NOAA-NOS-ORR-2024-2007993 NOFO Report (1).pdf

FY24 NOAA Marine Debris Removal under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 4 C. Program Authority 8

II. Award Information 8 A. Funding Availability 8 B. Project/Award Period 9 C. Type of Funding Instrument 9

III. Eligibility Information 10 A. Eligible Applicants 10 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 10 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 11

IV. Application and Submission Information 11 A. Address to Request Application Package 11 B. Content and Form of Application 12 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 27 D. Submission Dates and Times 27 E. Intergovernmental Review 28 F. Funding Restrictions 28 G. Other Submission Requirements 29

V. Application Review Information 30 A. Evaluation Criteria 30 B. Review and Selection Process 37 C. Selection Factors 39 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 40

VI. Award Administration Information 40 A. Award Notices 40 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 41 C. Reporting 50

VII. Agency Contacts 52 VIII. Other Information 52

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 52

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: FY24 NOAA Marine Debris Removal under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-ORR-2024-2007993

Federal Assistance Listings Number: 11.999, Marine Debris Program

Dates: ATTENTION: This competition will have a pre-proposal requirement (hereafter described as a Letter of Intent; LOI). Please note the competition’s early submission deadline for this requirement.

This funding opportunity requires a Letter of Intent to be submitted for competitive review before a full proposal can be submitted. LOIs must be received via email as an attachment (to grants.marinedebris@noaa.gov) no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, October 27, 2023. If invited per the instructions in this announcement, full proposals must then be submitted through and validated by Grants.gov on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, February 23, 2024. Due to limited time, hardcopy LOIs or full applications will not be accepted.

Funding Opportunity Description: The NOAA Marine Debris Program, authorized in the Marine Debris Act, codified at 33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq., supports the development and implementation of marine debris removal and prevention projects that benefit coastal habitat, waterways, and marine and Great Lake resources. Through this solicitation, NOAA seeks to openly compete funding made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (PL 117-58) to support large-scale marine debris removal efforts throughout the coastal United States, Great Lakes, territories, and freely associated states, including in Tribal or underserved communities.

The overall objective of this funding opportunity is to support impactful, large marine debris removal projects that will improve the resilience of the coastal and marine environment. This competition considers impactful projects to be those that will have long-lasting, transformational benefits to marine and coastal NOAA Trust Resources, coastal communities, and/or local economies. To accomplish this, the Marine Debris Program seeks proposals for impactful projects that remove and dispose of large marine debris (such as abandoned and derelict vessels, derelict fishing gear, and other large debris) and prevent the reaccumulation of marine debris in

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 52 the environment.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) describes the types of projects that are eligible for funding, as well as the proposal requirements and criteria under which applications will be evaluated for funding consideration. Funding of up to $24,000,000 is expected to be available for this grant solicitation. NOAA MDP expects the majority of the funded projects to be between $1M and $4M. The minimum federal request for this solicitation is $800,000 and in some cases, up to $6M may be awarded. NOAA expects to support between four to eight projects from this competition, but may support more or fewer based on the merit of submitted applications and their proposed geographies and scale. Cost sharing, leveraged funds, and in-kind support are important to ensuring these projects are impactful and well supported. Applicants are strongly encouraged to explore the opportunity to combine NOAA federal funding with formal matching contributions and informal leverage from a broad range of sources in the public and private sectors.

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The overall objective of this funding opportunity is to support impactful, large marine debris removal projects that will improve the resilience of the coastal and marine environment and implement strategies to prevent the reaccumulation of marine debris.

“Impactful” projects are considered to be those that will have long-lasting, transformational benefits to marine and coastal NOAA trust resources, coastal communities, and/or local economies. This funding opportunity will openly compete funding made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (PL 117-58), and will focus support for impactful marine debris removal efforts throughout the coastal United States (including coastal riverine systems), Great Lakes, territories, and freely associated states, including Tribal and underserved communities.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), a division of the Office of Response and Restoration, leads national efforts to address marine debris. The mission of the NOAA MDP is to investigate and prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris. This mission is achieved through research, prevention, and removal activities that aim to conserve and protect our nation’s marine environment and coastal economy, as well as ensure navigation safety.

Marine debris is defined as "any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes" (15 C.F.R. § 909.1). For the purposes of this funding opportunity, “large debris” is defined as abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs), derelict fishing gear (DFG), and other debris that is unable to be easily collected by hand.

In alignment with the Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government, the NOAA MDP encourages applicants and awardees to support the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility when writing their proposals and performing their work. Ensuring these principles means paying particular attention to the most vulnerable or underserved communities, which are often low-income, those already overburdened by pollution, those who lack economic or social opportunity, and people facing disenfranchisement.

B. Program Priorities

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The highest priority for this funding opportunity is to support impactful, large marine debris removal projects. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, “large debris” is defined as abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs), derelict fishing gear (DFG), and other debris that is unable to be easily collected by hand. Priority will be placed on proposals that clearly demonstrate the beneficial impacts the removal project will have on NOAA trust resources, and the surrounding coastal environment or community. Applicants may conduct removal activities on their own, collaborate with other organizations, pass-through funding to subawardees, or administer a competitive funding opportunity to allow for funding of smaller projects and lower the administrative burden on applicant organizations.

Subawardees must be capable of planning and executing removal operations. Applicants should reference Section V.A. of this NOFO to review this competition’s evaluation criteria, and develop proposals with those criteria in mind.

NOAA seeks to fund a suite of projects that together address large marine debris across the country. When selecting proposals for this competition, NOAA will consider the proposals in the context of already-funded projects, including projects that received funding through previous Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Marine Debris Removal Grants, to avoid duplication of removal efforts in similar locations (see the NOAA MDP website for examples of past and current removal projects: https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/our-work/removal).

NOAA trust resources generally refer to marine habitats and resources in which NOAA has a stewardship interest. This includes resources associated with National Marine Sanctuaries, Marine Monuments, National Estuarine Research Reserves, and areas under state coastal management programs, including Areas of Concern within the Great Lakes.

NOAA trust resources also include commercial and recreational fishery resources (marine and Great Lakes fish and shellfish); coastal habitats; diadromous fish species; endangered and threatened marine species; marine mammals and marine turtles; marshes, mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs, other coastal habitats; Essential Fish Habitat (EFH); and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs). For the purposes of this competition, NOAA trust resources may also include transient or transboundary marine species.

NOAA will prioritize applications that demonstrate clear removal and disposal outcomes. Removals should be conducted with a focus on alternative disposal methods when possible, which means applicants should use disposal methods that are the most environmentally friendly given the location, availability, and resources of the specific removal effort. Examples of alternative disposal may include: recycling, reuse, waste-to-energy, or other innovative disposal methods.

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Removal projects that include strategies to prevent the reaccumulation of marine debris in the future may be prioritized. This might include: the development or expansion of state-, regionally-, or nationally-focused marine debris prevention programs, vessel or fishing gear turn-in opportunities, vessel or fishing gear recycling programs, targeted programs working with boaters or fishermen, etc. Prevention activities should aim to reduce the recurrence of the type of debris removed.

Prevention and removal activities should prioritize collaboration with diverse entities and groups. These include (but are not limited to) collaborations with public and nonprofit organizations, community and watershed groups, anglers, boaters, industry (e.g., commercial and recreational fishing industries, other marine industries, and plastic and waste management industries), corporations and businesses, youth groups, students, academia, Tribal governments, and local and state government agencies.

Removal projects that include monitoring activities to demonstrate long-term outcomes are encouraged. Monitoring refers to project-specific, re- or post-removal data collection where important ecological metrics (large debris accumulation over time, habitat/species impacts, changes in ecosystem services, vegetation, etc.) are analyzed to show the effect of the removal project. Long-term outcomes can be described as the anticipated benefits to habitats, communities, and the economy. Examples include the ecological services to be restored, benefits to local economies from an increase in tourism, the economic benefit to fishers from the removal of ghost gear, jobs created, or how planned prevention activities will sustain the benefits of the marine debris removal activity. All monitoring activities must be complementary to proposed large-debris removal efforts.

NOAA is committed to advancing equity and support for underserved communities. The NOAA MDP strongly encourages applicants (and when relevant, subawardees) to incorporate diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility through proactive, meaningful, and equitable community engagement in the identification, design, and/or implementation of proposed projects. Applicants may demonstrate this in a variety of ways, and examples include, but are not limited to, working in or with underserved communities, working with stakeholders for whom there is currently limited direct engagement on marine debris issues, encouraging diverse perspectives from project leaders and partners (including, but not limited to, sectors, age, career stage, gender, ethnicity, disability, geography), incorporating different learning or engagement approaches into the project, or translation of resources/signage into other languages (see signage requirements in sections IV.B.4 Budget Justification and VI.B.2 Special Award Conditions). Greater consideration will be given to projects that propose to work in areas with underserved communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened by pollution.

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Applicants should describe any project activities that will take place within, have a portion of the benefits flow to, and/or meaningfully engage Tribal or underserved communities. Meaningful engagement relies on the involvement of those potentially affected in a manner that builds trust and addresses barriers to community participation to ensure that the scope of the activities is inclusive of the priorities and needs of communities and that the benefits of the activities flow back to the community. In this competition, meaningful engagement refers to an intentional exchange between the applicant and the underserved community where both have multiple opportunities to ensure the other is correctly understanding each other’s perspectives and ideas. This will ensure the Tribal and/or underserved community is an integral part of the visioning, decision-making, and/or leadership for project activities that may affect their environment and/or health and wellbeing. Outreach or communications directed to a Tribal or underserved community without any description for how feedback and ideas from the community receiving the messaging will be incorporated into the project design and/or execution will not be considered meaningful engagement.

This priority aligns with the Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government. Competitive proposals will describe how their proposed project will advance equity, inclusion, and accessibility. For this funding competition, the following definitions from Executive Order 13985 are included:

-Equity: means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment.

-Underserved communities: refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life.

-Accessibility: means the design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them.

-Diversity: is defined by NOAA as a collection of individual attributes that together help organizations achieve objectives.

-Inclusion: is defined as a culture that connects each person to the larger organizing

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 52 structure.

Funding is primarily aimed at supporting new or impactful removal efforts, or programs that require funding to scale-up or expand their existing removal efforts to achieve broader and more impactful outcomes. Proposals that scale-up projects that were funded through the previous Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Marine Debris Removal competition are allowed, but the proposals must clearly indicate how additional funding will lead to outcomes above and beyond what was considered through the previous grant application.

Proposals to develop new marine debris databases will not be competitive under this competition. Applications addressing microplastics or microfibers are not priorities for this solicitation and will be withdrawn from the review, as will research and development proposals. Other NOAA funding opportunities may be available for such activities (e.g., the National Sea Grant BIL Marine Debris Challenge Competition NOFO and the National Sea Grant BIL Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions NOFO). Funding for marine debris interception technologies is available from the NOAA MDP through competition NOAA- NOS-ORR-2024-2007991 “FY24 NOAA Marine Debris Interception Technologies under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.” This funding opportunity is not intended for removal efforts in non-coastal states or inland areas outside the Great Lakes watershed.

Applicants should also note that the following activities, in general, will not be considered for use of federal dollars under project awards: (1) activities that constitute legally required mitigation for the adverse effects of an activity regulated or otherwise governed by local, state, or federal law; (2) activities that constitute restoration for natural resource damages under federal, state, or local law; (3) activities that are required by a separate consent decree, court order, statute, or regulation; (4) activities that are eligible for removal and reimbursement under a Federal Disaster Declaration.

C. Program Authority

Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq.); Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

(PL 117-58)

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Funding of up to $24,000,000 is expected to be available for this grant solicitation.

NOAA MDP expects the majority of the funded projects to be between $1M and $4M. The minimum federal request for this solicitation is $800,000 and in some cases, up to $6M may

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 52 be awarded. NOAA expects to support between four to eight projects but may support more or less based on the merit of submitted applications and their proposed geographies and scale. The number of marine debris projects will be based on the merit of submitted applications. The exact amount of funds to be awarded and the number of awards made will be at the discretion of NOAA following pre-award negotiations with highly meritorious applicants. NOAA may request that a highly ranked applicant submitting more than one meritorious proposal combine all or parts of its proposals into one award. Publication of this opportunity does not obligate NOAA to award any specific project or obligate all or any part of available program funds. Awards may include funding from other programs or agencies.

There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for any or all proposals. The number of awards to be made under this solicitation will depend on the number and quality of eligible applications, the amount of funding requested by recommended applicants, the merit and ranking of the proposals, and other program funding needs.

B. Project/Award Period

Applications should cover a project period of performance from two to four years in duration. The earliest anticipated start date for awards will be August 1, 2024 – applicants should consider this date when developing plans for initiating proposed project activities.

Applicants selected to receive funding may be asked to modify the project start date to accommodate any delays in federal funding or environmental compliance consultations.

Applications for renewal or supplementation of previously awarded NOAA projects are allowed; however, such proposals will be subject to the competitive process and will not receive preferential treatment. In some cases, NOAA may fund a project with incremental funding, usually in the form of a multi-year award. If incremental or multi-year funding is awarded, in which NOAA only obligates funds initially for the first phase of a project, NOAA has no obligation to provide any additional prospective funding in connection with that award in subsequent time periods; additional funding is contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued relevance to program mission and priorities, and the availability of funds.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Selected applications will be funded through cooperative agreements since NOAA staff will be substantially involved in aspects of the large marine debris removal projects.

Substantial involvement may include, but is not limited to, tracking the progress of removal, disposal, and prevention efforts through site visits; developing performance measures to assess project outcomes; participating in regular conference calls, and progress report evaluation and milestone approval; engaging with the recipient on environmental compliance requirements, technical collaboration, or permitting assistance; supporting the development

Notice of Federal Funding Page 9 of 52 of public-facing communication materials or events to highlight marine debris prevention activities; supporting the development of and/or reviewing study approach, methodologies, and conceptual models; and reviewing manuscript drafts (if any).

Activities funded through this competition may have long-term planning goals and objectives common to the programmatic needs of both NOAA and the recipients. As such, NOAA may seek to maintain a long-term partnership with recipients by establishing cooperative agreements in relevant situations as “institutional awards.” If a cooperative agreement is established as an institutional award, the initial cooperative agreement will be established for no more than five years and NOAA may issue new cooperative agreements to the recipient for similar or related activities through a noncompetitive selection process.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

As outlined in the Marine Debris Act, eligible applicants for projects taking place in the coastal United States, Great Lakes, territories, and freely associated states (or their adjacent waterways), are state, local, Tribal, and territory governments whose activities affect research or regulation of marine debris. Equally eligible are any institution of higher education, nonprofit organization, or commercial (for-profit) organization with expertise in a field related to marine debris. Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will not be considered. Interested federal agencies may collaborate with eligible applicants but may not receive funds through this competition. Foreign public entities (see 2 CFR 200.1) from outside of the freely associated states are not eligible to apply.

NOAA is strongly committed to broadening the participation of veterans, minority-serving institutions, and entities that work in underserved and underrepresented areas. The NOAA MDP encourages applicants of all backgrounds, circumstances, perspectives, and ways of thinking to apply.

Applications that have been submitted to other NOAA grant programs or as part of another NOAA grant may be considered under this solicitation. Applicants should indicate if the proposal has been submitted elsewhere for funding as described in the Budget Justification referenced in Section IV. Application and Submission Information (Subsection B “Content and Form of Application”) of this announcement.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

There is no non-federal matching requirement for this funding. However, cost sharing, Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 52 leveraged funds, and in-kind support are important to ensuring these projects are impactful and meaningfully supported by other project partners. Applicants are strongly encouraged to explore the opportunity to combine NOAA federal funding with formal matching contributions and informal leverage from a broad range of sources in the public and private sectors. In cases where non-federal match or informal leverage cannot be obtained, the challenges preventing this type of support should be described (see Section V.A “Evaluation Criteria” for more detail on how this will be evaluated).

Applicants should refer to 2 C.F.R. 200.306 for cost sharing or matching policies.

Applicants with approved indirect cost rates planning to provide cost sharing may propose a portion or all of their indirect costs as match, since the valuation of such costs has already been federally approved and documentation is readily available. Refer to Section IV.F "Funding Restrictions" for information on indirect costs.

For funded applications that include non-federal match funds within the proposed budget, the ratio of approved NOAA funds to non-federal match funds will be legally binding within the award document signed by NOAA's Grant Management Division (GMD).

NOAA is under no obligation to amend the match contributions once the award document is signed by the recipient.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

Activities involving the collection, assessment, oversight, or interpretation of scientific information are required to adhere, to the best of their ability, to the principles, policies, and codes of conduct identified in NOAA’s Policy on Scientific Integrity (NOAA Administrative Order 202-735D-2), which is available at:

https://www.noaa.gov/organization/administration/nao-202-735d-2-scientific-integrity

The intent of the policy is to strengthen widespread confidence (from scientists, decision makers, and the general public) in the quality, validity, and reliability of NOAA-funded science. Further information on this policy can be found at:

https://sciencecouncil.noaa.gov/Scientific-Integrity-Commons

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

Applicants must follow the LOI and full application requirements stated in this announcement, or they may not be considered. Complete application packages, including required federal forms, general instructions, and supplementary instructions specific to this

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 52 competition can be found on Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). If the application forms and instructions cannot be downloaded from Grants.gov, please contact Amanda Dwyer (amanda.dwyer@noaa.gov, 240-533-0402).

B. Content and Form of Application

LETTER OF INTENT:

The Letter of Intent (LOI) submission is a critical step to determine if proposed projects are well-suited for this specific competition. Applicants must submit a LOI and receive an invitation from the NOAA MDP before submitting a full proposal. LOIs must be submitted as an email attachment to grants.marinedebris@noaa.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern time on October 27, 2023 (see Section IV.D. below). Please put “FY24 NOAA Marine Debris Removal Letter of Intent (LOI)” in the email subject heading. An email confirmation will be sent indicating successful submission of the LOI. If no confirmation email is received, that is an indication that the LOI submission was not successful and will not be reviewed. In such cases please contact the NOAA MDP to resolve the issue prior to the deadline. For this reason, it is highly recommended that LOIs are submitted early.

The goal of the competitive LOI process is to streamline the proposal review and to be able to provide feedback and guidance on invited application ideas. In the LOI, applicants must indicate clearly how their project proposes to address the competition priorities, the need for the proposed debris removals, the geographic location of all project activities, and a short description of the methods, outcomes, and efforts to address diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility. Those applicants whose LOIs do not strongly align with program objectives and priorities, as determined by the NOAA MDP (through the review process described below in Section V.A.), will not be invited to submit full applications.

The LOI must be no more than three (3) pages in length. It should be single spaced, use 11- or 12-point font on an 8.5” x 11” page size and have page margins no smaller than 1” on each edge. A fourth page may be submitted showing only project site maps and photographs of the area or the debris targeted for removal. If the LOI is incomplete, does not meet the guidelines above, or is submitted late, it may not be considered. Those applicants invited to submit a full proposal will receive an email notification containing feedback and full-proposal submission instructions from NOAA MDP. NOAA MDP may limit the number of full applications invited in order to meet the Program’s expected budget or to manage the review workload.

The LOI should include each of the components listed below:

a) Applicant Organization

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b) Project Title

c) Principal Investigator(s) Name, Address, Telephone Number and Email Address:

Briefly describe the PI or organization’s experience or expertise that would lead to a successful removal project. A list of primary project partners and their roles/contributions should also be part of this section.

d) Project Location: List the geographic area(s) in which the project will be implemented. Include geographic coordinates of removal sites if known.

e) Project Description: Clearly state the purpose of the project and briefly list specific tasks to be accomplished with requested funds. Applicants should identify the debris type and include a clear explanation for why this type or category of debris was chosen. Applicants should identify the mechanism(s) for distributing funds (e.g., applicant removal activities, collaboration with other organizations, pass-through funding to subawardees, or administration of a competitive funding opportunity). Applicants should describe proposed techniques that will be used and indicate the duration of the project. This section should describe associated prevention, and/or monitoring activities that are planned. Applicants administering a competition for subawardees that will propose marine debris removal projects should clearly articulate the proposed approach for planning and executing the competition.

f) Anticipated removal activity start date (not the proposed award start date)

g) Funding: Indicate the approximate amount of federal funds requested and approximate amount of non-federal match or informal leverage anticipated.

h) Project Outcomes and Metrics: Describe how project activities will be impactful on NOAA trust resources, coastal communities, and/or local economies and how the project benefits will be sustained beyond the life of the project; identify NOAA trust resources that are likely to benefit (habitats and species expected to benefit) and how the project will make a measurable impact. Describe project metrics expected to be tracked, including, at a minimum when applicable: an estimate of how many pounds of debris will be removed from the marine/coastal environment, the number and type of ADVs/DFG/other debris items removed, geographic area (in square miles or shoreline miles) surveyed. When applicable, the following metrics are encouraged to be tracked: weight of debris recycled/reused/converted to energy, footprint of debris

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 52 removed (square feet), number of volunteers, and number of volunteer hours.

i) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility Description: Indicate how the project demonstrates principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility through proactive, meaningful, and equitable community engagement in the identification, design, and/or implementation of proposed projects. This may be demonstrated in a variety of ways and examples include but are not limited to working in or with underserved communities, working with stakeholders for whom there is currently limited direct engagement on marine debris issues, working with a project team with diverse perspectives (including, but not limited to, sectors, age, career stage, gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic), or incorporating different learning or engagement approaches into the project.

Applicants should identify if project activities will take place within, have a portion of the benefits flow to, and/or meaningfully engage Tribal or underserved communities and how those benefits will be measured. Please reference the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) (https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/) to identify if any known project locations are considered disadvantaged communities. If a community is not considered disadvantaged by CEJST, the applicant may provide an alternate reference or description.

An LOI template can be found at:

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/resources/funding-opportunities

FULL PROPOSAL (only if invited):

Applicants may only submit a full proposal if invited to do so by the NOAA MDP.

Applicants are required to apply through the Grants.gov website. No hardcopy applications will be accepted due to limited staff time.

Please visit https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/resources/funding-opportunities for helpful information on developing and submitting proposal documents/information.

Applicants are also encouraged to minimize the number of files uploaded to an application by combining the proposal’s files as much as possible. Adobe PDF is the preferred file format for application attachments.

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Applications must adhere to page limits and any pages that exceed the limit for each section may not be reviewed. Files that cannot be opened or downloaded will not be reviewed. Proposals will not be accepted if sent via fax or email. Application documents must use 11- or 12-pt font on an 8.5” x 11” page size and have page margins no smaller than 1” on each edge.

Applications should be sufficiently detailed in accordance with the guidelines and information requirements listed below and elsewhere in this announcement, and proposed activities should be able to be completed within the proposed period of performance. Each proposal application must contain the following required federal application forms (available from Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov)) and adhere to page limits indicated for each category, unless otherwise noted below:

- SF-424 - Application for Federal Assistance

- SF-424A - Budget Information, Non-construction Programs

- SF-424B - Assurances, Non-construction Programs

- CD-511 - Certifications Regarding Lobbying

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

- Summary (described below, 3 pages or less)

- Narrative (described below, 15 pages or less)

- Data Management Plan (described below, 2 pages or less)

- Budget Justification Narrative (described below, 8 pages or less)

- Curriculum vitae or résumé of applicant personnel (2 pages or less per person)

- Maps depicting the geographic extent of where removal efforts will be targeted including any site location(s) and/or potential removal locations highlighted (no page limit)

- Photographs of example debris targets, if any (no page limit)

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- Letter(s) documenting partner support (no page limit)

- Indirect cost rate agreement, if applicable (no page limit)

- Other relevant attachments important to the overall understanding and evaluation of the proposed project, such as documentation of permits necessary to perform the work proposed under the project (20 pages or less).

The following sections describe the information that should be provided in the proposal.

1. Summary (3 pages or less)

a) Applicant Organization

b) Proposal Title

c) Applicant Point of Contact Name, Address, Telephone Number, and Email Address

d) Proposed project activities: List the types of activities proposed (i.e. number of targeted removals, surveying/scoping new removal targets, subaward competition, prevention/monitoring activities, etc.)

e) Location: List the geographic area(s) in which the project activities will be implemented. Include geographic coordinates of removal sites if known.

f) Funding: Indicate the amount of federal funds requested and the amount of non-federal match or informal leverage anticipated.

g) Description: Clearly state the purpose of the proposed activities and the specific marine debris issues being addressed, including a clear explanation for why this type or category of debris was chosen, how it is detrimental to the area, including impacts to both the environment and wildlife, as well as the surrounding communities. Applicants should clearly articulate the proposed project components; summarize all proposed planning and on-the-ground activities expected; identify stakeholders and non-federal partners that are likely to be involved; identify NOAA trust resources that are likely to benefit; and indicate the duration of the project and provide a general timeline of activities.

h) Outcomes and Metrics: Briefly describe the anticipated ecological and socio-economic

