The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking applications for its Healthy and Resilient Gulf of Mexico 2023 BIL.
Donor Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
State: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/05/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 5 Years
Details:
This RFA seeks applications for a partnership of five or more eligible entities (a partnership of the applicant with four or more other organizations) to submit a single application under this RFA to fund multiple projects/activities authorized by CWA 104(b)(3). Two of the partners must be small community-based organizations (for purposes of this RFA, this is defined as 10 or fewer full time equivalent employees). Projects must address one or more of the four Gulf of Mexico Division Priority Areas for this RFA listed below. Applications must identify which eligible organization will be the recipient of the grant and which eligible organizations will be subrecipients. EPA expects that the recipient and subrecipients will implement activities to support the following Priority Areas:
- Water Quality Improvement;
- Protect, Enhance, or Restore Habitat;
- Environmental Education; and/or
- Strengthen Community Resilience.
Objectives for Disadvantaged Communities
Projects submitted under this funding opportunity should support the Gulf of Mexico Objectives for Disadvantaged Communities detailed below:
- Demonstrate community-driven projects, which are projects that include activities where community residents and/or representatives are integrally involved in the planning and execution of those activities
- Show connections to the identified disadvantaged community(ies) (e.g., letters of support from community leaders, prior collaborations).
- Use “meaningful involvement” to ensure success of project goals. Meaningful involvement entails:
- Residents have an opportunity to participate in decisions that affect their environment and/or health within their communities.
- Community participants’ concerns will be considered in the decision-making process.
- Partners will seek out and facilitate the involvement of impacted communities.
- Build the capacity of communities with environmental concerns and help them create self-sustaining, community-based partnerships that will continue to improve their community.
- Promote learning and understanding within communities.
- Establish collaborative and coordinated efforts, processes or procedures, and communication strategies between neighborhoods and communities with local governments regarding ongoing environmental projects and initiatives at local levels to maximize use of local resources and reduce duplication of efforts.
- Document the beneficial impact the project has on the community.
Priorities
- Priority Area 1: Water Quality Improvement
- Priority Area 2: Protect, Enhance, or Restore Habitat
- Priority Area 3: Environmental Education
- Priority Area 4: Strengthen Community Resilience
Funding Information
Approximately $30 million in EPA funding is expected to be awarded under this RFA for approximately five awards. The amount of federal funding per award is up to $6,000,000.
Project Period
The estimated project period for awards resulting from this solicitation will begin in Calendar Year 2024. Proposed project periods may be up to five years.
Eligibility Criteria
- In accordance with Assistance Listing 66.475, governmental entities, including state agencies, interstate agencies, Indian tribes, local governments, institutions of higher learning (i.e., colleges and universities), and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for funding under this RFA. School districts or high schools designated as one of the eligible entities above are eligible.
- An intertribal consortium must meet the definition of eligibility in the Environmental Program Grants for Tribes Final Rule, at and be a non-profit organization within the meaning. 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.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
