The EPA Gulf of Mexico Division (GMD) is announcing a Request for Applications (RFA) from eligible applicants for the Gulf of Mexico Historically Underserved Farmer to Farmer Grants Program.
Donor Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
State: Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 02/04/2022
Size of the Grant: $3,000,000
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
This RFA is seeking applicants for a direct award from EPA to provide competitive subawards to eligible entities that directly collaborate with underserved farmers on projects within the Gulf of Mexico watershed to achieve EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Farmer to Farmer objectives. Subawardees MUST directly collaborate with farmers from underserved communities and/or underserved producers. Each of these is defined in the following links.
EPA plans to award four cooperative agreements of up to $3,000,000 per cooperative agreement. EPA plans to fund one cooperative agreement in each of the following geographic categories:
- Missouri – Arkansas – White – Red Region (HUCs 10 and 11)
- Ohio-Tennessee Region (HUCs 05 and 06)
- Non-Mississippi Reiver Drainage (HUCs 12, 13 and a portion of 03)
Objectives
EPA Gulf of Mexico Farmer to Farmer objectives:
- Novel or innovative techniques, methods, or approaches to improve adoption of resilient and sustainable practices;
- Increase collaboration, including within and among farming communities;
- Data collection and analysis to demonstrate the results of the applied technique(s), method(s) or approach(es); and
- Effective communication of project results to the farming community to inform future farm management and to better understand the most cost-effective and sustainable farming approaches.
Funding Information
- The estimated amount available under this announcement is approximately $12 million. The amount of federal funding per award is up to $3,000,000.
- Proposed project periods may be up to five years.
Eligible Entities
- Applications will be accepted from governmental entities, including state agencies, interstate agencies, Indian tribes, local governments, institutions of higher learning (i.e., colleges and universities), and non-profit organizations (as defined at 2 CFR 200) are eligible to apply for funding under this RFA. 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. The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. 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 RFA. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.
- Nonprofit organizations that are not exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code must submit other forms of documentation of nonprofit status; such as certificates of incorporation as nonprofit under state or tribal law. Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible for EPA funding as provided in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. 1611.
- EPA recognizes that scientific, technical, engineering and mathematical (STEM) competence is essential to the Nation’s future well-being in terms of national security and competitive economic advantage. For instance, the health and vitality of the economy is predicated, in part, on the availability of an adequate supply of scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians, to develop innovative technologies and solutions. In other words, this country must engage all available minds to address the challenges it faces. Minorities, women, and persons with disabilities historically have been under-represented in the STEM fields. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants including, women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply.
- Competitive Subawards. Eligible entities for competitive subawards issued by the successful applicant are the same eligible entities listed above. For the purposes of this announcement, EPA has determined that for-profit entities are ineligible for the competitive subaward program. EPA award officials will disapprove the costs of proposed subaward work to 501(c)(4) organizations identified in a subaward application, or workplan changes requiring prior approval, if the work involves lobbying activities or would otherwise violate the principles of EPA’s subaward policy.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
