EPA Community Change Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity

FEDERAL AGENCY AND OFFICE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of

Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights

(OEJECR)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE: Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change

Grants Program

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: EPA-R-OEJECR-OCS-23-04

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 66.616

IMPORTANT DATES:

November 21, 2023 NOFO Opening Date

November 21, 2024 Application Closing Date

March 2024 Initial Award Selections

May / June 2024 Anticipated Start of Period of Performance for Initial

Selections

DEADLINE: Application packages will be accepted on a rolling basis, as further explained in the NOFO,

until November 21, 2024, at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) through Grants.gov. Applications received after the

closing date and time will not be considered for funding.

In alignment with EPA’s commitment to conducting business in an open and transparent manner, copies of

applications selected for award under this NOFO may, as appropriate, be made publicly available on the

OEJECR website or other public website for a period after the selected applications are announced.

Therefore, applicants should clearly indicate which portion(s) of the application, if any, they are claiming

contains confidential, privileged, or sensitive information. As provided at 40 CFR § 2.203(b), if no claim

of confidential treatment accompanies the information when it is received by EPA, it may be made available

to the public by EPA without further notice to the applicant.

NOTE: Prior to naming a contractor (including consultants) or subrecipient in your application as a

“partner,” please carefully review Section IV.d, “Contracts and Subawards,” of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses

that are incorporated by reference in this NOFO in Section I.J. EPA expects recipients of funding to comply

with competitive procurement contracting requirements as well as EPA’s rule on Participation by

Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in EPA Programs in 40 CFR Part 33. The Agency does not accept

justifications for sole source contracts for services or products available in the commercial marketplace

based on a contractor’s role in preparing an application or a firm or individual’s “unique” qualifications.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS: 
 
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description ............................................................................................ 4 
A.  Background: Inflation Reduction Act and Executive Orders ............................................................... 4 
B.  Statutory and Regulatory Authority ...................................................................................................... 5 
C.  Community Change Grants Objectives ................................................................................................ 6 
D.  NOFO Competition Features ................................................................................................................ 6 
E.  Technical Assistance ............................................................................................................................. 7 
F.  Community or Tribal Relocation Resources ......................................................................................... 8 
G.  Funding Track I: Community-Driven Investments for Change ........................................................... 8 
H.  Funding Track II: Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance ............................................. 19 
I.   EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, Anticipated Outputs, Outcomes & Performance Measures .................. 22 
J.   Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the NOFO ................................................... 23 
Section II. Federal Award Information .................................................................................................. 24 
A.  Number and Amount of Awards ........................................................................................................ 24 
B.  Target Investment Areas (TIA) for Track I Applications ................................................................... 24 
C.  Rolling Application Submittal and Review Process, Application Award Limits, and Application 
Resubmission Procedures ......................................................................................................................... 25 
D.  Conditional Awards ............................................................................................................................ 26 
E.  Period of Performance ........................................................................................................................ 26 
F.  Partial Funding .................................................................................................................................... 26 
G.  Additional Awards.............................................................................................................................. 26 
H.  Funding Type ..................................................................................................................................... 27 
Section III. Eligibility Information .......................................................................................................... 28 
A.  Eligible Applicants ............................................................................................................................. 28 
B.  Statutory Partnership Requirements and Collaborating Entities ........................................................ 30 
C.  Cost-Sharing or Matching Funds ........................................................................................................ 31 
D.  Threshold Eligibility Criteria ............................................................................................................. 31 
Section IV. Application and Submission Information ........................................................................... 34 
A.  Requirement to Submit through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures............................... 34 
B.  Content of Application Submission .................................................................................................... 37 
C.  Informational Webinars and Application Assistance ......................................................................... 46 
Section V. Application Review Information ........................................................................................... 47 
A.  Threshold Eligibility Review Process ................................................................................................ 47 

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B.   Review Panel and Evaluation Process ............................................................................................... 47 
C.  Track I Application Review Process, Evaluation Criteria, and Oral Presentations ............................ 47 
D.  Track II Application Review Process and Evaluation Criteria ........................................................... 54 
E.  Final Selection Process and Other Factors .......................................................................................... 57 
F.  Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Date ......................................................................... 58 
Section VI. Award Administration Information .................................................................................... 59 
A.  Award Notification and Disputes ....................................................................................................... 59 
B.  Administrative and National Policy Requirements ............................................................................ 59 
C.  Audit Requirements ............................................................................................................................ 62 
D.  Remedies for Non-Compliance .......................................................................................................... 62 
E.  Program Administration Activities ..................................................................................................... 63 
F.  Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Awareness .................................................................................................. 63 
G. Quality Management Plans (QMPs) & Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs) ............................ 63 
Section VII. Contact Information ............................................................................................................ 65 
Appendix A. Definition of Disadvantaged Communities and Mapping Requirements ...................... 66 
Appendix B. Partnership Agreement between the Lead Applicant and Statutory Partner .............. 70 
Appendix C. Climate Action Strategies and Associated Project Activities ......................................... 71 
Appendix D. Pollution Reduction Strategies and Associated Project Activities ................................. 78 
Appendix E. Job Quality & Equitable Employment Opportunities .................................................... 81 
Appendix F. Track I and II Outputs and Outcomes.............................................................................. 82 
Appendix G. Budget Template ................................................................................................................ 87 
Appendix H. Alaska Tribal Lands Target Investment Area ................................................................. 92 
 
   

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

(back to the Table of Contents)

A. Background: Inflation Reduction Act and Executive Orders

The Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant program (Community Change Grants)

– the subject of this NOFO – offers an unprecedented opportunity to transform disadvantaged communities

across the United States into healthy, climate resilient, and thriving communities for their current and future

residents. The Community Change Grants will fund community-driven projects that address climate

challenges and reduce pollution while strengthening communities through thoughtful implementation. The

historic levels of support provided by these grants will enable communities and their partners to overcome

longstanding environmental challenges and implement meaningful solutions to meet community needs now

and for generations to come.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created the Environmental and Climate Justice Program (ECJP)—the

largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history—when it was signed into law by

President Biden on August 16, 2022. The ECJP is now contained in Section 138 of the Clean Air Act

(CAA), 42 U.S.C. § 7438. Under this program, EPA was provided $2.8 billion to award grants to help

disadvantaged communities address a wide range of environmental and climate justice issues, and $200

million for technical assistance related to these grants. This historic investment advances Executive Order

13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal

Government, which established a whole-of-government approach to advancing equity and opportunity, and

Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which created the government-

wide Justice 40 Initiative that established the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal

investments flow to disadvantaged communities. Awards under the ECJP also support core goals of

Executive Order 14091, Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities

Through the Federal Government, and Executive Order 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to

Environmental Justice for All.

The Community Change Grants are the final and most comprehensive piece of EPA’s implementation of

ECJP IRA funding. The Community Change Grants will complement grant programs that EPA launched

in 2022 and 2023, including those for the Collaborative Problem-Solving, Government-to-Government,

and Thriving Communities Grantmaker programs. Collectively, these programs will empower communities

and their partners to design, develop, and implement multi-faceted community-driven projects. These

programs will address the diverse and unique needs of disadvantaged communities by:

1. Reducing and preventing pollution;

2. Building resilience to climate change and mitigating current and future climate risks;

3. Enhancing meaningful involvement in government processes related to environmental and climate

justice;

4. Expanding access to high-quality jobs and economic opportunity through workforce development;

and

5. Bolstering community strength by ensuring that local residents receive the benefits of investments

and have the opportunity to build on them for current and future generations.

Through the approximately $2 billion to be awarded under the Community Change Grants, and the technical

assistance that will be available to eligible applicants related to the grants, EPA will advance the goals of

these Executive Orders (EO) and the agency’s environmental and climate justice priorities. Environmental

justice, as defined by EO 14096, means the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people,

regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability, in agency decision-making

and other federal activities that affect human health and the environment so that people:

• Are fully protected from disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects

(including risks) and hazards, including those related to climate change, the cumulative impacts of

environmental and other burdens, and the legacy of racism or other structural or systemic barriers;

and

• Have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment in which to live, play,

work, learn, grow, worship, and engage in cultural and subsistence practices.

B. Statutory and Regulatory Authority

The authority for the awards under this NOFO is Clean Air Act (CAA) § 138, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 7438.

Of the $2.8 billion appropriated, approximately $2 billion will be awarded for the Community Change

Grants under this NOFO. As provided in 42 U.S.C. § 7438(a)(1) and (b)(1), all the funds must be awarded

by September 30, 2026, the grants cannot be longer than three years in duration, and no extensions will be

granted.

Eligible entities and eligible activities are defined in 42 U.S.C. §7438(b)(2) and (3) and are further described

below and in Section I and Section III of this NOFO.

Section 138(b)(2) of the CAA specifies that an eligible entity may use a grant awarded under this NOFO

for:

1. community-led air and other pollution monitoring, prevention, and remediation, and investments

in low and zero-emission and resilient technologies and related infrastructure and workforce

development that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions

and other air pollutants;

2. mitigating climate and health risks from urban heat islands, extreme heat, wood heater emissions,

and wildfire events;

3. climate resiliency and adaptation;

4. reducing indoor toxics and indoor air pollution; or

5. facilitating engagement of disadvantaged communities in state and federal advisory groups,

workshops, rulemakings, and other public processes.

In addition, Section 102(2)(I) of the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. § 4332(2)(I) is

applicable to international work, if any, under this NOFO. Further, all funded activities under this NOFO

must comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including but not limited to:

1. 2 CFR 200.435(b), which restricts the use of grant funds to defend a recipient that is subject to a

criminal, civil or administrative proceeding against it commenced by any government for fraud or

similar offenses;

2. 2 CFR 200.435(g), which precludes the use of grant funds to prosecute claims against the Federal

Government; and

3. 2 CFR 200.450(c), which restricts the use of federal funds by nonprofit organizations for certain

lobbying or electioneering activities but does not preclude the use of federal funds to promote

adoption of local ordinances, including those related to zoning.

“Greenhouse gas” means the air pollutants carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide,

perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.

4. 40 CFR Parts 5 and 7, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin

(including limited-English proficiency), disability, sex, and age by recipients and subrecipients of

federal financial assistance.

C. Community Change Grants Objectives

The Community Change Grants will support comprehensive community and place-based approaches to

redressing environmental and climate injustices for communities facing legacy pollution, climate change,

and persistent disinvestment. These concentrated local investments will fund community-driven, change-

making projects that center collaborative efforts for healthier, safer, and more prosperous communities.

Designed with meaningful community, Tribal, and other stakeholder involvement, the investments EPA

makes through the Community Change Grants are intended to achieve the following objectives:

1. Provide resources for community-driven projects to address environmental and climate challenges

in communities facing disproportionate and adverse health, pollution, and environmental impacts,

and suffering from generations of disinvestment.

2. Invest in strong cross-sectoral collaborations with partners who bring a robust commitment to

working with and for communities with environmental and climate justice concerns.

3. Unlock access to additional and more significant resources to advance environmental and climate

justice goals from across the federal government and other sources.

4. Empower communities and strengthen their capacity to drive meaningful positive change on the

ground for years to come.

5. Strengthen community participation in government decision-making processes that impact them.

D. NOFO Competition Features

EPA anticipates awarding approximately $2 billion in funding through this NOFO, depending on funding

availability, quality of applications received, EPA priorities, and other applicable considerations. EPA will

consider applications under two separate tracks.

• Track I applications – Community-Driven Investments for Change will focus on multi-faceted

applications with Climate Action and Pollution Reduction Strategies to meaningfully improve the

environmental, climate, and resilience conditions affecting disadvantaged communities. Awards

under Track I are expected to be $10-20 million each and cannot exceed $20 million. EPA expects

to award approximately $1.96 billion for approximately 150 Track I awards, including those under

the Target Investment Areas described in Section II.B.

• Track II applications – Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance will facilitate the

engagement of disadvantaged communities in governmental processes to advance environmental

and climate justice. Awards under Track II are expected to be $1-3 million each and cannot exceed

$3 million. EPA will award approximately $40 million for approximately 20 Track II awards.

The number of Track I and Track II awards are estimates, and EPA reserves the right to increase or decrease

the total number of awards and dollar amounts for each track, contingent on the quality of applications

received, the amount of funds awarded to selected applicants, budget availability, agency priorities,

programmatic considerations, or a combination of these.

Target Investment Areas for Track I Applications: EPA has identified five Target Investment Areas

(TIA) to help ensure that communities with unique circumstances, geography, and needs can equitably

compete for funding (see Section II.B). Applicants applying under a specified TIA will compete against

other applicants under the same TIA, as opposed to the broader application pool. Please note that applicants

applying for the TIA for Alaska Tribal lands should review Appendix H for additional guidance pertaining

to the Climate Action and Pollution Reduction Strategies to include in their application, including those

related to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).

Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants for the Community Change Grants include a partnership between

two community-based non-profit organizations (CBOs), or a partnership between a CBO and one of the

following: a Federally recognized Tribe, a local government, or an institution of higher education (IHE),

including Minority Serving Institutions as further described in Section III.A. Other organizations and

entities may participate in the Community Change Grants as Collaborating Entities through subawards, or

as contractors selected in accordance with competitive procurement requirements. Further details about

applicant eligibility, partnership requirements, Collaborating Entities, subawards, and procurement

contracts are in Section III.

Under this NOFO, Lead Applicants, as defined in Section III.A, may submit a maximum of two applications

and may receive up to two awards, if they demonstrate the capacity and capabilities to effectively perform,

manage, oversee, and complete the awards within the three-year grant period of performance. The two

applications may be two Track I applications, two Track II applications, or one of each. Lead Applicants

who submit more than two total applications will be asked to withdraw the excess one(s). EPA will not

review more than two applications from any one Lead Applicant.

In addition, EPA is introducing several features to enhance community involvement and ease the

application process. Unless otherwise noted, the following applies to both Track I and Track II applications:

• Rolling Applications. EPA will allow applications to be submitted on a rolling basis over a 12-

month period, through November 21, 2024, and will permit applicants to resubmit an unsuccessful

application after a debriefing with the agency. Further details about the rolling application and

resubmission process are in Sections II and V.

• Fast-Tracked Approach. EPA will review and expeditiously select high-quality applications to

deliver results and benefits to disadvantaged communities. Further information is in Section V.

• Indirect Costs Limitation. As further described in Appendix G, there is a 20% cap on indirect

costs for certain recipients and subrecipients.

• Track I Two-Phase Evaluation Process. Applicants for Track I whose applications score well

following the written application review will be invited to participate in an oral presentation, as

further described in Section V, at which they will have an opportunity to share information about

the community-oriented nature of their projects and how they will successfully implement the

grant. The Track II application process does not involve an oral presentation.

E. Technical Assistance

Under the IRA, EPA received $200 million for technical assistance to eligible entities in connection with

the ECJP. Technical assistance will be available for pre-award technical assistance including but not limited

to designing a project, preparing an application, or facilitating partnerships, and for post-award technical

assistance to help grant recipients manage, oversee, perform, and report on the grants. Further details about

technical assistance can be found here. Receiving technical assistance does not guarantee that applicants

will be selected for funding.

F. Community or Tribal Relocation Resources

Projects for community or Tribal relocation activities are not eligible for funding under this NOFO and will

not be reviewed.

For purposes of this NOFO, relocation activities generally include activities intended to

plan or assist the moving of an individual from their residence or a business from its place of business.

EPA is working with other federal agencies on a separate and tailored effort to develop a support mechanism

for communities that want to implement community-driven relocation plans. EPA intends to share

relocation assistance information in future guidance posted on the Community Change Grants website. In

the interim, information related to Federally-assisted relocation can be found on FEMA’s webpage and in

the HUD Climate Resilience Implementation Guide for Community Driven Relocation. Any questions

about whether an activity is considered a relocation activity should be sent by email to CCG[email protected]

prior to applying.

G. Funding Track I: Community-Driven Investments for Change

1. Track I Objectives

Track I is the primary emphasis for the Community Change Grants. These projects will be implemented

through strong collaborations to achieve sustained impacts related to climate resilience, pollution reduction,

community health, economic prosperity, and community strength. This approach catalyzes change by

focusing on the following objectives:

• Increase community resilience through climate action activities: Implement comprehensive

Climate Action Strategies and infrastructure that build the resilience and adaptive capacities of

communities, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and better prepare for and reduce the

impacts of climate change.

• Reduce local pollution to improve public health: Reduce and remediate quantifiable health-

harming pollutants to improve public health.

• Center meaningful community engagement: Conduct robust community engagement throughout

the project – from design to implementation.

• Build community strength: Develop strategies to increase the likelihood that benefits of the

investments accrue to existing residents of disadvantaged communities, both immediately and

sustainably beyond the grant period.

• Reach priority populations: Support people within the Project Area as described in Appendix A

who are acutely exposed to and impacted by climate, pollution, and weather-related threats, and /

or who exhibit acute vulnerabilities to the impacts of environmental pollution.

• Maximize integration across projects: Ensure that the projects and activities within the Project

Area are integrated and complement each other to maximize benefits.

The Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act, 42 U.S.C. § 4601 et seq. (URA)

would apply if a construction project funded through a Community Change Grant has an incidental effect of

permanently displacing residents or businesses.

This may include populations of concern as identified in The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the

United States: A Scientific Assessment (2016) that “experience disproportionate, multiple, and complex risks to their

health and well-being in response to climate change,” such as children and pregnant women, older adults, and those

with low incomes, limited-English-proficiency, disabilities or chronic medical conditions, or other risks that may put

them at greater vulnerability.

2. Track I Community Vision Description

Track I applications should be rooted in addressing specific, community-driven environmental justice

challenges. Accordingly, Track I applications should begin with a Community Vision Description that, at

a minimum, provides an overview of the Project Area community to benefit from the grant, a clear

description of the challenges the community faces, and a vision for how the grant will respond to those

challenges to advance environmental and climate justice in the community. This description should provide

essential context for the rest of the application, informing how the Climate Action and Pollution Reduction

Strategies were selected and the positive impact the applicant envisions the grant will have in the

community. The Community Vision Description is further described in Section IV.B: Content of

Application Submission.

3. Track I Application Requirements

Track I applications must address the following six requirements, as further described below. Additional

information about the contents of the Project Narrative for Track I applications can be found in Section

IV.B: Content of Application Submission and information about how applications will be evaluated can be

found in Section V.C: Track I Application Review Process, Evaluation Criteria, and Oral Presentations.

Requirement 1. Climate Action Strategy: Applications must include at least one project aligned with at

least one of the Climate Action Strategies as described below. The Climate Action Strategies focus on

strengthening the community’s climate resilience and / or reducing GHG emissions. Climate Action

Strategies should be responsive to the community challenges described in the Community Vision

Description.

Requirement 2. Pollution Reduction Strategy: Applications must include at least one project aligned

with at least one of the Pollution Reduction Strategy as described below. The Pollution Reduction Strategy

can include monitoring, prevention, reduction, and remediation activities that support community efforts to

address quantifiable and health-harming pollutants. Pollution Reduction Strategies range broadly

depending on the type and pathway of pollution (e.g., indoor, or outdoor air pollution, water pollution, soil

pollution). Pollution Reduction Strategies should be responsive to the community challenges described in

the Community Vision Description.

Requirement 3. Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan: Successful

implementation of environmental and climate justice projects requires relationships among an ecosystem

of community leaders and members along with partners across varied sectors. To help ensure that the

community itself drives project development and implementation, applicants must submit a Community

Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan which should demonstrate how the applicant will inform,

respond to, and engage community members throughout project development and implementation. This

plan should include a Collaborative Governance Structure, which describes the roles and responsibilities of

the Lead Applicant, Collaborating Entities, and community residents in implementing the project.

Requirement 4. Community Strength Plan: Applicants must submit a Community Strength Plan that

describes how their proposed projects will enhance the overall strength and economic prosperity of the

community, including maximizing the benefits of the projects for existing residents and minimizing

potential risks associated with investing significant resources into the Project Area. This should include

strategies for how the projects will promote inclusive economic development, drive benefits of the projects

to existing residents, and proactively address unintended displacement consequences. This plan should

speak to how the projects will enhance the overall wellbeing of the community, ensuring existing

community members receive the benefits of these investments and can build on those benefits for future

generations.

Requirement 5. Readiness Approach: Given the statutory requirement that all Community Change Grants

must be completed within three years, applicants must describe how they will be able to initiate grant

performance upon award, or generally no later than 120 days after award, so they can successfully complete

the grant within the three-year period of performance.

Requirement 6. Compliance Plan: Applicants must submit a Compliance Plan that describes how they

will: (1) ensure compliance with the grant’s terms and conditions, including 2 CFR § 200.302(b) (financial

management), 2 CFR § 200.303 (internal controls), and 2 CFR § 200.332 (requirements for pass-through

entities); and (2) manage broader legal and compliance risks.

Details of Track I Application Requirements

Requirement 1. Climate Action Strategies: Applicants must include at least one project aligned with at

least one of the Climate Action Strategies identified below. When addressing the strategy in their

application, applicants should describe relevant challenges faced in the Project Area and how the selected

Climate Action Strategy(ies) and associated project(s) will address those challenges. Each Climate Action

Strategy outlined below is focused on building short-term and long-term climate resilience, reducing GHGs,

and providing additional co-benefits so that impacted communities can adapt to the changing climate.

Applicants are also encouraged, as applicable, to integrate processes that minimize burdens to human health

and the environment while maximizing benefits to the Project Area through such means as integrating

nature-based solutions, utilization of low-carbon building materials, or sourcing sustainable products and

materials to perform the projects. When selecting a Climate Action Strategy and designing their climate

action projects, applicants may refer to the National Climate Resilience Framework released in September

2023.

Examples of project activities and guidelines associated with the strategies can be found in Appendix C.

While applicants may select from among the examples in the Appendix, applicants may also submit other

types of project activities as long as they are consistent with a Climate Action Strategy described in Section

I.G of the NOFO and are eligible for funding under §138(b)(2) of the CAA.

Strategy 1: Green Infrastructure and Nature-Based Solutions

Many disadvantaged communities face complex climate challenges, such as urban heat island effects

and flooding risks. Strategy 1 supports using nature-based solutions (NBS), also referred to as green

infrastructure, to address such climate risks. Nature-based solutions are generally actions to protect,

sustainably manage, or restore natural systems to address the impacts of climate change, while

simultaneously providing benefits for people and the environment.

Projects under this strategy can

include planting shade trees, restoring native plants and wetlands to capture stormwater, and deploying

other green infrastructure solutions that often have the co-benefit of reducing GHG emissions.

Communities also may incorporate vegetation or similar natural features into traditional infrastructure.

Strategy 2: Mobility and Transportation Options for Preventing Air Pollution and Improving

Public Health and Climate Resilience

Many disadvantaged communities lack access to affordable low- or zero-emission transportation

options, leading to disproportionate difficulties in daily life, limiting access to educational and

Applicants may use the White House’s Nature-Based Solutions Resource Guide as a resource for integrating nature-

based solutions.

economic opportunities, and creating vulnerability to climate risks. Strategy 2 focuses on providing

community members with access to low- and zero-emission technologies to improve their overall health

and well-being, reduce emissions, and increase access to important community destinations such as

schools, workplaces, health care centers, and community spaces. Projects funded under this strategy

may include installing protected bike lanes or walking paths, supplying traditional or electric bikes to

community members, and deploying other low- or zero-emission transportation solutions. The impact

of such projects could include improved public health outcomes, reduced GHG emissions from the

transportation sector, more equitable access to community resources, increased community

connectivity and safety, and greater community resilience to extreme weather events.