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 52 outcomes (i.e. ecological services to be restored, benefits to NOAA trust resources, benefits to local economies from an increase in tourism, etc.) the project is expected to produce, including how the project benefits will be sustained beyond the life of the project. Provide an estimate of how many pounds of debris will be removed from the marine/coastal environment, the number and type of ADVs/DFG/other debris items removed, geographic area (in square miles or shoreline miles) surveyed. Provide approximate numbers for outcomes of project activities and describe how data will be recorded and maintained. Long-term outcomes can be measured with an increased focus on prevention activities and monitoring activities in association with the removal efforts. Examples of long-term outcomes include the ecological services to be restored, benefits to local economies from an increase in tourism, the economic benefit to fishers from the removal of ghost gear, jobs created, or how planned prevention activities will sustain the benefits of the marine debris removal activity.

2. Narrative (15 pages or less)

When writing the Narrative, applicants should understand the components of the evaluation criteria (see Section V.A. "Evaluation Criteria" in this announcement), as they explain how proposals will be scored for the application to be competitive. The Narrative is limited to 15 pages and should give a clear presentation of the proposed work. Generally, the Narrative should include the following information.

a) Introduction & Outcomes: A summary of the problem the proposed removal project is addressing. Describe the geographic reach of the project and whether the project will directly conduct targeted marine debris removal or will create and administer a competition for subawardees that will propose marine debris removal projects. Identify the habitats, species, and/or resources (including specific NOAA trust resources (as described in Section I.A) expected to directly and indirectly benefit from removal activities, including anticipated ecological services to be restored by debris removal (these benefits should be tracked during the award period). Also include any benefits to the economy, local communities, or navigation safety that might result.

Applicants should align efforts with existing regional or national publicly vetted programs, priorities, or strategic plans (e.g., regional Marine Debris Action Plans, National Estuary Program or NOAA Habitat Focus Area sites, 2021-2025 NOAA MDP Strategic Plan, National Marine Sanctuary management plans, etc.) and describe how they do so. Proposal narratives should explicitly list or otherwise cite such documents for verification purposes, including the page number or specific action number within the plan. NOAA Marine Debris Action Plans can be found on the

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NOAA MDP website at:

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/emergency-response-guides-and-regional-action-plans.

Describe how project activities will be impactful on NOAA trust resources, coastal communities, and/or local economies, and how the project benefits will be sustained beyond the life of the project. Applications should include the metrics expected to be tracked, including specific, measurable metrics on removal, disposal, prevention, tracking, and post-removal monitoring efforts, species/habitat impacts, volunteer participation, economic benefits, and other performance measures. Provide an estimate of how many pounds of debris will be removed from the marine/coastal environment, the number and type of ADVs/DFG/other debris items removed, geographic area (in square miles or shoreline miles) surveyed. When applicable, the following metrics are encouraged to be tracked: weight of debris recycled/reused/converted to energy, footprint of debris removed (square feet), number of volunteers, number of volunteer hours. Provide approximate numbers for outcomes of project activities and describe how data will be recorded and maintained. Long-term outcomes can be measured with an increased focus on prevention activities in association with the removal efforts.

Examples of long-term outcomes include the ecological services to be restored, benefits to local economies from an increase in tourism, the economic benefit to fishers from the removal of ghost gear, jobs created, or how planned prevention activities will sustain the benefits of the marine debris removal activity.

b) Project Location(s): The geographic area (e.g., national or a specific region) in which the project will take place should also be clearly described. Provide maps (if needed) of expected locations of on-the-ground work. Indicate the time of year that those activities will take place in each location, if possible. If exact locations are unknown at the time of application, describe project locations in as much detail as possible and when/how locations will be determined.

c) Detailed Description: This section should clearly describe the following components in detail:

i) Project Overview: How the project would be carried out and how it will meet the goals of this NOFO. This should include a description of short- and long-term goals and objectives that align with goals of this NOFO; an overview of each proposed activity (removal, disposal, prevention, and monitoring); and a description of how project results will be shared more broadly.

ii) Removal Methods: For applications that propose to execute a plan for a particular

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 52 marine debris removal project, the application should include the specific marine debris they plan to remove, how those marine debris targets were identified, and how they will be removed. If the list of the specific marine debris targets has not been finalized or the applicant is proposing to subaward funding based on a competition, the applicant should describe their goals in detail and the process they will use to finalize the list of marine debris targets.

