sfbay FY22-RFA-SFBWQIF- FINAL-July14- forNGGS.pdf

United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 9

San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund Request for Applications July 18, 2022

Agency Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 (EPA)

Funding Opportunity Name: San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, FY2022

Announcement Type: Request for Applications

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-R9-SFBWQIF-22-01

Assistance Listing Number: 66.126

Important Dates:

September 20, 2022

Initial applications must be received by EPA via Grants.gov on or before 8:59pm Pacific Time (11:59 pm Eastern Time).

November 9, 2022

Selected applicants notified.

December 5, 2022

Final application packages submitted to EPA.

December 2022 Awards made.

The above dates (other than the September 20, 2022 application deadline date) are anticipated dates and may be subject to change.

Contents of Full Text Announcement:

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application and Submission Information

V. Application Review Information

VI. Award Administration Information

VII. Agency Contact

VIII. Other Information , Attachment A, Attachment B

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background. Since 2008, EPA has administered the San Francisco Bay Water Quality

Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF) competitive grant program to fund projects that protect and restore San Francisco Bay. Such projects must demonstrate environmental results for water quality and aquatic habitat (e.g., wetlands). To date, EPA has awarded over $71 million and leveraged an additional $191 million to restore wetlands, improve water quality, and implement green development practices (e.g., employ natural hydrologic processes to treat polluted runoff).

Information about past SFBWQIF projects and current funding opportunities can be found on our website (https://www.epa.gov/sfbaydelta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund).

EPA is soliciting applications to improve water quality and restore wetlands in San Francisco Bay and its watersheds. A broad range of entities, as described in Section III.A, are eligible to submit applications under this announcement for projects within the nine Bay Area counties (Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco.) Applications must fully describe the scope of the project, budget, and environmental results. EPA will use the criteria described in Section

V. to evaluate eligible applications.

B. Program Elements. Given the historic loss of over ninety percent of San Francisco’s baylands and the significant number of waterbodies in the San Francisco Bay region with water quality impairments, the SFBWQIF aims to support a broad array of project types that will protect and restore those wetlands and waters. This year, in addition to long-standing funding priorities such as wetlands restoration, improving stormwater quality, and remediating contaminated shorelines, this solicitation seeks applications that address climate change impacts and environmental justice concerns, as well as those that advance landscape-scale watershed restoration. Examples of eligible and priority project types include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Multi-benefit shoreline projects that restore habitat, provide flood protection and/or reduce pollutants

• Watershed and urban infrastructure improvements in frontline communities

• Beneficial reuse of dredged material

• Solutions that reduce water quality impacts associated with people and communities experiencing homelessness

• Reductions in levels of trash and microplastics in Bay waters

• Restoration of subtidal habitat through sediment remediation and/or debris removal

• Installation of green stormwater infrastructure features to treat stormwater

• Projects to reduce nutrient inputs into San Francisco Bay, (e.g. wastewater treatment plant technologies, agricultural land BMPs, etc..)

Scope and Approach: EPA will evaluate the project design details of applications to ensure they are well-planned and technically sound (see Section V.A.1.). Applications should describe how sea level rise, https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/san-francisco-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund vulnerability to fires in urban-rural interfaces, changes in rainfall patterns and other climate change stressors are considered in the design and implementation of the projects. Additional consideration will be given to projects that address these concerns in underserved and overburdened communities within

San Francisco Bay. EPA intends to fund up to ten quality applications that will benefit underserved communities.

EPA anticipates awarding the majority of the funding towards efforts that implement projects on-the-ground. Proposals seeking funding for project planning and assessment will be considered;

however, such proposals should provide a commitment to future implementation, including any known hurdles to implementation. Implementation projects should be based on existing plans, such as a restoration plan, a Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan, a watershed plan or a stormwater/green infrastructure plan. All project proposals must be consistent with the San

Francisco Estuary Partnership’s (SFEP) Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan

(CCMP) and must indicate the CCMP objective(s) and action(s) to be implemented under the project. (Attachment A identifies a list of the CCMP objectives and actions that address program priorities and should be used as a basis to provide this information in the proposal narrative.) For additional information on the CCMP refer to the website link in Section VIII.C.

Environmental Results: Applicants must describe how their projects will achieve measurable water quality and aquatic habitat improvement, quantitatively define the project’s environmental results (also known as outcomes) and provide timeframes for achieving those results (see Section

I.C.2. “Environmental Outputs and Outcomes” and Section V.A.2.).

All projects that include a monitoring component should be compatible with the California

Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP), the California Wetland and Riparian

Area Monitoring Program, the California EcoAtlas and/or the San Francisco Bay Regional

Monitoring Program (RMP) (see links in Section VIII.C.).

Partnerships and Community Engagement: Applicants will need to describe partnerships that will contribute to project success (see Sections V.A.6a. and V.A.6b.). Emphasis on the diversity of organizational support and partnerships (e.g., environmental, business, community-based and social service organizations) and on historically underserved communities (i.e., economically disadvantaged or other populations with disproportionate exposure to environmental harm) are important considerations for proposals. A project that benefits an underserved community could, for example, include implementation of green infrastructure to improve water quality and reduce a community’s vulnerability to flooding from aging infrastructure.

Please note that for evaluation criterion number 6. in Section V. A., points will be awarded for addressing partnerships or underserved communities, but not both. Applicants who choose to address the underserved community criteria should refer to the map on page 5 (Figure 1) to ensure their project is located within (or immediately adjacent to) an underserved community that will directly benefit from the project. For purposes of this competition and the evaluation of applications, “underserved communities” means populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, as defined in the Biden Administration’s Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for

Underserved Communities and consistent with the Biden Administration’s Executive Order 14008 on environmental justice and climate change. The SFBWQIF underserved community map (Figure 1) identifies areas with underserved communities that have been adversely and disproportionately affected by multiple sources of pollution.

NOTE: In the past, many Federal agencies used the term “disadvantaged communities.” This term has largely been replaced by “underserved communities” and also the descriptor

“vulnerable communities.” To the extent possible, this RFA will use the term “underserved communities.”

Applicants should carefully review these program elements and the evaluation criteria to inform project and develop a competitive application.

FIGURE 1: Underserved Communities Identification Map

C. Environmental Results and Linkage to Strategic Plan.

1. Pursuant to Section 6.a. of EPA Order 5700.7A1, “Environmental Results under EPA

Assistance Agreements,” Applicants must link proposed assistance agreements to the EPA

Strategic Plan (see below). EPA also requires that applicants and recipients adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements.

2. Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan. The activities to be funded under this solicitation support

EPA’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. Awards made under this solicitation will support Goal 1

(Tackle the Climate Crisis, and Objective 1.2 Accelerate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate

Change Impacts), Goal 2 (Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

Rights, and Objective 2.1 Promote environmental justice and civil rights at the federal, tribal, state and local levels), and Goal 5 (Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities, and

Objective 5.2 Protect and restore waterbodies and watersheds).

3. Environmental Outputs and Outcomes. EPA will consider the significance of expected environmental outputs and outcomes during the selection process (See Sections IV. and V.)

a. Outputs. The term “output” means an activity, effort, and/or work product that will be produced or provided over a specific period of time or by a specific date. Outputs (or project deliverables) may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance agreement funding period. Proposals must include a description of project outputs and the way in which recipients will track project milestones throughout the grant period. Examples of project output include, but are not limited to, number of presentations made, number of participants at an event, and draft and final reports produced. EPA requires progress reports and a final report as specified in Section VI.C. “Reporting Requirements” to report on outputs.

b. Outcomes. The term “outcome” means an environmental result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out project activities and/or completing outputs related to an environmental goal. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature, but must be quantitative. Proposals must include a description of project outcomes even if the outcome to be achieved is beyond the assistance agreement funding period.

For projects that are implementing activities called for in a plan such as a Total Maximum Daily

Load (TMDL) or a restoration plan with an extended timeframe (e.g., 20 years), applicants should explain the degree to which the activities move towards the stated long-term goal or outcome. Outcomes expected as a result of the awards under this announcement may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Acres of wetlands/other aquatic habitat restored

• Pollutant load reductions, attainment of water quality objectives, or other numeric indicators of water quality improvement

• Percentage of land area where Low Impact Development has been or will be implemented to achieve water quality improvements and/or other habitat enhancements

Additional information regarding EPA's definition of environmental results in terms of "outputs" and

"outcomes" can be found at:

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/201503/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf and https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/applicationassistance#results.

D. Statutory Authority. Congress appropriated funds for this grant program under the

“Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022” (Public Law 117-103). EPA will award such funds under Section 320 of the Clean Water Act (National Estuary Program), 33 U.S.C. §1330.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/application-assistance#results https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/application-assistance#results https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/application-assistance#results https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/application-assistance#results https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/application-assistance#results https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/application-assistance#results https://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/application-assistance#results

E. Additional Provisions. Additional provisions that apply to sections III., IV., V., and VI. of this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, can be found at EPA Solicitation

Clauses. These provisions are important for applying to this solicitation and applicants need to review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please contact the EPA point of contact listed in

Section VII. of this solicitation to obtain the provisions.

II. Award Information

A. Available Funding. The total amount anticipated to be awarded under this announcement is approximately $24 million of fiscal year 2022 funds under the authority of Section 320 of the

Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1330. Awards will range from approximately $1,000,000 to

$3,000,000 to be budgeted over a typical project period of four years. EPA anticipates awarding 20 to 25 grants or cooperative agreements under this solicitation.

EPA also reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy and guidance, if additional funding (e.g., FY 2023) becomes available after the original selection decisions. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decisions.

EPA intends to fund up to ten quality applications that will benefit underserved communities, as defined in Section I.

Funding for the projects is not guaranteed and is subject to the availability of funds, the evaluation of applications based on the criteria in this announcement, and other applicable considerations. In addition, EPA reserves the right to make no awards, or fewer awards than expected, under this announcement. Further, award of funding through this competition is not a guarantee of future funding.

B. Project Period for Awards. EPA anticipates making awards resulting from this solicitation in December 2022. Previously funded projects have typically had project periods of 4 years.

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 applicants 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. Funding Type. Successful applicant(s) will be issued a grant or cooperative agreement as appropriate. If EPA awards a grant agreement, it will provide oversight and monitoring, but

EPA will not be substantially involved in the recipient’s project. 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 interaction with the recipient throughout the recipient’s performance of the project. EPA will negotiate the https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses 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

200.317 and 2 CFR 200.318, 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.

III. Eligibility Information

Note: Additional provisions that apply to this section can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses.

Eligible Applicants. The following entities are eligible to apply for funding under this announcement: State, local government agencies, districts, and councils; regional water pollution control agencies and entities; State coastal zone management agencies; public and private universities and colleges; and public or private non-governmental, non-profit institutions.

Nonprofit organizations must have documentation of non-profit status from the U.S. Internal

Revenue Service or their state of incorporation. Non-profit organizations as defined in Section

501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying as defined in Section 3 of the

Lobbying Disclosure Act 1995 or superseding legislation are ineligible.

A. Cost Sharing/Match Requirement. Matching funds of 50% of the total project cost are required under this competition based on the requirements of Section 320 of the CWA, 33 U.S.C.

§1330. Accordingly, EPA is requiring applicants to identify the non-federal match of 50% on

Standard Form 424A. A 50% match means EPA will fund a maximum of 50% of the total project cost. Matching funds can come in the form of cash and in-kind contributions, such as the use of volunteers and/or donated time, equipment, etc., consistent with the regulations governing matching fund requirements (2 CFR 200.306) from your own organization and/or your project partners. Federal funds may not be used to meet the match requirement for this grant program unless authorized by the statute governing their use.

B. Threshold Eligibility Criteria. These are requirements which if not met by the time of application deadline date will result in elimination of the application from further consideration for funding. All applications will be reviewed for eligibility and must meet the eligibility requirements described in Sections III.A., B., and C. to be considered eligible. Only applications that meet all of these criteria will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria under Section V.

Applicants deemed ineligible for funding as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. Applicant Eligibility: Applicants must meet the applicant eligibility requirements described in Section III. A.

2. Program Relevance: Proposals must demonstrate that the project(s) improves water quality and/or restores wetlands in San Francisco Bay and its watersheds.

3. EPA Strategic Plan: Applications must support Strategic Plan Goal 1, Goal 2 and/or Goal 5 of EPA’s Strategic Plan as specified in Section I. B. 4.

4. Fifty (50) % Match: Proposals must demonstrate how applicants will provide a

50% match of the total project cost as described in Section III. B.

5. CCMP Consistency: Proposals must describe how the proposed activities are consistent with SFEP’s CCMP (see Attachment A) and identify relevant CCMP objective(s) and action(s) to be implemented by the project.

6. Substantial Compliance: All applications will be reviewed for eligibility and must meet the eligibility requirements described in Sections III.A., B., and C. to be considered eligible. 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. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV. of this solicitation or else they will be rejected. However, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV. with respect to the application, or parts thereof, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in application format, including selecting a legible font type and size for use in the application.

7. Application Submission: In addition, initial applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this solicitation (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV.) on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV of this solicitation. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV. of this solicitation to ensure that their application is timely submitted.

Please note that applicants experiencing technical issues with submitting through

Grants.gov should follow the instructions provided in Section IV., which include both the requirement to contact Grants.gov and email a full application to EPA prior to the deadline. Applications submitted outside of Grants.gov will be deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was due to EPA mishandling or technical problems associated with Grants.gov or SAM.gov. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their 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 submission outside of Grants.gov.

8. Project Location: Projects must occur entirely within one or more of the nine

Bay Area counties (Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco) that drain to San Francisco Bay.

9. Ineligible Activities: If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the application will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding. The SFBWQIF website has additional information in the

Frequently Asked Questions related to ineligible activities.

C. Non-Profit Definition. Consistent with the definition of Nonprofit organization at 2

CFR § 200.1, the term nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization. The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. Note that 2 CFR 200.1 specifically excludes Institutions of Higher Education from the definition of non-profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation. While not considered to be a nonprofit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR 200.1, public or nonprofit Institutions of Higher

Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA. Nonprofit organizations that are not exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code must submit other forms of documentation of nonprofit status; such as certificates of incorporation as nonprofit under state or tribal law. Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible for

EPA funding as provided in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. 1611.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures.

Complete application packages must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov on or before

8:59 pm Pacific Time (11:59 pm Eastern Time) on September 20, 2022. Please see the complete instructions for submitting applications via Grants.gov and the limited exception procedures in Attachment B to this announcement.

B. Content of Application Submission. Applicants must include the information outlined below in their applications. The narrative section as described below must be no longer than fifteen (15) pages in total (8 ½ x 11 inches, single spaced); pages in excess of this page limitation will not be reviewed. Applicants must also ensure that the proposal narrative provides information addressing all of the proposal evaluation criteria identified in Section V. A. and meets the threshold eligibility criteria identified in III. C. Forms 424, 424A, maps, the detailed budget form, letters of support and forms required by grants.gov in Attachment B DO NOT count toward the 15-page limit.

Application Submission Content

Applicant Information on Federal Assistance

Standard Form 424

Include applicant (organization) name, address, contact person, phone number, fax and e-mail address. In addition to this form, register at System for Award Management (SAM.gov), and identify your UEI number.

Budget Summary on

Federal Assistance

Standard Form 424A

Provide overall budget information on the form’s tabular format including the specific amount being requested from EPA, and the total project cost.

EPA Key Contacts Form Provide contact information as described in form.

EPA Form 4700-4 See Tips for Completing EPA Form 4700-4 for guidance on filling out this form.

Map Provide a map of the watershed and the proposed work areas related to the project or, if more appropriate, provide a schematic that helps explain the proposed project activities.

Proposal Narrative (subject to the 15-page limit) includes the following items:

• Abstract- Summarize (approximately 200 words) your project’s environmental significance, major activities, timeframes, and measurable outcomes.

• Water quality improvement and/or wetlands restoration- Discuss the specific improvement(s) that will be achieved by the project activities and linkage to EPA’s

Strategic Plan. Identify the watersheds and/or waterbodies to be addressed.

