Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program and Related Assistance

The National Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) is an inter-governmental partnership to foster better environmental management and decision-making through increased access to timely and high-quality environmental information. The EN, lau

The Exchange Network Grant Program provides funding to states, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes to support the development of the National Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN). The primary outcome expected from Exchange Network assistance agreements is improved access to, and exchange of, high-quality environmental data from public and private sector sources.

Consistent with the Assistance Listing for 66.608, eligible applicants for the Exchange Network Grant program include states, U.S. Territories (i.e., American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, Guam, Palau, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands), federally recognized Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages and inter-tribal consortia of federally recognized tribes (e.g., the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission). Other entities, such as regional air pollution control districts and some public universities may apply for assistance if they are agencies or instrumentalities of a state or tribe under applicable laws. Entities asserting they are agencies or instrumentalities of a state must provide a letter from the appropriate state Attorney General certifying the applicant is an agency or instrumentality of the state. Entities asserting they are instrumentalities of a tribe must provide a certification and supporting documentation from the tribal council or other appropriate tribal government official certifying they are an instrumentality of the tribe. EPA will not accept or review an application which does not include the required documentation. The EPA recognizes that environmental programs and associated reporting obligations are sometimes delegated to local governments. Local governments are eligible to apply for EN assistance agreements if they can demonstrate that they are an instrumentality of the state by providing the documentation described in the preceding paragraph. However, most local governments implementing EPA programs are not agencies or instrumentalities of the state and therefore not eligible to apply. EPA encourages such entities to partner with an eligible lead applicant (e.g., a state applicant) to allow for their data to be reported and shared through the EN. Interstate commissions and other interstate entities, likewise, are not eligible to apply and are encouraged to partner with a state applicant.

Eligible applicants for the EN Grant Program include states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), federally recognized Indian tribes, and intertribal consortia of federally recognized tribes. Other entities, such as regional air pollution control districts and some public universities may apply for assistance if they are agencies or instrumentalities of a state or tribe under applicable laws.

Applicants may propose EN project funding for costs associated with personnel salaries and fringe benefits, Intergovernmental Personnel Act Agreements (IPAs) travel, travel related to Exchange Network activities, equipment, supplies, contractual costs, in-kind services provided by EPA, and indirect costs. Applicants may propose EN project funding for development, modernization, and enhancement activities. 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 (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial).

Applicants may not use EN funding for the following functions : Construction costs; operations and maintenance including previously developed and implemented EN projects; workshops and conferences that are not initiated, advertised, and conducted for the benefit of the recipient and other state, tribal, territorial, or local representatives or public participants or are conducted primarily for EPA's benefit; pre-award costs not previously requested to cover pre-award costs incurred 90 days or less before the award date; management fees more than the direct costs and indirect costs at the rate approved by the applicant's cognizant audit agency, or at the rate provided for by the terms of the agreement negotiated with EPA; development and deployment of partner physical nodes. This program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis. A discretionary award means an award in which the Federal awarding agency, in keeping with specific statutory authority that enables the agency to exercise judgement ("discretion"), selects the recipient and/or the amount of Federal funding awarded through a competitive process or based on merit of proposals. For further information, please contact the Headquarters or regional office.

EPA plans to issue awards for applications that are recommended for funding approximately four months after the application deadline. The standard period of performance for projects funded by the EN Grant Program is three years. EPA may consider requests from award recipients for project/budget period extensions; and if deemed appropriate by EPA, the Grants and Interagency Agreements Management Division may issue amendments extending the project/budget periods for one year, up to four times.

Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. 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 as "Information Contacts" in the NOFO

The complete 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 competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. For non-competitive awards made under this assistance listing, EPA will conduct an administrative evaluation to determine the adequacy of the application in relation to grant regulations and to technical and program evaluation to determine the merit and relevance of the project. The Agency will then advise the applicant if funding is being considered. A final work plan will then be negotiated with the applicant.

This assistance listing includes deadline information within the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which contains both the deadline for submitting applications to EPA and the tentative expected award date for the current year's exchange network grants.

From 70 to 180 days.

Applicants can apply for a one-year no-cost extension to complete their project within the 12-month period before the grant expires. If necessary, an applicant may apply for up to four one-year no cost extensions over the life of the grant. The lifetime of an EN grant cannot exceed seven years total, including extensions.

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. Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable.