Federal Funding Opportunities and Guidance – October 7, 2024

October 7, 2024

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Below, you will find: 

EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (Grantmakers) Program Resources

1) Grantmakers Requests for Proposals

EPA funded Grantmakers across the country will be subgranting over $500 million in $75k-350k subawards to thousands of community-based nonprofits and others for assessment, planning, and project development activities. Numerous Grantmakers have released their Requests for Proposals and EPN is tracking these on our website.

To request 1:1 assistance from EPN to apply for this opportunity, please fill out this form. And to access steps and tools to begin creating a draft proposal, please go here.

2) EPN Step by Step Guide to Applying for Grantmakers Funding

EPN created a Step by Step Guide to Applying to the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers Program, which includes two AI modules (created by GrantGenie with funding from EPN) to assist applicants in creating draft language for their proposals.

Please note that we are aware and acknowledge that AI continues to be an emerging technology that many organizations may not be very familiar with and that many may have valid concerns about using. We have built these modules with these concerns in mind and strive to create the safest, most transparent experience possible. Here, you can access important information to help you understand how data is handled, including the potential limitations of data privacy and confidentiality when utilizing GrantGenie’s tools, and the safeguards in place to protect users.

3) EPN AI Grantmakers Modules Webinar

The Anthropocene Alliance (A2) and the Environmental Protection Network (EPN) co-host monthly virtual discussions at 1pm eastern on the second Wednesday of every month, focused on federal funding and other topics of interest for frontline and environmental justice communities nationally.

To be added to the monthly calendar invites, email Harriet@AnthropoceneAlliance.org, and If you have topics you would be interested in learning more about, please email kathy.pope@environmentalprotectionnetwork.org with suggestions.


EPA’s Community Change Grant (CCG) Resources

4) EPN CCG Awardee Group Learning Sessions 

Starting October 24, 2024, EPN will begin hosting biweekly Group Learning Sessions to help Community Change Grants recipients connect with other selectees, exchange information, and request 1:1 support. EPN has hired private consulting firm TRC to guide entities through the necessary steps to reach agreement with EPA and receive their full award. The learning sessions will take place every two weeks on Thursdays from 2-3 pm ET. If your entity has been selected for a CCG award and would like to join these sessions, please reach out to genesis.sanchez@environmentalprotectionnetwork.org.

5) CCTA Reminders and Office Hours

The Community Change Technical Assistance (CCTA) program is continuing to offer reminders and office hours to help communities complete and submit grant applications.

Reminders:
Updated FAQs: Find the September updates to the CCG FAQs here on the EPA website

Track II Communities: The EPA announced the release of the final Achieving Health and Environmental Protection Through EPA’s Meaningful Engagement Policy. This could be helpful in your applications!

Deadline Reminder: The Community Change Grants Program is still accepting applications through November 21, 2024. Communities are encouraged to submit applications early and as soon as NOFO requirements are met. The deadline to request new Technical Assistance has closed, but helpful tools and links can be accessed under the Resources tab on the Community Change Grants TA website.

Nonprofit Status: You must attach proof of CBO nonprofit status to your application, as Grants.gov does not validate nonprofit status. You can upload this when submitting your application in Grants.gov in the “Other Attachment File(s)/Mandatory Other Attachment” window.

Remember, if both the lead and statutory partners are CBOs, you must include proof of nonprofit status for both CBOs. If you have already applied and did not include your proof of nonprofit status, you do not need to do anything at this time. If the application is otherwise eligible, the EPA CCGP team will contact you to request your proof of nonprofit status.

Office Hours:

Week of October 8 & 9, 2024 

Week of October 15 & 16, 2024 

Week of October 22 & 23, 2024 


Other EPA Funding Opportunities

6) EPA’s Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) program

EPA announced the availability of $232 million in grant funding through the agency’s Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) program. This is the fourth wave of funding supported by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda to assess and clean up polluted brownfield sites across the country. The new grants will advance environmental justice and help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets while spurring economic revitalization in underserved communities. Copies of the FY25 Brownfields Grants Guidelines and other application resources are available on the Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant Application Resources webpage, and the Notices of Funding Opportunities and application information are posted on www.grants.gov. Applications are due by November 14, 2024 via grants.gov.

7) EPA Training and Technical Assistance to Help Small and Rural Communities Protect Public Health, Drinking Water, and Local Waterways

EPA announced the availability of up to $30.7 million in grant funding for technical assistance and training to support small drinking water and wastewater systems, many serving rural communities, and to help private well owners improve water quality.

