r7 uw mbr rfa 7 8 15 final.pdf

FEDERAL AGENCY NAME: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA),

REGION 7

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE: URBAN WATERS MIDDLE BLUE RIVER

AMBASSADOR

ANNOUCEMENT TYPE: REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

RFA NUMBER: EPA-R7WWPD-15-002

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NO: 66.440

DATES:

Proposal submission All proposals must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov as explained further in Section IV. Proposals must be submitted by August 31, 2015 at 10:59 P.M. CDT (equivalent to 11:59 P.M. EDT). Late proposals will not be considered for funding.

Questions submission Questions about this RFA must be submitted in writing via e-mail and must be received by the Agency Contact identified in Section VII, AGENCY CONTACTS, before August 21, 2015.

Evaluation of Proposals: Following the EPA’s evaluation of proposals, all applicants will be notified regarding their status.

Note to Applicants: If you name subawardees/subgrantees and/or contractor(s) in your proposal to assist you with the proposed project, pay careful attention to the information in the CONTRACTS AND SUBAWARDS provisions found at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/solicitation_provisions.htm.

SUMMARY: EPA’s Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program seeks to accelerate and coordinate projects that are critical to improving water quality and public health, restoring forest resources and fostering community stewardship in urban watersheds. A critical component of the UWFP is the Urban Waters Ambassador. The Urban Waters Ambassador locally coordinates with EPA Region 7 and a local steering committee to work with state, local and tribal governments, non-governmental organizations and other local partners/residents to help urban and metropolitan areas connect with their waterways and work to improve them.

FUNDING/AWARDS: The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $165,000. EPA anticipates awarding one assistance agreement from this announcement, subject to availability of funds, the quality of proposals received and other applicable considerations.

http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/solicitation_provisions.htm

CONTENTS BY SECTION

I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Proposal and Submission Information V. Proposal Review Information VI. Award Administration Information VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. BACKGROUND

EPA seeks to fund an award to provide for the coordination and facilitation of projects in the middle reach of the Blue River (Middle Blue River) in the Kansas City, Missouri area, that are critical to improving water quality and public health in this urban watershed. In order for this critical work to occur, an Urban Waters Ambassador is needed locally to support this effort.

The Middle Blue River encompasses the Blue River watershed from the state line road northeast to its confluence with the Missouri River.

The role of the Urban Waters Ambassador for the Middle Blue River area is to coordinate activities in the focus areas identified below that:

• Facilitate coordination of the Middle Blue River local steering committee made up of the following organizations: EPA, US Forest Service, National Park Service, US Geological Survey, MO Dept. of Conservation, KCMO Planning, KCMO Brownfields, KCMO Water Services, The Mid America Regional Council planning organization, and the Heartland Conservation Alliance. The committee meets approximately every 6-8 weeks.

• Connect federal tools and resources with the needs of the Middle Blue River area, and with the need for overall watershed health.

• Serve as a catalyst to successfully complete on-the-ground, short-term projects in the Middle Blue River area.

• Build partnerships with Federal, State, and local government and other partners that will lay a foundation for the Middle Blue River Urban Waters program.

• Facilitate communication with other Ambassadors to share common experiences necessary to help restore the Middle Blue River.

The Middle Blue River Urban Waters program has four focus areas identified by the community at large which include:

• Planning and research related to riparian corridor forest health, conservation, and restoration.

• Coordination of on-the-ground restoration, and community revitalization projects

• Community engagement to support better understanding and use of the Blue River corridor

• Coordination of mapping tools and products

B. SCOPE OF WORK

Proposals should describe how the applicant will coordinate, plan and document activities related to the four Middle Blue River focus areas listed above. Proposals should discuss the following:

1. How the applicant plans to support the existing Middle Blue River steering committee, and expand their reach through connection to other stakeholders in the Blue River Watershed (Kansas City metropolitan area),

2. How the applicant plans to coordinate, facilitate and document Middle Blue River Steering Committee and project related meetings for organization and facilitation of the four focus areas identified in Section I.A,

3. The applicant’s experience with water issues in the Blue River watershed and in the Middle Blue River reach, which include the four focus areas identified in Section I.A,

4. How the applicant plans to document and share project successes and challenges in the four focus areas identified in Section I.A.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria in Section V. The project period is two years.

C. EPA STRATEGIC PLAN LINKAGE AND ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES/OUTPUTS

Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan All proposals must support Goal 2 of EPA’s FY 2014 – 2018 Strategic Plan: Protecting America’s Waters - Protect and Restore Watershed and Aquatic Ecosystems. Information on the FY 2014 – 2018 EPA Strategic Plan is available at http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2014- 2018-strategic-plan.

All proposed projects should demonstrate the linkage to the EPA Strategic Plan and include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the overall goal listed above.

Outputs The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal and objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance agreement funding period.

Examples of expected outputs from the project funded under this solicitation may include, but are not limited to the following: number of stake holder meetings conducted and number outreach to an array of stake holders on the benefits of the above projects.

Progress reports and a final report will also be a required output, as specified in http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2014-2018-strategic-plan http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2014-2018-strategic-plan

Section VI(C) of this announcement, “Reporting Requirement.” Also applicants will need to describe an approach for tracking and reporting your progress toward achieving the expected project output(s).

Outcomes The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature, but must be quantitative. Outcomes may be short term (changes in learning, knowledge, attitude, or skills), intermediate (changes in behavior, practice, or decisions), or long-term (changes in condition of the natural resource). They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period. Applicants will need to describe an approach for tracking and reporting progress toward achieving the expected project outcome(s).

Examples of expected outcomes from the project to be funded under this announcement may include, but are not limited to the following: Knowledge of the urban component of the Middle Blue River watershed (Kansas City, Missouri), including but not limited to water quality, protection and restoration issues.

D. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The statutory authority for the cooperative agreement to be funded under this announcement is Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), Public Law 95-217, 33 U.S.C 1251. The funds will support conducting and promoting the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Implementation projects are not eligible for funding.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING AVAILABLE?

The total estimated funding expected to be available for award under this competitive funding opportunity is approximately $165,000.

B. PARTIAL FUNDING

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund a proposal, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposal, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.

C. HOW MANY AGREEMENTS WILL EPA AWARD IN THIS COMPETITION?

EPA anticipates award of one assistance agreement under this announcement, subject to the availability of funds and quality of evaluated proposals. The EPA reserves the right to make no awards under this announcement.

D. WHAT IS THE PROJECT PERIOD FOR AWARDS RESULTING FROM THIS

SOLICITATION?

The estimated project period for awards resulting from this solicitation will begin January 1, 2016. Proposed project period is two (2) years.

E. TYPE OF FUNDING

It is anticipated that one cooperative agreement will be funded under this announcement. When a cooperative agreement is awarded, EPA will have substantial involvement with the project workplans and budget. Although EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial involvement as part of the award process, the anticipated substantial federal involvement for a project selected may include:

1. Close monitoring of the recipient’s performance to verify the results proposed by the applicant;

2. Collaboration during the performance of the scope of work;

3. In accordance with the applicable regulations (2 CFR 200.317 – 2 CFR 200.326), review of proposed procurements;

4. Review of qualifications of key personnel (EPA does not have authority to select employees or contractors employed by the recipient);

5. Review and comment on tasks/deliverables and reports prepared under the cooperative agreement(s) (the final decision on the content of these reports rests with the recipient).

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES

States, local governments, territories, Indian Tribes, and possessions of the U.S. (including the District of Columbia), public and private universities and colleges, public or private nonprofit institutions/organizations, intertribal consortia, and interstate agencies are eligible to apply.

Individuals, for-profit commercial entities and all federal agencies are not eligible to apply.

Nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act 1995 are not eligible to apply.

The term “interstate agency” is defined in CWA Section 502 as “an agency of two or more States established by or pursuant to an agreement or compact approved by the Congress, or any other agency of two or more States, having substantial powers or duties pertaining to the control of pollution as determined and approved by the Administrator.”

An intertribal consortium is a partnership between two or more tribes that is authorized by the governing bodies of those tribes to apply for and receive assistance (see 40 CFR 35.502.). The intertribal consortium is eligible only if the consortium demonstrates that all of its members meet the eligibility requirements and authorize the consortium to apply for and receive assistance in accordance with 40 CFR 35.504 at the time of proposal submission. An intertribal consortium must submit with its proposal to EPA adequate documentation of the existence of the partnership and the authorization of the consortium by its members to apply for and receive the grant (see 40

CFR 35.504.).

Nonprofit organizations may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the definition of a nonprofit organization in OMB Circular A-122, now at 2 CFR Part 230. The OMB Circular A- 122 is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_a122_2004/. Interstate agencies may be asked to provide a citation to the statutory authority, which establishes their status.

B. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

There are no cost share/match requirements.

C. THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

These are requirements that if not met by the time of proposal submission will result in elimination of the proposal from consideration for funding. Only proposals from eligible entities that meet all of these criteria will be evaluated against the ranking factors in Section V of this announcement. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination

1. Proposals must substantially comply with the proposal submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or else they will be rejected.

However, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the narrative proposal, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed.

2. Proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov as specified in Section IV, PROPOSAL

AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION, of this announcement (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV) on or before the proposal submission deadline published in Section IV of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this announcement to ensure that their proposal is timely submitted.

Proposals submitted after the submission deadline will be considered late and deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was late due to the EPA mishandling or because of technical problems attributable to Grants.gov or relevant Sam.gov system issues and not the applicant. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their proposal through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission. Applicants should confirm receipt of their proposal with http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_a122_2004/ http://grants.gov/

Jennifer Ousley as soon as possible after the submission deadline. Failure to do so may result in your proposal not being reviewed.

3. Proposals must support Goal 2, “Protecting America's Waters” of EPA's Strategic Plan by funding activities to support the Urban Waters Ambassador to improve water quality.

4. Proposals seeking EPA funding in excess of $165,000 will not be reviewed.

D. INELIGIBLE PROJECT ACTIVITIES

If a proposal is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the proposal will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the proposal, render the entire proposal ineligible for funding. In addition, provided below are examples of project activities that are generally not eligible for funding under this announcement.

• Computer purchase

• Cost of office space

IV. PROPOSAL AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. APPLICATION PACKAGES

Applicants can download individual grant application forms, including Standard Forms (SF) 424 and SF 424A, from EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment website at:

http://www.epa.gov/ogd/AppKit/application.htm .

B. FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Proposals must be received through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov), as specified below, on or before the proposal submission deadline below. Proposals submitted electronically via Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) must be submitted to grants.gov by August 31, 2015 10:59 P.M. CDT/11:59 P.M. EST. Late proposals will not be considered for funding.

1. Grants.gov Submission

The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative of your institution/organization who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal assistance. For more information on the registration requirements that must be completed in order to submit an application through Grants.gov, go to http://www.grants.gov and click on “Applicants” on the top of the page and then go to the “Get Registered” link on the page.

If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, please encourage your office to designate an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and ask that individual to begin the registration process as soon as possible. Please note that the registration process also requires that your organization have a DUNS number and a current registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) and the process of obtaining both could take a month or more.

http://www.epa.gov/ogd/AppKit/application.htm http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through Grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the submission deadline. Registration on Grants.gov, SAM.gov, and DUNS number assignment is FREE.

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to http://www.grants.gov and click on “Applicants” on the top of the page and then “Apply for Grants” from the dropdown menu and then follow the instructions accordingly. Please note: To apply through grants.gov, you must use Adobe Reader software and download the compatible Adobe Reader version. For more information about Adobe Reader, to verify compatibility, or to download the free software, please visit http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html.

You may also be able to access the application package for this announcement by searching for the opportunity on http://www.grants.gov. Go to http://www.grants.gov and then click on “Search Grants” at the top of the page and enter the Funding Opportunity Number, EPA- R7WWPD-15-002, or the CFDA number that applies to the announcement (CFDA 66.440), in the appropriate field and click the Search button. Alternatively, you may be able to access the application package for by clicking on the Application Package button at the top right of the synopsis page for the announcement on http://www.grants.gov. To find the synopsis page, go to http://www.grants.gov and click on the “Browse Agencies” button in the middle of the page and then go “Environmental Protection Agency” to find the EPA funding opportunities.

For Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) submission questions, please call the Grants.gov 24-hour helpline at 1-800-518-4726 or visit http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html.

2. Proposal Submission Deadline

Your organization’s AOR must submit your complete application package electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) no later than August 31, 2015 10:59 CDT/11:59 PM EST. Please allow for enough time to successfully submit your application process and allow for unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit.

Please submit all of the application materials described below using the Grants.gov application package that you downloaded using the instructions above. For additional instructions on completing and submitting the electronic application package, click the “Show Instructions” tab that is accessible within the application package itself.

3. CONTENT OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The following forms and documents are required to be submitted under this announcement:.

Please be sure to include the organization fax number and email address in Block 5 of the Standard Form SF 424. The forms are available at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/AppKit/application.htm .

• Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance

• Standard Form 424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html

• Standard Form 424B, Non-Construction Programs

• Standard Form 6600-06, Certification Regarding Lobbying

• EPA Form 4700-4, Pre-Award Compliance Review Report for All Applicants Requesting

Federal Financial Assistance

• EPA Form 5700-54, Key Contacts Form

• Narrative Proposal (as described below)

1. Signed Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance

Complete the form. There are no attachments. Please be sure to include organization fax number and email address in Block 5 of the Standard Form (SF) 424.

Please note that the organizational Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number must be included on the SF 424. Organizations may obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or by visiting the website at www.dnb.com.

2. SF 424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs

Complete the form. There are no attachments. The total amount of federal funding requested for the project period should be shown on line 5(e) and on line 6(k) of SF-424A. The amount of indirect costs should be entered on line 6(j). The indirect cost rate (i.e., a percentage), the base (e.g., personnel costs and fringe benefits), and the amount should also be indicated on line 22.

*The selected applicant will need to submit a copy of their current indirect cost rate that has been negotiated with a federal cognizant agency during application phase.

3. Narrative proposal

The Narrative Proposal (including sections A-G below) cannot exceed a maximum of 10 double spaced typewritten 8.5x11-inch pages (a page is one side of paper). Pages in excess of 10 double spaced pages will not be considered.

Pages should be consecutively numbered for ease of reading. It is recommended that applicants use a standard 12-point type with 1-inch margins and that applicants format their proposal narrative as described below for ease of reading. Supporting materials (resumes and letters of support) can be submitted as attachments and are not included in the 10-page limit.

A. Summary Page

1. Project Title

2. Applicant Information. Include applicant (organization) name, address, contact person, phone number, fax and e-mail address.

3. Funding Requested. Specify the amount you are requesting from EPA.

4. Total Project Cost. Specify total cost of the project.

5. Project period. Provide beginning and ending dates.

http://www.dnb.com/

B. Project Approach and Description

This should describe how the proposed project meets the guidelines established in Sections I-III (including I.B) of this announcement, and address each of the evaluation criteria set forth in Section V. It should contain the following components.

