Federal Funding Opportunities and Guidance + Staff and National Policy Updates – November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

Please share this information widely! And please sign up to receive these updates in your inbox every 2 weeks or so.

Below, you will find: 

EPA’s Community Change Grant (CCG) Update and Resources

1) Application Status

If you submitted a CCG application 6 weeks ago or more and haven’t heard anything from EPA, it’s time to check in. To check the status of your application, please email CCGProgramStaff@epa.gov as soon as possible. Please note that you may or may not have time to incorporate suggestions and resubmit before the November 21st deadline.

2) EPN CCG Requests

As of November 10, 2024, EPN will no longer be able to accept technical assistance requests for the Community Change Grants Program. If your organization has an advanced draft proposal and seeks assistance, please complete our inbound request form as soon as possible. In addition, all of our resources will remain on our website through the application deadline of November, 21st.

3) EPN CCG Awardee Group Learning Sessions 

EPN is hosting biweekly Group Learning Sessions and providing 1:1 assistance and written support materials to help Community Change Grants recipients reach agreement with EPA and receive their full award. At the learning sessions, you can ask questions, connect with other selectees, exchange information, and meet members of the private consulting firm TRC, who EPN has hired to provide these services pro bono. The learning sessions 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.

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

4) EPN Grantmakers Resources

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. Many Grantmakers have released their Requests for Proposals, and EPN is tracking these on our website.

Please utilize EPN’s Step-by-Step Guide to Applying to the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers Program to begin to pull together your application. And even if your regional or national Grantmaker hasn’t released their applications, we recommend that you start using EPN’s Step-by-Step Guide to acquire your Unique Entity ID on SAM.gov, identify the geographic area of your proposed project, and think through your potential proposal. Our Guide also includes two AI modules (created by GrantGenie with funding from EPN) to assist applicants in creating draft language for their proposals.

To request 1:1 assistance from EPN to apply for this opportunity, please fill out this form. 

5) Region 4’s Grantmaker Is Hiring Tribal Liaisons

RTI International is seeking two Tribal liaisons for their Grantmakers Outreach team. Tribal liaisons will conduct outreach with tribal nations and communities in EPA’s Region 4 states: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Tribal liaisons are compensated up to $100 on an hourly basis for their time, including travel time. Compensation has been approved in compliance with the Best Practices Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under an EPA Assistance Agreement. Detailed information about the role and responsibilities of the tribal liaison can be found here. If you have questions, leave a message at (424) 855-0862, or email TCGM@rti.org.

Sustainable Communities Accelerator Network

6) National Peer Learning Network

The Sustainable Communities Accelerator Network (SCAN)—a new national peer learning network—is now accepting applications through November 13. Visit the webpage to learn more!

Once a local sustainability plan is finalized, communities can face challenges to implementation. SCAN will support teams as they move an idea from paper to action. This program is designed for leaders in the environmental, land use planning and sustainability fields. Each community may nominate a team of up to two leaders to participate in the program. The community must be prepared to undertake a specific project, action, or policy that prioritizes sustainability in their local community.

EPA’s Clean School Bus Rebates

7) 2024 Clean School Bus Rebate Program

EPA has announced the opening of the 2024 Clean School Bus (CSB) Rebate Program application period. Under the 2024 CSB Rebate Program, EPA anticipates awarding up to $965 million in rebate funding with the potential to modify this figure based on the application pool and other factors.

2024 CSB Rebate Program applicants must submit all application materials by January 9th, 2025, at 4:00PM ET through the Applicant Dashboard. The CSB Rebate Program prioritizes applications that will replace buses serving high-need local education agencies, rural areas, Tribal school districts funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Education and public school districts receiving basic support payments for students living on Tribal land. EPA currently expects to award approximately 60% of total funding for the 2024 CSB Rebate Program to applicants in prioritized school districts. Prioritized applicants are able to request up to $325,000 per bus and other eligible expenses.

Additionally, selectees may be eligible for Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits applicable to their bus and infrastructure purchases. For example, the Commercial Clean Vehicle tax credits for qualifying school buses are worth up to $40,000. More information on tax credits can be found on the EPA’s Clean School Bus Tax Credits webpage.

EPA will provide support to all potential applicants More information on the free assistance available is available on the CSB Technical Assistance webpage and resources on planning for electrification can be found on the Coordinating with Electrical Utilities page. EPA also plans to host webinars on the 2024 CSB Rebate Program during the application period. Visit the Clean School Bus Webinars webpage to register for all upcoming webinars.  

WE ACT TCTAC Webinar Series on DOE

8) Getting to Know the Department of Energy (DOE) Part One 

This webinar is the first in a series designed to introduce communities to the tools and resources available at the DOE. Presented by the DOE Office of Community Engagement (OCE), Part One will explore the different program offices working to bring clean energy to disadvantaged and energy burdened communities, and the DOE funding opportunities that these communities can apply for to help them transition to cleaner, safer, and cost-efficient clean energy solutions. Participants will leave with a deeper knowledge of how to navigate DOE processes and program offices, and understand how to take advantage of DOE’s community-focused programming and resources. Register here to attend the webinar on November 14, 2024, from 5:00 – 6:30 pm ET.

The Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) Net-Zero Accelerator

9)  CGC Net-Zero Accelerator Proposal Process Webinar Slides

The CGC Community Net-Zero Accelerator will issue an official call for proposals in December 2024, unleashing a combination of investments and up to $90 million in grants to help communities with existing decarbonization plans. This initiative is specifically looking for applicants that represent communities with the following characteristics:

  • Population Size: 50,000-600,000
  • Existing Decarbonization Plans with Clean Energy and/or Net Zero Targets
  • At least one low-income and disadvantaged community census tract according to the White House CEJST

To prepare for this opportunity, you can access slides and a recording of a request for proposal information session, where CGC leadership guided eligible applicants through the proposal process, covering key elements to highlight in your net-zero plan, aligning projects with the CGC Green Bank Toolkit, and outlining the application process and logistics.

Updates on Our Work

Please take a moment to check out EPN’s Bimonthly Newsletter: EPN In Action: September-October 2024

Highlights:
– On October 18th, EPN and Michelle Roos were honored at the 2024 WE ACT for Environmental Justice Gala.
– During September and October, EPN connected almost 56 volunteers to over 357 requests for technical assistance from frontline communities, nonprofit organizations, law clinics, under-resourced government agencies, and others.
– EPN members were featured in dozens of media outlets and authored several op-eds. EPN continues to provide in-depth, insightful background information to numerous reporters, congressional staffers, and nonprofits.
– We hired Region 8 and 10 Community Outreach Associate Emmett Blaney and Region 7 Community Outreach Associate Rayan Makarem and we now have 12 full-time staff working on our pro bono capacity-building technical assistance program.!

National Policy Updates:
– EPN published a report, Breathing Easy: An Assessment of Public Health Benefits from EPA Air Pollution Standards (2021-24).
– EPN submitted comments on EPA’s proposed decision to register an antimicrobial pesticide product containing the new active ingredient glycerol formate.
– EPN provided comments on EPA’s Interim per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Destruction and Disposal Guidance.
– EPN launched a Substack series about the consequences of The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and how it will be detrimental to public health and environmental protections if implemented.