Climate Showcase Communities Grant Program

Public Law 111-8 authorizes EPA to award competitive grants to communities to develop plans and demonstrate and implement projects which reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EPA will implement this grant authority by awarding grants to local and tribal governments for Planning, Demonstrations, and Implementation Projects designed to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Such projects should include a plan for measuring documentable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and exhibit the capacity for replication. Grant activities should aim to: 1) reduce emissions of greenhouse gases; 2) build capacity within local and tribal agencies to address greenhouse gas emissions within their communities; 3) create meaningful and sustainable programs and management systems to achieve ongoing reductions; 4) link climate change initiatives with broader environmental, economic, and social concerns; 5) build and leverage partnerships across multiple stakeholder groups that facilitate front-end participation by communities impacted by climate change; and 6) create models of success that can be replicated across the nation. Projects should also focus on addressing environmental justice (EJ) concerns in communities. EJ is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Funding Priority 2019: The Agency does not anticipate funding for this program in FY 2019.

The purpose of this program is to provide grants to local and tribal governments for planning, demonstrations, and implementation projects designed to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions with measurable/documentable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and exhibit the capacity for replication.

Local governments - a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority (including any public and Indian housing agency) school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments, any other regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government. Federally recognized Indian tribal governments - the governing body or a governmental agency of any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community (including Native villages) certified by the Secretary of the Interior as eligible for the special programs and services provided by him through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Intertribal Consortia - a partnership between two or more Tribes that is authorized by the governing bodies of those Tribes to apply for and receive assistance under this program. Intertribal Consortia are eligible to receive grants under this program only if the Consortium demonstrates that all members of the Consortium meet the eligibility requirements for the grant and authorize the Consortium to apply for and receive assistance by submitted to EPA documentation of (1) the existence of the partnership between Indian Tribal governments, and (2) Authorization of the Consortium by all its members to apply for and receive the grant(s) for which the Consortium has applied. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this CFDA description, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.

Local Governments and Federally-recognized Indian Tribes, Intertribal Consortia, General Public.

Costs will be determined in accordance with Uniform Grants Guidance 2 CFR 200. Applicants may be requested to demonstrate they have appropriate background, academic training, experience in the field, and necessary equipment to carry out projects. EPA may ask applicants or principle investigators to provide curriculum vitae and relevant publications.

EPA will implement this grant authority by awarding grants to local and tribal governments for Planning, Demonstrations, and Implementation Projects designed to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The grants and/or cooperative agreements funded under the Climate Showcase Communities Grant Program have a project period of up to 5-years. However EPA negotiates the project period with each applicant based on project requirements. Most Climate Showcase Community awards have a project period of between 24 to 36 months.

Regarding pre-application/pre-proposal assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program description, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application/pre-proposal assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as in the competitive announcement.

Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through https://www.grants.gov.

The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this CFDA description will be described in the competitive announcement.

For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications, proposals, and/or submissions in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements

Approximately 180 days.

EPA intends to fully fund amended projects with supplemental awards.

Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts." Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable