The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP or the Department) seeks proposals from: groups of Massachusetts cities/towns; Regional Planning Agencies on behalf of groups of Massachusetts cities/towns; Massachusetts stormwater coalitions representing two or more municipalities; and/or non-profit organizations on behalf of groups of Massachusetts cities/towns, for innovative projects that will help multiple communities meet the requirements of the 2016 Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit (2016 Small MS4 General Permit).
Donor Name: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/10/2023
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
MassDEP is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and environmental justice (EJ) through its public investments. The agency seeks to prioritize the direction of these resources to benefit EJ communities and to address environmental inequities. To that end, MassDEP grant, and funding programs include criteria and evaluation parameters that emphasize equity, diversity, and environmental justice, consistent with each program’s statutory authority and source of funding. Preference will be given to projects that provide direct benefit to environmental justice populations.
Funding Information
The total funding currently available for projects under this Grant Announcement and at the time of posting is $300,000. Grant awards may range from $50,000 to $300,000 per applicant, although the MassDEP review committee reserves the right, in its discretion, to grant smaller awards to proposals of exceptional merit. If additional or unspent funds become available during the period, between the announcement of this grant opportunity and the announcement of the grant awards, MassDEP may consider allocating supplemental funds to this grant solicitation. Applicants must only propose project scopes with timelines that can be completed on or before June 30, 2024. All funding of awards issues through this program are subject to the availability of appropriations or funding from other Department sources.
Eligible Projects
- Eligible projects will result in tools or strategies that will help multiple municipalities meet one or more requirement(s) of the 2016 Small MS4 General Permit. Ineligible projects include funding for the operation and maintenance of sewer systems.
- Eligible projects must provide a shared benefit to multiple communities, including environmental justice communities.
- Eligible projects must not duplicate work already done by any Massachusetts stormwater coalition or apply a previously funded project delivery to another region.
- Examples of potentially eligible, MS4-focused projects include, but are not limited to:
- Assessment tool(s) for identifying retrofit sites;
- Data intake and field-certification tool(s) for Best Management Practices (BMP) operation and maintenance programs;
- Formation of new regional MS4 coalitions in areas where none exist;
- MS4 capital investments, including investments in equipment and electronic resources;
- Outreach and education services, materials, and/or strategies for (a) public engagement and/or (b) establishment of stormwater enterprise funds or stormwater utilities;
- Survey research to identify the needs of smaller MS4 municipalities;
- Asset management tools for tracking and maintaining stormwater infrastructure such as catch basins, culverts, and BMPs; and/or
- MS4-related job training opportunities that benefit environmental justice populations.
- Both existing and proposed projects are eligible for this grant program, and funding will support work activities for any phase(s) of a project, from initial project planning through project implementation, so long as the work funded by this program is conducted during the contract period (i.e., started on or after July 1, 2023, and completed on or before June 30, 2024). All Applications must include a feasible timeline for completion (i.e., illustrating that the project can be completed on or before the June 30, 2024, deadline).
- Preference will be given to projects that directly assist the greatest number of municipalities, including environmental justice populations
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible Entities are groups of two or more Massachusetts municipalities that are subject to the 2016 Small MS4 General Permit; Regional Planning Agencies acting on behalf of two or more municipalities that are subject to the 2016 Small MS4 General Permit; Massachusetts stormwater coalitions representing two or more municipalities that are subject to the 2016 Small MS4 General Permit; and/or non-profit organizations acting on behalf of two or more municipalities that are subject to the 2016 Small MS4 General Permit.
For more information, visit Mass DEP.
