Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (EJ TCGM)

This program has been terminated. The goals of this program are to make awards for the design and management of a new Environmental Justice (EJ) competitive pass-through program where EPA will competitively select pass-through entities to provide g

This program has been terminated. The pass-through entity(s), known as Grantmakers, will design and build their own processes to receive and evaluate competitive community project applications from communities and other stakeholders for EJ Thriving Communities Subgrant activities. These activities consist of assessment, planning, and/or project development activities addressing local environmental and/or public health issues. For communities and community-based nonprofit organizations (CBOs), the EJ Thriving Communities grant (subaward) application process will be separate from the federal grants application process. There will be a streamlined process for competitively selecting and awarding subawards, as well as managing these transactions in compliance with regulatory requirements. Subawards must be consistent with the definition of that term in 2 CFR 200.1 and comply with EPA's Subaward Policy (https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients). EJ Thriving Communities Subgrants will be available for three distinct phases of community-readiness: Phase One grants will be for one-year $150,000 assessment projects, Phase Two grants will be for two-year $300,000 planning projects, and Phase Three grants will be for three-year $500,000 project development projects.

The entities eligible to apply under this assistance listing to serve as a Grantmaker are as follows: • a community-based nonprofit organization* or • a partnership of community-based nonprofit organizations* or a partnership between*- an Indian tribe and a community-based nonprofit organization • a partnership between*- an institution of higher education and a community-based nonprofit organization. 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. 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 assistance listing. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible. Eligible nonprofit organizations may, but are not required to be, exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code. Workforce Investment Boards and organized Labor Unions that meet these criteria may be eligible nonprofit organizations. 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 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. NOTE: This assistance listing is not for community applicants to apply for an EJ Grant directly from EPA. Community applicants should apply to opportunities available through Assistance Listings 66.306 , 66.312, 66.309, and 66.604 for an EPA EJ grant administered directly by EPA. The solicitations under this assistance listing will be to select the pass-through entities (Grantmakers) who will manage their own EJ Thriving Communities Grant (subaward) program in collaboration with EPA over the next 3 years. Those seeking funds to conduct a community project in a specific community may not apply under these competitions.

Unemployed, Low Income, Major Metropolis (over 250,000), Other Urban, Rural, Anyone/general public

Grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs incident to approved cooperative agreements plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. Generally, 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. A discretionary award may be selected on a non-competitive basis, as appropriate. For further information, please contact the Headquarters or regional office.

Cooperative agreements will be awarded with periods of performance of three years as required by section 138(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act.

This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372, except as it relates to land planning activities. 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 competitive announcement. 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 competitive announcement.

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.