PKG00293689.pdf

Cover Page for Notice of Funding Opportunity Modification

FEDERAL AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE: FY27 BROWNFIELDS JOB TRAINING (JT) GRANTS

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: CERCLA § 104(k)(7)

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

ASSISTANCE LISTING: 66.815

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: EPA-OLEM-OBLR-26-01

ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Amendment No. 1

DATE: September 22, 2026

SUMMARY: This Notice removes the requirement to submit the Grants.gov Lobbying Form as part of the application packages. Applicants will not be penalized for not submitting this form with their application.

Accordingly, the form has been removed from the list of forms in Section 4.A on page 18.

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Applications Due: Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization

FY27 BROWNFIELDS JOB

TRAINING (JT) GRANTS

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OLEM-OBLR-26-01 i

Contents

1. Basic Information

A. Executive Summary B. Key Information C. Key Dates D. Funding Details E. Agency Contact Information

2. Eligibility

A. Eligible Applicants B. Threshold Criteria

1. Applicant Eligibility

2. Coalition Agreement (Only applicable to Job Training Coalition applications)

3. Target Area

4. Required HAZWOPER Training

5. Proposed Project Does Not Duplicate Other Federally Funded Environmental Job Training Program Activities

C. Cost Sharing

3. Program Description

A. Purpose, Priorities, and Activities

1. Purpose

2. Eligible Uses of Grant Funds

3. Eligible Trainings With Brownfields Job Training Grant Funds

4. Ineligible Uses of Grant Funds

5. Anticipated Outputs/Outcomes

6. Leveraging

B. Program Goals and Objectives C. Statutory Authority D. Funding Type

4. Application Contents and Format

A. Application Forms (Submission Checklist) B. Application Information Sheet C. Narrative Criteria Responses Attachments D. Narrative Criteria Responses

1. Community Need

2. Training Program Description

3. Budget

4. Program Structure, Anticipated Outputs, and Outcomes

5. Partnerships

6. Leveraging

7. Programmatic Capability

E. Applicants Using Contractors ii

F. Release Copies of Applications G. Coalition Coverage

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

A. Submission Dates and Times B. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) C. Submission Instructions D. Technical Issues with Submission E. Intergovernmental Review

6. Application Review Information

A. Responsiveness Review B. Review Criteria C. Review and Selection Process

1. Other Evaluation Factors

D. Risk Review

7. Award Notices

8. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements B. Reporting C. Subaward and Executive Compensation Reporting

9. Other Information

A. Additional Provisions for Applicants

1. Basic Information

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR)

FY27 BROWNFIELDS JOB TRAINING (JT) GRANTS

https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/fy-2027-brownfields-job-training-grants https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-job-training-grants https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-job-training-grants-technical-assistance-resources

A. Executive Summary This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities to deliver Brownfields Job Training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed, and underemployed1 residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field.

Brownfields Job Training Grants fund training programs that strengthen local workforces by preparing program graduates for environmental jobs that support cleanup and revitalization efforts in their own communities.

Training may include a range of brownfield-related environmental skills such as the assessment and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste; chemical risk management; stormwater management relating to site cleanup; planning and site preparation for low-impact development activities; site preparation for green infrastructure installation; and vulnerability assessment and contamination mitigation planning.

Please carefully review Section 4.E. of these guidelines, Section IV of EPA NOFO Clauses, and the Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found at https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/frequently-asked-questions-about-brownfields-job-training-jt-grants. A checklist of required application forms and documents is in Section 4.A.

For the purposes of these guidelines, the term “grant” refers to the cooperative agreement that EPA will award to a successful applicant. In this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), “Project” refers to the applicant’s proposed Brownfields Job Training effort to be funded under this competition. Unless otherwise noted, “training program” is used synonymously with “project.”

1 Underemployment is the condition in which people in a labor force are employed less than full-time or at jobs inconsistent with respect to their experience, training, or economic needs.

B. Key Information Opportunity Number:

EPA-OLEM-26-01

Assistance Listing:

66.815

Announcement Type:

Initial

Funding Available:

$5,000,000-$6,000,000

Number of Awards:

Up to 20 https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/fy-2027-brownfields-job-training-grants https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-job-training-grants https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-job-training-grants-technical-assistance-resources https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/frequently-asked-questions-about-brownfields-job-training-jt-grants

C. Key Dates August 6, 2026 National Outreach Webinar

September 23, 2026 11:59 pm ET Application Submission Deadline

December 2026 Anticipated Notification of Selection

May 2027 Anticipated Award Notification

D. Funding Details It is anticipated that up to 20 awards will be made under this announcement. The amount of funding is expected to be $5,000,000 – $6,000,000, depending on Agency funding levels, the quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. Individual awards funded under this opportunity are expected to be for up to $300,000, and have up to a 3-year project period.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this competition, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six (6) months from the date of the original selection decision. EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards under this announcement or make fewer awards than anticipated.

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions, types of training, or phases of proposed projects. To maintain the integrity of the competition and selection process, EPA, if it decides to partially fund an application, will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the application, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award. For more information about how EPA may terminate awards made under this NOFO in part or its entirety, see Section VIII.I. of EPA’s NOFO Clauses.

Awards may be fully or incrementally funded, as appropriate, based on funding availability, satisfactory performance, and other applicable considerations.

Eligible individual applicants or coalitions, as described below, may request up to $300,000, with a project period of three years or less.

Cooperative agreements provide for substantial involvement between the EPA Project Officer and the selected applicant(s) in the performance of the work supported. Although the EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial involvement as part of the award process, the anticipated substantial federal involvement for these projects may include:

• close monitoring of the successful applicant’s performance to verify the results proposed by the applicant;

• collaboration during performance of the scope of work;

• in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 and 2 CFR 200.318, review of proposed procurement;

• approving qualifications of key personnel (the EPA will not select employees or contractors employed by the award recipient); and

• review and comment on reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (the final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient).

The EPA does not have the authority to select employees or contractors employed by the recipient. The final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-notice-funding-opportunity-nofo-clauses https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.317 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.318

Eligible individual applicants or coalitions, as described below, may request up to $300,000, with a project period of three years or less.

Brownfields Job Training Coalition Applicants may propose forming a coalition to carry out their Brownfields Job Training Program.

Applying as a Brownfields Job Training Coalition may be beneficial to allow the Brownfields Job Training Provider to recruit, train, and place students in environmental jobs, especially in rural communities where the geographic area is larger. City and county governments may also benefit from forming a coalition, as this approach can expand the jurisdiction of the target area. By doing so, they can create a more integrated strategy for job training and placement, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of their initiatives.

A Job Training Coalition is comprised of one eligible “lead” entity that partners with one or more eligible non-lead entities (i.e., non-lead members). The lead entity (i.e., the lead member) submits an application on behalf of the coalition members, who may receive subawards. Carefully review Section IV.E.

“Coalitions, Contracts, and Subawards” of EPA’s Notice of Funding Opportunity Clauses, EPA Subaward Policy, and Subaward Frequent Questions for managing subawards. The Job Training Coalition may request up to $300,000 to recruit, train, and place unemployed and underemployed residents of solid and hazardous waste-impacted communities. The non-lead coalition members may not be an agency or instrumentality of, or be affiliated with, the lead member (for example, a county and the redevelopment authority of the same county); except for coalitions in which the state is the lead and one of the members is a regional council or regional commission that is created by a state legislature through a charter or another official action.

A non-lead member of a coalition may not have an open Brownfields Job Training cooperative agreement with EPA. Coalition members may not be members of other FY27 Job Training Coalition Grant applications, nor may coalition members submit a Brownfields Job Training Grant application as an individual applicant. A coalition member wishing to apply as part of a different Brownfields Job Training Coalition or as an individual applicant must withdraw from the coalition. Also, the coalition members must be separate legal entities. For example, the following groups/organizations may not be members of the same coalition:

• Different departments within the same unit of government;

• A unit of government and an affiliated nonprofit organization exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that the city controls; or

• Affiliated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (e.g., nonprofit organizations that have the same board of directors or staff). This does not preclude separately incorporated chapters of a national nonprofit organization from being non-lead members of coalitions in different geographic areas. For example, an organization is a national nonprofit with local chapters that are separately incorporated and have their own board of directors and staff. Local chapter “A” conducts programming in the state of “Y.” Local chapter “B” conducts programming in the state of “Z.” Both chapters may be non-lead members of different FY27 Job Training Grant applications.

If selected, the lead member will be the point of contact for the other coalition members. The lead member will be the grant recipient and must administer the grant and be accountable to EPA for https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-notice-funding-opportunity-nofo-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients effectively carrying out the scope of work and the proper financial management of the grant.2

Please note that once the lead member submits the application, it becomes the applicant, and the coalition members may not substitute another eligible entity as the lead member after the deadline for submitting applications has passed. Additionally, the non-lead coalition members may not be substituted after the deadline for submitting applications has passed. If the application is selected for funding, the lead member must partner with the other coalition members that were named in the application unless EPA approves a post-award change to these arrangements pursuant to 2 CFR § 200.308(f).

Recipients are required to establish a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that documents the coalition’s process for managing and implementing the job training program. The MOA should outline a clear process for successful execution of the project’s goals, including a detailed description of each member’s role and responsibilities within the coalition in a manner that supports the project outputs and outcomes, as well as internal agreements within the coalition regarding fund distribution and the mechanisms for carrying out the Brownfields Job Training Program. The MOA must be in place before any awarded funds are expended or drawn down.

E. Agency Contact Information Further information, if needed, may be obtained from the EPA contact(s) indicated below.

Technical Contact: Emily Eisenhauer, Eisenhauer.Emily@epa.gov

Eligibility Contact: See Regional Contacts below

Electronic Submissions Contact: Grants.gov, 1-800-518-4726, support@grants.gov

Regional Contact(s): EPA Region 1 Will Lariviere, Lariviere.William@epa.gov EPA Region 2 Ricardo Berrios-Perez, BerriosPerez.Ricardo@epa.gov EPA Region 3 Dawn Farver, Farver.Dawn@epa.gov EPA Region 4 Olga Perry, Perry.Olga@epa.gov EPA Region 5 Torre Ippolito, Ippolito.Torre@epa.gov EPA Region 6 Emily Jimenez, Jimenez.Emily@epa.gov EPA Region 7 Idallis Shaffer, Shaffer.Idallis@epa.gov EPA Region 8 Joaquin Ross Tellechea, RossTellechea.Joaquin@epa.gov EPA Region 9 Daniel Moher, Moher.Daniel@epa.gov and Jacqueline Aybar, Aybar.Jacqueline@epa.gov EPA Region 10 Robert Miller, Miller.Robert01@epa.gov and Aytaj Gasimova, Gasimova.Aytaj@epa.gov

2 If the application is successful, the lead applicant is the Recipient, as defined in 2 CFR § 200.1, that is accountable to EPA for performance of the assistance agreement. A lead applicant who provides subawards to coalition members is also a Pass-through entity, as defined in 2 CFR § 200.1, and must comply with the Subrecipient Monitoring and Management requirements in 2 CFR § 200 (including 2 CFR § 200.332), EPA’s Subaward Policy, and EPA’s General T&Cs.

mailto:Eisenhauer.Emily@epa.gov mailto:support@grants.gov mailto:lariviere.william@epa.gov mailto:BerriosPerez.Ricardo@epa.gov mailto:Farver.Dawn@epa.gov mailto:Perry.Olga@epa.gov mailto:Ippolito.Torre@epa.gov mailto:jimenez.emily@epa.gov mailto:Shaffer.Idallis@epa.gov mailto:RossTellechea.Joaquin@epa.gov mailto:Moher.Daniel@epa.gov mailto:aybar.jacqueline@epa.gov mailto:Miller.Robert01@epa.gov mailto:Gasimova.Aytaj@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients

2. Eligibility

A. Eligible Applicants Only these types of organizations may apply. Organization types are consistent with definitions at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) § 101 and 2 CFR 200.1:

• General Purpose Unit of Local Government. Local government means a county, borough, municipality, city, town, township, parish, local public authority (including any public housing agency under the United States Housing Act of 1937), special district, school district, intrastate district, council of governments (whether or not incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), and any other agency or instrumentality of a multi-, regional, or intra-State or local government.

• Land Clearance Authority or other quasi-governmental entity that operates under the supervision and control of, or as an agent of, a general purpose unit of local government.

• Government entity created by State Legislature.

• Regional Council or group of General Purpose Units of Local Government.

• Redevelopment Agency that is chartered or otherwise sanctioned by a State.

• State.3

• Federally recognized Indian Tribe4 other than in Alaska. (The exclusion of Tribes in Alaska, with the exception of the Metlakatla Indian Community as noted below, from grant eligibility is statutory at CERCLA § 104(k)(1)(G).)

• Intertribal Consortia, except consortia comprised of ineligible Alaskan tribes, are eligible for funding in accordance with EPA’s policy for funding intertribal consortia published in the Federal

Register on November 4, 2002, at 67 Fed. Reg. 67181. This policy may also be obtained from your EPA Regional Job Training Coordinator listed above.

• Alaskan Native Regional Corporation, Alaska Native Village Corporation (as those terms are defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 and following)), and the Metlakatla Indian Community. For more information, please refer to the FY27 JT FAQs.

• Nonprofit organization described in section 501(c)(3) of title 26 (the Internal Revenue Code (IRC)) and exempt from taxation under 501(a) of that title.

• Limited liability corporation in which all managing members are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under 501(a) of the IRC or limited liability corporations whose sole members are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under 501(a) of the IRC.

• Limited partnership in which all general partners are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under 501(a) of the IRC or limited liability corporations whose sole members are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under 501(a) of the IRC.

3 As defined in CERCLA § 101(27), the definition of State for purposes of the Brownfields Program “include[s] the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and any other territory or possession over which the United States has jurisdiction.”

4 There are currently 575 federally recognized Tribes, and there are many names that these sovereign nations use to describe their culture, history, and geography, including Tribe, Village, Nation, Band, and Pueblo. For the purpose of these guidelines, the EPA Brownfields Program uses “Tribe” and “Tribal Nation” as all-encompassing terms.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(State) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Indian%20Tribe) https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.law.cornell.edu%2Ftopn%2Fracketeer_influenced_and_corrupt_organizations_act_rico&data=05%7C02%7CMinor-Gordon.Jerry%40epa.gov%7C91d3146309804cf7b02308dc74100edb%7C88b378b367484867acf976aacbeca6a7%7C0%7C0%7C638512859512123388%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=sDV%2Bym1h7%2BL12%2BCzHWjmKxxMgmsK1BjnHq3pn5RmrD4%3D&reserved=0

• Qualified community development entity as defined in section 45D(c)(1) of the IRC.

• Other Nonprofit organizations. EPA uses the definition of Nonprofit organization in 2 CFR § 200.1, which means any organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest; is not organized primarily for profit; uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization; and is not an Institution of Higher Education (IHE). Eligible nonprofit organizations under this announcement may be, but are not required to be, exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code. Workforce Investment Boards and organized Labor Unions that meet these criteria may be eligible nonprofit organizations. Public and nonprofit private institutions of higher education (including community colleges and similar 2-year institutions) are eligible to apply.

Note, individuals, for-profit organizations, and nonprofit organizations that are not tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) are ineligible to receive a Brownfields Job Training Grant. Organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the IRC may be eligible for a Brownfields Job Training Grant if they also qualify as an eligible entity type listed above and demonstrate that they do not lobby the Federal government.5

B. Threshold Criteria Applications must meet the following threshold criteria to be considered eligible to receive a Brownfields Job Training Grant. Threshold criteria are pass/fail and are based on certain requests for information identified below. Only those applications that pass all the threshold criteria will be evaluated against the review criteria in Section 6.B. of this announcement.

Applicants with questions about threshold criteria should contact the appropriate point of contact in Section 1.E. Agency Contact Information well in advance of the application deadline. Please note, to maintain the integrity of the competition process, EPA staff cannot meet with individual applicants to discuss draft applications, provide informal comments on draft applications, or provide advice to applicants on how to respond to Narrative Criteria Responses. EPA’s limitations on staff involvement with grant applicants are described in EPA’s Policy for Competition of Assistance Agreements. The following seven requirements will be reviewed by EPA and do not require a separate response or attachment to the Narrative Criteria Responses.

1. Applicants may request up to $300,000, with a project period of three years or less. Applications that request more than $300,000 and/or have a project period greater than three years will be deemed ineligible.

2. Applicants who were awarded an EPA Brownfields Job Training Grant (EPA-I-OLEM-OBLR-25-01) in FY26 are not eligible to apply under this competition under any circumstance, even if the applicant proposes to serve a different city or target area. Applicants who received a Brownfields Job Training Grant in, or before, FY25, and who did not receive funding in FY26 as described previously, are eligible to apply for funding under this competition.

3. Applicants with an open Brownfields Job Training Grant must have received payment from EPA

5 The Lobbying Disclosure Act (2 U.S.C. 1601 et. seq.) provides requirements for the disclosure of lobbying activities to influence the Federal Government.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Nonprofit%20organization) https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57005a1-epas-policy-competition-assistance-agreements

(also known as “drawn down”), and drawn down funds have been disbursed, for at least 50.00% of the funding for each Brownfields Job Training cooperative agreement by August 1, 2026, in order to apply for funding under this opportunity. EPA will verify applicants meet this threshold according to EPA’s financial systems.

4. Applications cannot include non-lead coalition members that a) are members of other FY27 Job

Training Coalition Grant applications, b) have submitted a Brownfields Job Training Grant application as an individual applicant under this competition, and/or c) have an open6 Brownfields Job Training cooperative agreement with EPA. Applications that include non-lead coalition members that meet one or more of these conditions may be deemed ineligible if removal of those members and their commitments are integrally related to the proposal and it cannot feasibly be evaluated without them.

5. Applicants may not submit multiple applications (i.e., submit applications for different projects) under this funding opportunity.

Applicants that submit more than one application will have their last application submitted accepted. EPA will accept the most recent application submitted and deem the remaining application(s) ineligible.

6. If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the application will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding.

7. Applications must meet all Application Administrative Requirements with the submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section 4 of this announcement, or they will be rejected.

Responses to each item below are required and must be included as Threshold Criteria Responses that are included, as an attachment, in the application submitted to EPA. Threshold Criteria Attachments do not have a page limit. See Section 4.A. for a complete list of required documents that must be submitted.

1. Applicant Eligibility

Applicants and non-lead coalition members (if applicable) must be eligible entities as discussed in Section 2.A.

(i) Provide information that demonstrates how you (i.e., your organization) and each non-lead coalition member, if applicable, are an eligible entity for this grant.

▪ For entities that are cities, counties, Tribes, or states, affirm that the organization is eligible for funding.

▪ For government entities other than cities, counties, Tribes, or states, attach documentation of your eligibility (e.g., resolutions, statutes, etc.).

▪ For nonprofit organizations, or organizations comprised of nonprofit organizations, provide documentation as an attachment to the Narrative Criteria Responses demonstrating tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue

6 For the purposes of this requirement, the term “open” refers to a grant period of performance that has not ended.

Code, another provision of the Internal Revenue Code, or recognition as a nonprofit organization under applicable state or tribal law.

▪ For qualified community development entities, provide documentation as an attachment to the Narrative Criteria Responses certifying the organization’s status.

▪ Intertribal consortia must attach documentation that they meet the requirements in 40 CFR § 35.504(a) and (c). All members of the Intertribal consortium must authorize the submission of an application to provide nationwide technical assistance.

(ii) Indicate if your organization (and non-lead coalition members, if applicable) is exempt from Federal taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.

▪ If yes, indicate if your organization lobbies within the meaning of the Lobbying

Disclosure Act 2 U.S.C. 1601 et. seq.

▪ If yes, but your organization does not lobby the Federal Government, attach a legal opinion that states that the organization does not engage in lobbying activities within the meaning of the Lobbying Disclosure Act 2 U.S.C. 1601 et. seq.

2. Coalition Agreement (Only applicable to Job Training Coalition applications)

Each non-lead coalition member must submit a signed letter to the grant applicant (the lead coalition member) in which they agree to be part of the coalition. An active Memorandum of Agreement that includes a description and role of each coalition member may serve in place of the individual coalition members’ letters. Include the document(s), as an attachment, in your application. If a non-lead coalition member’s documentation is not included with the application, it will render that non-lead member ineligible from participating in the coalition and potentially render the entire application ineligible if there is only one non-lead member.

Alternatively, if this application does not include non-lead coalition members, state ‘n/a’ or ‘not applicable.’

3. Target Area

Applications must identify only one target area the proposed project will serve (as defined in Section 3.A.1.), such as county(ies), Tribal lands, a number of neighboring towns or cities, a district, a corridor, a shared planning area, or a census tract, or multiple census tracts.

Applications cannot serve multiple target areas. However, EPA will consider applications that propose to serve large, contiguous areas, especially in rural communities, that may include a number of towns in a county(ies), and/or Tribal lands, as well as applications seeking to serve sister-cities (i.e., a partnership between U.S. cities located in different states).

An example of an application that proposes to serve multiple target areas in a rural location, which is not allowed, would be if the applicant listed an area in the northeast part of a state and an area in the southwest part of the state.

4. Required HAZWOPER Training

Your application must document that OSHA 29 CFR § 1910.120 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training will be included in your training curriculum and all graduates will hold a current 40-hour HAZWOPER certificate compliant with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120(e)/1926.65, via initial 40-hour training or verification of prior 40-hour plus required 8-hour annual refresher per 1910.120(e)(8)/1926.65(e)(8). Applications that do not include 40-hour HAZWOPER in their training curriculum will be rejected. Indicate the page of the Narrative Criteria Responses this information is located.

5. Proposed Project Does Not Duplicate Other Federally Funded Environmental Job Training Program Activities

If the applicant is a recipient of other Federally funded environmental job training programs serving their target community, such as those funded through EPA’s Superfund Job Training Initiative, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Labor, and/or other Federal agencies, the applicant must demonstrate a) that the proposed training program does not duplicate their other Federally funded program activities or b) demonstrate how services under this proposed training will complement, but not duplicate, the existing Federal environmental job training activities (e.g., different target audience, such as a different age group, differing types of certification training). Applicants that are the recipients of such programs that do not demonstrate a) or b) above will be deemed ineligible.

Applicants should indicate the page of the Narrative Criteria Responses where this information can be found. Alternatively, if the applicant is not a recipient of other Federally funded environmental job training programs, state ‘n/a’ or ‘not applicable.’ In addition to reviewing information submitted by the applicant, EPA will conduct an internal screening to ensure non-duplication.

C. Cost Sharing Consistent with CERCLA § 104(k)(7), cost sharing and matching funds are not required under this competition. As provided in 2 CFR § 200.1, voluntary committed cost sharing is when an applicant voluntarily proposes to legally commit to providing costs or contributions to support the project when a cost share is not required. Please note only Federal funds should be listed on the SF-424, SF-424A, and Budget Detail. Voluntary cost share will not be accepted under this competition.

3. Program Description

A. Purpose, Priorities, and Activities

1. Purpose

The objective of the Brownfields Job Training Program is to recruit, train, and place unemployed and underemployed residents of solid and hazardous waste-impacted communities. This funding is intended to equip individuals with the skills needed to obtain full-time, sustainable employment. This program promotes the facilitation of activities related to assessment, cleanup, or preparation of contaminated sites, including brownfields, for reuse, while simultaneously building a local workforce with the skills needed to perform remediation work that is supportive of environmental protection and environmental health and safety. A critical part of EPA’s Brownfields Job Training program is to further sustainable community revitalization by ensuring that all residents living in communities historically affected by economic disinvestment, health disparities, and disproportionate and adverse exposures to environmental contamination, which may include low-income, sensitive populations7, Tribal, and Indigenous communities, have an opportunity to reap the benefits of revitalization and environmental cleanup. Brownfields Job Training Grants provide funding to attract, train, and retain a skilled local workforce by prioritizing unemployed and underemployed residents of communities impacted by a variety of waste facilities, blighted properties, and contaminated sites.

As described in Section 6 of this announcement, applications will be evaluated based on the extent to which the applicant demonstrates: serving a target area of high-need; designing a training program that is employer-informed, demand-driven, and directly linked to ongoing environmental employment opportunities taking place in the target area; and partnering with and securing hiring commitments from local employers and other stakeholders in the target area.

To date, EPA has funded 431 job training grants totaling approximately $107.8 million through the Brownfields Job Training Program, previously known as the Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Program. As of July 1, 2026, excluding pilot program years, approximately 23,500 individuals completed training, and over 17,300 of those graduates obtained employment in the environmental field. This results in a placement rate of 74%, with starting wages of approximately $16.70 per hour. Over the last five (5) years, the average starting wage was approximately $22.29 per hour.

2. Eligible Uses of Grant Funds

Brownfields Job Training Grant funds can be used for brownfields assessment and cleanup training, as well as training in the areas of community involvement and site preparation for sustainable and equitable reuse and redevelopment. Applicants may choose to deliver a variety of other brownfields-related environmental training activities as listed in the examples below.

Applicants should tailor curricula to the labor market needs of their targeted community. The only required training is OSHA 29 CFR § 1910.120 40-hour HAZWOPER, which includes an in-person personal protective equipment (PPE) component. Applicants proposing an online OSHA 29 CFR § 1910.120 40-hour HAZWOPER course are responsible for ensuring their computer-based training course meets all OSHA requirements and is supplemented with the required in-person training. Beyond this, the applicant should design a curriculum of eligible courses that meets the training needs identified by a local labor market assessment and employer survey.

Eligible participants for Brownfields Job Training must be 18 years of age or older at the time of graduation to be placed into an environmental-related job, as the Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits youth under the age of 18 from being employed in hazardous occupations.

Additionally, a Brownfields Job Training participant must be a U.S. Citizen and/or a Green Card holder permanently residing in the United States and/or its territories.

7 Sensitive populations are those populations that are likely to experience elevated health risks from pollution, including populations based on age (young children and the elderly), pregnant women, and serious disease burden (such as, high rates of cancer, asthma, chronic respiratory disease, coronary heart disease, low birth weights, etc.), as well as low-income populations. See CERCLA § 104(k)(6)(C)(x).

Grant funds must be used for direct programmatic costs associated with implementing a Brownfields Job Training program. Examples of eligible uses of grant funds are listed below.

Please note that this list is intended to be illustrative. Applicants must indicate the specific types of training they propose to deliver in their training program description.

• Personnel costs, including fringe benefits, for instructors to conduct training and other tasks associated with programmatic training.

• Personnel costs for employer engagement activities, including building new employer relationships, working with employers to inform curriculum, involving employers in the training program, securing hiring commitments for graduates, and supporting trainee success in employment following the program.

• Personnel costs for caseworkers or other specialists who work with participants to identify barriers they face to employment, connect them to resources, and support their success in the program and in retaining employment, with support provided for up to one year following the completion of the training program.

• Personnel and data infrastructure costs to support programmatic reporting requirements, performance-management, and program-evaluation.

• Administrative costs (direct costs for grant administration and indirect costs) may not exceed 5% of the total requested EPA funds. EPA considers costs for performance and financial reporting to be allowable programmatic costs that are not subject to the 5% limitation. Costs must be classified as direct or indirect consistently as required by 2 CFR §§ 200.403(d) and 200.412, and applicants may not classify the same cost in both categories.

• Development and refinement of existing curricula for training.

• On-the-job training insurance for trainees.

• Mentorship associated with on-the-job training, such as peer mentors where an experienced employee is paired with a new trainee.

• Costs for recruiting, screening, and placement of individuals in the training program.

• Costs for training materials and work gear associated with the training curriculum.

• Costs associated with health exams (e.g., pulmonary function tests), drug testing, or licensing fees directly related to the training and/or the placement of graduates in environmental work.

• Costs used to cover rental fees associated with training facilities or minor alteration of existing facilities. (Construction costs are not allowable.)

• Costs associated with eligible participant support costs, including for:

o Transportation for trainees for site visits during training or to transport trainees to and from class in the form of stipends or other allowable direct costs (e.g., transportation vouchers or vehicle rental).

o Reasonable stipends to compensate trainees for participating in training. Note that stipends may only be paid for actual time spent in training classes or on-the-job training activities and must not duplicate training support provided through other Federal, state, tribal, or local programs.

o Reasonable childcare subsidies. Note that childcare subsidies must not duplicate childcare support provided through other Federal, state, tribal, or local programs.

In their training program descriptions, applicants should describe the process they will follow for determining the amounts of allowable stipends, procedures for accounting for participant support cost payments (including receipts), and documenting that the costs are allowable and do not duplicate other support for the trainee. Additional information on participant support costs is available in EPA Guidance on Participant Support Costs.

On a limited basis, a Job Training Provider may propose hiring the trainees as W-2 employees when trainees will be participating in eligible on-the-job training (OJT) for the majority of the training period. OJT must consist of eligible training courses. Applicants should include the trainees being hired as employees in the budget personnel and fringe line items. Job Training Grant funds used to hire trainees as employees, plus any other type of participant support costs, may not exceed 40% of the total amount of the total award. EPA reserves the right to reject any request to pay trainees as employees.

3. Eligible Trainings With Brownfields Job Training Grant Funds

Examples of eligible trainings with Brownfields Job Training grant funds are listed below. For more examples and expanded descriptions, please see FAQ F.7. Please note that this list is intended to be illustrative. All training must relate to facilitating the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation. Applicants must indicate the specific types of training they propose to deliver in their training program description.

• Training in the assessment, inventory, analysis, and remediation of sites or facilities at which hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, and petroleum products are located, transported, or disposed, including training for jobs in environmental sampling, demolition, underground storage tank removal, groundwater extraction, site remediation, and equitable development associated with brownfields.

• Training in sustainable deconstruction in preparation of a brownfield site cleanup or redevelopment.

• Training participants in the use of techniques and methods for the cleanup of hazardous substances, petroleum, and pollutants.

• Training in confined space entry.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/documents/epa-guidance-on-participant-support-costs.pdf

• Training in first-aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and how to mitigate safety risks from bloodborne pathogens in a site remediation setting.

• Training in the requirements and implementation of the All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI)

Final Rule, as required in CERCLA § 101(35)(B), and due diligence.8

• Training in radiation safety and the cleanup of uranium mine tailings.

• Training in Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) commercial driver’s license (CDL) 9, forklift, and machine operations associated with the transportation of hazardous waste.

• Training in strategies for environmental mitigation, adaptation, or resiliency as it relates to preparation of brownfield sites for cleanup and subsequent reuse.

• Training in vapor intrusion testing and mitigation.

• Training in site surveying, mapping, blueprint reading, computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), and geographic information systems (GIS).

• Training in “green remediation” technologies, such as phytoremediation, bioremediation, or remediation using soil amendments; advanced sampling instrument operator training;

or training in the reuse of biosolids and other industry residuals.

• Training in stormwater management, as it relates to the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites; green infrastructure installation, management, and maintenance; or low impact development (LID) training for the purpose of preparing a brownfield site for sustainable reuse.

• Training in emergency planning, preparedness, and for emergencies leading to contamination on brownfields sites.

• Training in enhanced environmental health and safety related to site remediation.

4. Ineligible Uses of Grant Funds

Examples of ineligible uses of grant funds are listed below. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. For more examples of ineligible uses of grant funds, please see FAQ F.14. Training that does not directly relate to facilitating the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation is not eligible.

Grant funds may not be used for the following activities:

• Training in general construction skills and trades (e.g., carpentry, plumbing, electricity, etc., relating to constructing buildings).

8 Due diligence is the process for evaluating a property for the potential presence of environmental contamination, and for assessing potential liability for any contamination present at the property.

9 Commercial Driver’s License must be incidental to an overall training course related to hazardous waste transportation. It must not be required or used for any other purpose.

• Training in natural resource extraction or related processes, such as hydraulic fracturing, oil refinery, or mining operations.

• Training that seeks to test a product or is intended to expand a business, or training that is intended to only serve staff of an existing business who are already employed with that business.

• Training in equipment repairs.

• Conducting actual site assessments or cleanups, except within the context of on-the-job training.

• Costs for training individuals who are not citizens, excluding Green Card holders, of the

United States, the territories, U.S. possessions, or lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residency.

• General or life skills, education activities, such as remedial classes in math and reading;

job readiness training, such as developing resumes and acquiring interview skills; GED costs; website development; vehicle or medical insurance.

• Scholarship funds to support students’ enrollment in college courses.

• Providing food or light refreshments to employees, instructors, and trainees - except at graduation ceremonies.

• A penalty or fine.

• Costs that are unallowable (e.g., lobbying and alcoholic beverages) under the Cost

Principles discussed in 2 CFR §§ 200 and 1500, as applicable.

• Grant application preparation costs.

• Matching any other federal funds (unless there is specific statutory authority for the match). Note, CERCLA § 104(k)(7) does not provide the requisite authority. Grant funds may be used to match state or local funds, if authorized by the relevant state statute or local ordinance.

• A cost of compliance with any federal law, excluding the cost of compliance with laws applicable to environmental cleanup.

• Administrative costs, including all indirect costs and direct costs for grant administration in excess of five (5) percent of the total amount of EPA grant funding, with the exception of financial and performance reporting costs (which are considered allowable programmatic costs and not subject to the 5% limitation).

5. Anticipated Outputs/Outcomes

Applicants are required to describe how funding will help EPA achieve outputs and outcomes in their Narrative Criteria Responses in Section 4.D. Outputs and outcomes specific to each project will be identified as deliverables in the negotiated workplan if the application is selected for award. Recipients will be expected to report progress toward the attainment of expected project outputs and outcomes during the project performance period. Outputs and outcomes are defined as follows:

Outputs are an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal or objective that will be produced or provided over time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during the project period. The expected outputs for the grants awarded under these guidelines may include but are not limited to:

• Number of individuals recruited, trained, certified, and placed in environmental careers in communities impacted by solid and hazardous waste sites and facilities. Each grant award is anticipated to result in a minimum job placement rate of 70%. The number of individuals completing training will vary by recipient depending on the comprehensiveness of a curriculum and where the recipient is located (urban versus rural locations where a larger number of individuals may be more easily recruited than locations where recruitment may be more challenging as a result of smaller populations). While EPA does not set requirements for the minimum number of individuals entering and completing training, EPA encourages applicants to maximize the grant funding to train as many individuals as possible while delivering high-quality training to an appropriate number of jobseekers based on the demand in the local labor market. See FAQ F.3., which discusses the average number of individuals trained, and F.4., which discusses the average number of training cycles per year.

• Number of students working in an environmental career one (1) year after the conclusion of the training program.

• Number of classroom style trainings, practical trainings, and curricula modules.

• Number of appropriate certifications and credentials in environmental sampling and site cleanup methods.

• Number of individuals that receive certifications in OSHA 29 CFR § 1910.120 40-hour HAZWOPER training.

• Number of relationships established with employers that are interested in hiring job training graduates.

Outcomes are the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out the activities under the grant. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic;

must be qualitative or quantitative; and may not necessarily be achievable during the project period. EPA anticipates the outcomes from the projects awarded under this announcement may be an increase in the capacity to:

• Help residents of communities take advantage of jobs created by the assessment and cleanup of brownfields and the assessment, cleanup, and management of solid and hazardous waste sites and facilities while addressing sustainable community revitalization concerns.

• Support individuals with significant barriers to employment in gaining competitive job skills and achieving high quality employment to support meaningful economic mobility.

• Provide training that leads to sustainable employment in the environmental field.

• Improve community involvement in environmental projects and stimulate the development of constructive partnerships.

• Reduce exposures to hazardous substances and other contaminants and improve the health of workers,…