Questions and Responses.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED#

Question Response Once the MoP is created and the project completed, who has the copyrights to this MoP? Does the content stay and belong to MCC or partner organization?

The recipient may retain the entire right, title, and interest throughout the world to each subject invention, subject to this provision. With respect to any subject invention in which the recipient retains title, the U.S.

Government must have a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid‐up license to practice or have practiced for or on behalf of the U.S. Government the subject invention throughout the world, and to sublicense others to do the same. The recipient agrees to include, within the specification of any United States patent application and any patent issuing thereon covering a subject invention, the following statement: "This invention was made with U.S. Government support under (identify the agreement awarded by MCC). The U.S. Government has certain rights in this invention."

Would the partner orgranization be able to sell the MoP? Yes, as agreed to in the Cooperative Agreement.

X is not‐for‐profit, and X is an S Corporation for profit entity. What is the cost in this case? I presume it will be 25% based on the status of X. Please confirm.

Yes, it is based on the prime.

Can honorarium expenses be part of this grant? Is there a dollar amount limit to honorarium expense?

Yes, it must be allocable to support the program. The amount must be within industry standard and fair and reasonable.

Can indirect cost be added to honorarium expenses? It will depend on how the cost is applied.

Can the MoP be added to the partner organization’s website and hosted by the partner organization?

Yes.

Is partner organization able to run workshops to disseminate this MoP Yes as agreed to in the Cooperative Agreement.

Can indirect cost be added to the entire grant amount? Indirect costs must be incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. To facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost objectives served, it may be necessary to establish a number of pools of indirect costs. Indirect cost pools must be distributed to benefitted cost objectives on bases that will produce an equitable result in consideration of relative benefits derived.

The APS references collaboration with “leading accrediting or standards agencies in civil engineering” (pages 12 and 13). Does MCC have the expectation that one or more of the global entities responsible for developing ESG‐related tools and standards for sustainable infrastructure will be a part of a teams’ submission?

In order to be adopted by the broader community of practice (e.g. engineers, project managers), there has to be a level of credibility associated with the NbS design criteria. This can be a standard, best practices or design criteria or methodologies that improve overall integration and performance of NbS into engineering or program design.

Some of this can be proposed in the concept notes and/or refined jointly with MCC during the co‐creation. It is up to the firm to propose how they would develop a recognized approach that would serve the engineering or project community in integrating NbS into project design.

Can MCC better define “performance‐driven engineering approaches” (page 13)? Is the expectation that the MoP will be sufficiently detailed so as to include NBS‐related engineering specifications for civil works projects across infrastructure sub‐sectors (e.g. water supply, transport, energy, etc).

MCC acknowledges that engineering firms incorporating nature‐based solutions need to meet design‐ specification in order to be able to certify that the solutions meet certain design thresholds (e.g. nature‐ based solutions is designed to a flood return event criteria). MCC recognizes that there are challenges to meeting this level of performance in NbS designs.

Can the MoP be printed on paper in the form of a book and sold to the public? Yes.

Will the partner organization be referred to in the MoP? Yes.

Can we conduct our own webinars, training, or conferences to disseminate the MoP ? Yes as agreed in the Cooperative Agreement.

Who will have ownership of the MoP? The recipient may retain the entire right, title, and interest throughout the world to each subject invention, subject to this provision. With respect to any subject invention in which the recipient retains title, the U.S.

Government must have a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid‐up license to practice or have practiced for or on behalf of the U.S. Government the subject invention throughout the world, and to sublicense others to do the same. The recipient agrees to include, within the specification of any United States patent application and any patent issuing thereon covering a subject invention, the following statement: "This invention was made with U.S. Government support under (identify the agreement awarded by MCC). The U.S. Government has certain rights in this invention."

Is this a federal grant? If not, what is it classified as? Federal Cooperative Agreement in accordance with 2CFR200.

Can we work with a sub‐recipient? Yes.

Does a sub‐recipient incur indirect costs? Yes, if incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. To facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost objectives served, it may be necessary to establish a number of pools of indirect costs. Indirect cost pools must be distributed to benefitted cost objectives on bases that will produce an equitable result in consideration of relative benefits derived.

Can a guide be developed from the MoP and be sold to the public? Yes as agreed in the Cooperative Agreement.

Can indirect cost be applied to the entire MCC funding or only portions of the grant? Only portions of the grant that are incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. To facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost objectives served, it may be necessary to establish a number of pools of indirect costs. Indirect cost pools must be distributed to benefitted cost objectives on bases that will produce an equitable result in consideration of relative benefits derived.

How does MCC define Nature Based Solutions? MCC is using a modified version of the NbS definition from the Nature‐based Solution Handbook (Source:

Somarakis, Giorgos & Stagakis, Stavros & Chrysoulakis, Nektarios. (2019). ThinkNature Nature‐Based Solutions Handbook. 10.26225/jerv‐w202.):

Nature‐based solutions (NBS) are actions inspired by, supported by or copied from nature, which deploy various natural features and processes, are resource efficient and adapted to systems into diverse spatial areas, facing social, environmental and economic challenges. The main goals of NBS are the enhancement of sustainable development, the restoration of degraded ecosystems, the development of climate change adaptation and mitigation and the improvement of risk management and resilience. Moreover, NBS address global challenges, directly connected to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). NBS provide multiple benefits and have been identified as critical for the regeneration and improvement of well‐being, coastal resilience, multi‐functional watershed management and ecosystem restoration. They also increase the sustainability of matter and energy use, enhance the insurance value of ecosystems and increase carbon sequestration.

Due to MCC’s large portfolio focused on infrastructure, integrating nature‐based solutions with engineering designs will be critical for this partnership. For that reason, the other terms that MCC used in this APS and during the call was Engineering with Nature and gray/green infrastructure. Both those terms, while having some slight nuances, can be captured with the following definition of “Engineering with Nature”:

“Engineering with Nature is the intentional alignment of natural and engineering processes to efficiently and sustainably deliver economic, environmental, and social benefits through collaboration.” (Source:

https://ewn.erdc.dren.mil/, last accessed: March 14, 2024)

Would MOP offered open to the public? or offered for pay by the partner organization or others? It will be as agreed in the Cooperative Agreement.

Is a preference for selecting non‐profit entities over for‐profit entities No, there is no preference.

Is there a template for the concept paper? See D.3.1. STAGE I – CONCEPT PAPER REQUIRED FORMAT What is the cost sharing for this NOFO NbS? The standard APS match of 25% for non‐profits and 1:1 for for‐profits applies.