1. Description of the applicant’s organization and experience related to the proposed project.

2. Description of the roles of the applicant and any partners.

3. Description of how the applicant will promote the Middle Blue River Urban Waters program, as described in Section 1(B) Scope of Work. The project description should include the following components and address the activities identified in Section I.B:

a. Experience supporting committees and expanding their reach through connection to other stakeholders

b. experience and knowledge convening, coordinating, and facilitating local

/stakeholder meetings to an array of stakeholders,

c. experience with and knowledge of water issues in the Middle Blue River (Kansas

City, Missouri area)

d. experience and knowledge documenting and communicating project successes and challenges with community partner organizations and community members, C. Milestones Provide a projected milestone schedule for the proposed project period (two years). The milestone schedule should provide a breakout of the project activities into phases with associated tasks, a timeframe for completion of each phase and task. It should also include an approach for ensuring that awarded funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner. The project start date will follow award acceptance by the successful applicant.

D. Environmental Results—Measuring Progress

1. Stated Objective/Link to EPA Strategic Plan - List the objective of the project and the linkage to the EPA Strategic Plan Goal 2: Protecting America’s Waters - Protect and Restore Watershed and Aquatic Ecosystems (see Section I.C of this announcement).

2. Results of Activities (Outputs) - Describe the anticipated products/results which are expected to be achieved from accomplishment of the project, and describe an approach for tracking and reporting your progress toward achieving the expected project output(s) (examples of outputs can be found in Section I.C of this announcement).

3. Projected Environmental Improvement (Outcomes) - List the anticipated environmental improvements that will be accomplished as a result of the project.

These improvements are changes or benefits to the environment or public health which are a result of the accomplishment of the work plan commitments and outputs.

Describe an approach for tracking and reporting progress toward achieving the expected project outcome(s) (examples of outcomes can be found in Section I.C of this announcement).

E. Programmatic Capability

1. Organizational Experience – Provide a brief description of your organization and experience related to the proposed project and your organization’s infrastructure as it relates to its ability to successfully implement the proposed project.

2. Staff Expertise/Qualifications – Provide a list of key staff and briefly describe their experience/expertise/qualifications and knowledge, and your organization’s resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the project. Include an estimate of the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) workers (based on 2080 hours per year/FTE). If you choose to identify any partner organizations who will receive subawards or procurement contracts (including consultants) please refer to Section IVE before doing so as the EPA will not consider their qualifications unless you select them in compliance with applicable regulations and provisions. Resumes of applicant’s key staff (no more than two pages each) are also encouraged and are not counted against the 10 page limit on the Narrative Proposal.

F. Past Performance Briefly describe federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include grants and cooperative agreements but not contracts) similar in size, scope, and relevance to the proposed project that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than five agreements, and preferably EPA agreements) and:

1. Describe whether, and how, you were able to successfully complete and manage those agreements.

2. Describe your history of meeting the reporting requirements under those agreements including submitting acceptable final technical reports.

3. Describe how you documented and/or reported on whether you were making progress towards achieving the expected results (i.e., outputs and outcomes) under those agreements. If you were not making progress, please indicate whether, and how, you documented why not.

Note: In evaluating an applicant’s past performance, the Agency will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources, including information from EPA files and/or from current and prior federal agency grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information provided by the applicant). If you do not have any relevant or available past performance information, please indicate this in the proposal and you will receive a neutral score for these factors under Section V. Failure to provide any past performance information, or to include a statement that you do not have any relevant or available past performance information, may result in a zero score for these factors (see also Section V).

G.. Detailed Budget Narrative Provide a detailed itemized budget proposal using the example below, justifying the expenses for each of the following categories being performed within the grant/project period. Indicate what portion of the cost will be paid by EPA, and what portion will be paid by the applicant or other partners (if applicable).

Break out budget by year.

1. Personnel: Indicate salaries and wages, by job title of all individuals who will be supplemented with these funds.

2. Fringe Benefits: Indicate all mandated and voluntary benefits to be supplemented with these funds

3. Travel: Indicate number of individuals traveling, destination, number of trips, and reason for travel. Travel costs associated to having one representative from the recipient organization attend the Urban Waters Small Grants National Training Workshop must be included if the recipient plans to use cooperative agreement funds for travel expenses to the National Training Workshop (See Section VI.G ).

4. Equipment: Identify items to be purchased.

5. Supplies: Indicate any items to be purchased that will be used in support of the project workplan objectives. (Note that the purchase of computers is not an eligible activity (See Section III).

6. Contractual: Indicate any proposed contractual items and details that are reasonable and necessary to carry out the workplan objectives. Please note that contracts must be competed in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317- 2 CFR 200.326as applicable. An example of contractual items includes training from equipment manufacturer.

7. Other: Indicate general (miscellaneous) expenses necessary to carry out the objectives stated in the workplan. (Note that office space is not an eligible activity. See Section

III.)

8. Total Direct Charges: Summary of all costs associated with each object-class category.

9. Total Indirect Costs: Organization must provide documentation of a federally approved indirect cost rate (percentage) reflective of proposed project/grant period. If the organization has no approved rate, the applicant should indicate if organization is in negotiations with their cognizant federal agency to obtain a new rate.

10. Total Cost: Indicate overall figure of all direct and indirect costs.

H. Supporting Materials.

The supporting materials listed below are not included in the 10-page limit for the narrative proposal. Supporting materials beyond those listed below will not be reviewed.

1. Resumes. Provide resumes for all principal investigators and any other key personnel.

2. Support Letters. Applicant may provide letters of support.

D. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

Proposals submitted electronically via Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) must be received on or before August 31, 2015 10:59P.M. CDT/11:59 P.M. EST. Late proposals will not be considered for funding.

E. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS THAT APPLY TO THIS SOLICITATION

Additional provisions that apply to the proposals and awards made under this solicitation can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/solicitation_provisions.htm. These provisions include but are not limited to: management fees, contracts and subawards under grants, and programmatic capability and past performance. The provisions found at the website link are important and applicants must review them when preparing proposals for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

V. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION

Only eligible entities whose proposals meet the threshold criteria in Section III of this announcement will be reviewed according to the evaluation criteria set forth below. Applicants should directly and explicitly address these criteria as part of their proposal package submittal.

Each proposal will be rated under a points system, with a total of 100 points possible.

A. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Criteria Maximum Points

Criterion 1: Project Approach and Description Under this criterion, proposals will be evaluated on the extent and quality to which the following areas are addressed in the narrative proposal:

i. How the applicant plans to support the existing Middle Blue River steering committee, and expand their reach through connection to other stakeholders in the Blue River Watershed (Kansas City metropolitan area) (15 points)

ii. How the applicant plans to coordinate, facilitate and document Middle Blue River Steering Committee and project related meetings for organization and facilitation of the four focus areas identified in Section I.A, (15 points)

iii. The applicant’s knowledge and experience with water issues in the Middle Blue River watershed, which include the four focus areas identified in Section I.A, (10 points) http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/solicitation_provisions.htm iv How the applicant plans to document and share project successes and challenges in the four focus areas identified in Section I.A. (10 points) Criterion 2: Environmental Results and Measuring Progress Under this criterion, proposals will be evaluated based on each of these sub-criteria:

i. The extent and quality to which the proposal demonstrates the potential to achieve environmental results (anticipated outputs and outcomes) and how the outcomes are linked to the EPA’s Strategic Plan. (10 points),

ii. The extent and quality to which the proposal demonstrates a sound plan for measuring and tracking progress toward achieving the anticipated outputs and outcomes (examples of outputs and outcomes can be found in Section I.C of this announcement). (10 points)

Criterion 3: Milestone Schedule/Detailed Budget Under this criterion, proposals will be evaluated based on the extent and quality to which the applicant addresses each of the following sub-criteria:

i. Applicants will be evaluated based on the adequacy and completeness of the milestone schedule, including timeframes and milestones to complete project phases and tasks and an approach to ensure that awarded funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner. (5 points)

ii. Applicants will be evaluated based on the adequacy of the information provided in the detailed and itemized budget and whether the proposed costs are reasonable and allowable. (5 points)

Criterion 4: Programmatic Capability Under this criterion, proposals will be evaluated based on the applicant’s ability to successfully complete and manage the proposed project considering their:

i. Organizational experience related to the proposed project, and their infrastructure as it relates to the ability to successfully implement the proposed project. (5 points)

ii. Staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the project. (5 points)

Criterion 5: Past Performance Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their ability to successfully complete and manage the proposed project taking into account their:

i. Past performance in successfully completing and managing federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include grants and cooperative agreements but not contracts) similar in size and scope to the proposed project performed within the last three years (no more than five agreements, and preferably EPA agreements). (4 points)

ii. History of meeting reporting requirements under federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include grants and cooperative agreements but not contracts) similar in size and scope to the proposed project performed within the last three years (no more than five agreements, and preferably EPA agreements) and submitting acceptable final technical reports under those agreements. (4 points)

iii. Extent and quality to which they adequately documented and/or reported on their progress towards achieving the expected results (e.g., outcomes and outputs) under federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include grants and cooperative agreements but not contracts) performed within the last three years (no more than five agreements, and preferably EPA agreements), and if such progress was not being made, whether the applicant adequately documented and/or reported why not. (2 points)

Note: In evaluating applicants under (i), (ii) and (iii) above, the EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources including Agency files and/or prior/current grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information supplied by the applicant). Applicants with no relevant or available past performance information or reporting history must indicate that in the proposal and they will receive a neutral score for the factor (i.e., 2 points for item (i), 2 points for item (ii), and 1 points for item (iii)). ). Failure to provide any past performance information, or to include a statement that you do not have any relevant or available past performance information, may result in a zero score for these factors (see also Section V).

Total 100

B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

All proposals received by EPA by the submission deadline will first be screened by EPA staff against the threshold eligibility criteria in Section III of the announcement. Proposals that do not pass the threshold eligibility review under Section III will not be evaluated further or considered for funding.

A panel comprised of EPA staff will review the eligible proposals based on the evaluation criteria listed in Section V.A. Each proposal will be given a numerical score and will be rank-ordered according to the numerical score. The ranking list will be provided to the Selection Official who makes the final funding decisions.

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

Following evaluation of proposals, all applicants will be notified regarding their status.

EPA reserves the right to negotiate and/or adjust the final grant amount and workplan prior to award, as appropriate and consistent with Agency policy including the Policy for Competition of Assistance Agreements, EPA Order 5700.5A1.

In addition, successful applicants will be required to certify that they have not been Debarred or Suspended from participation in federal assistance awards in accordance with 40 CFR Part 32.

B. PROPOSAL NOTIFICATIONS

1. EPA anticipates notification to the successful applicant will be made via telephone or electronic or postal mail by September 18, 2015. The notification will be sent to the original signer of the proposal or the project contact listed in the proposal. This notification, which informs the applicant that its proposal has been selected and is being recommended for award, is not an authorization to begin work. The official notification of an award will be made by EPA Region 7. Applicants are cautioned that only a grants officer is authorized to bind the Government to the expenditure of funds; selection does not guarantee an award will be made. For example, statutory authorization, funding or other issues discovered during the award process may affect the ability of EPA to make an award to an applicant. The award notice, signed by an EPA grants officer, is the authorizing document and will be provided through electronic or postal mail. The successful applicant may need to prepare and submit additional documents and forms (e.g., work plan), which must be approved by EPA, before the grant can officially be awarded. The time between notification of selection and award of a grant can take up to 90 days or longer.

2. EPA anticipates notification to unsuccessful applicant(s) will be made via electronic mail by approximately September 18, 2015. The notification will be sent to the original signer of the Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance.

C. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENT

A listing and description of general EPA Regulations applicable to the award of assistance agreements may be viewed at:

http://www.epa.gov/ogd/AppKit/applicable_epa_regulations_and_description.htm

Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs may be applicable to awards, resulting from this announcement. Applicants selected for funding may be required to provide a copy of their proposal to their State Point of Contact (SPOC) for review, pursuant to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs. This review is not required with the Initial Proposal and not all states require such a review.

D. REPORTING REQUIREMENT

Quarterly progress reports and a detailed final report will be required. Quarterly reports summarizing technical progress, planned activities for reporting period and summary of expenditures are required. The final report shall be completed within 90 calendar days of the completion of the period of performance. The final report should include: summary of the project or activity, advances achieved and costs of the project or activity. In addition, the final report shall discuss the problems, successes, and lessons learned from the project or activity that could help overcome structural, organizational or technical obstacles to implementing a similar project http://www.epa.gov/ogd/AppKit/applicable_epa_regulations_and_description.htm elsewhere. The schedule for submission of quarterly reports will be established by EPA after award.

E. DISPUTES

Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005) which can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/resolution.htm. Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting the person listed in Section VII of the announcement.

F. INDIRECT COSTS

If a non-profit organization had not previously established an indirect cost rate, it will need to prepare its indirect cost rate proposal and/or cost allocation plan in accordance with Appendix IV to part 200 “Indirect (F& A) Costs and Identification and Assignments, and Rate Determination for Non Profit Organizations” The non-profit organization shall submit its initial indirect cost proposal immediately after the organization is advised that an award will be made and, in no event, not later than three months after the effective date of the award. Organizations that have previously established an indirect cost rate with a federal agency shall submit a new indirect cost proposal to the cognizant agency within six months after the close of the fiscal year.

G. TRAINING

Grant recipient will be required to attend any EPA-sponsored Urban Waters Training. It is anticipated that a workshop will take place over a period of up to 2 days during this two year period in the Washington, DC area. One representative from the recipient organization should plan to attend. The purpose of this training is to help the recipient with strategic planning, as well as afford grantees numerous opportunities to learn from their peers and other experts. The recipient will be allowed to use cooperative agreement funds to pay for travel (this may include airfare), per diem, and lodging. If the recipient plans to use cooperative agreement funds for travel expenses to the National Training Workshop, these costs must be included as estimated in the submitted proposed budget.

H. URBAN WATERS LEARNING NETWORK

Recipient will become part of the Urban Waters Learning Network. The goal of the Network is to create and promote sharing of effective practices, provide technical assistance, and offer learning opportunities to urban waters practitioners located across the country. The Network includes nearly 100 members that are working to improve their impaired urban water resources, and represents a variety of organizations, including local watershed organizations, community groups, tribal, and local governments.

The Network provides periodic peer-support conference calls on specific topics, webinars and virtual trainings, and convenes for in-person trainings. Membership to the Network is provided to all Urban Waters Small Grants recipients.

http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/resolution.htm

Within the first 30 days of receipt of the award, Urban Waters Small Grants recipients are required to join Basecamp.com (http://urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org/), the Learning Network virtual platform for network communications.

I. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS THAT APPLY TO THIS SOLICITATION

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including but not limited to those related to DUNS, SAM, copyrights, disputes, and administrative capability, can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/solicitation_provisions.htm. These, and the other provisions that can be found at the website link, are important, and applicants must review them when preparing proposals for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please communicate with the EPA contact listed in this solicitation to obtain the provisions

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

As necessary, please contact:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 ATTN: Jennifer Ousley ousley.jennifer@epa.gov 913 551 7498

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

The EPA Award Official is the only official that can bind the Agency to the expenditure of funds for selected projects resulting from this announcement.

http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/solicitation_provisions.htm mailto:ousley.jennifer@epa.gov