Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Program (SDWA 1459E)

To inform the public about the role of water and wastewater systems in their communities, increase awareness of career opportunities in the water utility sector, and provide exposure to water utility careers through various work-based opportunities.

Water and wastewater utilities provide a unique opportunity for access to stable, high-quality careers. As utilities make critical investments in infrastructure, water and wastewater utilities can invest in the development of local workers and local small businesses to strengthen communities and ensure a strong pipeline of skilled and diverse workers for today and tomorrow. To further the goal of ensuring a strong pipeline of skilled and diverse workers in the water and wastewater utilities sector, section 1459E of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), authorizes EPA to develop a grant program that will accelerate career pipelines and provide access to workforce opportunities. Program funds support the development and utilization of innovative activities relating to workforce development and career opportunities in the water utility sector. Funding also supports expanding public awareness about water utilities and connecting individuals to careers in the water utility sector.

Eligible applicants are nonprofit professional or service organizations, nonprofit labor organizations, nonprofit community colleges, institutions of higher education, other nonprofit training and educational institutions, or public works departments and agencies. Nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply. For-profit organizations and individuals are not eligible to apply. The EPA may ask applicants to demonstrate that they are eligible for funding. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.

Anyone/general public

Grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs in approved scopes of work plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. The funds will support increased awareness of career opportunities and exposure to water utility careers through various work-based learning opportunities, connect individuals to career pathways related to water utilities, and provide direct connection to industry employers. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA.

The term of the grant shall be determined at the time of grant award.

EPA awards grants and cooperative agreements based on competitive applications submitted in response to EPA solicitations, considering relevance and likelihood of success of proposed projects. Regarding pre-application assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the NOFO. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed in the NOFO.

The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will be described in the NOFO.

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

For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in the NOFO.

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 found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/grant-competition-dispute-resolution-procedures. Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable.