NOFO OIA-BTS-2026 - updated deadline June 8, 2026.pdf

Signature Date

Office of Insular Affairs

Notice of Funding Opportunity

OIA Brown Treesnake Program 2026

Funding Opportunity Number

OIA-BTS-2026

Table of Contents

BASIC INFORMATION

ELIGIBILITY

Cost Sharing Requirement

GET READY TO APPLY

Required System Registrations

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Program Goals

Program Description

Legislative Authority

Type of Award

PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION

Application Content and Format

Application Documents

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

Address to Request Application Package

Submission Dates and Times

Submission Instructions

APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Eligibility Review

Merit Review

Review and Selection Process

Risk Review

AWARD NOTICES

POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION

Administration and National Policy Requirements

Reporting

BASIC INFORMATION

Announcement Type: Modification

Funding Opportunity Number: OIA-BTS-2026

Assistance Listing Number(s): 15.875

Estimated Total Program Funding: $4,000,000

Expected Number of Awards: 7

Award Ceiling: $4,000,000

Award Floor: $0

Due to the limited funding available, all applicants should try to keep their funding request as close to previous years as possible.

Cost Sharing Required?

No Closing Date Explanation Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date (deadline has been extended to June 8, 2026).

U.S. states and local governments may be required under Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs to submit their application to their State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for review. For more information, see the Intergovernmental Review SPOC List.

OMB Control Number:

Have Questions?

For questions about OIA’s discretionary Brown Treesnake (BTS) grant program, contact Hailey McCoy at Hailey_McCoy@ios.doi.gov.

Executive Summary The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) is requesting funding proposals for its Brown Treesnake (BTS) Control Program to prevent the migration of the BTS from Guam to other United States jurisdictions; to suppress and control the BTS on Guam to support the restoration of the island's native ecosystems; to avoid electrical outages to civilian or military facilities caused by the snakes; and to ultimately develop the capability to eradicate the BTS from Guam.

The Administration will prioritize projects that drive economic growth, ensure reliable and affordable energy, and strengthen national security and regional stability.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible Applicants Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Additional Information on Eligibility Eligible applicants are limited to members and active participants of the Brown Treesnake Technical Working Group which includes, but is not limited to, representatives of the governments of Guam, the Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands, and Federal Agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.

Cost Sharing Requirement Cost Sharing Required?

https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/office-federal-financial-management/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/office-federal-financial-management/

No

GET READY TO APPLY

Required System Registrations Unique Entity Identifier and SAM.gov Registration

Before applying, all applicants except individuals applying as a natural person must be registered in SAM.gov. During the SAM.gov registration the entity will obtain their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

The SAM.gov registration process can take several months. If your organization is not already registered in SAM.gov, begin the registration process as soon as possible.

To register in SAM.gov, go to the SAM.gov website and use the available resources to complete registration.

• Financial assistance registrants must review and certify compliance with the SAM.gov “Financial Assistance General Representations and Certifications”.

• Already registered? You already have a Unique Entity ID. Before applying, check that your “Financial Assistance General Representations and Certifications” on SAM.gov is complete. Remember to renew your registration every year to keep it active while you have an award or application in progress. You can update your registration whenever you need, including during renewal.

• Need help? For additional information and contact information on the SAM.gov Help page.

This program may allow an applicant to apply while their SAM.gov registration is in progress, with prior approval. For more information, refer to the point of contact identified in the Basic Information section above.

Refer to Attachment – Submission Instructions & Tips.

GRANTS.GOV

This program accepts applications through Grants.gov so once you receive your UEI return to Grants.gov to register with Grants.gov. Please allow 30 days to register and set up a Workspace in Grants.gov. See Submission Instructions section below for additional details.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Program Goals

• The Brown Treesnake (BTS) program provides funding to prevent the migration of the

BTS from Guam to other United States jurisdictions; to suppress and control the BTS on Guam to support the restoration of the island's native ecosystems; to avoid electrical outages to civilian or military facilities caused by the snakes; and to ultimately develop the capability to eradicate the BTS from Guam.

