

Facility is designed to be resilient to the impacts of coastal hazards and flooding over the useful life; and Facility incorporates natural or nature-based infrastructure.

The National Estuarine Research Reserve Standard Reserve, the National Estuarine Research Reserve Sustainable Design Guidelines, and NOAA’s Guidelines for Nature-based Infrastrure documents referenced above can be accessed through the NERRS intranet https://sites.google.com/a/noaa.gov/nos-nerrs-intranet/

Supporting definitions of key terms for the purpose of this FFO include:

Core Facilities - Facilities that support the primary mission and goals of the Reserve and should be located near, and/or within, the Reserve boundary, preferably in the designated buffer area of the Reserve.

Habitat Migration – The natural movement of habitats to a new area, in response to changes in environmental conditions.

Multi-phased Construction Project – An approach to building a single large-scale structure in a series of steps that take place over multiple years. All phases must be contained within one proposal, and clearly detailed out by phase including costs for each phase. An example is a reserve facility that has administrative, laboratories, a dormitory, or classrooms designed to be constructed over several sequential phases.

Nature-Based Infrastructure – human designed, engineered, and constructed systems that use natural features, including habitats, that provide multiple ecosystem service benefits, such as storm protection through wave attenuation or flood storage capacity, enhanced water services and security, and habitat for fish, wildlife and plants.

Sustainable Facilities – Facilities that are designed, constructed and operated to create and maintain conditions that balance the economic, social, and environmental requirements of present and future generations.

Resilient Facilities - The ability of a facility, exposed to hazards or disturbances, to absorb impacts while maintaining an acceptable level of functioning; reduce the amount of time and financial resources needed to return to full level of functioning; and adapt to future risks Retrofit - Replacing existing infrastructure components to improve operational efficiency.

E.g. replacing the current HVAC system with a high efficiency system.

Small Scale Construction – Construction projects of less than $250,000 that improve existing core facilities or support non-core facility capabilities at a reserve.

Upgrade - Adding a new component to existing infrastructure to increase operational

Notice of Federal Funding Page 6 of 42 efficiency. E.g. installing solar panels Vessel – A watercraft valued at more than $5,000 that is part of a larger construction project or supports specific programmatic capabilities at the Reserve. This could include vessels that support habitat restoration or management needs, expand educational programming or support access for water based field research and monitoring.

Vehicle -A vehicle valued at more than $5,000 that will serve to meet the goals of the reserve and reserve staff to carry out their jobs.

C. Program Authority

Statutory authority for the NERRS Land Acquisition and Construction Program is established under the Coastal Zone Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1461(e).

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

This funding opportunity announces that NOAA anticipates approximately $8.5 million will be available to designated Reserve agencies or universities for construction and acquisition projects in fiscal year 2024. Depending on the availability of funds, NOAA anticipates funding approximately 5-20 projects. Funding for land acquisition and construction awards is subject to negotiation with NOAA depending on the size, location, and type of project.

Publication of this announcement does not obligate NOAA to establish any specific partnership or to obligate available funds for partnership activities. NOAA or the Department of Commerce (DOC) are not responsible for direct costs of proposal preparation.

There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards for this federal funding opportunity or that any proposal will be selected for funding. NOAA and DOC will not be responsible for project costs if this program fails to receive funding. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, the applicant does so at its own risk of not receiving an award or these costs not being included in a subsequent award. Recipients and sub-recipients are subject to all federal laws and agency policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to federal financial assistance awards. Applicants must be in compliance with all existing NOAA grants or cooperative agreements and otherwise eligible to receive federal awards in order to be considered for funding under this competition.

B. Project/Award Period

The performance period for FY 2024 funded projects cannot exceed 36 months unless

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 42 specifically identified as multi-phased. Applicants may submit applications covering a 12 to 36 month project period with anticipated start date(s) as early as July 1, 2024 or as late as November 1, 2024. For multi-phased projects, the performance period for FY2024 funding cannot exceed 60 months. The Federal share of project funding will be fully obligated at the time of award, with the exception of multi-phased projects, and is subject to payment provisions outlined in 2 C.F.R. 200.305 and further implementing award terms. Project dates must begin on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Successful applicants will enter into a grant with NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Land Acquisition and Construction Program.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are NERRS lead state agencies or universities designated to receive NERRS operations funding through a Memorandum of Understanding with NOAA in coastal states and territories including the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic Coast and Great Lakes. Eligible applicants should meet requirements as stated in the NERRS regulations codified at 15 C.F.R. 921.32 which are available online at http://go.usa.gov/xkGEf.

Federal agencies and employees are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement but may serve as collaborative project partners. Federal agencies and employees’ ‘in-kind’ services cannot be considered as part of an applicant’s match on shared costs. If federal agencies are collaborators, applicants are expected to provide detail on the planned level of federal engagement in the application. Examples might include, but are not limited to partnership services; serving in a review capacity; or participating in priority task teams, working groups, or leadership teams.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

The amount of Federal funds requested must be matched by the applicant as follows: 30 percent total project match for construction/planning & design awards and 50 percent total project match for land acquisition awards as indicated in 15 C.F.R. Part 921.31. Recipient contributions and third party in-kind contributions directly benefiting the project may be used to satisfy the matching requirements. If using previously acquired real property as match, a list of this “banked” match, and a description of the method of valuation of the cost consistent with 2 C.F.R. 200.306(d),(h), or (i) must be included in the application. If the

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 42 project is selected, all matching funds will become part of the project, and subject to the requirements of the award. Applicants must identify all match sources and amounts equal to that requested above. Projects without match or with highly speculative match will not be considered eligible (see Section V.A.4. of this federal funding opportunity (FFO)).

“Cost sharing or matching” is defined by 2 C.F.R. 200.1 as “the portion of project costs not paid by federal funds or contributions (unless otherwise authorized by federal statute).” Any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third party in- kind contributions of goods and services, will be accepted as part of an applications cost sharing or matching when they meet all of the following criteria listed in 2 C.F.R.

200.306(b):

Are verifiable from the non-federal entity's records;

Are not included as contributions for any other federal award;

Are necessary and reasonable for accomplishment of project or program objectives;

Are allowable under Subpart E—Cost Principles of 2 C.F.R. § 200;

Are not paid by the federal Government under another federal award, except 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;

Are provided for in the approved budget when required by the federal awarding agency; and Conform to other provisions of 2 C.F.R. § 200, as applicable.

Matching funds may come from a variety of public and private sources and may include third party in-kind goods and services such as private boat use and volunteer labor. Goods and services provided by the recipient have the valuation described in 2 C.F.R. 200.306.

Federal agencies and employees’ in-kind services cannot be considered as part of an applicant’s matching funds, but can be described in the budget narrative to demonstrate additional leverage. Applicants are permitted to combine contributions from multiple non-federal partners in order to meet the match requirement, consistent with the standards described in 2 C.F.R. 200.306, and if funds are available within the project period stated in the application.

See also 15 C.F.R. 921.81(d)(2) regarding cost sharing in NERRS acquisition and construction projects.

Applicants must specify the source(s) of match in their proposal and detailed budget narrative and may provide or be asked to provide letters of commitment to confirm stated match contributions. Applicants whose proposals are selected for funding will be bound by

Notice of Federal Funding Page 9 of 42 the percentage of cost sharing reflected in the award document signed by the NOAA Grants Officer. Successful applicants should be prepared to carefully document matching contributions, including the number of volunteer or community participation hours devoted to specific projects, and all other cash or third party in-kind contributions.

Applicants may choose to designate part or all of their federally-negotiated indirect costs as match. This may be convenient because the valuation of such costs has already been federally-approved and documentation is readily available. Refer to the “Indirect Costs” policies in Section IV.B.14 and Section IV.D. of this announcement.

In addition, any Program Income that may arise in the project may be put toward cost sharing or added to the project, consistent with 2 C.F.R. 200.307.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

Projects eligible for funding must be identified in construction and/or acquisition plans, within an approved management plan or a complete draft that has been submitted for OCM Sector review in compliance with 15 C.F.R. 921.13. Acquisition projects that involve the potential to invoke eminent domain are not eligible for funding. Construction projects must occur on land under adequate state control either through direct state ownership or pursuant to a long-term lease between the Reserve and the landowner. See also the clarification on the meaning of adequate state control set out at 15 C.F.R. 921.30(d).

Administrative costs related to acquisition, planning and design, and/or facility construction are eligible per 15 C.F.R. 921.81; see also 2 C.F.R. 200, Subpart E. Cost Principles [for Federal Awards]. Facility planning and design alone may constitute a proposal, or planning and administrative tasks may constitute up to 20% of facility and/or acquisition costs within a construction proposal. These planning efforts may address, among other things, detailed facility design work, evaluation of sustainable features appropriate for reserve future facility needs and associated maintenance or applicable environmental analyses required under federal statutes (e.g., ESA, NHPA, MMPA). Prior to developing multi-phased large-scale projects, a reserve must complete a project planning and design phase. This can be completed through a separate planning and design project application or independently using other resources.

Large scale construction or acquisition projects identified in an approved management plan or a complete draft that has been submitted for OCM Sector review, are eligible for funding per 15 C.F.R. 921.31. Smaller scale projects, that support reserve programmatic activities, such as vehicles & vessels, boardwalks, and monitoring platforms, as well as, small scale

Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 42 habitat restoration activities associated with a construction and acquisition project, are eligible for funding per 15 C.F.R. 921.31.

Examples of eligible proposed projects could include: preserving historic or culturally significant structures; preparing a site for facility construction; acquisition which includes small scale restoration to improve the property; installing an ecological restoration demonstration project; or restoring habitat impacted by construction activities. In addition, making sustainability (i.e., alternative energy generation onsite; energy efficient lighting systems; raingardens; Electric Vehicle charging stations; high efficiency environmental control systems; etc.) or resiliency upgrades (i.e., backup energy systems on-site; dry flood proofing structures; hurricane roof straps; metal roofs; elevating building utilities; or storm shutters; etc.) designed to minimize or reduce coastal hazard or disaster risks to an existing facility, with preference given to nature-based infrastructure approaches, are acceptable. In addition, the purchase of specialized vehicles & vessels as part of a larger construction project in support of a specific programmatic capability at the Reserve are eligible for funding.

However, routine structural maintenance including unscheduled and scheduled maintenance repairs of buildings, structures, and installed building equipment to correct deficiencies are not eligible for funding. This includes preventive maintenance to achieve the expected life of the constructed asset or installed building equipment. Replacing previously federally funded structures lost due to natural hazard, such as catastrophic weather events, are also not eligible and recipients should follow the insurance provisions in 2 C.F.R. 200.310, requiring that real property acquired with federal funds have equivalent insurance coverage to real property acquired with non-federal funds.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

The standard SF-424 application package is available online at http://www.grants.gov. If this is not feasible, application packages may be requested from: Matt Chasse of the Office for Coastal Management at 240-533-0808 or email at Matt.Chasse@noaa.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application

A complete standard NOAA financial assistance application package must be submitted in accordance with the guidelines in this document.

All application materials will use a legible 11- or 12-point font with 1-inch margins on all

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 42 sides. The complete application package must include the following forms and documents and be grouped in two separate files:

A project description (proposal), as described in the application component section below, should be limited to no more than a total of 15 pages. The project description must also include a title page and table of contents but these pages (title page and table of contents) will not count towards the project description 15-page limit.

Project descriptions that exceed the 15-page limit will be shortened by removing pages at the end of the proposal narrative (see element 3 of the component section below) before it is forwarded to merit reviewers for evaluation. Pages excised from lengthy applications will not be reviewed or considered. Applications that are incomplete, unclear, or contain numerous typographical errors may not be understood effectively by reviewers, resulting in lower evaluation scores, so applicants are advised to review their application materials closely before they are submitted to the agency for consideration.

The following Office of Management and Budget-approved Standard Forms must be included, as applicable:

--Application for Federal Assistance: Form SF-424 (7/03 version or newer) --Budget Information for Non-construction Programs (for planning & design and acquisition proposals): Form 424A (Within the award, a Form SF-424A for each year of funding will be required) --Assurances for Non-construction Programs: Form SF-424B --Budget Information for Construction Proposals (as applicable): Form 424C --Assurances for Construction Programs (as applicable): SF-424D --Certification Regarding Lobbying: Form CD-511 --Disclosure of Lobbying Activities: Form SF-LLL (if applicable)

Appendices shall be limited to materials that directly support the main body of the proposal (e.g., resumes, references, lists of relevant work products or reports, detailed methodologies, data sources, detailed budget information, letters of collaboration, letters of support, lists of data sources, permits, and maps). Applicants should paginate their proposal and any appendices. Appendices should not total more than 30 total pages excluding forms, information to complete forms, detailed budget narrative, and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and environmental compliance information.

Applicants may upload this additional supporting documentation, such as resumes and qualifications of applicants, and letters of support or statements of collaboration, by using

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 42 the 'Optional Form' box under 'Other Attachments' in Grants.gov during the application submission process.

Federal forms and NEPA information, and information provided (e.g., Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement) to complete the federal forms can be separately submitted or combined and submitted in one PDF document.

Please keep in mind that the total electronic file size of the proposal narrative and appendices combined shall not exceed 5 megabytes. Files that are larger than five megabytes may not be properly downloaded, uploaded, or received by the agency or the reviewers. For applications submitted in electronic format, acceptable formats are limited to Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) or Microsoft Word files. Files that cannot be opened or downloaded will not be reviewed.

All applications will contain the following components:

Title Page with the following information:

Project Title Proposed project period (start and end dates) Type of Project (i.e., land acquisition, construction, or planning & design) Recipient name (must match registered name as a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) created in SAM.gov Reserve Name Recipient UEI number (must match applicant information in SAM.gov) Principal and other investigator (names, organization, and contact information)

Financial representative (names, organization, and contact information) Identify the following aspects of the project including the:

region and specific area where the project will take place, partners or technical networks that will be leveraged or created, if applicable, resilient design features (i.e., nature-based infrastructure); and identification of the programmatic priority or priorities identified in the NERRS management plan and/or strategic plan applicable to the project.

Project summary. Provide a one to two-page summary of the proposed project. The summary must contain the following sections:

Project name/title

Requested funding by year (as appropriate). Brief project summary including objectives, expected results and intended benefits and outcomes, and, if applicable, a short description

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 42 of partners and professional or technical networks that will be leveraged or created.

Project Description (limited to 15 pages, excluding title page and table of contents). All project proposals must include the following sections:

Goal and Objective(s) - Describe in the narrative the specific project goals and objectives to be achieved.

Goals and objectives must be specific for each year of the work plan presented. Recipients will be required to submit semi-annual progress reports in which progress against these goals and objectives will be reported.

Sufficient detail should be provided to enable reviewers to evaluate the relevance and applicability of proposed work to program priorities described in Section I.B. of this announcement; to determine the technical/scientific merit of the proposed work; to adequately review the qualifications of the applicants; and to assess whether the proposed scope of work raises any concerns with regard to federal policy considerations, such as those related to the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Historic Preservation Act, and Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Background - Provide sufficient background information for NOAA and non-NOAA reviewers to independently assess the significance of the proposed project.

Background information should summarize the problem, gap or need that the proposal addresses; the relationship of the proposed work to other regional efforts; and the importance of the project to the reserve including specific reference and page number(s) within an approved management plan or a complete draft that has been submitted for OCM review; a summary of NOAA/NERRS funds provided in previous five years for construction or acquisition from with summary of progress; and any reference to the project in a CZMA Section 312 evaluation.

Applicants must address their qualifications for performing the project. Reserves may demonstrate in their applications that they have solid operating performance, preferably a full complement of core staff (manager, education coordinator, and research coordinator), and effective performance in completing past construction and acquisition projects.

Applicants may briefly address how they possess the necessary experience, education, training, and administrative resources, to accomplish the project. The individual reserve must be capable of performing the project in general and supporting the project by supplying the required match amounts (50/50 for acquisition projects and 70/30 for construction and

Notice of Federal Funding Page 14 of 42 planning & design projects).

Approach - Provide a work plan that: identifies specific project tasks to be accomplished;

explains the technical approach (including quality assurance) needed to accomplish the tasks; identifies the roles and qualifications of staff, partners, and cooperators; and identifies potential obstacles to successful completion of the goals and objectives.

Large scale construction projects over $3 Million should be structured as a multi-phased project. Provide a detailed description of each of the different phases of the large project and specify the phase(s) to be completed using FY2024 funds.

The description must align with budget categories and fully explain the scope of work including preparatory work, environmental review, planning, design elements, sustainable or resilient features, etc. For acquisition or construction priorities, the description should address how the project will incorporate resilience or adaptation strategies to coastal hazards, to climate change, and/or reflect related outreach. For land acquisition projects with an ‘in-kind’ match parcel, provide information about the match parcel (in addition to the target property), such as its location, when acquired, cost/appraised value, current ownership, and relationship to the Reserve [or Reserve’s acquisition priorities]. For planning and design projects, provide specific information on how this effort will support future reserve construction needs. For eligible facility retrofits, provide a description of the cost savings and other benefits resulting from the addition of sustainable or resilient features. For eligible small-scale construction projects, describe how either incorporating sustainable/resilient features or nature-based infrastructure enhances facility or infrastructure resilience to coastal hazards or climate risks. See Section I. B. Program Priorities of this FFO. If the project includes federal partners, the roles and responsibilities of the federal partners must be clearly identified.

Task Outcomes or Products - Identify and describe the anticipated project products or outcomes.

Explain how the project will benefit reserve programs or capabilities in support of NERRS goals and describe how the project will evaluate success including performance measures. If the goal of the project is to build resilient research or educational capacity to support key management plan goals or objectives, describe how the proposed project will ensure that reserve goals or objectives will be met as a result of the project moving forward into the future

Milestone Schedule – The project must display timelines for major tasks, target milestones for important intermediate and final products, NEPA review periods, and key project

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 42 outcomes. For a multi-phased project, the project must include a detailed description of all project phases with drawings or diagrams and a detailed milestone schedule.

Project Budget (Budget narrative and Justification). NOAA Grants Management Division Budget Narrative Guidance is accessible at http://www.ago.noaa.gov/grants/training.html.

In order to allow reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness of all costs, applications must include a detailed budget narrative and a budget justification broken out by individual task.

The budget narrative submitted with the final application must match the dollar amounts included on all required forms and clearly link to the project narrative. Please explain each calculation and provide a narrative justification to explain expenditures for each budget category. The budget narrative must describe, by category of expenditure, the total funding needed to accomplish the objectives described in the project narrative for the entire award period. Please explain how categorical costs are derived in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to determine if costs are 'allowable and reasonable' according to the cost principles referenced in 2 C.F.R. 200, Subpart E. Budget narrative categories will correspond to the standard object class categories listed in Section B of the SF-424A.

Applicants should include detailed budget information regarding all contracts and sub-awards, and indicate the basis for the cost estimates in the narrative. Describe project activities to occur or products or services to be obtained and indicate the applicability or necessity of each to the project. Each identified sub-award should include form SF-424A.

Detailed budget information includes:

Name of identified qualified sub-recipient. Sub-recipient, affiliation, contact information, and method of selection. For “to be determined,” describe plans for selection. Information must include the name and location (city, state, and Congressional district) of the entity receiving the funds and the location of the primary place of performance.

Period of Performance. Include the dates for the performance period. If it involves a number of tasks, include the performance period for each task.

Scope of Work. List and describe the specific activities or tasks to be performed and the criteria for measuring accountability. Include an itemized line item breakdown as well as total contract/award amount. If applicable, include any indirect costs paid under the contract/award and the indirect cost rate used.

Itemized Budget. Include categories used in program budget for sub-recipients or contractors if applicable under 2 C.F.R. 200.101. If applicable, include any direct cost paid under the sub-award and the indirect cost rate used. All sub-awards and contracts must be made consistent with the requirements of 2 C.F.R. 200.331-200.333 for sub-awards, and

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 42

200.317-200.327 for procurements.

For any equipment, a description of the item and associated costs is required, including a description of how it will be used in the project. Note that equipment is defined as tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non-federal entity for financial statement purposes, or $5,000. See 2 C.F.R. 200.1, 2 C.F.R. 200.313, and 2 C.F.R. 200.317-327.

The cost or price, purpose, and method of selection for identified and planned acquisition contracts should be thoroughly justified in the Budget Narrative. Describe products or services to be obtained and indicate the applicability or necessity of each to the project.

Procurements are subject to policies described in 2 C.F.R. 200.317-327. For “to be determined,” describe plans for selection.

The budget narrative should also provide, to the extent possible, detailed information on travel, including costs, a description of anticipated travel, destinations, the number of travelers, and a justification of how the requested travel is directly relevant to the successful completion of the project. If actual trip details are unknown, applicants should state the basis for the proposed travel charges. Applicants should allocate travel funds for any coordination meetings at regional or national levels.

If a foreign air carrier is anticipated to be used for any portion of travel, prior approval is required under the DOC Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, Section G.05.d., https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020- 11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20- %2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf , and therefore, such travel should be included in the proposal to avoid having to request prior approval after the project starts.

Applicants may factor in travel costs for participation in an annual NOAA Grants Management Division (GMD) workshop for recipients.

Refer to item 16 below in this Section regarding treatment of Indirect Costs in the Budget Narrative.

Federal and non-federal costs per object class category identified in the NOAA grants package (Form SF 424-A and/or C) and a brief narrative justification of the budget including the source of match (50% for acquisition and 30% for construction). Administrative and/or planning costs, including data to support environmental analyses required under federal

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 42 statutes (e.g., ESA, NHPA, MMPA), that are up to 20% of the federal portion of the budget are allowable. Restoration costs up to 20% of the proposed project are allowed for restoration or enhancement associated with the proposed (See Section I.B of this FFO). Cost categories for construction include: project planning and design; administrative and legal expenses; architectural and engineering costs; project inspection fees; site work; demolition and removal costs; equipment costs; and other construction tasks breakdown such as structural (i.e., windows, doors, roofing, flooring), carpentry, plumbing, heating, electrical.

For acquisition costs: personnel involved in the project; land acquisition fees; travel, equipment, supplies, and contractual. For planning & design costs: personnel involved in the project, planning, facilities designs, engineering, surveying, permitting, administrative and legal expenses, and contractual. A detailed budget narrative that includes additional information regarding the use of funds for budget categories found in Form SF-424A (Acquisitions or Planning & Design Projects) or Form SF 424C (Construction Projects) must be included in an appendix. In this appendix, the budget narrative also shall clearly identify the cost of separable elements of the proposed work and shall identify the elements of the project prioritized for revision or elimination if sufficient funding is not available for all proposed activities. For any equipment, a description of the item and associated costs is required, including a description of how it will be used in the project.

Appendices (30 page limit) The following information should be included as appendices to the project description. Only material submitted as a single package will be reviewed. Appendices must be limited to materials that directly support the main body of the proposal (for example, letters of collaboration, resumes, references, lists of data sources, information to support environmental analyses, and maps). Provide résumés of the Principal Investigator for the project and other key personnel critical to the success of the project that address qualifications relevant to conducting the proposed work. Please limit résumés to a maximum of two pages for each key investigator.

Data Sharing Plan.

This announcement is not seeking proposals that generate environmental data. Therefore, a Data Management Plan is not required as part of the Proposal.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

The applicants selected for funding must complete questions 1 - 19 of the Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Financial Assistance Applicants accessible at https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA- Grants-Questionnaire-final.pdf to provide detailed information on the activities to be

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 42 conducted, locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, introduction of non- indigenous species, impacts to endangered and threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef systems).Questions 20 - 53 are not required with the initial application because NOAA anticipates that most projects funded through this competition would not have impacts related to damage assessment and restoration or fisheries sampling and analysis. See Section VI.B., Administrative and National Policy Requirements, below for additional NEPA information.

Standard Form 424: Application for Federal Assistance (7/2003 version or newer)

Applicants requesting Federal funding in this program must submit a copy of Standard Form SF-424, 'Application for Federal Assistance'. If a hard copy final application is submitted, it must be signed and dated by the organization's authorized representative, and used as the cover page for the final application. An electronic signature and date stamp will automatically be included on SF-424 forms submitted via Grants.gov.

Standard Form 424A: Budget Information for Non-construction Programs (if applicable) (include a separate form for each proposed sub-award of $30,000 or more)

Applicants are required to submit a SF-424A Budget Form to summarize the budget for the proposed scope of work. The first column of sections A and B shows the federal funds requested, while the second column of sections A and B shows the non-federal matching funds provided for the project. Total award funding is shown in the final column of section B. Non-federal funding is broken out by source in section C. Forecasted cash needs in Section D should be inclusive of all funding for the project. Both federal and non- federal funds should be expended at a similar rate throughout the course of the project. Section E may be left blank. Section F summarizes the direct charges in line 21 and lists the indirect charges requested; please show the rate used in line 22. Please note that completion of the SF-424A form as described above represents NOAA's preference and may not be consistent with the instructions that accompany the SF-424A form. All budget figures must match the funding requested on the application cover sheet and correspond with the descriptions contained in the project and budget narratives.

All sub-awards should also be accompanied by a separate SF-424A form to fully document the proposed sub-award budget.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 19 of 42

Standard Form 424B: Assurances for Non-Construction Programs Applicants are required to submit a signed SF-424B, 'Assurances for Non-Construction Programs' for acquisition proposals.

Standard Form 424C: Budget for Construction Programs (if applicable)” Applicants are required to submit a signed SF424C “Budget for Construction Programs” for construction projects.

Standard Form 424D: Assurances for Non-Construction Programs Applicants are required to submit a signed SF-424C, 'Assurances for Construction Programs' for construction projects

Standard Form CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying Applicants are required to submit a form CD-511, 'Certifications Regarding Lobbying.

Standard Form LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable) If applicable, applicants may be required to disclose certain lobbying activities described in form SF-LLL.

Permits and Approvals It is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain all necessary federal, state, and local government permits and approvals for the proposed work. Applicants must provide a list of all known permits that will be required to perform the proposed work and an indication of the status of any permits needed (e.g., not yet applied, permit application submitted/pending, permit granted, etc.) or a statement indicating that no permits are necessary. You should include this required element even if permits are not required.

Failure to apply for and/or obtain federal, state, and local permits, approvals, letters of agreement, or failure to provide environmental analyses where necessary (i.e., NEPA environmental assessment) will delay or prevent the award of funds for projects that have been preliminarily selected for funding.

For work proposed within National Marine Sanctuaries, National Parks, National Seashores, and other federally designated managed areas, it is the responsibility of the applicant to request and obtain any necessary permits or letters of agreement from the appropriate government agencies prior to commencement of an award. For applicants who propose to conduct research or monitoring activities that may affect any coral species that are listed

Notice of Federal Funding Page 20 of 42 under the Endangered Species Act, you will likely need an Endangered Species Act Section 10(a)(1)(A) permit.

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) The proposed budget may include an amount for indirect or Facilities and Administrative costs if the applicant has an established indirect cost rate with the federal government.

Indirect costs are essentially overhead costs for basic operational functions (e.g., utilities, rent, and insurance) that are incurred for common or joint objectives and, therefore, cannot be identified specifically within a particular project. See 2 C.F.R. 200.56-.57 and 200.412- .415.

A copy of the current, approved negotiated indirect cost agreement with the federal Government must be included with the final application package, however, if an applicant does not have a current indirect cost rate with a Federal agency they may choose to negotiate a rate with the Department of Commerce or use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs (as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414). Refer to Section IV.F.

of this announcement for more information.

C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the quality of information available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C.