U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking applications from eligible entities to conduct ambient air monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with environmental and health outcome disparities stemming from pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic. EPA will award funds to support community and local efforts to monitor their own air quality and to promote air quality monitoring partnerships between communities and tribal, state, and local governments.
Donor Name: Environmental Protection Agency
Country: U.S. and U.S. Territories
State: All States
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 02/25/2022
Size of the Grant: $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
EPA is soliciting applications for projects designed to monitor air pollutants of greatest concern in communities with disproportionate and adverse health outcomes. EPA’s objective in issuing these awards is to enable communities to monitor their own air quality and to promote monitoring partnerships between communities and tribal, state, and/or local governments that:
- Leverage existing air quality monitoring expertise;
- Expand use of community monitoring advisory groups and other approaches that give the community a voice in the monitoring of their air quality; and
- Build a foundation of trusting relationships and enhanced understanding from which sustainable solutions to community air pollution problems can be found.
Funding/Awards
- The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $20,000,000. Approximately $2 million dollars of this amount will be awarded to tribal governments under a tribal government set-aside, and approximately $2 million will be awarded to eligible community-based organizations under a community-based organization set aside.
- Overall, EPA anticipates awarding a total of approximately 50-70 assistance agreements (cooperative agreements or grants) from this announcement, subject to availability of funds, the quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 20-30 assistance agreements ranging in value from $25,000 to $100,000 (i.e., “Small Grants”) and 30-40 assistance agreements ranging in value from $100,001-$500,000 (i.e., “Large Grants”). EPA may increase or decrease the total funding or setaside amounts based on the number of meritorious applications received, agency priorities, funding availability, and other applicable considerations.
Project Period
The estimated project period for awards resulting from this solicitation is expected to begin by July 2022. Proposed project periods may be up to three years from the project start date.
Eligible Entities
- In accordance with Assistance Listing 66.034, applications will be accepted from states (including the District of Columbia); local governments; U.S. territories and possessions; Indian tribes; public and private hospitals and laboratories; and other public or private nonprofit organizations.
- Nonprofit organization, as defined by 2 CFR 200.1, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations. The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. Note that the definition of nonprofit in 2 CFR Part 200.1 specifically excludes the following types of organizations from the definition of “nonprofit organization” because they are separately defined in the regulation: (i) institutions of higher education; and (ii) state, local and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments. Institutions of Higher Education are not eligible to submit applications under this RFA. Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 CFR 200.1 are eligible to apply. Nonprofit organizations do not need be tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code but may use documentation of tax-exempt status to demonstrate that it is a nonprofit. EPA will verify applicants’ non-profit status on SAM.gov. Forprofit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.
- For-profit organizations are not an eligible entity for this funding opportunity. Additionally, 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.
- To be eligible for the tribal set-aside, the applicant must meet the definition of Indian tribe under Section 302(r) of the Clean Air Act: “The term ‘Indian tribe’ means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including Alaska Native village, which is Federally recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.”
- To be eligible for the community-based organization set-aside, the applicant must be an eligible nonprofit or not for profit corporation in good standing under state or tribal law with authority to enter into binding legal agreements. The community-based organization need not be tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code but may use documentation of tax-exempt status to demonstrate that it is a nonprofit. Entities applying for the community-based set-aside must specify the community they represent and provide documentation, such as their charter, mission statement, or other official documentation of the organization; and include a statement demonstrating the effectiveness as a representative of the applicable community.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