For applications that propose administering a competition for subawardees, the application should include what applicants, geographies, and types of marine debris will be eligible for the competition. Applications should identify the targeted applicant pool for sub-awards (if applicable), as well as the expected number and funding range of sub-awards to be made for the overall life of the project. Applications should also include the methods proposed for identifying potential sub-awards or projects, how NOAA will be involved in the process and funding decisions, and the criteria that will be used for selecting strong projects and determining the success of project activities. Please note, it is NOAA's intention to maintain maximum competition and flexibility in the administration of federal funds through these awards. If the applicant anticipates limiting competition or otherwise restricting the allocation of funding to specific purposes, these limitations or restrictions should be clearly detailed in the narrative.

iii) Disposal Approach: For applications that propose executing a plan for a particular marine debris removal project, the application should describe the planned disposal methods, including plans for alternative disposal as defined in Section I.B. Program Priorities. For applications that propose administering a competition for subawardees that will propose marine debris removal projects, the application should describe how disposal methods will be considered and tracked as part of the competition and on-going monitoring.

iv) Prevention Activities (see Section I.B): For prevention activities proposed, the application should clearly describe the activities and how they complement the removal and disposal activities proposed. By incorporating prevention activities along with removal, the application should describe how the likelihood of reaccumulation of specific debris types will decrease. Prevention activities may include those activities aimed at building capacity to address chronic large marine debris problems (See I.B). Any prevention activities aimed at changing behaviors and raising awareness should also be described. Applicants should clearly identify the target audience for any prevention activities and describe the

Notice of Federal Funding Page 19 of 52 approaches that will be used to engage that audience.

v) Monitoring Activities: If monitoring activities are being proposed, clear methods and information on data collection should be outlined. The application should clearly describe how the activities complement the removal and disposal activities being proposed.

d) Permitting and Compliance: A discussion of how the applicant organization will ensure that all necessary environmental permits will be secured prior to the use of federal funds on activities where such permits are required. Applicants should note, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires NOAA to analyze a project's potential environmental impacts. As such, this section should also describe how necessary project information would be provided to NOAA staff in order to ensure compliance with all federal regulatory requirements. All successful applicants will be expected to have a process in place to provide as much detailed information as is reasonable on project activities, including details about site locations, species and habitat(s) to be affected, on-the-ground project activities and processes proposed, the time of year that work will take place, and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use of and/or disposal of hazardous or toxic substances, potential introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to marine mammals, impacts to endangered and threatened species or their designated critical habitat, impacts to coral reef systems). See Section VI. Award Administration Information (Subsection B.(10) “NEPA Requirements'') for further detail on the NEPA process and requirements for applicants.

e) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility: Information on how proposed activities will promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Projects that demonstrate principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility through proactive, meaningful, and equitable actions and community engagement in the identification, design, and/or implementation of proposed project activities will be prioritized. This may be demonstrated in a variety of ways and examples include but are not limited to working in or with under resourced or underserved communities as part of project development or execution; working with stakeholders for whom there is currently limited direct engagement on marine debris issues, working with a project team with diverse perspectives (including, but not limited to, sectors, age, career stage, gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic locations), or incorporating different learning or engagement approaches into the project. Additionally, the applicant should indicate any experience they or their project partners have in promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility in their past work.

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Describe how benefits from the proposed work will flow to Tribal and/or underserved communities and how those benefits will be measured. When possible, please use the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST (https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov) to identify if any known project locations take place in disadvantaged communities. We are requesting use of this tool designed to assist agencies in defining and identifying disadvantaged communities. This tool measures environmental and socioeconomic burdens as well as health, housing, and transportation burdens at the census tract level. In this tool, Federally Recognized Tribes, including Alaska Native Villages, are also considered disadvantaged communities. We recognize this tool does not cover all burdens or lack of resources for all Tribal and/or underserved communities, especially for territories and freely associated states. In cases where burdens are not identified by CEJST for a community where project activities will occur, applicants may include their own identification of Tribal or underserved communities based on similar burdens or lack of resources, if CEJST does not identify those communities as disadvantaged. This may include, but is not limited to, a description of the community’s previous or current access to resources, community history, power, values, or how they have been historically marginalized and/or overburdened by pollution.

Priority will be given to removal projects that fully meet the other priorities of this competition and describe meaningful engagement with Tribal or underserved communities.