• Project activities- Describe the proposed activities and highlight the plans and assessments that form the basis for the activities and expected results.

• Climate Change Resiliency- Describe how risks associated with climate change and planned resiliency are factored into the proposed activities such as addressing sea level rise, changes in rainfall patterns, fires and other known stressors.

• Timeframe- Identify the timeframe for activities and environmental results. If planning and assessment activities are proposed, describe the likelihood of implementation, including key next steps, funding, and timeframe for environmental results.

• CCMP- Provide the list of relevant CCMP objectives and actions to be implemented by the project. A list of the CCMP objectives and actions is included as Attachment A and should be used as a basis to provide this information in the proposal narrative. For additional information on the CCMP refer to the website link in Section VIII.C.

• Outputs and Outcomes- Describe the project outputs (Section I.C.2.a.) and outcomes

(Section I.C.2.b.). The “Outputs and Outcomes Summary Table” below is a suggested format to provide the required information.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/tips-completing-epa-form-4700-4

• Metrics- Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance agreement funding period; outcomes must be quantitative and may be achieved beyond the assistance agreement funding period.

o Context- Discuss the extent, magnitude and significance of the anticipated outcomes. For example, identify pollutant load reductions to be achieved in terms of the overall reductions and timeframe necessary to achieve water quality standards.

o Timeframe- Include outputs and outcomes achievable beyond the assistance agreement funding period should be included.

o Tracking- Identify how progress towards achieving the outputs and outcomes will be tracked and measured over the expected project time period. For some projects, this may include monitoring and the production of a Quality

Assurance Project Plan (QAPP).

• Geographic Location- Identify the geographic area by watershed and/or more specific location of the project(s).

• Budget Detail- Using a table format, clearly explain how EPA funds will be used.

This section also provides an opportunity for a narrative description of the budget found in the SF 424(A). Applicants must itemize costs related to personnel, fringe benefits, contractual costs, travel, equipment, supplies, other direct costs, indirect costs, and total costs. Explanations of the costs associated with each project task, including match amounts in full or in part from project partners, should be provided.

Description of costs should correspond to figures presented in the SF 424(A). A table highlighting key tasks and/or outputs for the length of the project with the associated budget breakdown is required. Discuss whether the overall project costs and the various components are cost-effective in furthering future implementation. See EPA’s

Interim General Budget Development Guidance for Applicants and Recipients of EPA

Financial Assistance (pdf) as part of RAIN-2019-G02 for additional information on budget development.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/documents/applicant-budget-development-guidance.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/documents/applicant-budget-development-guidance.pdf https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2019-g02

• Programmatic Capability and Past Performance history- Submit a list of federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (assistance agreements include

Federal grants and cooperative agreements but not Federal contracts) that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than 5 agreements, and preferably 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; and (iii) 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. 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 application 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.

o Organizational experience- Provide information on your organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project.

o Staff experience- Provide information on your staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

• Expenditure of Awarded Grant Funds- Provide information on the approach, procedures, and controls for ensuring that awarded grant funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner.

• CHOOSE ONE OPTION BELOW: In your proposal, describe EITHER your project’s partnership activities OR its potential benefits for underserved and/or overburdened communities. EPA will not evaluate both criteria. Applicants who mistakenly address both criteria will be contacted by EPA to determine which criteria will be used.

Partnerships- Describe your project partners and community involvement in carrying out the project. Identify partnerships that will contribute to project success and ongoing implementation beyond the grant period.

Provide specifics as to each partner’s activities. Provide letters of support (which do not count towards the page limit) from partners to document their role. Describe how project partners will contribute to the project’s stated environmental outcomes. If you do not intend to use project partners in carrying out the project then demonstrate how you can effectively and efficiently perform the project without project partners.

Underserved Communities- Describe the location of the project in relation to the Map

(Figure 1 in Section I) in this solicitation.

