rfa - tribal pesticide program council technical support 4-6-15.pdf

US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs

Funding Opportunity Announcement:

Tribal Pesticide Program Council (TPPC) Technical Support

(EPA-OPP-2015-002)

April 6, 2015

Funding Opportunity Announcement: Tribal Pesticide Program Council (TPPC) Technical Support

Overview Information The following list provides key information concerning this funding opportunity:

A. Federal Agency and Office Name: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of

Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)

B. Funding Opportunity Title: Tribal Pesticide Program Council (TPPC) Technical Support

C. Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OPP-2015-002

D. Announcement Type: Request for Applications (RFA) - Initial Announcement

E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.716-Surveys, Studies, Investigations, Training, Demonstration & Education Outreach

F. Statutory Authority: Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Section

20.

G. Dates: Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. If an applicant does not have the technical capability to apply electronically through grants.gov because of limited or no Internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials to www.grants.gov, the applicant must contact OGDWaivers@epa.gov or the address listed below in writing (e.g., hard copy, email) at least 15 calendar days prior to the submission deadline under this announcement to request approval to submit their application materials through an alternate method. (See Section IV letter B, “How to Submit Applications,” and Section IV letter C, “Alternate Submission Method,” for further instructions). Grants.gov submissions must be made on or before May 21, 2015 by midnight Eastern Time. EPA will not accept applications submitted via fax, email, or 1st Class Mail delivery by U.S. Postal Service. Applications received after the closing date and time will NOT be considered for funding.

H. Brief Description: The Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is soliciting applications to provide technical assistance to the TPPC from eligible states; U.S. territories or possessions;

federally recognized Indian tribal governments and Native American organizations; public and private universities and colleges; hospitals, laboratories, other public or private nonprofit institutions; and local governments for the performance period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2020.

Under this program, OPP will provide financial assistance on an annual basis to support the TPPC with technical assistance. The total estimated amount of funding for the cooperative agreement for the five-year period is up to $1.1 million. For any meetings held at EPA offices, there will be an additional $4,000 in-kind contribution for the use of EPA conference

Funding Opportunity No. EPA-OPP-2015-002 http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:OGDWaivers@epa.gov rooms and AV equipment for each year of the five-year period. Up to $300,000 is expected to be available from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016. Incremental funding up to $200,000 will be made available for subsequent years depending on funding availability, satisfactory performance and other applicable considerations, allowing the project to continue for a total of five years.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. History

The TPPC was formed in 1999 as a forum for tribes and Alaska Native Villages to present their pesticide issues and concerns to EPA, and to discuss approaches for resolving them at the national level. The TPPC also provides a forum for tribes and Alaska Native Villages to provide input in developing policies that would strengthen their pesticide programs, provide guidance for tribes that do not have such programs, and provide networking opportunities and support for tribal pesticide regulators. The TPPC serves as a tribal counterpart to the State-FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group (SFIREG).

The TPPC has developed a reputation as a very effective tribal environmental organization. The TPPC includes about 40 authorized representatives from about 30 federally recognized tribes and Indian nations and intertribal organizations. The TPPC is governed by an 11-member elected Executive Committee (EC), and an elected Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.

B. Authority

EPA expects to award assistance agreements under the authority provided in Section 20 of FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. 136r which authorizes the Agency to issue assistance agreements for research, public education, training, monitoring, demonstration and studies. The recipient will primarily support FIFRA by (1) helping to discern high-priority, pesticide-related areas of tribal interest important to the TPPC and developing a plan to address these areas; (2) developing an effective communication, public relations and outreach program to effectively interact with both tribal and non-tribal pesticide organizations; (3) in cooperation with the TPPC and the EPA Project Officer, obtaining, developing, delivering and/or facilitating pesticide-related training for the TPPC that respects tribal sovereignty and is culturally appropriate; (4) working with the TPPC to develop and enter into Memorandums of Agreement or Understanding with other tribal and non-tribal organizations regarding pesticide issues; and (5) working with EPA to develop a tribally driven agenda for tribal pesticide program needs and concerns.

Regulations governing these agreements are found at 2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500. All costs incurred under this program must be allowable under 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E. In accordance with applicable law, regulation, and policy, any recipient of funding must agree to comply with restrictions on using assistance funds for unauthorized lobbying, fund-raising, or political activities (i.e., lobbying members of Congress or lobbying for other federal grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts). See e.g. 2 CFR 200.450. Funds generally cannot be used to pay for travel by federal agency staff. Proposed project activities must also comply with all state and federal regulations applicable to the project area. The applicant must also review the solicitation for any other programmatic funding restrictions applicable to this program. If awarded funding, the recipient must refer to the terms and conditions of its award for other funding restrictions applicable to its award. It is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure compliance with these requirements.

