NOFO 2520003 2JUL25.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Funding Agency: Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southwest (NAVFAC SW)

Funding Instrument: Cooperative Agreement

Funding Opportunity Number: N62473-25-2-0003

Assistance Listing Number: # 12.005

Program Authority: 16 U.S.C. 670c-1 Sikes Act

Issue Date: 2 July 2025 Application Due Date: 04 August 2025

Contents of Full Text Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Application and Submission Information V. Application Review Information

I. Funding Opportunity Description

This project will support the US Marine Corps (USMC) Mountain Warfare Training Center (MWTC) at Bridgeport, CA. MWTC is under USFS management and USFS permits the use of 46,000 acres of Toiyabe National Forest for Marine Corps training, under certain agreements.

The project will assure concurrence with these agreements with the US Forest Service (USFS) including the Special-Use Authorization (SUA) and Annual Operating Plan (AOP). These land use agreements provide critical training space and missionscape (Soldier or Marine habitat) for the USMC and greatly augment the size of the training footprint otherwise contained to MWTC.

The project will also support the annual review and periodic revision of the base Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan (INRMP). Furthermore, this project will support compliance with the Sikes Act, State of California Management of Fish and Wildlife on Military Lands (Cal.

Fish & G. Code §§ 3450–3453), Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 4715.03 (Natural Resources Conservation Program), and OPNAVINST 5090.1D (Environmental Readiness Program).

The overriding primary objective of this project is to document populations of specific Federal candidate and state-tracked species at MWTC. The Cooperator shall determine habitat conditions and make management and monitoring recommendations for continuing conservation of any encountered species.

Brief Description of the Anticipated Work:

1. Northern Goshawks, Accipiter gentilis, are year-round residents throughout the California range, with some individuals remaining on near breeding territories while some migrate during winter. Great Gray Owl, Strix nebulosa, are permanent residents throughout the state’s forests and feeds and breeds in riparian, conifer, chaparral and desert habitats. The purpose of this objective is to conduct three surveys to find and document nesting locations for these two large forest interior raptors.

2. Several species state and federal species of concern may inhabit and/or utilize MWTC territory and natural resources as a source of aliment, breeding habitat, permanently or during migrations. The purpose of this objective is to conduct three surveys to find and document Federal Endangered Species Act candidate species and state species of concern (to include Western Bumblebee Bombus occidentalis, Monarch Butterfly Danus plexippus, Black-backed Woodpecker Picoides arcticus, American Wolverine Gulo gulo luscus, and raptor species) that depend on alpine meadows and aspen habitat for life activities.

3. White-nose syndrome is a disease caused by a fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which grows on the skin and wings of bats, creating white powdery lesions that disrupt hibernation patterns. This disease is responsible for millions of bat deaths throughout the United States. The purpose of this objective is to conduct three surveys to find and document bat species occurrence, population status, natural history, and biosecurity (i.e.

monitor the incursion of white-nose syndrome and its causal fungus) for Little Brown Bat Myotis lucifugus, Yuma Myotis Myotis yumanensis, Spotted Bat Euderma maculatum, and Hoary Bat Lasiurus cinereus, as well as other bat species that occur on the installation and its shared use lands (by USFS and MWTC).

4. Yosemite toads, Anaxyrus canorus, are found in montane and subalpine lentic habitats including wet meadows, lakes, ponds, spring channels and sloughs. The Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog , Rana sierrae, historically occurs within high-elevation water bodies in the eastern Sierra Nevadas in Inyo and Mono counties. The purpose of this objective is to conduct two surveys to find and document Yosemite Toad and Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog occurrence and population status.

5. Draft and Final Technical Report:

The draft and final preliminary report shall be submitted in accordance with Section J. of the Statement of Objectives, Submittals and Schedules. The report shall be in scientific format and include the following: 1) Title page showing title, date, cooperative agreement number,NAVFAC Representative and Cooperative Agreement Technical Representative contact information; 2) Sub-title page showing title, prepared by and for listings, date and recommended citation; 3) Table of contents; 4) Abstract or Executive Summary; 5) Introduction; 6) Methods; 7) Results; 8) Discussion; 9) Conclusions (to include synthesis with previous work and recommendations for future study); 10) Legible copies of the field notes, data forms and other information.

Please see enclosure 1 for full scope of work and enclosure 2 for applicable terms and conditions.

Estimated Total Funding (for Base Period): $155,167.33 Estimated Number of Awards:

(1)

Item Anticipated Funding Base Period (12 Months) $155,167.33 Option Year 1 $158,425.84 Option Year 2 $161,752.78 Option Year 3 $165,149.59 Option Year 4 $168,617.73 Total Potential Value $809,113.28

Contact Information: Questions relating to Grants.gov including the registration process and system requirements should be directed to the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726. For assistance with the requirements of this Funding Opportunity Announcement, please contact Ms.

Eunjew Dame at eunjew.dame.civ@us.navy.mil.

Instructions to Applicants:

The complete Funding Opportunity Announcement, application forms, and instructions are available for download at Grants.gov.

Applications in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement shall be submitted by the application due date of 04 August 2025. Applications may be submitted electronically via email to eunjew.dame.civ@us.navy.mil or through Grants.gov.

Applicants shall have a Unique Entity Identification (UEI) number, registration with the System of Award Management (SAM) and registration with Grants.gov, if submitting application through Grants.gov.

See Section IV of the Funding Opportunity Announcement for complete application submission information.

II. Award Information This Funding Opportunity Announcement is for a competed, multiyear cooperative agreement.

The period of performance is 12 months from the date of award with a base period of 12 months with 4 option years, 12 months each. Option years will be identical in scope and work to the requirements of the base award (Section F and G). All option years are subject to the availability of funds.

Item Period of Performance Base Period 12 months from date of award Option Year 1 12 months from end of Base Period Option Year 2 12 months from end of Option Year 1 Option Year 3 12 months from end of Option Year 2 Option Year 4 12 months from end of Option Year 3

Significant Dates and Times

Event Date Time * Full Applications Due 04 August 2025** 2:00 PM

Notification of Selection for Award 25 August 2025** 2:00 PM

Start Date of Cooperative Agreement 31 August 2025** 2:00 PM

* Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) **Dates subject to change mailto:eunjew.dame.civ@us.navy.mil

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Any Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Californian cooperative partner who qualifies under the DoDGARS Part 34 or 2 CFR 200 is eligible to apply. Please see applicable terms and conditions, provided as a separate attachment.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost sharing [ ] is or [ x ] is not required.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package Application packages can be obtained electronically at Grants.gov as detailed below or by contacting the individual listed in Section VII Agency Contact(s).

Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov, select "Apply for Grants", and then select "Download Grant Application Package”. Enter the funding opportunity number (N62473-25-2-0003).

NOTE: You will not be able to download the Application Package unless you have installed Adobe Acrobat Reader. Adobe Reader is available for free to download from the Download Software page http://grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Applicants shall submit applications electronically. The applicant shall complete the mandatory and applicable forms by accessing the forms as noted in noted in IV, 1 “Address to Request Application Package”.

Content and Form of Application

FORM: SF 424 (R&R)

Completion of SF-424 Fields First. The Adobe Reader forms are designed to fill in common required fields such as the applicant’s name and address, UEI number, etc., on all Adobe Reader forms. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first.

Once it is completed the information will transfer to the other forms. You must complete the mandatory forms and any applicable optional forms (e.g., SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities) in accordance with the instructions on the forms and the additional instructions below.

Files that are attached to the forms must be in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) unless otherwise specified in this announcement.

FORM: RESEARCH & RELATED SENIOR/KEY PERSONNEL (EXPANDED)

Complete all the required fields in accordance with the pop-up instructions on the form.

Biographical Sketch: Attach resume(s) of key personnel. The Applicant shall provide type written resumes, not to exceed 3 pages, single spaced with 12pt font for the project manager(s) and field assistants proposed for this project. Resumes must state qualifications, experience with this type of project, professional registration and certificates. See Section V. Application Review Information for detailed information required per resume and minimum qualifications required.

FORM: RESEARCH AND RELATED BUDGET

Complete the Research and Related Budget form in accordance with the instructions on the form.

http://grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp

You must provide a detailed cost breakdown of all costs, by cost category, , and by task/sub-task corresponding to the task number in the proposed Statement of Objectives. Options must be separately priced. The form will generate a cumulative budget for the total project period. You must complete all the mandatory information on the form before the NEXT PERIOD button is activated. You may request funds under any of the categories listed as long as the item and amount are necessary to perform the proposed work and meet all the criteria for allowability under the applicable Federal cost principles. The budget should adhere to the following guidelines:

The budget should be driven by program requirements. Elements of the budget should include:

Direct Labor - Individual labor category or person, with associated labor hours and unburdened direct labor rates.

Indirect Costs - Fringe benefits, overhead, G&A, COM, etc. (must show base amount and rate).

Travel - Number of trips, destination, duration, etc., all travel must be substantiated and explained.

Subcontract/subaward - A cost proposal as detailed as the applicant's cost proposal will be required to be submitted by the subcontractor. If applicable, include in Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment Form.

Consultant - Provide consultant agreement or other document that verifies the proposed loaded daily/hourly rate. Include a description of the nature of and the need for any consultant's participation. Strong justification must be provided, and consultants are to be used only under exceptional circumstances where no equivalent expertise can be found at a participating university. Provide budget justification.

Materials - Specifically itemized with costs or estimated costs. An explanation of any estimating factors, including their derivation and application, shall be provided. Include a brief description of the applicant's procurement method to be used (competition, engineering estimate, market survey, etc.).

Other Direct Costs - Particularly any proposed items of equipment or facilities.

Equipment and facilities generally must be furnished by the contractor/Applicant (justifications must be provided when Government funding for such items is sought).

Include a brief description of the applicant's procurement method to be used (competition, engineering estimate, market survey, etc.).

Budget Justification: Provide the required supporting information for the cost elements as shown above (see Research & Related Budget instructions) and listed as follows: indirect cost, travel, consultant, materials, and other direct costs. Provide any other information you wish to submit to justify your budget request.

FORM: SF-LLL DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES

If applicable, complete SF- LLL. Applicability: If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the grant/cooperative agreement, you must complete and submit Standard Form - LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying.”

3. Submission Dates and Times

Timeline for Review:

We request that submissions be submitted by 04 August 2025. This opportunity will remain until an investigator team is selected. Submissions received after 04 August 2025 will be deemed “late” and may or may not be considered. Please submit requests for information/questions no later than 25 July 2025.

For applications submitted through Grants.gov and handling of late applications:

After an application is submitted through Grants.gov, the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) will receive a series of three e-mails. It is extremely important that the AOR watch for and save each of the e-mails. You will know that your application has reached NAVFAC SW when the AOR receives e-mail Number 3. You will need the Submission Receipt Number (e-mail Number 1) to track a submission. The three e-mails are:

Number 1 – The applicant will receive a confirmation page upon completing the submission to Grants.gov. This confirmation page is a record of the time and date stamp for the submission.

Number 2 – The applicant will receive an e-mail indicating that the application has been validated by Grants.gov within a few hours of submission. (This means that all of the required fields have been completed.)

Number 3 – The third notice is an acknowledgment of receipt in e-mail form from the designated agency within ten days from the application due date. For applications the e-mail is sent to the authorized representative for the institution. The e-mail for applications notes that the application has been received and provides the assigned tracking number. Hard copy submissions will receive only e-mail number 3.

Late Applications may be accepted.

4. Funding Restrictions Reimbursement of pre-award cost will [ ] or will not [ x ] be allowed.

5. Other Submission Requirements Applications may be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (see note 1 below) or direct email to: Eunjew Dame at eunjew.dame.civ@us.navy.mil

NOTE 1 - Registration Requirements for Grants.gov: There are several one-time actions an organization must complete in order to submit an application through Grants.gov (e.g., obtain a Unique Entity ID (UEI) number, register with the credential provider, and register with Grants.gov). See http://grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp to begin this process. Applicants, who are not registered with Grants.gov, should allow at least 21 days to complete these requirements. It is suggested that the process be started as soon as possible.

Customer Support: Questions relating to the registration process, system requirements, how an application form works, or the submittal process must be directed to Grants.gov at 1-800-518- 4726 or support@grants.gov. The Contact Center is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, to address Grants.gov technology issues.

If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission it is best to call the customer support mailto:eunjew.dame.civ@us.navy.mil http://grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp mailto:support@grants.gov desk and get a case number. The case number will assist the NAVFAC SW with tracking your issue and provide background information on the issue.

VERY IMPORTANT – Download Adobe Acrobat Reader: Adobe Reader is available for free to download from the Download Software page http://grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp .

V. Application Review Information All requirements listed are minimum requirements. Information provided must be recent (within last seven (7) years) and relevant. Applicants will be assessed on their ability to adhere to the listed requirements, follow directions, comply with restrictions and provide quality control on their submittals. All page limits refer to 12-point font and single spaced one-sided pages.

Factor 1 - Credentials of Key Personnel

A. PROJECT MANAGER (PM): The Recipient shall designate one person as responsible for ensuring that provisions are in place for project and personnel supervision, quality control and meeting of reporting requirements on a daily basis. This person is expected to be onsite for all field operations, unless exempted by the Installation representative (i.e.

for equipment retrieval). This person shall have, at the minimum:

i. Bachelor of Science degree in zoology, biology, ecology, wildlife management or a related field experience from an accredited college or university.

ii. Five (5) years of previous inventory, monitoring, or research experience.

iii. Five (5) years of project management or five (5) years of supervision of field crews and field biologists.

iv. Ability to communicate effectively through written reports, emails, and scientific papers.

B. FIELD TECHNICIAN(s) (FT): The person(s) shall have at the minimum:

i. Bachelor of Science degree in zoology, biology, ecology, wildlife management, or a related field experience from an accredited college or university.

ii. Specific knowledge of species natural history and ecology, appropriate monitoring and detection techniques, and demonstrated ability to competently identify the species named in the objectives.

iii. One (1) year of experience in the use and deployment of any proposed field capture techniques (most species do not require capture).

iv. Licenses, permits, and certifications necessary to capture, manipulate, or collect species specimens as proposed (may be elevated to the PM under certain conditions such as field supervision).

v. Ability to keep clear, legible, and accurate notes.

http://grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp

Factor 2 – Scientific Approach

Not to exceed 5 pages, the Offeror shall develop an outline for their approach to addressing the anticipated work stated above. The Offeror shall be evaluated as to the soundness of the overall approach and use of any innovative techniques to accomplish project objectives.

Factor 3 - Reasonableness of Cost

After technical evaluation of the proposal, the offers will be analyzed for fair and reasonable pricing. The proposal will be analyzed to determine whether its pricing is materially/mathematically balanced and is fair and reasonable. The Offeror shall use OMB Circular A-21 “Cost Principles for Institutions of Higher Education,”, 48 CFR part 31 “Contract Cost Principles and Procedures,” or 2 CFR 200 Subpart F “Audit Requirements” as applicable.

Evaluations will include an analysis to determine the Offeror’s comprehension of the requirements of the solicitation as well as to assess the validity of the Offeror’s approach. A clear cost breakdown of work elements to be accomplished detailing quantities for the various work items, unit, unit prices and extended prices will be required and will be evaluated. Evaluation will include an analysis to determine the Offeror’s comprehension of the requirements of the proposed agreement as well as to assess the validity of the Offeror’s approach. Please be sure to provide a proposal for the optional years as listed within the statement of work. Please submit your proposed budget for each of the option years on separate research and related budget forms.

Please provide your proposed budget on the provided pdf titled, “Research and Related Budget” form*(Enclosure 5).

RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF EVALUATION FACTORS – All factors are of equal importance.

2. Review and Selection Process Every deviation from the statement of objectives requirement must be identified. Proposer must identify the paragraph in the statement of objectives that is applicable and provide sufficient information to justify why the deviation is in the best interest of the government.

All requirements listed are minimum requirements. Applicants will be assessed on their ability to adhere to the listed requirements, completeness of responses, follow directions, comply with restrictions and provide quality control on their submittals. All page limits refer to 12-point font and single-spaced one-sided pages.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices The notice of award addressed to the successful applicant and signed by the Grants Officer (or equivalent) will be forwarded via electronic transmission. Original copies of the Agreement will be enclosed for the successful applicant’s signature and return for the Grants Officer’s counter signature.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements The Terms and Conditions are posted as a separate document.

3. Reporting

Reports/submittal information including frequency and means of submission are contained in the Statement of Objectives, posted as a separate document

VII. Agency Contact(s) All questions relating to this announcement shall be referred to:

Eunjew Dame, Agency representative Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southwest 750 Pacific Highway San Diego, CA 92132 Email: eunjew.dame.civ@us.navy.mil Phone Office: 619-860-7465

VIII. Other Information The cost of preparing applications and/or proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any award made under this funding opportunity. The Government is not obligated to make any award as a result of this announcement. Only the Grants Officer can bind the Government to the expenditure of funds.