Source Reduction Assistance

The goal of the Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) program is to award grants that support research, investigation, study, demonstration, education, and training using source reduction approaches (also known as "pollution prevention" and herein referr

Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) grants fund innovative source reduction approaches (also known as "pollution prevention" or "P2"). P2 means reducing or eliminating pollutants from entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. In keeping with the statutory authorities under this program, SRA grant projects must use one or more of the following technical assistance methods to carry out source reduction/P2 activities: a) research, b) investigation, c) experiments, d) education, e) training, f) studies, and/or g) demonstration of innovative techniques.

Eligible applicants for purposes of funding under the grant programs administered under this Assistance Listing announcement include: the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, local governments, city or township governments, independent school district governments, state controlled institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations (other than institutions of higher education), private institutions of higher education, community-based grassroots organizations, and federally-recognized tribes and intertribal consortia. 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 Policy for the Competition of Assistance Agreements.

Any state, federally-recognized tribal government, intertribal consortia, college/university, non-profit organization, local government, independent school district, student interns (within undergrad and graduate school programs), for-profit businesses, and the general public.

EPA is interested in supporting P2, source reduction, and resource conservation projects that will provide an overall benefit to the environment by preventing pollutants at the source. Source reduction projects can include but are not limited to: 1) improving facility and institutional operations that reduce hazardous material use and exposure, 2) reformulating and procuring products to reduce toxics, 3) providing direct technical assistance to businesses and other organizations, 4) encouraging green product design and manufacturing, 5) conducting outreach, 6) collecting and analyzing P2 data, and 7) integrating P2 concepts into state, regional and tribal environmental multimedia programs. Grant activities must be consistent with the grant guidelines of the statutory authorities listed for this program. The statutory authorities are listed in this assistance listing and in the applicable Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). SRA assistance agreements must carry out activities within the terms of the EPA's statutory authorities. The statutes authorize the agency to award grants or cooperative agreements using methods of: research, investigations, experiments, education, training, surveys, studies, and/or demonstration of innovative techniques. SRA assistance agreement activities must relate to gathering or transferring information or advancing awareness. Applications must emphasize this "learning" concept, as opposed to "fixing" an environmental problem using a well-established method. 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 judgment ("discretion"), selects the recipient and/or the amount of Federal funding awarded through a competitive process or based on the merit of proposals. A discretionary award may be selected on a non-competitive basis, as appropriate.

Examples of unacceptable grant applications involve: recycling, treatment, clean-up, disposal, and/or energy recovery projects. In addition, demonstrations of P2 practices must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches, where the results of the project will be disseminated so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained in the demonstration project. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not a demonstration. Please reference the current grant announcement posted on EPA's Grants for Pollution Prevention page for additional information. See web page reference here: https://www.epa.gov/p2/grant-programs-pollution-prevention#sra.For purposes of this assistance listing announcement, P2 does not involve practices which alter the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics or the volume of a pollutant, hazardous substance or contaminant through a process or activity which itself is not integral to and necessary for the production of a product or the providing of a service (refer to Pollution Prevention Act (PPA), Section 6603 and 40 CFR 35.343 and 35.662). Recycling of discarded materials, waste clean-up, disposal activities, and management of or processing of non-hazardous solid waste (e.g., paper/cardboard, glass, plastics, etc.) are not P2 activities and cannot serve as a basis for SRA award funding. If any of these activities represent more than a small and ancillary part of the proposed work for funding under this grant, EPA will not consider the application for an award. For assistance with recycling of discarded materials, waste clean-up, disposal, and management or processing of non-hazardous solid waste activities, please contact the EPA's Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.

Assistance agreements are awarded for an initial funding period of two years.

Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," applies to this assistance listing when proposed Federal financial assistance involves land use planning or construction associated with demonstration projects. EPA financial assistance programs and activities subject to intergovernmental review that are subject to review under State single point of contact procedures are identified at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-financial-assistance-programs-subject-executive-order-12372-and-section-204. Applicants for programs or activities subject to Intergovernmental Review that are not subject to State single point of contact review must provide directly affected State, areawide, regional, and local entities at least 60 days to review their application following notification by EPA that the application has been selected for funding as provided by 40 CFR 29.8(a) and (c). 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 "Agency Contacts" in the NOFO.

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

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's Policy for the Competition of Assistance Agreements.

For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Generally, EPA incrementally funds grants and cooperative agreements. Approval of subsequent funding increments is dependent on satisfactory project progress, continued relevance of the project to EPA's priorities, and availability of funds.

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.