C. Program Description

1. Purpose

The cooperative agreement awarded under this program is intended to provide financial assistance to support the TPPC as it raises tribal pesticide program implementation issues to EPA; offers input on EPA pesticide rules, guidance, policies, programs, etc. that affect tribes and Alaska Native Villages; offers a network for tribal pesticide officials to share information; promotes and enhances tribal pesticide program development; and builds and maintains effective partnerships among a variety of tribal, state and non-governmental organizations to advance tribal pesticide programs and target solutions to specific situations.

2. Goals and Objectives

EPA expects the recipient to use funding provided under this solicitation to provide technical assistance to the TPPC.

3. Activities to be Funded

Funds to provide technical assistance for the TPPC under this cooperative agreement may be used, as funds allow, to:

• Administer meeting preparations, facilitate effective meetings, and follow up those meetings:

o Assist with planning, developing agendas, and communicating meeting dates and agendas.

o Make, or assist in making, all travel arrangements for TPPC representatives for the biannual full TPPC meetings, EC and Working Group meetings. This includes arranging for meeting space and facilities and hotel arrangements.

o Provide funding for all travel-related expenses, such as travel, airfare, hotel and per-diem.

o Notify TPPC members, EPA headquarters, EPA’s American Indian Environmental Office, the National and Regional Tribal Operations Committees, SFIREG, and other interested parties of TPPC meetings.

o Prepare minutes for all TPPC meetings, and after approval by the EC, send them and any appropriate attachments to TPPC members, EPA headquarters and regions, and other interested parties.

• Work with SFIREG to ensure good communication and coordination between tribes and states on pesticide issues while maintaining tribal sovereignty and respecting cultural differences.

• Help the TPPC analyze tribal pesticide issues and develop comments on EPA pesticide rules, guidance, policies, programs, etc. that affect tribes.

• Help the TPPC discern other high-priority, pesticide-related areas of import to tribes and develop a plan to address those areas.

• Develop an effective communication, public relations and outreach program to interact effectively with a variety of stakeholders, including tribes, tribal organizations, all levels of tribal and state governments and non-governmental organizations in ways that would advance tribal pesticide programs and target solutions to specific situations.

• In cooperation with the EC and the EPA Project Officer, help define training needs and facilitate the obtaining, developing, delivering and/or facilitating of pesticide-related training for the TPPC that respects tribal sovereignty and is culturally appropriate.

• Work with the TPPC to develop and enter into Memorandums of Agreement or understanding with other tribal and non-tribal organizations regarding pesticide issues.

• Maintain up-to-date TPPC databases, mailing lists and files.

• Assist the TPPC with maintaining the TPPC web site as a resource for TPPC members and other tribes in support of tribal pesticide programs.

• Serve as a clearinghouse for TPPC member tribal pesticide codes, laws, regulations, and policies, as well as pesticide education and training materials.

• Respond to phone inquiries relating to TPPC meetings and other TPPC matters.

• On occasion, distribute materials generated by EPA to all TPPC members upon request.

• Help TPPC member tribes keep abreast of funding opportunities for pesticide programs and deadlines attached to those opportunities.

• Work annually with the EC to assist in preparation of a proposed budget for the

TPPC; coordinate with the TPPC elected Chairperson and EC in finalizing any proposed budget and working out the details for approval and funding; and provide financial reporting to the TPPC as required by the TPPC and the EC.

• Meet quarterly with the EC to evaluate progress under the work plan, including expenditures against budget.

• Review for accuracy all requests for disbursement of funds and supporting documentation; issue checks, with the signed approval of the TPPC Chairperson;

ensure that reimbursement for expenses when properly presented and documented is provided within 30 days.

• Prepare reports for EPA as required by the cooperative agreement.

• Act as Project Manager for the TPPC, serving as the Administrative Contact for the TPPC with EPA, including the OPP Liaison and Project/Grants Manager.

• Administer the appointments process for filling vacancies on any work groups.

D. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage and Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes

1. Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan/GPRA Architecture

The award to be made under this announcement will support EPA Strategic Plan Goal 4:

Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution, Objective 4.1: Ensure Chemical Safety. To see EPA’s 2014-2018 Strategic Plan, visit http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy- 2014-2018-strategic-plan.

2. Outputs

The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work products 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.

The anticipated output of this grant is to provide technical assistance to the TPPC, including analysis, summary and characterization of tribal pesticide issues; assisting the TPPC in developing comments on EPA pesticide rules, guidance, policies, programs, etc. that affect tribes; and, as funds allow, other activities described in Section I.C.3.

3. 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 and correlate with the objectives of the TPPC technical support grantee. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period.

Examples of anticipated outcomes include:

a. Increased partnerships among EPA, tribes and states involved in various aspects of pesticide regulatory programs;

b. Where appropriate, increased communication and coordination among tribes and states on pesticide issues that respects tribal sovereignty and cultural differences;

c. Enhanced opportunities for tribes to communicate their tribal pesticide concerns to EPA so that the Agency and the tribes can collaborate effectively as “co-regulators” to protect human health and the environment in Indian country and Alaska Native Villages; and

d. Enhanced capabilities of tribal participants through increased knowledge of how to implement quality pesticide regulatory programs, leading to better protection of human health and the environment in Indian country and Alaska Native Villages.

II. Award Information

A. Amount of Funding Available

The total estimated amount available for award under this announcement is up to $1.1 million, depending on availability of funds. EPA anticipates awarding up to $300,000 for the performance period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. At the conclusion of the first-year http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2014-2018-strategic-plan http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2014-2018-strategic-plan period of performance, incremental funding of up to $200,000 may be made available for each additional year, allowing the project to continue for a total of five years, depending on Agency priorities, available funding levels, satisfactory performance of the recipient and other applicable considerations. EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards.

B. Total Number of Awards

EPA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement subject to the availability of funds and quality of evaluated applications, and other applicable considerations. In addition, EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of the original selection.

C. Partial Funding

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

D. Start Date/Project Duration

The estimated project period for the award resulting from this solicitation will begin on July 1, 2015. The proposed project period is up to five years.

E. Funding Type

Successful applicants will be issued a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is an assistance agreement that is used when there is substantial federal involvement with the recipient during the performance of an activity or project. EPA awards cooperative agreements for those projects in which it expects to have substantial involvement with the recipient throughout the performance of the project. EPA will negotiate the precise terms and conditions of “substantial involvement” as part of the award process. Federal involvement may include close monitoring of the recipient’s performance; collaboration during the performance of the scope of work; in accordance with 2 CFR §200.324 as appropriate, review of proposed procurements; reviewing qualifications of key personnel; and/or review and comment on the content of printed or electronic publications prepared. 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.

F. Pre-award Costs

In accordance with 2 CFR 1500.8, EPA award recipients may incur allowable project costs 90 calendar days before the federal awarding agency makes the federal award. Expenses more than 90 calendar days pre-award require prior approval of EPA. All costs incurred before EPA makes the award are at the recipient’s risk. EPA is under no obligation to reimburse such costs if for any reason the recipient does not receive a federal award or if the federal award is less than anticipated and inadequate to cover such costs.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

The following entities are eligible to submit applications under this announcement: states; U.S.

territories or possessions; federally recognized Indian tribal governments and Native American organizations; public and private universities and colleges; hospitals, laboratories, other public or private nonprofit institutions; and local governments.

Non-profit organizations, as defined by 2 CFR 200.70, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations.

For-profit organizations are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity. Non-profit 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 of 1995 also are not eligible to apply.

B. Cost Sharing/Matching

No matching funds are required under this competition.

C. Threshold Eligibility Requirements

These requirements, if not met by the time of application submission, will result in elimination of the application from consideration for funding. Only applications that meet ALL of these criteria will be evaluated against the ranking factors in Section V of the 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. Applicants must be eligible (See Section III. A) to receive funding under this announcement.

2. The proposal must address at a minimum all of the activities to be funded. The activities to be funded are listed under Section I.C.3.

3. Initial proposals must be submitted through www.grants.gov as stated in Section IV 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/application is timely submitted.

4. 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 EPA mishandling or because of technical problems associated with Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their proposal/application 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 Mary Powell at powell.mary@epa.gov or 703-305-7384 as soon as possible after the submission deadline—failure to do so may result in your proposal not being reviewed.

5. EPA will consider only the first application submitted by each individual investigator.

Applications from different investigators within the same organization are acceptable.

6. Applications must comply with the submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or else they will be rejected. Where page limitations are established, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed.

7. Submissions must provide that all meetings be held in the contiguous United States.

8. Submissions must contain specific outputs and outcomes and state how those will be measured and documented.

9. The maximum funding level requested for a project must not exceed $1.1 million.

Applications requesting more than the maximum will be rejected.

10. The proposed project period of performance must not exceed five years.

11. Ineligible 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.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. How to Obtain Application Package

The required forms are available through EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment website at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/how_to_apply.htm.

B. Requirement to Submit through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures

Applicants, except as noted below, must apply electronically through www.grants.gov for this funding opportunity based on the Grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If an applicant does not have the technical capability to apply electronically through Grants.gov because of limited or no Internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials to www.grants.gov, the applicant must contact OGDWaivers@epa.gov or http://grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://grants.gov/ mailto:powell.mary@epa.gov http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/how_to_apply.htm http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:OGDWaivers@epa.gov the address listed below in writing (e.g., hard copy, email) at least 15 calendar days prior to the submission deadline under this announcement to request approval to submit their application materials through an alternate method.

Mailing Address:

USEPA Headquarters William Jefferson Clinton Building 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N. W.

Mail Code: 3904R Washington, DC 20460

Courier Address:

Ronald Reagan Building 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Rm # 51267 Washington, DC 20004

In the request, the applicant must include the following information:

• Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

• Organization Name and DUNS

• Organization’s Contact Information (email address and phone number)

• An explanation of how they lack the technical capability to apply electronically through grants.gov because of 1) limited Internet access or 2) no Internet access which prevents them from being able to upload the required application materials through www.grants.gov.

EPA will only consider alternate submission exception requests based on the two reasons stated above and will timely respond to the request – all other requests will be denied. If an alternate submission method is approved, the applicant will receive documentation of this approval and further instructions on how to apply under this announcement. Applicants will be required to submit the documentation of approval with any initial application submitted under the alternative method. In addition, any submittal through an alternative method must comply with all applicable requirements and deadlines in the announcement including the submission deadline and requirements regarding proposal content and page limits (although the documentation of approval of an alternate submission method will not count against any page limits).

If an exception is granted, it is valid for submissions to EPA for the remainder of the entire calendar year in which the exception was approved and can be used to justify alternative submission methods for application submissions made through December 31 of the calendar year in which the exception was approved (e.g., if the exception was approved on March 1, 2015, it is valid for any competitive or non-competitive application submission to EPA through December 31, 2015). Applicants need only request an exception once in a calendar year and all exceptions will expire on December 31 of that calendar year. Applicants must request a new exception from required electronic submission through Grants.gov for submissions for any succeeding calendar year. For example, if there is a competitive opportunity issued on December 1, 2015 with a submission deadline of January 15, 2016, the applicant would need a new exception to submit http://www.grants.gov./ through alternative methods beginning January 1, 2016.

Please note that the process described in this section is only for requesting alternate submission methods. All other inquiries about this announcement must be directed to the Agency Contact listed in Section VII of the announcement. Queries or requests submitted to the email address identified above for any reason other than to request an alternate submission method will not be acknowledged or answered.

C. Submission Instructions

The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative of your institution 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.

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-OPP- 2015-002, or the CFDA number that applies to the announcement (CFDA 66.716), in the appropriate field and click the Search button. Alternatively, you may be able to access the application package 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 “Browse Agencies” in the middle of the page and then go to “Environmental Protection Agency” to find the EPA funding opportunities.

Application 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 May 21, 2015 by midnight Eastern Time. Please allow for enough time to successfully 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/ submit your application process and allow for unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit.

Please submit all of the application materials described in Section IV.E 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 on the “Show Instructions” tab that is accessible within the application package itself.

Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically.

If you have not received a confirmation of receipt from EPA (not from Grants.gov) within 30 days of the application deadline, please contact Mary Powell at 703-305-7384. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed.

D. Technical Issues with Submission

1. Once the application package has been completed, the “Submit” button should be enabled. If the “Submit” button is not active, please call Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726.

Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545-5035. Investigators should save the completed application package with two different file names before providing it to the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) to avoid having to re-create the package should submission problems be experienced or a revised application needs to be submitted.

Note: Revised applications must be submitted before the solicitation closing date and time.

2. Submitting the application. The application package must be transferred to Grants.gov by an AOR. The AOR should close all other software before attempting to submit the application package. Click the “submit” button of the application package. Your Internet browser will launch and a sign-in page will appear. Note: Minor problems are not uncommon with transfers to Grants.gov. It is essential to allow sufficient time to ensure that your application is submitted to Grants.gov BEFORE the due date identified in Section IV of the solicitation. The Grants.gov support desk operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except Federal Holidays.

A successful transfer will end with an on-screen acknowledgement. For documentation purposes, print or screen capture this acknowledgement. If a submission problem occurs, reboot the computer – turning the power off may be necessary – and re-attempt the submission.

Note: Grants.gov issues a “case number” upon a request for assistance.

3. Transmission Difficulties. If transmission difficulties that result in a late transmission, no transmission, or rejection of the transmitted application are experienced, and following the above instructions does not resolve the problem so that the application is submitted to www.grants.gov by the deadline date and time, follow the guidance below. The Agency will make a decision concerning acceptance of each late submission on a case-by-case basis. All emails, as described below, are to be sent to Mary Powell at powell.mary@epa.gov with the FON in the subject line.

If you are unable to email, contact Mary Powell at 703-305-7384. Be aware that EPA will only consider accepting applications that were unable to transmit due to www.grants.gov or relevant mailto:powell.mary@epa.gov www.sam.gov system issues or for unforeseen exigent circumstances, such as extreme weather interfering with Internet access. EPA will not accept applications that are unable to be submitted using Grants.gov because the applicant failed to register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov due to their own error.

a. If you are experiencing problems resulting in an inability to upload the application to

Grants.gov, it is essential to call www.grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 before the application deadline. Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545- 5035. Be sure to obtain a case number from Grants.gov. If the problems stem from unforeseen exigent circumstances unrelated to Grants.gov, such as extreme weather interfering with Internet access, contact Mary Powell at 703-305-7384.

b. Unsuccessful transfer of the application package: If a successful transfer of the application cannot be accomplished even with assistance from Grants.gov due to electronic submission system issues or unforeseen exigent circumstances, send an email message prior to the application deadline. The email message must document the problem and include the Grants.gov case number as well as the entire application in PDF format as an attachment.

c. Grants.gov rejection of the application package: If a notification is received from Grants.gov stating that the application has been rejected for reasons other than late submittal promptly send an email to Mary Powell at powell.mary@epa.gov with the FON in the subject line within one business day of the closing date of this solicitation. The email should include any materials provided by Grants.gov and attach the entire application in PDF format.

E. Content of Application Submission

Regardless of the mode of submission, the application package must include all of the following materials, in the sequential order shown. Additional guidance on completing the documents is available through EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/.

1. Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance Complete the form available at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/forms/forms.htm. There are no attachments. Be sure to include organization fax number and e-mail address in Block 5 of the SF-424 form. Clearly state the total funding amount requested for the ENTIRE project period in Block 15.

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. Alternatively, applicants may also request a DUNS number online by going to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform and following the instructions for a cooperative agreement.

2. SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs attachments. The total amount of federal funding requested for the project period should http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:powell.mary@epa.gov http://www.epa.gov/ogd/ http://www.epa.gov/ogd/forms/forms.htm http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform http://www.epa.gov/ogd/forms/forms.htm 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. Clearly state the total funding amount requested for the ENTIRE project period in Block 15.

3. EPA Form 5700-54, Key Contacts attachments. If additional pages are needed, attach these additional pages to your front page in the form of an MS Word document. Include a header on the additional pages with the form number and your name.

4. SF-424B, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs attachments.

5. EPA Form 6600-06, Lobbying Form – Certification Regarding Lobbying Complete the form available at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/AppKit/form/Lobbying_sec.pdf.

There are no attachments. Disregard the line in the upper right for inserting an EPA Project Control Number.

6. EPA Form 4700-4, Pre-Award Compliance Review Report attachments.

7. Project Proposal

NOTE: In developing a work plan, applicants should provide discussion on how activities and resources would be prioritized for a smaller budget allocation.

a. Cover Page (page 1). The cover page must list the following information with your letterhead:

EPA Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OPP-2015-002 Project Title:

Project Coordinator:

Organization Name and Address:

Telephone No.: Fax No.: Email Address:

Project Duration (including Starting Date and Ending Date):

First-Year Funding Request:

Subsequent Year Funding Requests, if applicable:

Total Funding Request (for the entire project):

Indicate if this application is for new activities connected with a previously funded EPA project. If yes, please provide the following:

EPA Assistance Number: _________________

Budget Period of Project: _________________ http://www.epa.gov/ogd/forms/forms.htm http://www.epa.gov/ogd/AppKit/form/Lobbying_sec.pdf

b. Table of Contents (page 2): A one-page table listing the different parts of the proposal and the page number on which each part begins.

c. Executive Summary (page 3): Stand-alone, one-page document that concisely explains the objectives, outputs and outcomes of the proposed project. It must also include an assurance that the eligibility factors, as listed in Section III (Eligibility Information), are addressed in the application.

d. Project Narrative (12 pages or less): The project narrative must contain Parts I – V in sequential order as identified below. The project narrative must not exceed 12 pages typewritten on 8.5 x 11 inch paper, 1.5 spaced.

Part I. Project Title

Part II. Project Goals and Objectives

Include a numbered list of concisely written project objectives consistent with the purpose of this program and activities to be funded under this announcement. These objectives should be concise, specific, realistic and measurable.

Part III. Project Approach and Design

i. Describe in detail the project activities to be funded (See Section I.C.3 for activities to be included at a minimum). Indicate in detail the resources, tools and methodologies that will be utilized.

ii. Describe how the project activities build upon or consider lessons learned from existing efforts and resources.

Part IV. Performance Measures and Expected Outputs and Outcomes

i. Clearly describe the expected project outputs (see Section I.D.2) and how progress towards achieving the expected outputs will be tracked and measured.

ii. Clearly describe expected outcomes (see Section I.D.3) and how progress towards achieving the expected outcomes will be tracked and measured, and how the project will be evaluated.

Part V. Past Performance – Programmatic Capability and Environmental Results Past Performance

Explain your current state of knowledge and experience related to the purpose, goals and objectives stated in Section I.C.

Submit a list of federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include federal grants and cooperative agreements but not federal 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 U.S. EPA agreements) and describe (i) whether, and how, you were able to successfully complete and manage those agreements and (ii) your history of meeting the reporting requirements under those agreements, including whether you adequately and timely reported on your progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes of those agreements (and if not, explain why not) and whether you submitted acceptable final technical reports under the agreements.

In evaluating applicants under these factors in Section V, EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources, including information from EPA files and from current/prior 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 or past reporting information, please indicate this in the proposal and you will receive a neutral score for these factors (a neutral score is half of the total points available in a subset of possible points). If you do not provide any response for these items, you may receive a score of 0 for these factors.

In addition, provide information on your organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project, and your staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

8. Budget Narrative

In addition to the SF-424A form, prepare a detailed budget for allocation of $1.1 million with narrative, explaining the need for funding under each of the appropriate budget categories as listed below. Link each task or activity from the project work plan to the associated resources needed to accomplish the activity.

Personnel: Include only direct costs for salaries of those individuals who will perform work directly for the project. Identify the personnel type by full time employee. Personnel costs do not include costs for services of consultants, contractors or other partner organizations. Include the requested federal and any non-federal cost share in these estimates.

Travel: Include the travel location(s), estimated number of trips, estimated total mileage, applicable reimbursement rate, and number of nights lodging required throughout the entire project period.

Equipment: Include only equipment proposed to be purchased as a direct cost. This does not include equipment to be leased/rented and service/maintenance contracts. Include costs for each item.

Supplies: Include tangible personal property other than equipment. Include a brief description of the supplies required to perform the work and categorized by major supply category. Example: office supplies, computer supplies, etc.

Contractual/Consultant Services: List services and associated costs that are to be carried out by an individual or organization other than the applicant in the form of a procurement relationship. Include a brief description of the scope of work or services to be provided.

Other Direct Costs: Include only those types of direct costs that do not fit in any of the other budget categories. Examples include printing/photocopying and sub-award costs.

Sub-awards: Any award of financial assistance by any legal agreement made by the recipient to an eligible sub-recipient.

Include sufficient detail for EPA to determine if the costs are eligible, allocable, reasonable, and allowable. For more information, see http://www.epa.gov/ogd/recipient/tips.htm. For guidelines and a sample budget, see http://www.epa.gov/ogd/recipient/ogd_budget_detail_guidance.pdf.

9. SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, if applicable If your organization is involved in lobbying activities, complete the form available at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/forms/forms.htm.

10. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement If your proposed budget includes indirect costs, you must submit a copy of your organization’s Indirect Cost Rate Agreement as part of the application package.

F. Partnerships, Contractors and Subawards

1. Subawards, Contract Services and Partnerships

EPA awards funds to one eligible applicant as the recipient even if other eligible applicants are named as partners or co-applicants or members of a coalition or consortium. The recipient is accountable to EPA for the proper expenditure of funds.

Funding may be used to provide subawards of financial assistance, which includes using subawards to fund partnerships, provided the recipient complies with applicable requirements for subawards including those contained in 2 CFR Part 200. Applicants must compete contracts for services and products, including consultant contracts, and conduct cost and price analyses, to the extent required by the procurement provisions of the regulations at 2 CFR Part 200. Applicants are not required to identify subrecipients and/or contractors (including consultants) in their proposal/application. However, if they do, the fact that an applicant selected for award has named a specific subrecipient, contractor, or consultant in the proposal/application EPA selects for funding does not relieve the applicant of its obligations to comply with subaward and/or competitive procurement requirements as appropriate. Please note that applicants may not award sole source contracts to consulting, http://www.epa.gov/ogd/recipient/tips.htm http://www.epa.gov/ogd/recipient/ogd_budget_detail_guidance.pdf engineering or other firms assisting applicants with the proposal solely based on the firm's role in preparing the proposal/application.

Successful applicants cannot use subawards to avoid requirements in EPA grant regulations for competitive procurement by using these instruments to acquire commercial services or products from for-profit organizations to carry out its assistance agreement. The nature of the transaction between the recipient and the subrecipient must be consistent with the standards for distinguishing between vendor transactions and subrecipient assistance found at 2 CFR 200.330, and the definitions of subaward at 2 CFR 200.92 and subrecipient at 2 CFR 200.93.

EPA will not be a party to these transactions. Applicants acquiring commercial goods or services must comply with the competitive procurement standards in 2 CFR 200.317-326 and cannot use a subaward as the funding mechanism.

2. Evaluation of an Applicant's Proposed Subrecipients and Contractors

Section V of the announcement describes the evaluation criteria and evaluation process that will be used by EPA to make selections under this announcement. During this evaluation, except for those criteria that relate to the applicant's own qualifications, past performance, and reporting history, the review panel will consider, as appropriate and relevant, the qualifications, expertise, and experience of:

a. an applicant's named subrecipients identified in the proposal/application if the applicant demonstrates in the proposal/application that if it receives an award that the subaward will be properly awarded consistent with the applicable regulations in 2 CFR Part 200.

For example, applicants must not use subawards to obtain commercial services or products from for profit firms or individual consultants.

b. an applicant's named contractor(s), including consultants, identified in the proposal/application if the applicant demonstrates in its proposal/application that the contractor(s) was selected in compliance with the competitive Procurement Standards in 2 CFR 200.317-326. For example, an applicant must demonstrate that it selected the contractor(s) competitively or that a proper non-competitive sole-source award consistent with the regulations will be made to the contractor(s), that efforts were made to provide small and disadvantaged businesses with opportunities to compete, and that some form of cost or price analysis was conducted. EPA may not accept sole source justifications for contracts for services or products that are otherwise readily available in the commercial marketplace.

EPA will not consider the qualifications, experience, and expertise of named subrecipients and/or named contractor(s) during the proposal/application evaluation process unless the applicant complies with these requirements.

G. Intergovernmental Review

Applicants must comply with the Intergovernmental Review Process and/or consultation provisions of Executive Order 12372 or Section 204 of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act, if applicable, which are contained in 40 CFR Part 29. Further information regarding this requirement will be provided if your application is selected for funding.

H. Allowable Costs

EPA grant funds may only be used for purposes set forth in the assistance agreement, and must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Assistance agreements funds may not be used to match funds for other federal grants, lobbying or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used to sue the Federal government or any other governmental entity. All costs identified in the budget must conform to applicable Federal Cost Principles contained in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E.

I. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including, but not limited to, those related to confidential business information, pre-proposal/application assistance, management fees, contracts and subawards under grants, and duplicate funding, 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.

V. Application Review Information

Each application that meets the eligibility requirements set forth in Section III will be subjected to a technical and programmatic review. The following criteria will be used in the evaluation process:

A. Application Review

All application packages received will be reviewed by the EPA to determine if the packages submitted meet the threshold eligibility criteria established in Section III.