Provide details on the ways in which the underserved community(ies) will benefit from the project and provide letters of support (which do not count towards the page limit) from them as applicable. If you do not intend to use project partners in carrying out the project then demonstrate how you can effectively and efficiently perform the project without project partners. Describe the project’s expected environmental outcomes that will make a measurable difference to an affected community experiencing adverse and disproportionate environmental harm and health risks, including an affected underserved community.

C. Contracts and Subawards. EPA awards funds to one eligible applicant as the recipient even if other eligible entities 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 and EPA's Subaward Policy. EPA has also posted Additional Resources on Subawards for applicants to consult.

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 application. However, if they do, the fact that an applicant selected for award has named a specific subrecipient, contractor, or consultant in the 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, engineering or other firms assisting applicants with the application solely based on the firm's role in preparing the application. For additional guidance applicants should review EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements.

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 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance-agreements between the recipient and the subrecipient must be consistent with the standards for distinguishing between vendor transactions and subrecipient assistance found at 2 CFR

§200.331, the definitions of Subaward and Subrecipient at 2 CFR 200.1, and Appendix A to

EPA’s Subaward Policy. EPA will not be a party to these transactions. Applicants acquiring commercial goods or services must comply with the competitive procurement requirements in 2

CFR 200.319 and 2 CFR 200.320 and cannot use a subaward as the funding mechanism.

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:

(i) 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.

(ii) 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 §§200.317-327. 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 application evaluation process unless the applicant complies with these requirements. For additional guidance applicants should review EPA’s Best Practice Guide for

Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements.

D. Coalition/Partnerships. Groups of two or more eligible applicants may choose to form a coalition and submit a single application under this RFA; however, one entity must be responsible for the grant. Coalitions must identify which eligible organization will be the recipient of the grant and which eligible organization(s) will be subrecipients of the recipient (the “pass-through entity”). Subawards must be consistent with the definition of that term in 2 CFR 200.1 and comply with EPA’s Subaward Policy.

The pass-through entity that administers the grant and subawards will be accountable to EPA for proper expenditure of the funds and reporting and will be the point of contact for the coalition. As provided in 2

CFR 200.332, subrecipients are accountable to the pass-through entity for proper use of EPA funding.

For-profit organizations are not eligible for subawards under this grant program but may receive procurement contracts. Any contracts for services or products funded with EPA financial assistance must be awarded under the competitive procurement procedures of 2 CFR Part 200 and/or 2 CFR Part 1500, as applicable. The regulations at 2 CFR 1500.10 contain limitations on the extent to which EPA funds may be used to compensate individual consultants. Refer to the Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements for guidance on competitive procurement requirements and consultant compensation. Do not name a procurement contractor (including a consultant) as a “partner” or otherwise in your application unless the contractor has been selected in compliance with competitive procurement requirements.

V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria.

Applications will be evaluated and scored by reviewers using the criteria listed below. Each application may receive up to 100 points. Applicants should fully address these criteria as part of their submittals.

Evaluation Criteria (100 points total)

Points

(pts)

Evaluation Criteria

1. Scope/Approach: Under this criterion, applications will be evaluated based on the quality and degree to which they present the key program elements discussed in Section I. including:

• a technically/scientifically sound approach for addressing water quality improvement and/or wetlands restoration through the proposed activities. (6 pts)

• activities based on existing plans and assessments, such as watershed plans, TMDLs and/or associated analysis, or stormwater/green infrastructure plans; or for proposed planning and assessment activities, the likelihood of subsequent implementation. (6 pts)

• a description of the environmental and regional significance of the project, its contribution to climate change science, planning and local or regional resiliency, and the relative risk and reward of pursuing the project or approach. (8 pts)

2. Environmental Results—Outputs and Outcomes: Under this criterion, applications will be evaluated based on how well they demonstrate:

• well defined outputs throughout the project timeframe. (5 pts)

• clearly described water quality and/or wetlands results that are specific, quantified and significant and link to EPA’s Strategic Plan. (15 pts)

• an effective plan for tracking and measuring progress toward achieving expected project outputs and outcomes, including those identified in Section I.C.2.a. and Section I.C.2.b.**

(5 pts)

** EPA will consider the quality and scope of the monitoring component to measure environmental results under this criterion. If monitoring is not an appropriate project activity necessary to achieve and document results, proposals will not receive a lower rating under this criterion and are eligible to receive maximum points under this criterion.