Program Description OIA’s Brown Treesnake Control Program funding priorities for Fiscal Year 2026 will focus on risk reduction through interdiction and landscape scale suppression as detailed below:

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://sam.gov/content/help https://sam.gov/content/help https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration

• Interdiction - Reduce risk of BTS-caused economic loss, power outages to civilian and military facilities, and ecological devastation to the Pacific Region by preventing the spread of BTS.

o Civilian sector operational snake interdiction at air and seaports on Guam and in the CNMI at sites where outbound/inbound cargo and vehicles are being staged.

o Rapid response in the CNMI, Hawaii, and the Freely Associated States, including training for new members of the Rapid Response team for high risk areas.

• Landscape Scale suppression – Reduce BTS on Guam in order to reduce risk to power infrastructure and native species on Guam.

o Development of new technology (ex: drones or AI) or alternative tools for landscape scale suppression.

o Operational planning and implementation projects that will ultimately lead to implementation of landscape-scale snake control for native avian species restoration on DOI and Government of Guam properties in the immediate future.

Buy America Preferences for Infrastructure Projects

This program has Federal funding for infrastructure projects. Buy America preferences apply to Federal awards for infrastructure projects in the United States. Reference 2 CFR Part 184 - Buy America Preferences for Infrastructure Project for further guidance.

If your application contains components for which Build America, Buy America (BABA) does apply, please review and follow BABA regulations as applicable.

Legislative Authority 48 U.S. Code § 1469d.General technical assistance

Type of Award Projects will be funded through G (Grant).

PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION

Application Content and Format Pre-Application Requirements

Prior to applying, applicants should review presidential actions found at:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/ and DOI Secretary’s Orders found at:

https://www.doi.gov/document-library/secretary-order. By applying in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity, the applicant certifies awareness and compliance with all currently effective and applicable executive orders and secretary’s orders, including but not limited to the Executive Order titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing as well as the Executive Order and Secretary’s order titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History. Applicants are responsible for ensuring their proposed activities are consistent with the intent and requirements of these directives.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-184

Application Documents Applicants must submit the following forms with their application as specified below.

Instructions for accessing and submitting application forms are provided in the Submission Instructions section of this document below. For instructions on completing form fields, see the form instructions on the Grants.gov Forms Repository.

Table 1: Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission

Requirement

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

Note: For applicants requesting more than $100,000 in federal funds, the Authorized Representative’s signature (or electronic equivalent) on the SF- 424 also represents certification of the statements in Appendix A to 43 CFR 18-Certification Regarding Lobbying.

Required from all applicants

REMEMBER! You must use the UEI of the entity through which the federal funds will flow to you.

SF-424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs

Note: Applicants must fill out all pages of SF-424A, including the second page with the object class categories.

Only required for non-construction projects

SF-424C, Budget Information – Construction Programs

Note: Applicants must fill out all pages of SF-424C, including the second page with the object class categories.

Only required for construction projects

Project Abstract Summary, OMB No. 40400019

Must be only 1 page and include, in plain language:

• Award purpose

• Activities to be performed

• Expected deliverables or outcomes

• Intended beneficiaries

• Subrecipient activities (if known at time of application)

Required from all applicants

Include Latest Audit or Answer Financial Capacity Questions

Is your organization required by 2CFR200 to conduct an audit? If yes, provide the latest audit. If not, respond to the Financial Capacity Questions in the Budget Narrative section of this application. Audit timeliness or responses to financial questions, whichever is applicable to your entity, will be part of the TAP scoring process.

All applicants must review and respond to this requirement under the Budget Narrative.

https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository.html https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18#Appendix-A-to-Part-18 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18#Appendix-A-to-Part-18

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Note: This form, OMB Number: 4040-0013, is required if requesting more than $100,000 in federal funds and the applicant has or plans to use funds other than federally appropriated funds for lobbying related to the proposed project.

Only required if lobbying – see note for details

Project Narrative Application Preparation:

Applications must be prepared by and submitted by the entity that will receive the grant award.

Under no circumstances should applications be prepared or submitted by a third party, such as an existing contractor or a potential contractor who would then subsequently be awarded the grant.

1. Narrative - Submit a project narrative in a standard Word document that is no longer than 10 pages. The project narrative must answer the who, what, why, where, when, and how of the proposed project and must also include the additional items listed below:

o Project title and name of entity undertaking the project. Include any stakeholder coordination or involvement, if any.

o Statement of Need – Describe the problem and explain how the proposed activities will achieve the goals. Summarize previous or ongoing relevant efforts either within or without your organization.

o Describe and provide the location of the proposed project with address.

o The narrative must describe the expected outputs and the potential outcomes to communities, the economy, and the environment.

o Describe how the project supports the Administration’s priorities described in the

Program Description section.

o Project Goals and Objectives: Outline short- and long-term goals, including steps, timeline, and activities. Ensure objectives are specific, measurable, realistic, and attainable within the project period of performance.

Performance Metrics – Using quantifiable metrics, identify the ways your project will track and measure the expected outputs corresponding to social, economic, or environmental outcomes to be achieved. You must demonstrate measurable progress and how proposed activities will lead to successful completion of the project.

• Each applicant must include at least one performance measure (output & outcome) that corresponds to the proposed project objective.

o Example:

▪ Output: Number of youth enrolled in the after-school STEM tutoring program.

▪ Outcome: Improvement in participating students' math proficiency scores.

• If the grant is chosen for award, the applicant will include performance measures as part of the required Performance Progress Report narrative that is submitted through

GrantSolutions.gov every 6 months. If activity is delayed or performance goals are not met, grantee must submit a detailed explanation as to why.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Compliance Review – All OIA funded projects require a NEPA assessment. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is contracted by OIA to assist in this process for awarded grants. Awardees may need to provide additional information to USACE before receiving an Authorization to Proceed.

Grant managers will notify applicants once NEPA analysis is complete, and they are cleared to proceed. Please review the following questions if the proposed project will have an environmental impact.

Will the proposed project impact the environment? If yes, provide full details. Skip the following questions if the proposed project will not have any environmental impact.

• Describe any estimated digging, vegetation removal, or ground disturbance that might occur. If the project involves ground disturbance, clearly describe the location, related staging areas, habitat, or other descriptions.

• Detail any proposed chemical use, i.e. name of chemical, proposed locations of use (including size of area and description of area), amounts of chemical needed, and frequency of application.

• Map(s) of proposed project location.

• Photographs of the site and description of important features.

• Any existing federal, state, or local permits, including initial application (if already completed).

• Monitoring and evaluation information:

o objectives o methods for data collection (performance monitoring, evaluation, and other reporting) o expected outcomes o any expected deliverables beyond required financial and performance reporting

Additional Statements to Include in the Project Narrative:

• Any Factors that Affect Achieving Results? Identify any external or internal factors that could affect your project to achieve results and any associated mitigation strategies.

If there are none, please include the following statement in the application narrative:

“There are no external or internal factors that could affect achieving results.”

• Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement – Is there any overlap between this federal application and any other federal application or federally-funded project? If no such overlap exists, please state in the narrative: “There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other federal applications or funded projects, including in regard to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel.”

• Conflict of Interest – Please include in the narrative a statement affirming “There is no conflict of interest”, if applicable.

2. Grant Recipient - Provide the name, title, and address of the person responsible for the grant and to whom the Grant Terms and Conditions will be sent, if the grant proposal is awarded. This is typically the head of the local government or organization.

3. Recipient Grant Manager - Provide the name, title, and contact details for the person who will be the day-to-day grant manager responsible for the project if it is awarded.

Contact information should include the mailing address, phone number, and email address.

4. Letters of Support - Applicant may include letters of support from insular area leadership or relevant authorities who are familiar with the proposed project or challenges that grant funding is being requested to address. Letters of support, which can give you extra points in the scoring process, should be uploaded to Grants.gov along with the application. Refer to the section on Merit Review for information on how applications are scored.

5. Signed and Dated Cover Letter - Applicant should include a cover letter, signed and dated by the Authorized Representative of the applying organization, along with the Narrative to Grants.gov attachments. The cover letter should be uploaded to Grants.gov and not mailed.

o The cover letter and any letters of support may be addressed to:

John Brewer Director Office of Insular Affairs U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20240

Budget Narrative Applicants must describe and justify items and costs listed in their budget. The budget narrative must identify the following cost items: total estimated costs, non-Federal cost share, third-party contributions, and any pre-award costs. Total project cost is the sum of all allowable costs, including required and voluntary cost share and third-party contributions.

Budget items must be:

• Reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary

• Compliant with 2 CFR §200 Subpart E cost principles

Indirect Costs: Applicants must indicate in their budget narrative how they will charge indirect costs, including the rate to be applied:

• De Minimis Rate: If eligible, state if your organization is opting to use the de minimis rate of up to 15% of total modified direct costs. Entities that do not have a current Federal negotiated indirect cost rate (including provisional rate) may propose to use the de minimis rate. For more information, refer to 2 CFR 200.414(f).

• Negotiated Rate: State if you will negotiate with your cognizant agency. If your organization has previously negotiated a rate, attach a copy of the most recently negotiated rate agreement (active or expired).

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-E https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455/section-200.414

Provide detailed budget information for the proposed projects and activities. Include a budget breakout chart, by category. Explain any ambiguous categories, like “Other”, in detail.

For projects over $500,000, include tier options with detailed descriptions to allow for selection of individual tiers when TAP funds are limited. Additionally, if submitting multiple projects under one grant application, list them in order of priority. For example:

Projects in Application listed in priority order

Priority 1 - Project Name $ Amount requested Priority 2 - Project Name $ Amount requested Priority 3 - Project Name $ Amount requested

Applicable Directive – Ensure that all activities and costs charged to the grant comply fully with the applicable cost principles:

Entity incurring costs Applicable directive State, local, or Federally recognized Indian Tribe

2 CFR 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles; 200.416-200.417 - Special Considerations for States, Local Government, and Indian Tribes

Non-profit organization 2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles Institution of Higher Education

2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles; 200.418 - 200.419 – Special Considerations for Institutes of Higher Education

Indirect Cost Rates - If your entity intends to charge indirect cost rates, please provide a copy of your organization’s negotiated indirect cost rate agreement along with a detailed spreadsheet showing how final indirect costs were calculated including any variations from established rates and an itemized list of excluded costs. For details on negotiating indirect cost rates, contact the Interior Business Center at https://ibc.doi.gov/ICS/indirect-cost/insular-state/faqs.

SAM Exclusions - OIA will review SAM.gov for any active exclusions of applicants. Include additional information on exclusions, if any, in the budget narrative.

Audits – Audit timeliness and quality, when applicable, will be considered in the scoring process. You must provide the latest audit conducted for your organization. If you are not required to do an audit per 2CFR200, or if you are a non-profit organization, then you must answer the following financial capacity questions.

Financial Capability Questions - Does your organization undergo an annual single audit or independent financial audit (Yes/No)?

If Yes, answer questions 1 and 2.

If No, answer questions 3, 4 and 5.

1. What was the last audit year completed by your organization? Was the audit uploaded to the federal audit clearinghouse? If so, please provide the EIN number and a copy of the audit summary page with findings.

2. Did your organization receive an unqualified opinion on this audit (Yes/No)? If No, did your organization receive a qualified, adverse, or disclaimer of opinion on the audit (Yes/No)?

https://ibc.doi.gov/ICS/indirect-cost/insular-state/faqs

If your organization has not had an audit completed recently, or never had an audit, please answer the remaining questions.

3. Does your organization have independent financial capabilities that can comply with the financial management and accounting requirements detailed in 2 CFR 200, including, but not limited to, policies and procedures in place that meet the financial management standards in 2 CFR §200.302 (Yes/No)?

4. Does your organization have a financial unit? If so, please describe the staffing and structure (such as the number of CPAs, utilization of accounting software etc.)

5. Has your organization received and managed federal grant funding before (Yes/No)? If Yes, please provide information from the last three years on the federal awarding agency you received funding from, a point of contact at the agency, and the amount of grant funding received.

Conflict of Interest and Unresolved Matters Disclosures:

If any actual or potential conflict of interest exists related to this project at the time of application, the applicant must provide sufficient information to support a program determination of significance per 2 CFR 1402.112. Refer to 2 CFR 200.112 Conflict of Interest and 2 CFR 200.113.

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement:

Applicants must state in their application if the activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel proposed in this application overlap with those in any other Federal proposal or award or not. If no overlap exists, include a statement to that effect. If any overlap exists, provide:

• Activities: Description any overlapping activities.

• Costs: Description of any overlapping costs.

• Time: Description of any overlapping key personnel time.

• A copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity.

• Details on when any overlapping proposal was submitted, to whom, and the expected date of the funding decision.

Other Required Information Application Package Checklist

A complete application package should include:

• Required Forms from Table 1: Forms/Assurances/Certifications o SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance form o SF-424A Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs (Or SF-424C) o SF-424B Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (Or SF-424D) o Project Abstract

• Complete Project Narrative o Detailed Narrative with Performance Metrics o NEPA Considerations https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402#1402.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.113 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.113

• Statements on 1) external or internal factors, 2) overlapping or duplication, 3) conflicts of interest

• Names of Grant Recipient and Grant Manager

• Letters of Support (optional)

• Cover Letter

• Complete Budget Narrative o Budget Narrative with Priorities listed, if applicable o Indirect Cost Rates Agreement, if any o Latest audit or answer financial capacity questions

• Remember to review the Funding Restriction Reminders.

• Confirm that you are using the correct UEI on your application!

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

Address to Request Application Package All Proposals Must be Submitted via grants.gov - OIA permits alternative submissions only in exceptional cases with prior approval. Extensions may also be allowed in extenuating circumstances, with prior OIA approval.

Plan Early to Avoid Problems when Submitting Applications - Log in to Grants.gov well before the application deadline. Ensure you have access to submit for your entity. Inability to log in or lack of proper access on the deadline day does not qualify as an extenuating circumstance.

Allow ample time to upload your application.

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - On the SF-424, be sure to use the UEI of the office through which funding will flow to your organization. For example, if you are part of a larger government entity and funds go through the Department of Finance/Treasury/etc., use that department’s UEI. Conversely, if your past grant funding previously flowed through your office, but a different office is now submitting the application for you, make sure they use your office UEI. This case may require you to submit future proposals from your own office.

Program Website Link: https://www.doi.gov/oia/financial-assistance

Submission Dates and Times Closing Date for Applications: 06/08/2026

Closing Date Explanation

Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date (deadline has been extended to June 8, 2026).

Submission Instructions

APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Eligibility Review During the eligibility review, the application is checked for timely submission, completed packages (see Application Documents above) and alignment with the requirements of this announcement. The Federal agency may remove an application if it does not pass the eligibility review.

Refer to the ELIGIBILTY section for the Eligibility details.

If an applicant selected for funding hasn't finished their SAM.gov registration (see 2 CFR 25.200 and 2 CFR 25.110) when the federal agency is ready to make an award, we may decide that the applicant is ineligible for the award and choose to grant it to someone else. Please refer 2 CFR

25.205 for more information.

Prior to making an award, the DOI checks the anticipated recipient and their key project personnel against the current list of prohibited or restricted persons or entities in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Exclusions database. We are prohibited from making an award if a recipient or any key personnel are found ineligible, prohibited, restricted, or otherwise excluded from receiving or participating in an award, as their ineligibility condition applies to this program.

If removed from consideration for ineligibility, the Federal agency will notify the applicant in writing.

Merit Review

OIA Brown Treesnake Program priorities, Maximum Points: 40 Interdiction, Early Detection and Rapid Response, and program coordination 40 Development of new tools, technology or methodology categorized as a high priority of BTS research committee

Other projects (outreach, data collection, etc.) 20 Development of new tools, technology or methodology categorized as a low priority of BTS research committee

Project is not a priority for OIA 0

Project Narrative, Maximum Points: 30 The project narrative is clear and concise, defines success clearly, performance measure are clear and measurable, and includes the required elements from these application instructions.

The project narrative is clear and concise but is missing some of the required elements from these application instructions.

The project narrative is not clear and concise, and/or is missing many of the required elements from these application instructions.

There is no narrative included with the proposal documents 0

Budget, Maximum Points: 30 Has a clear and detailed budget for each project in the proposal 30 Has a budget, but it is not clear, detailed or broken out by project. 15 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-25.200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-B/section-25.205 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-B/section-25.205

The proposal does not include a budget 0

Review and Selection Process This program reviews proposed budgets to ensure:

• figures are correct

• estimated costs are necessary and reasonable and clearly linked to project narratives

• avoid obviously unallowable costs

• identify costs requiring prior approval

• ensure indirect cost rates are applied correctly

• confirm cost sharing requirements are reflected in the budget.

This program reviews applications for potential overlap or duplication between the proposed project and any other funded or proposed project. Depending on the circumstances, DOI may choose to not make an award.

Prior to conducting the comprehensive merit review, an initial review will be performed to determine whether: (1) the applicant is eligible for an award; (2) the application is complete and all information required by the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been submitted; (3) all mandatory requirements of the NOFO are satisfied; (4) the proposed project is in compliance with all applicable executive and secretarial orders. If an applicant fails to meet the requirements or objectives of the NOFO, or does not provide sufficient information for review, the application will be rejected.

All complete applications are reviewed for potential overlap or duplication between the proposed project and any other funding.

The OIA Grant Management Specialists will review, score, and evaluate all eligible applications based on the scoring table in the Merit Review section. Input from Insular Area leadership is also considered and part of the scoring process. Following review and scoring, the OIA provides final recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs and/or designated official who makes the final decision on grant awards.

This program reviews proposed budgets to ensure:

• figures are correct

• estimated costs are necessary and reasonable and clearly linked to project narratives

• avoid obviously unallowable costs

• identify costs requiring prior approval

• ensure indirect cost rates are applied correctly

• confirm cost sharing requirements are reflected in the budget.

This program reviews applications for potential overlap or duplication between the proposed project and any other funded or proposed project. Depending on the circumstances, DOI may choose not to make an award.

The Assistant Secretary may consider all or several of the following factors when rendering a final decision on which grant applications will be awarded:

1. Administration priorities (i.e. audit timeliness and quality)

2. Amount of funds available

3. Emergency Situations

4. Geographic distribution of funding

Funding applications will be evaluated based on the above criteria. To comply with 2 CFR 200 regulations, past performance will be considered in the selection process.

Decision Timeframe: Final decisions on funding of project proposals will be completed by September 30, 2026. Please note that once all final decisions have been made, applications that have not been selected for funding will receive automated denial notifications, transmitted via email to the applicant from Grant Solutions. For inquiries about your proposal, please reference the application number generated by grants.gov for your proposal and contact the OIA grant manager with the grant proposal, application number and insular area.

Scores for unsuccessful applications may be provided upon request. However, keep in mind that scores are not the only factor in the decision-making process. The application process is extremely competitive because of a limited pool of funding. Applicants who have been unsuccessful may reapply.

All applicants, especially first-time applicants, are encouraged to review Code of Federal Regulations Title 2, Part 200 (2 CFR 200), Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, to familiarize themselves with financial management requirements associated with managing federal grant funding. The Code may be viewed at this link: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200.

Risk Review Prior to making an award, the applicant will be assessed for their level of risk per 2 CFR

200.206. This assessment includes the applicant's financial management capabilities, project delivery experience, staffing resources, past award performance, administration and reporting compliance records, and overall project complexity and potential for challenges. If an award will be made, special conditions may be applied to the award corresponding to the assessed risk. For awards over the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $350,000), a review of the applicant's eligibility and financial integrity information in the applicant's SAM.gov records will also be performed per 2 CFR 200.206.

AWARD NOTICES

Notices of Federal Award are sent electronically via GrantSolutions or e-mail. These notices outline the terms, conditions, and payment instructions per 2 CFR 200.211. The Notice of Federal Award signed by an authorized Grants Officer is the legal instrument obligating financial assistance to a recipient. Any other prior notice is not an authorization to begin work. If the program allows pre-award costs per 2 CFR 200.458, beginning performance before receiving a Notice of Federal Award is at the applicant’s own risk.

Anticipated Project Start Date: 10/01/2026

Anticipated Project End Date: 09/30/2029 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.206 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.206 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.206 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.211 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.458

Award Notices

• After an applicant’s proposal is selected for award, OIA will send the applicant a Notification of Award letter via email with an accompanying grant agreement package.

• All grant proposals submitted for funding consideration for FY2026 funding should either be chosen for award or rejected by September 30, 2026.

Award Instrument Information

• All successful grant proposals will be funded through a grant agreement that typically includes a Notification of Award letter signed by an Office of Insular Affairs official with notification of the assigned grant manager and a grant award document that includes the Grant Terms and Conditions.

Funding Restrictions

• All grant funding is contingent upon the availability and appropriation of funds by the United States Congress.

• Costs must be allowable in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles referenced in 2 CFR 200, Subpart E – Cost Principles.

• All grantees must first receive an Authorization to Proceed (ATP) before beginning any work. Work related to compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) can be approved to commence, with prior OIA grant manager approval.

• Once a grant has been awarded, any budget revisions or program modifications must obtain prior approval from the OIA grant manager.

Submission from Successful Applicants

• If selected for possible award, OIA reserves the right to request additional or clarifying information for any reason deemed necessary.

• The Office of Insular Affairs may choose to fund only a portion of the application.

Administration and National Policy Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations – By accepting financial assistance, your organization agrees to abide by the applicable Federal regulations in the expenditure of Federal funds and performance under this program: 2 CFR Part 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION

Administration and National Policy Requirements For award administration and national policy requirements, see the DOI General Terms and Conditions. Infrastructure projects require the use of American iron, steel, manufacture products, and construction materials per 2 CFR 184.

Grant Terms and Conditions with all reporting requirements and OIA-specific terms are provided with grant award documents for all new grants.

Geospatial Data https://www.doi.gov/grants/doi-standard-terms-and-conditions https://www.doi.gov/grants/doi-standard-terms-and-conditions

If you receive financial assistance from the Department of the Interior (DOI), recipient must follow these rules for geospatial data:

Follow Federal Standards: All geospatial data you collect or create must meet the standards set by the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC) or the Department of the Interior. This is required by the Geospatial Data Act of 2018, which is part of Public Law 115-254, specifically in Subtitle F (Geospatial Data), sections 751-759C (codified at 43 U.S.C. §§ 2801–2811).

Include Metadata: Your Geographic Information Systems (GIS) files must include complete metadata. Metadata is information that describes the data, such as where it came from, how accurate it is, and how it should be used. This is to ensure that anyone using the data understands its context and quality.

Check for Existing Data: Before you start collecting new geospatial data, you need to check GeoPlatform.gov. This is to see if there is already existing geospatial data from federal, state, local, or private sources that can meet your needs and is available for free. If such data is available, you should use it instead of gathering new data.

These rules help ensure that geospatial data is reliable, high-quality, and that resources are used efficiently.

Reporting The recipient’s Notice of Award will detail all reporting requirements, including frequency, due dates, and instructions for requesting extensions. In general, but not limited to, recipients must:

• Submit Federal Financial reports and Program Performance reports.

• Use the Federal Financial Report (SF-425) form for financial reporting,

• Monitor award activities and report on program performance per 2 CFR 200.329,

• Promptly notify the awarding program in writing of any issues, delays, or conditions impairing award objectives per 2 CFR 200.329(e),

• Disclose any conflicts of interest related to their award that arise during the award period per 2 CFR 1402.112,

• Report on the status of real property acquired under the award in which the Federal government retains an interest per 2 CFR 200.330, and

• Report all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award per 2 CFR 200.113.

• Report any matters related to recipient integrity and performance to SAM.gov per

Appendix XII to 2 CFR 200.

• If the Federal share of the award is more than $100,000 and the recipient makes or agrees to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection to the award, disclose those activities using the Disclosure of Lobbying (SF-LLL) form per

43 CFR 18.100.

• Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) and 2 CFR 170 requires certain recipients to report information on executive compensation, and information on all sub-awards, subcontracts and consortiums equal to or over $30,000 to SAM.gov.

The standard grant reporting requirements are listed below:

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=2019&path=%2Fprelim%40title43%2Fchapter46&req=granuleid%3AUSC-2019-title43-chapter46&num=0&saved=L3ByZWxpbUB0aXRsZTQzL2NoYXB0ZXI0Ng%3D%3D%7CZ3JhbnVsZWlkOlVTQy1wcmVsaW0tdGl0bGU0My1jaGFwdGVyNDY%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim https://grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/post-award-reporting-forms https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.329 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.329 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402/subpart-B/section-1402.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR36520e4111dce32/section-200.330 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.113 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#Appendix-XII-to-Part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18

• A Performance Progress Report (PPR) and a Federal Financial Report (FFR) will be due semi-annually for the periods beginning January 1 and ending June 30 and beginning July 1 and ending December 31, throughout the grant period of performance.

• The PPR and FFR reports are due within 30 days of the end of the period (i.e. January 30 and July 30). Final reports are due 120 days after the expiration or termination of the award.

• Every Performance Progress Report must include performance goals and performance measures on activities performed under the grants. If performance goals are not met, a detailed explanation of why they are not being met should be included in the report.

These standard reporting requirements will apply to all awards unless otherwise indicated in the Terms and Conditions section of the award. Additional requirements are assigned on a case-by-case basis and may also be found in the Terms and Conditions section of the award.

Other Information

1. Payments

All OIA grant recipients are required to register in and receive payment through the U.S.

Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), unless approved for a waiver by OIA. Alternatively, non-U.S. recipients receiving funds to a final destination bank outside the U.S. are required to receive payment through the U.S. Treasury’s International Treasury Services (ITS) System. Non-U.S. recipients receiving funds at a final destination bank in the U.S. are required to enter and maintain current banking details in their SAM.gov entity profile and receive payment through the Automated Clearing House network by electronic funds transfer (EFT). OIA will include recipient-specific instructions on how to request payment, including identification of any additional information required and where to submit payment requests, as applicable, in all Notices of Award.

2. Audits

Per 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-federal entities spending $1,000,000 or more in federal awards must conduct a single or program-specific audit for that year. Those spending less than $1,000,000 are exempt from federal audits, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503.

Additionally, grantees may undergo site visits and audits by the Department of the Interior (DOI) and other federal officials.

On September 23, 2025, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary William Hague stated that improving Single Audit timeliness and quality is a priority for all insular area governments.

Grant funding may decrease for organizations and areas failing to progress on updating Single Audits. This expectation extends to component units and other federally funded entities in insular areas which meet the audit requirement threshold.

3. Marketing and Branding

All projects funded through the OIA BTS program, should include project and funder signage displaying a graphic of the U.S. flag and/or the message, "Funded through the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs" or “Partial funding was provided through the U.S.

Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs”. This applies to all programs, projects, assistance, activities, and public communications funded by the Office of Insular Affairs, including news articles.

The OIA logo may accompany the U.S. flag, both of which must remain intact and in its standard or complementary color. The graphic and message must be displayed on any final product. For an electronic version of the U.S. flag or OIA seal, contact the OIA grant manager.

4. Modification or Changes to the Announcement

Notices of any modifications to this announcement will be posted on Grants.gov. When you download the application materials at Grants.gov, you can also register to receive notifications by email of any changes or modifications to this announcement.

5. Government Right to Reject or Negotiate

The Office of Insular Affairs reserves the right, without qualification, to reject any or all applications received in response to this announcement and to select any application, in whole or in part, as a basis for negotiation and/or award.

6. Notice of Right to Conduct a Review of Financial Capability

The Office of Insular Affairs reserves the right to conduct an independent third-party review of financial capability for applicants that are selected for negotiation of an award.

7. Notice of Potential Disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act

Applicants should be advised that identifying information regarding all applicants, including applicant names and/or points of contact, may be subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, whether or not such applicants are selected for negotiation of award.

8. Personally Identifiable Information

In responding to this Announcement, applicants must ensure that Protected Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is not included in the Application Package. These documents will be used in the review process to evaluate each application. PII is defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as:

Any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including but not limited to, education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as their name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, biometric records, etc., including any other personal information that is linked or linkable to an individual. This definition of PII can be further defined as: (1) Public PII and (2) Protected PII.

1. Public PII:

PII found in public sources such as telephone books, public websites, business cards, university listing, etc. Public PII includes first and last name, address, work telephone number, email address, home telephone number, and general education credentials.

2. Protected PII:

PII that requires enhanced protection. This information includes data that, if compromised, could cause harm to an individual, such as identity theft.