EPA is seeking applications to fund grant projects that will benefit small and often rural communities. Eligible applicants for this competitive agreement are nonprofit organizations, nonprofit private universities and colleges, and public institutions of higher education. EPA expects to award four to five cooperative agreements. The purpose of the agreements is to provide training and technical assistance to:

  • Small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
  • Small public water systems on a wide range of managerial and/or financial topics to achieve and maintain compliance with the SDWA.
  • Small publicly owned wastewater systems, communities served by onsite-decentralized wastewater systems to help improve water quality.
  • Private well owners to help improve water quality.

Questions about applying for EPA funding for training and technical assistance must be received by November 11, 2024, and applications must be received by 11:59pm ET on November 25, 2024. EPA expects to award these cooperative agreements by summer of 2025.

To learn more about the grant visit: Training and Technical Assistance for Small Systems Funding.

8) EPA Grants to Advance Recycling Infrastructure and Prevent Wasted Food

EPA announced $117 million for three separate funding opportunities to advance recycling infrastructure and boost food waste prevention education across the country. Two of the notices are for Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grants – one funding opportunity for Tribes and intertribal consortia and another for communities (such as cities, counties, and parishes) across the country. The third notice is for EPA’s Recycling Education and Outreach grant program and is focused on food waste prevention and composting.

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grant Program: The recycling funding for communities will provide approximately $58 million total in awards ranging from $500,000 to $5 million each and applications are due December 20, 2024. The recycling funding for Tribes and intertribal consortia will provide approximately $20 million total in awards ranging from $100,000 to $1.5 million each and applications are due March 14, 2025. This includes projects that will improve collection, transport, systems, and processes related to post-use materials that can be recovered, reused, recycled, repaired, refurbished, or composted. EPA anticipates announcing a SWIFR funding opportunity for states and territories next year.

Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) Grant Program: The funding for the REO grant program will provide approximately $39 million for one award and applications are due December 20, 2024. EPA seeks coalition applications that include the following elements: (1) a project to develop and implement a national consumer wasted food reduction campaign; (2) a project that will increase the market for and sales of compost; and (3) a project that will increase education and outreach to households on composting. Applicants must demonstrate they will subaward a portion of the total award to implement education and outreach activities locally, which will benefit local communities.

EPA Grants and Compliance Trainings

9) 2024 Revisions to 2 CFR Part 200 Regulations

Earlier this year, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published substantial updates to the Uniform Grants Guidance at 2 CFR Part 200: Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards that are effective as of October 1, 2024. These revisions reduce both Federal agency and recipient burden, are written in plain language to clarify concepts and terms, and help improve overall Federal financial assistance management.

This Wednesday, October 9, 2024, from 1-2 pm ET, EPA will host a webinar to review the most impactful revisions to help guide grant stakeholders through these changes. Some of the topics to be covered include changes to threshold amounts, equipment and supplies, updates of definitions and acronyms, new reporting requirements on budget and program plans as well as program performance, modifications to the termination clause, and procurement policies.

To register for the webinar, go here.

10) EPA Grants Training for EPA Pass-Through Grant Applicants, Recipients, and Subrecipients

EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment recently released materials from the Training for EPA Pass-Through Grant Applicants, Recipients, and Subrecipients Webinar held on June 27, 2024. The following materials can be accessed on the EPA Grants Training for EPA Pass-Through Grant Applicants, Recipients, and Subrecipients Webinar webpage:

  • Recording of the webinar with closed captions
  • Helpful web links from the presentation
  • A list of Questions & Answers based on questions submitted by attendees during the webinar
  • Presentation slides in PDF format

If you have questions about the posted materials or need more information on EPA’s grants award process, please email EPA_Grants_Info@epa.gov.

Community Benefits Guide

11) Resources, Tools, and Templates for Communities

Fair Shake and Riverwise recently released the first version of a Community Benefit Guide. This Guide is for community advocates and leaders who want to bring community benefits – through community benefit agreements, plans, or ordinances – to their communities.  The Guide provides some tools, templates, and examples that all communities can adapt to bring tangible and concrete benefits, protections, and transparency along with new development.

The Guide includes three sections:

Fair Shake and Riverwise will support communities throughout the process of community education, technical assistance, and legal support. Use their Contact Us form to reach out for assistance.