18 3. Budget Detail: Under this criterion, applications will be evaluated based on:

• the level of detailed budget information provided in a table format which should include an approximation of the cost allocated for each major activity over the project’s expected timeline. Budget resources necessary for completing a Quality Assurance Project Plan

(QAPP), if applicable, sharing project information broadly, and reporting progress, are expected to be included. (13 pts)

• whether the overall project costs and the various components are cost-effective and reasonable in furthering future implementation of similar activities. (5 pts)

12 4. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance: Under this criterion, applications will be evaluated based on the applicant’s:

• past performance in successfully completing and managing the assistance agreements identified in the proposal narrative as described in Section IV. C. of the announcement. (3 pts)

• history of meeting the reporting requirements under the assistance agreements identified in the proposal narrative as described in Section IV. C. of the announcement including: whether the applicant submitted acceptable final technical reports under those agreements, the extent to which the applicant adequately and timely reported on their progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes under those agreements, and if such progress was not being made whether the applicant adequately reported why not. (3 pts)

• organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project. (3 pts)

• staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources (or the ability to obtain them) to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project. (3 pts)

Note: In evaluating applicants under the first two items of this criterion, 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). If you do not have any relevant or available past performance or reporting information, please indicate this in the proposal and you will receive a neutral score for these subfactors (the first two items above-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.

5 5. Expenditure of Awarded Grant Funds: Under this criterion, applications will be evaluated based on their approach, procedures, and controls for ensuring that awarded grant funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner. (5 pts)

6. APPLICANTS WILL BE EVALUATED UNDER EITHER 6a. Partnerships OR 6b.

Underserved Communities. Applicants must address either 6a. or 6b. in their applications but not both of them. Applicants should not address both criteria in their application—those that mistakenly do so will be contacted by EPA to determine which criterion will be used.

20 6a. Partnerships 20 6b. Underserved Communities

Under this criterion, applications will be evaluated based on the quality and extent to which they demonstrate:

• diverse and unique partnerships and community involvement in the project, particularly those that contribute to expected environmental results and ongoing implementation, such as partnerships or involvement with agencies that have purview over

Under this criterion, applications will be evaluated based on the quality and extent to which they demonstrate:

• the project’s ability to benefit underserved communities in Figure 1 such as through reducing cumulative and legacy contamination or increasing access to natural habitat and “greener” infrastructure. (10 pts) water quality and land use decisions.

Projects that do not involve partnerships will be evaluated based on how well the applicant demonstrates it can efficiently and effectively perform the project without partners and how there will be community involvement in the project to contribute to its success.

(10 pts)

• specifics as to the roles the partners will play to support the proposed project activities.

Letters of support provided by partners to substantiate their role will be reviewed. Projects without partnerships will be evaluated based on how well the applicant can demonstrate how it will be able to effectively and efficiently perform the project on its own without partners. (10 pts)

• partnerships with the underserved community(ies) the project will affect. Letters of support provided by such partners to substantiate their role will be reviewed. Projects without partnerships will be evaluated based on how well the applicant can demonstrate how it will be able to effectively and efficiently perform the project on its own without partners.

(10 pts)

B. Review and Selection Process.

1. Applications. Eligible applications will be evaluated by the EPA Region 9 Review

Committee which will score and rank them using the evaluation criteria identified above in

Section V.A. The Review Committee will consist of EPA staff and may also include representatives from other state or Federal agencies.

2. Final Selections and Awards. The Review Committee will provide rankings and funding recommendations based on the application scores to the selection official (EPA Region 9 Water Division

Director.) Final funding decisions will be made by the selection official. In making the final funding decisions, the selection official will consider rank and score and may also take into account the following factors: geographic distribution of funds, diversity of projects, and availability of funds. Applicants selected for funding will be asked to submit a final application package. EPA intends to fund up to ten quality applications that will benefit underserved communities, as defined in Section I.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notification. EPA anticipates notification to successful applicants will be made via electronic and/or postal mail by approximately November 9, 2022.