Strategy 3: Energy-Efficient, Healthy, and Resilient Housing and Buildings

Residential and commercial buildings are a significant source of GHG emissions due to the large

amounts of electricity consumed for heating, cooling, lighting, and other similar functions. Many

disadvantaged communities also face a disproportionately high energy burden, defined as the

percentage of gross household income spent on energy costs. Many factors can influence high energy

burden, including higher-cost fuels, such as propane or other bottled fuels, and energy-inefficient homes

due to a lack of insulation in older homes or older appliances. Strategy 3 supports investments in low-

and zero-emission technologies and energy efficiency upgrades that can help decarbonize residential

and commercial buildings, decrease energy burden, and increase resilience for communities. Many of

these activities also contribute to positive public health outcomes by improving indoor air quality and

the safety and comfort of buildings. Co-benefits associated with this strategy can be maximized by

combining additional Climate Action and Pollution Reduction Strategies to improve indoor air quality

and / or produce additional resiliency benefits. This strategy can support a range of residential and

commercial buildings, including single-family homes, multi-family housing buildings, small

businesses, community health facilities, community centers, nonprofit offices, schools, and other

similar community-serving buildings.

Strategy 4: Microgrid Installation for Community Energy Resilience

Many disadvantaged communities suffer from unreliable access to electricity, a problem that is

becoming more acute due to increased heating and cooling demands during extreme weather events

driven by climate change. Strategy 4 supports the installation of microgrids powered by low- and zero-

emission renewable energy to improve electric reliability, enhance overall energy efficiency, reduce

emissions of GHG and other air pollutants, and build a community’s capacity to prepare for and

withstand power disruptions. The U.S. Department of Energy defines microgrids as “a group of

interconnected loads and distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that

acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid.” A microgrid can operate autonomously

when disconnected from the grid or when there is no grid to connect to, such as in some remote

communities. When connected and operated with the grid, a microgrid can provide grid ancillary

services.

Strategy 5: Community Resilience Hubs

Many disadvantaged communities lack the resources to evacuate in a safe and timely manner when

disaster strikes or is imminent. Strategy 5 supports the creation of, or upgrades to, community-level

resilience hubs, which are public-serving spaces that provide shelter and essential services during

extreme weather, natural hazards, or other events causing or contributing to an emergency or disaster,

such as dangerous wildfire woodsmoke, toxic releases, industrial fires, or similar hazardous chemical

incidents. These community-level resilience hubs can also serve as community-convening spaces that

provide educational activities and related emergency and disaster preparedness resources to community

residents year-round.

Strategy 6: Brownfield Redevelopment for Emissions Reduction and Climate Resilience

Many disadvantaged communities contain brownfield sites that impede economic development.

Redeveloping brownfields provides an opportunity to make investments that contribute to community

revitalization, resilience, and GHG emissions reduction. Redeveloping brownfield sites also supports

infill development that significantly reduces residential vehicle use and the associated GHG emissions.

Strategy 6 supports the redevelopment of brownfield sites that have already been cleaned up, or where

a site assessment indicates that cleanup is not necessary for reuse. These projects should seek to improve

energy efficiency through investments in low- and zero-emission technologies, integrate climate

resiliency, and / or mitigate climate change impacts while also promoting economic development and

improving public health for residents. Examples could include construction of a public park or

partnering on a LEED Certified low-income housing project on a former brownfield site.

Note: Projects funded under this Climate Action Strategy must be performed on sites where cleanup is

complete or where the site does not require any cleanup activities for the intended use or reuse of the

site.

Strategy 7: Waste Reduction and Management to Support a Circular Economy

Disadvantaged communities often bear the brunt of environmental contamination from improper

disposal of physical waste, or from disposal in landfills adjacent to those communities. This strategy

supports circular economy

activities and promotes sustainable use of natural resources to keep

materials and products in circulation for as long as possible, resulting in the reduction of GHG

emissions and other pollution across a product’s lifecycle. Examples of these projects may include

efforts to reduce food waste (e.g., composting, anaerobic digestors), or to promote the reduction, reuse,

and recycling of disaster debris, construction and demolition debris, and other materials and products.

Project activities should demonstrate that they will result in materials being diverted from end-disposal

facilities (e.g., landfills, incinerators) to reduce GHG emissions, toxic air pollution, and soil and water

pollution.

Strategy 8: Workforce Development Programs for Occupations that Reduce Greenhouse Gas

Emissions and Air Pollutants

Individuals in disadvantaged communities often lack pathways into fast-growing and well-paying job

opportunities related to environmental and climate justice. This strategy allows applicants to propose

workforce development programs to enable individuals in these communities to pursue career pathways

in fields related to the reduction of GHG emissions and other air pollutants. Strong workforce

development proposals should include all three of the following features, as detailed in Appendix C:

(1) multi-sectoral partnerships that bring together workforce expertise and enable pathways into high-

quality careers that help reduce GHG emissions and other air pollutants; (2) high-quality training

models, such as pre-apprenticeships or Registered Apprenticeship Programs, that are worker-centered,

demand-driven, and lead to good jobs that help reduce GHG emissions and other air pollutants; and

(3) strategies for recruiting and retaining individuals from disadvantaged communities, especially for

populations that face barriers to employment. Given that workforce development opportunities can be

significant to achieving environmental and climate justice in many communities, EPA anticipates

making a minimum of fifteen awards for high-ranking applications that include a workforce training

program as further described in Section V.E. Note that it is a statutory requirement that workforce

development activities funded under this program be focused specifically on reducing greenhouse gas

emissions and other air pollutants.

A circular economy keeps materials, products, and services in circulation for as long possible.

Requirement 2. Pollution Reduction Strategies: Applications must include at least one project aligned

with at least one of the Pollution Reduction Strategies identified below. When addressing the strategy in

their application, applicants should describe relevant challenges faced in the Project Area and how the

selected Pollution Reduction Strategy(ies) will address those challenges. Each Pollution Reduction Strategy

outlined below is focused on pollution monitoring, prevention, and remediation of quantifiable and health-

harming pollutants.

Applications that include activities to increase monitoring capabilities or raise community awareness of

pollution must also include an associated remediation, implementation, or infrastructure pollution reduction

project that addresses the identified pollution issue.

Examples of project activities and guidelines associated with the strategies can be found in Appendix D.

While applicants may select from among the examples in the Appendix, applicants may also submit other

types of project activities as long as they are consistent with a Pollution Reduction Strategy described in

Section I.G of the NOFO and are eligible for funding under §138(b)(2) of the CAA.

Strategy 1: Indoor Air Quality and Community Health Improvements

Disadvantaged communities often face high levels of indoor air pollution from several sources,

including mold, lead paint, radon, asbestos, fossil fuel combustion, and pollution from outdoors that

seeps inside. These pollutants can have a detrimental impact to human health, particularly for

vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, and people with health conditions like asthma

and heart disease.

Activities under Strategy 1 can include education on air toxins / toxics and how to

monitor them (e.g., curriculum development, outreach strategies, public education activities) and direct

assessment and remediation to reduce harmful air pollution (e.g., installation of filtration systems,

building retrofits that address multiple sources of pollution, replacement of wood heaters that do not

meet EPA standards, asbestos abatement in schools).

Strategy 2: Outdoor Air Quality and Community Health Improvements

Outdoor air pollution from mobile and stationary sources can compromise human health and the

environment in many ways, including by triggering asthma attacks and heart attacks, exacerbating

respiratory disease, and causing children and adults to miss school and work on bad air days. Activities

funded under Strategy 2 could include: funding the purchase, upgrade, and / or maintenance of

equipment and technology to allow for the inspection, testing, monitoring, and sampling of air

pollution; purchasing equipment that limits community exposure to outdoor air pollutants; and reducing

exposure to near-road pollution, pollution from airports and ports, and mobile source pollution. This

could include land use and zoning policies that enable households to live in affordable, dense, and

vibrant communities within urban and rural areas. These activities can be bolstered by educating the

public on air toxins / toxics and how to monitor them (e.g., curriculum development, outreach, public

education), and communication of air pollution assessment results to reduce exposure, including during

environmental emergencies or events where the risk of pollution exposure is high.

Strategy 3: Clean Water Infrastructure to Reduce Pollution Exposure and Increase Overall

System Resilience

Disadvantaged communities often lack access to clean water and clean drinking water. Functional water

infrastructure is essential for protecting the quality of drinking water resources as well as the safety of

recreational waters communities use for subsistence fishing, swimming, and other activities everyone

deserves to enjoy. Strategy 3 addresses challenges communities face in accessing clean, reliable

drinking water and wastewater treatment. Projects funded under this strategy may include focused

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).

infrastructure investments that can be completed within the three-year project period and within the

funding amounts specified in this NOFO, as well as assessment and planning that will enable

communities to better access tens of billions of dollars in federal water infrastructure funding from

other sources such as EPA’s Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. Targeted

infrastructure projects can include identification and replacement of lead pipes in homes and public

spaces, improved resilience of water systems through deployment of backup power such as onsite

renewable energy and storage, targeted efficiency upgrades, septic to sewer conversions, lining waste

lagoons, and investments in redundancy such as backup wells. Assessment and planning efforts could

include, for example, a leak detection and pipe replacement plan, or a PFAS monitoring program that

informs a funding application to one of several sources of state and federal funding.

Strategy 4: Safe Management and Disposal of Solid and Hazardous Waste

Disadvantaged communities are disproportionately exposed to solid and hazardous waste, which

negatively impacts public health. This strategy supports pollution prevention, recycling, and disposal

activities related to the management of solid and hazardous waste, such as discarded electronics, tires,

single-use plastics, and other disposable items. Community-level responses to these challenges could

include, for example, the purchase of equipment and the development of facilities to manage solid and

hazardous waste to improve public health outcomes. Brownfields cleanup is not contemplated under

this strategy and is not a Community Change Grants program priority.

Requirement 3. Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan: Track I applications

must include a Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan. Successful implementation

of environmental and climate justice projects requires relationships and meaningful engagement among an

ecosystem of community leaders and members alongside partners across many sectors. This plan is required

to help ensure that grant activities are driven and informed by the views of the Project Area community and

are accomplished through collaboration among key stakeholders, The plan should describe how the

applicant will engage, educate, and be responsive to community members throughout project development

and / or implementation. Additionally, the plan should incorporate a Collaborative Governance Structure

that demonstrates how the Lead Applicant and Collaborating Entities (as described in Section III.A) will

work together to successfully implement the grant in a timely, effective, and equitable manner.

The Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan cannot exceed 10 single spaced pages –

excess pages will not be reviewed. It should address the following elements and any others the applicant

deems relevant to their projects:

• Past Community Outreach and Engagement Conducted: The applicant should demonstrate

what outreach and engagement methods were used to engage with the Project Area community,

including any with specific neighborhoods or groups, and how this impacted the selection of the

strategies and associated projects as well as the applicant’s implementation approach.

• Community Engagement Plan Implementation: The applicant should demonstrate the specific

community engagement methods, as well as how they will mitigate barriers and involve relevant

governmental stakeholders, necessary to support overall implementation including:

o Clear Methods for Engagement and Transparency: The applicant should describe the

following elements:

▪ Outreach methods that provide opportunities for broad and diverse community

member involvement in project development and / or implementation and

feedback during grant performance.

▪ Transparent mechanisms that will promote meaningful accountability to the needs

and preferences of residents in the Project Area.

▪ Mechanism(s) that will be used to continuously inform the community before and

during project implementation on project status, benefits available to them through

the project, and indicators being tracked, such as air quality improvements or trees

planted.

o Mitigating Barriers: The applicant should describe measures to minimize and mitigate

barriers around community engagement and participation in project development and / or

implementation including but not limited to those related to linguistic differences,

communication challenges, disabilities, inaccessible technology, lack of trust or awareness,

transportation, childcare, and elderly / adult care.

o Government Involvement: As applicable, the applicant should demonstrate the support

and involvement of government agencies needed to facilitate successful grant performance.

For example, projects that intersect with local-government authorities such as permitting,

planning, and zoning are encouraged to demonstrate the involvement and cooperation of

local government authorities.

• Collaborative Governance Structure: The applicant should provide details regarding the roles

and responsibilities of the Lead Applicant, Collaborating Entities, and community residents and /

or community-selected representatives for implementing, managing, and overseeing the

application’s project activities, including how they should meet regularly to discuss project

implementation. The description should include at a minimum:

o Outreach methods to solicit community representatives and processes to choose

representatives to enable a broad cross-section of community representatives to participate

so different voices are heard.

o An explanation of how the Lead Applicant and Collaborating Entities will coordinate with

each other and community members to inform and engage the community on project

development and progress.

o An outline of the planned decision-making processes between the Lead Applicant and

Collaborating Entities, including procedures to ensure that decisions are transparent and

can be made in an expedited manner when necessary.

o Processes for replacing a Collaborating Entity to ensure that the replacement entity has

comparable skills, qualifications, expertise, community support, and experience to avoid

any adverse impact on grant performance. EPA approval of the qualifications, expertise,

and experience of the replacement Collaborating Entity will be required pursuant to 2 CFR

200.308I(2) and / I(c)(6).

Note: Awards may include terms and conditions requiring that subaward agreements between the Lead

Applicant and Collaborating Entities (including the Statutory Partner described in Section III.A) contain

provisions reflecting certain of the requirements above.

Requirement 4. Community Strength Plan: Track I applications must include a Community Strength

Plan. Advancing environmental and climate justice requires bolstering the strength and economic prosperity

of a community for the benefit of local residents, while also ensuring those residents can remain within the

community and benefit from the investments over the long term. Executive Order 14096, Revitalizing Our

Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, states, “Advancing environmental justice will

require investing in and supporting culturally vibrant, sustainable, and resilient communities in which every

person has safe, clean, and affordable options for housing, energy, and transportation. It is also necessary

to prioritize building an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable economy that offers economic opportunities.

Refer to the EPA Office of Grants and Debarment Guidance on Selected Items of Cost for Recipients, EPA Guidance

on Participant Support Costs, and EPA Subaward Frequent Questions, including for additional information on paying

for light refreshments, providing dependent care stipends or services for community meeting participants, and meeting

participant transportation stipends.

Pursuing these and other objectives integral to advancing environmental justice can successfully occur only

through meaningful engagement and collaboration with underserved and overburdened communities to

address the adverse conditions they experience and ensure they do not face additional disproportionate

burdens or underinvestment.”

In alignment with this Executive Order and to help EPA assess whether the proposed projects will benefit

disadvantaged communities, as required by §138(b)(1) of the CAA, this plan should describe how the

projects in the application are intended to (1) maximize the economic benefits of the projects for existing

residents in the Project Area, and (2) avoid unintended consequences for existing residents in the Project

Area including the displacement of residents in the Project Area.

This plan cannot exceed 5 single-spaced pages – excess pages will not be reviewed. Consistent with the

above discussion, the plan should address the following elements.

1. Maximizing Economic Benefits of Projects:

The plan should describe how the projects included in the application will maximize economic benefits

for individuals in the Project Area, including priority populations defined in footnote 3.

Examples of economic benefits, as described below, could include (1) opportunities for local small

businesses or contractors; (2) jobs for community members; (3) financial savings for residents; and other

similar benefits, in alignment with EPA grant regulations and applicable law.

• Business Opportunities: Applicants may need to hire contractors to carry out certain project

activities. Applicants may inform local businesses of open solicitations and encourage them to

compete for contracts. For example, applicants may consider partnering with their local

government’s small business office to broadly advertise contracting opportunities. Similarly,

applicants should make a “good faith effort” to provide disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs)

with an opportunity to compete for contracts in accordance with EPA’s 40 CFR Part 33

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise rule.

• Job Opportunities: Applicants may propose measures to facilitate the employment and retention

of workers from disadvantaged communities on funded projects. For example, applicants may

propose developing recruitment strategies in partnership with their local workforce development

board; funding supportive services for workers on grant-funded projects (e.g., transportation,

childcare, mental health supports), coordinating such services with local social service providers;

or establishing goals for hiring individuals from disadvantaged communities on the projects and

transparently tracking progress toward those goals. Applicants may propose measures to increase

community awareness of these job opportunities and the associated skill requirements, such as

hiring workshops or job fairs. Applicants may also describe specific measures that will ensure

Project Area residents are developing skills that are necessary to take advantage of existing or future

jobs in professions contributing to the reduction of GHG emissions and other air pollutants.

Note that applicants are not bound by statutory or administrative local-preference requirements, per 2 CFR

200.319(c).

Note: Please carefully review Section IV.d, “Contracts and Subawards,” of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses that are

incorporated by reference in this NOFO in Section I.J. EPA expects recipients of funding to comply with competitive

procurement contracting requirements. The Agency does not accept justifications for sole source contracts for services

or products available in the commercial marketplace based on a contractor’s role in preparing an application or a firm

or individual’s “unique” qualifications. For example, applicants cannot name local contractors as part of this

Community Strength Plan without adhering to these competitive procurement requirements.

Note: Jobs funded under this program should be high-quality jobs, in alignment with the U.S.

Department of Labor and Commerce’s Good Jobs Principles, as described in Appendix E.

Applicants may propose measures to increase the likelihood that these will be good jobs for

individuals from disadvantaged communities, such as training for employers / contractors on grant-

funded projects to promote best practices such as equal opportunity recruitment and hiring

practices, good benefits, healthy organizational culture, and opportunities for advancement.

Additionally, jobs for construction activities funded under this grant will be required to pay

prevailing wage rates, as required by CAA § 314 and the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

• Financial Savings: Applicants may also describe how and the extent to which Project Area

residents will receive direct economic benefits from the Climate Action and Pollution Reduction

projects in the applications, such as through energy bill savings or affordable zero- or low-emission

transportation solutions. The plan may also discuss how the applicant plans not only to deliver these

benefits for residents in the short-term but also to preserve them for the long-term. As an example,

applicants working on a transportation project that will deliver immediate cost savings for residents

may negotiate with a vendor / contractor to lock-in long-term cost savings for community members.

Applicants may consider using tools to align stakeholders around these benefits, such as a Community

Benefits Agreement (CBA), which is a legally binding contract that defines benefits. Parties to a CBA may

include CBOs, neighborhood associations, local government entities, contractors and developers, and other

similar project stakeholders.

Applicants are reminded of the three-year period of performance for the grant

and should be prepared to expeditiously begin the negotiation of community benefits to prevent project

delays.

2. Displacement Avoidance:

Benefits to disadvantaged communities can be evaluated by whether residents are able to retain the benefits

of EPA-funded projects over the short and long-term. While climate action and pollution reduction can

have a positive impact on a community, those benefits can also lead to unintended consequences, such as

increased costs of living in a Project Area. Given that the purpose of CAA §138 is to fund activities that

will benefit disadvantaged communities, applicants should describe measures to increase the likelihood that

existing community members of the Project Area will benefit from investments in both the immediate and

long term.

Applicants should discuss potential short-term and long-term risks associated with the proposed projects to

residents, small businesses, nonprofits, and other community members in the Project Area. Applicants

should assess and describe the community’s vulnerability to rising costs attributable to the proposed

projects and assess potential impacts to households, small businesses, and other existing groups. Based on

the specific risks identified, applicants should describe measures for mitigating those risks as applicable.

Some measures can mitigate these displacement vulnerabilities in the short-term, whereas other measures

can have long-term impacts. For example, for projects that increase the energy efficiency of multi-family

housing facilities, and that may have the unintended effect of raising rents for those facilities, the approach

may focus on outreach / education to residents, such as information packets, tenant protection workshops

that feature information about tenant rights under applicable state and local laws, or other educational

activities. Other approaches may focus on securing commitments from landlords benefiting from EPA-

funded property improvements to extend affordable housing covenants or agree not to raise rents

unnecessarily.

Applicants can also describe how they will work with relevant entities, such as local

governments, to create policies, plans, or programs to mitigate unintended impacts of the EPA-funded

investments.

Applicants should describe any work already underway in the Project Area that would mitigate these risks,

or existing policies, ordinances, or programs that are relevant. For example, an applicant could describe any

ordinances in the Project Area designed to expedite construction or availability of additional affordable

housing. Applicants can also describe any Climate Action and Pollution Reduction Strategies proposed as

part of this application that might help mitigate displacement risks by providing project co-benefits. For

example, a strategy that promotes increased housing density as a tool to reduce emissions could have the

co-benefit of reducing housing costs by increasing housing supply.

Requirement 5. Readiness Approach: Given the statutory requirement that all Community Change Grants

must be completed within three years, applicants must describe their approach for initiating grant

performance upon award, or generally within 120 days after award, in compliance with the requirements in

2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500, 40 CFR Part 33 that apply to all EPA grants so they can successfully complete

the grant within the three-year period.

This includes addressing the readiness considerations listed below, and any others, that are applicable to

the projects and how they will be met. If any of the below considerations are not applicable, the application

should explain why not.

• Government Approvals: If government approval at any level (e.g., construction permits) is

necessary to implement or perform a project, the applicant must demonstrate that they have

obtained such approval. If such approval has not been obtained, then the applicant must

demonstrate how they will obtain it immediately after award, so it does not impede grant

implementation.

• Federal Requirements for Construction Projects: Applicants must demonstrate that they have

systems in place, or a plan to have such systems in place immediately after the grant award, to

comply with CAA § 314 and the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts prevailing wage requirement, the

Build America Buy America domestic preference requirement, and other cross-cutting statutory

and Executive Order requirements that apply to Federally funded construction projects.

• Alignment with Existing Plans: Applicants must demonstrate that the project(s) in the Project

Area as defined in Appendix A are consistent with any community development, climate resilience,

or hazard mitigation plans, or other comparable government land use restrictions.

• Site Control: Applicants must demonstrate that they own or control the site where a project will

be performed or that they will have legally binding access or permission to the site so they can

perform the project(s).

• Operations and Maintenance: Applicants must describe their operations and maintenance plan

and financing approach for their project’s infrastructure investments, if relevant, which may include

long-term service costs, fee structures, detailed indebtedness for all properties, and other relevant

information demonstrating how operations and maintenance of the investment will be assured

during and after the grant award.

Note that any agreements must be in alignment with local and state housing laws. For example, in some instances,

state or local law may allow a landlord to raise rents to compensate for increases in property taxes attributable to the

value of EPA funded improvements.

Requirement 6. Compliance Plan: Applicants must submit a Compliance Plan that describes how they

will: (i) ensure compliance with the grant’s terms and conditions, including 2 CFR § 200.302(b) (financial

management), 2 CFR § 200.303 (internal controls), and 2 CFR § 200.332 (requirements for pass-through

entities); and (ii) manage broader legal and compliance risks.

H. Funding Track II: Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance

Under this track, eligible applicants may submit projects, as described in CAA § 138(b)(2)(E), for

“facilitating engagement of disadvantaged communities in State and Federal advisory groups, workshops,

rulemakings, and other public processes.” EPA has interpreted “other public processes” as encompassing

local, Tribal, and other governmental processes. All funded activities under this NOFO must comply with

federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including but not limited to:

1. 2 CFR 200.435(b), which restricts the use of grant funds to defend a recipient that is subject to a

criminal, civil or administrative proceeding against it commenced by any government for fraud or

similar offenses;

2. 2 CFR 200.435(g), which precludes the use of grant funds to prosecute claims against the federal

Government; and

3. 2 CFR 200.450(c), which restricts the use of federal funds by nonprofit organizations for certain

lobbying or electioneering activities but does not preclude the use of federal funds to promote

adoption of local ordinances, including those related to zoning.

4. 40 CFR Parts 5 and 7, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin

(including limited-English proficiency), disability, sex, and age by recipients and subrecipients of

federal financial assistance.

Track II Objectives

Section 138 of the CAA provides that grants may be awarded for the purpose of “facilitating engagement

of disadvantaged communities in State and Federal advisory groups, workshops, rulemakings, and other

public processes.” Accordingly, Track II applications intend to build the capacity of communities and

governments to evaluate and redress environmental and climate injustices by giving disadvantaged

communities a meaningful voice in government decision-making processes. By supporting direct

participation of disadvantaged communities in the development and implementation of solutions, policies,

and programs, the Community Change Grants can help close equity gaps and redress environmental and

climate injustices.

Track II applications should focus on breaking down systemic barriers to community participation in

government processes impacting environmental and climate justice. This can be done by creating

engagement and feedback mechanisms with two-way communications between community members and

government decision-makers. Applications should focus on ways to provide disadvantaged communities

with information about issues that directly impact them, while simultaneously creating mechanisms for the

government to gather input to ensure community needs inform decision-making and are integrated into

government processes and policies. Applications in this track should strive to enable communities to play

a meaningful role in making and implementing decisions.

Effective projects should also involve partnerships between community organizations, governments,

philanthropic organizations, the private sector, and / or third-party facilitators and evaluators who can

support collaboration across sectors to facilitate the engagement of disadvantaged communities in

governmental decision-making processes.

Track II Project Examples

The following are examples of activities that may be proposed under Track II. Applicants may expand or

refine these examples or submit projects that are not listed below if they demonstrate how they will facilitate

the engagement of disadvantaged communities in governmental processes.

Example 1. Educational and Training Programs

These projects prepare, train, and educate members of disadvantaged communities on how to engage in

government processes related to environmental and climate justice activities.

Examples of activities that could be performed under this type of project include but are not limited to:

• Creating a leadership development program that trains community members to identify

environmental and climate justice challenges, devise strategies to address them, and recommend

actions to governmental authorities. Example topics could include how to review public sector

budgets, navigate specific processes such as land-use ordinances or National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA) reviews, and participate effectively in public meetings. The EPA EJ Academy is an

example of a type of project applicants may consider developing for their own community.

• Designing and implementing a training program to help members of disadvantaged communities

effectively participate in advisory boards, commissions, land use authorities, or other bodies that

involve community members in environmental and climate related policy making.

• Partnering with a government to develop and / or implement Equity Action Plans that identify and

address barriers to equity and opportunity and discrimination that disadvantaged communities may

face. Equity Action Plans should meaningfully incorporate community input and result in city-or-

statewide transformational, equitable change in environmental or climate related policies. For

informational purposes only, please find here a link to Equity Action Plans developed by federal

agencies that may help applicants with designing and preparing these types of projects.

Example 2. Environmental Advisory Boards (EABs)

These are projects that facilitate the engagement of disadvantaged communities in environmental decision-

making by establishing advisory councils, taskforces, or similar bodies to engage with government. These

boards should have regular meetings to create consistent opportunities for disadvantaged communities to

provide recommendations on actions government entities should take to address environmental and climate

justice challenges. These bodies should include members from disadvantaged communities, may include

additional representatives from other stakeholder groups that can effectively represent important and related

perspectives (including Tribal, academia, youth / elderly / disability populations, government, etc.).

Examples of activities under an EAB-type project may include but are not limited to facilitating the

engagement and involvement of disadvantaged communities in governmental processes at different levels

of government to provide input, recommendations, and advice on matters such as:

• Permitting decisions for factories or industrial sites.

• Community infrastructure upgrades to address pollution and climate concerns.

• Zoning and siting guidance for fence-line / frontline communities

such as new school placements,

highway construction, and industrial and commercial uses of land.

A fence-line community or frontline community is generally one immediately adjacent to high polluting facilities

such as industrial parks, manufacturing facilities, or commercial facilities and is directly affected by the noise, odors,

traffic, and chemical and pollution emissions of the operations of these entities.

• Issues and actions of municipal and public utilities related to workforce development, drinking

water shutoffs, drinking water quality and affordability, and aging wastewater treatment

infrastructure in / near disadvantaged communities.

Example 3. Collaborative Governance Activities

These are projects that facilitate the process of providing recommendations and implementing decisions

that will benefit disadvantaged communities. Projects can focus on creating collaborative bodies with

members from and / or representing the interests of disadvantaged communities, governmental entities, and

other stakeholders to work on environmental and climate justice issues.

Functions these bodies may focus on include co-producing solutions with disadvantaged communities to

identify and address environmental issues. This could be done through obtaining feedback from a wide

range of experts and stakeholders, including but not limited to those working in public health, housing,

economic development, environmental justice, and other relevant fields, to identify environmental and

directly related public health issues, develop solutions, and then work towards implementing the ideas with

the necessary parties.

Examples of activities under a collaborative governance project may include but are not limited to

facilitating the engagement and involvement of disadvantaged communities in governmental processes on

matters such as:

• Participating in the development of one or more community benefits agreements to help ensure that

environmental projects funded by federal, state, and / or private entities meaningfully engage and

account for community needs. For informational purposes only, the resource here from the

Department of Energy provides information that may help applicants with designing and preparing

these types of projects.

• Creating a governance body or “development community” for a brownfields post-cleanup

redevelopment project.

• Creating a source water protection plan to protect public health and reduce burdens on water

systems.

• Recommending organizational changes to government entities that make them more receptive and

sensitive to the environmental and climate justice concerns of disadvantaged communities.

Example 4. Participation in Governmental Funding and Budgeting Processes

These are projects that use participatory budgeting to inform public spending on environmental priorities.

Participatory budgeting is an approach to making decisions about governmental spending that is focused

on meaningfully and deeply engaging the community in governmental funding processes. Projects can

enable community-based organizations to partner with a public entity to design and implement processes

whereby members of disadvantaged communities have input into, and influence, decisions about how to

allocate public budgets for environmental and climate justice priorities. An example of a project using

participatory budgeting could involve designing a program where the community identifies problems,

evaluates proposals, and recommends decisions for public funding of projects that implicate environmental

and climate justice issues.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Build a Development Community.

I. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, Anticipated Outputs, Outcomes & Performance Measures

1. Strategic Plan Linkage

Awards made under this NOFO will support the following goals and objectives of the FY 2022-2026 EPA

Strategic Plan. Applications must explain how their projects will further these goals and objectives.

Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights

• Objective 2.1: Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and

Local Levels which includes the strategy of Building Community Capacity and Climate Resilience

and Maximizing Benefits to Overburdened and Underserved Communities: EPA will increase

support for community-led action by providing unprecedented investments and benefits directly to

communities with environmental justice concerns and by integrating equity throughout Agency

programs.

Depending on the projects included in them, awards will also support and advance the following EPA

Strategic Plan Goals as applicable:

• Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis

• Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities

• Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities

• Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities; and

• Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment.

2. Environmental Results: Outputs and Outcomes

Pursuant to EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements, applicants must

describe the environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under the award. Applicants should

specifically describe the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and,

to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will

contribute to the goals and objectives of the Community Change Grants program.

The following questions may be useful to consider when developing output and outcome measures of

quantitative and qualitative results:

• What measurable short- and longer-term results will the grant achieve?

• How will the Lead Applicant and Collaborating Entities measure progress in achieving the expected

results (including outputs and outcomes), and how will the approach to measuring progress use

resources effectively and efficiently?

• Are the projected outputs and outcomes specific and detailed? Are specific target measures

included where possible? Are target measures reasonable and achievable within the project period

and for the funding amount?

See Appendix F for further details on expected outputs and outcomes from Track I and II awards.

3. Performance Measurement Plan

The evaluation component of the Community Change Grants is essential. In their Performance

Measurement Plan, applicants should describe how they plan to track and measure their project

implementation and progress towards achieving the expected outputs and outcomes, including those

identified in Appendix F, throughout the performance period.

Generally, higher quality performance measurement plans include specific target metrics for both outputs

and outcomes. The applicant’s performance measurement plan should help gather insights, will be a

mechanism to track progress toward output and outcome objectives, and may provide the basis for

developing lessons learned to inform future funding recipients.

Applicants should incorporate program evaluation activities from the outset of their program design and

implementation to meaningfully document and measure their progress towards meeting project goals.

Applications may include funding in the budget for personnel with expertise in planning, designing,

developing, implementing, and evaluating programs.

J. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the NOFO

Additional provisions that apply to Sections III, IV, V, and VI of this NOFO and / or awards made under

this NOFO can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses. These provisions are important for applying to this

NOFO, and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this NOFO. If you are unable to

access these provisions electronically at the website above, please email [email protected] to obtain the

provisions.

Section II. Federal Award Information

(back to the Table of Contents)

A. Number and Amount of Awards

EPA anticipates awarding approximately $2 billion in funding through this NOFO depending on funding

availability, quality of applications received, EPA priorities, and other applicable considerations. Awards

under Track I are expected to be between $10-20 million each and cannot exceed $20 million. Awards under Track

II are expected to be between $1-3 million each and cannot exceed $3 million. EPA expects to award approximately

$1.96 billion for about 150 Track I awards, including those under the Target Investment Areas described below in

B, and approximately $40 million for about 20 Track II awards. These amounts are estimates only, and EPA

reserves the right to increase or decrease the total number of awards and funding amounts for each Track

contingent on the quality of applications received, the amount of funds awarded to selected applicants,

budget availability, and / or agency priorities and programmatic considerations. In addition, given that

workforce development programs as described in Section I.G can be significant to achieving environmental

and climate justice in many communities, EPA anticipates making a minimum of fifteen awards for high-

ranking applications that include a workforce training program(s) as further described in Section V.E.

B. Target Investment Areas (TIA) for Track I Applications

Out of the $2 billion in funding, EPA has identified five Target Investment Areas (TIA) listed below to help ensure

that communities with unique circumstances, geography, and needs can equitably compete for funding. The

amounts are estimates only and subject to change based on the number and quality of applications received, funding

considerations, and agency priorities. Applicants interested in submitting an application for projects benefitting a

TIA must identify this in their application. Consistent with the Track I evaluation process described in Section V,

applications for these areas will be evaluated against each other (for example, applicants for TIA C will be

evaluated against other applicants for TIA C). Applications for the TIAs must address the Track I application

requirements identified in Section I.G.

• TIA A: Tribes in Alaska: an estimated $150 million for projects benefitting Indian Tribes in Alaska.

• TIA B: Tribes in the Continental United States and Hawaii: an estimated $300 million for projects

benefitting Tribal communities outside Alaska. This also includes projects benefitting Tribal

communities that are in the Border Area identified below in E.

• TIA C: Territories: an estimated $50 million for projects benefitting disadvantaged communities in

the United States’ territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the

Northern Mariana Islands.

• TIA D: Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities: an estimated $50 million for projects

benefitting disadvantaged unincorporated communities as defined in Appendix A.

• TIA E: United States (U.S). – Southern Border Communities: Consistent with EPA’s

longstanding approach to addressing transborder climate and pollution challenges, an estimated

$100 million for projects benefitting non-Tribal disadvantaged communities within 100 kilometers

north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Special Requirements for Cross-Border Projects to Benefit U.S. Disadvantaged Communities

EPA’s strong preference is that the work for all projects to be performed under the awards made through

this NOFO will be performed entirely within the United States. However, in limited circumstances, projects

to benefit U.S. disadvantaged communities near an international border may require some international

work to be performed within 100 kilometers of that border (e.g., within 100 km south of the U.S.-Mexico

border for a TIA E application, or within 100 km north of the U.S.-Canada border for any application). In

those limited cases, to be eligible for funding consideration, the applicant must demonstrate in their

application that:

• The project(s) will directly and predominantly benefit disadvantaged communities in the U.S., for

example by monitoring and / or preventing pollution from an international source that is impacting

the disadvantaged community in the U.S.

• Any work outside of the U.S. is necessary for the project(s) to be successful in benefitting the

disadvantaged communities in the U.S. — e.g., the project(s) will not be effective otherwise.

• Any work outside of the U.S. will not be a substantial part of the project.

• The applicant will ensure that any work outside of the U.S. will be timely and properly completed

and monitored to ensure it is effectively performed.

Failure to address how the application meets these conditions will render the application ineligible for

review as stated in Section III.D. Applications involving cross-border work that are selected for award must

address any cross-border work issues (e.g., site access and control) during the workplan negotiations

following selection and before award, The appropriate terms and conditions will be included in the grant.

Projects benefitting Project Areas along the U.S.-Mexico Border should be consistent with guidance and

best practices outlined by EPA’s Border Program.

C. Rolling Application Submittal and Review Process, Application Award Limits, and

Application Resubmission Procedures

1. Applications may be submitted under this NOFO through November 21, 2024, to provide

applicants, to the maximum extent practicable, flexibility on when to submit an application.

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated on a rolling basis as described in Section V to facilitate

and expedite the review and award process. EPA cannot guarantee that funding will be available

through the end of the NOFO 12-month application period as funding availability is dependent on

the volume and quality of applications received, as well as other applicable programmatic and

funding considerations. As such, it is possible that funding could be exhausted before the

conclusion of the 12-month rolling application period.

2. Under this NOFO, Lead Applicants, as defined in Section III.A, may submit a maximum of two

applications and receive up to two awards if they demonstrate their capacity and capabilities to

effectively perform, manage, oversee, and complete both awards within the three-year grant period

of performance. The two applications may be either two Track I applications or two Track II

applications, or one of each. Lead Applicants who submit more than two total applications will be

asked to withdraw the excess one (s). EPA will not review more than two applications from any

one Lead Applicant.

3. Lead Applicants whose initial eligible application(s) is not selected for funding may, after timely

requesting and receiving a debriefing on the application (as described in the Section VI Debriefings

and Disputes clauses included in the EPA Solicitation Clauses), resubmit a revised application one

additional time while the NOFO remains open. For example, if a Lead Applicant submits two

eligible applications and both are not initially selected for funding, they may resubmit each

application one additional time within the 12-month NOFO open period as explained above and

further below. There is no guarantee that resubmissions, even after a debriefing, will be selected

United States – Mexico Environmental Program.

U.S.-Mexico Border Program – Borderwide Resources.

for funding. In addition, applicants who submit applications towards the end of the 12-month

rolling period may not have an opportunity to resubmit the application because the NOFO is

expected to close for applications on November 21, 2024. While EPA intends to review

applications and provide debriefings as expeditiously as possible, applicants should keep this in

mind when determining the timing of their application submission to ensure there is sufficient time

for a resubmission.

4. The resubmitted application must be clearly identified as a resubmission of a previously submitted

application by providing the date of the original submission through www.grants.gov and / or the

date of the EPA debriefing in the updated application package. The resubmission should take into

consideration the feedback received during a debriefing and any other relevant considerations, and

it cannot be a completely different application from the one initially submitted. If EPA determines,

in its sole discretion, that it is a different application bearing little resemblance to the original

application, it may be rejected and not reviewed.

D. Conditional Awards

EPA may make conditional awards under this NOFO, which will be subject to applicable terms and

conditions in the grant award.

E. Period of Performance

The period of performance of every grant funded under this NOFO cannot by statute exceed three years.

There can be no extensions. Projects must be designed to be successfully and effectively completed within

three years. EPA anticipates that the first awards under this NOFO will be made in the late Spring of 2024

and will continue to be made on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted. EPA cannot predict when funding

will be exhausted since it is dependent on the volume and quality of applications received, as well as other

applicable programmatic and funding considerations. As such, it is possible that funding could be exhausted

before the 12-month rolling application period is over.

F. Partial Funding

EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions or phases of applications.

If EPA decides to partially fund an application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any

applicants or affect the basis upon which the application, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for

award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process. To facilitate

consideration of an application for partial funding, if applicable, EPA recommends that applications

separate costs for the proposed grant in the program budget by project category, to the extent

practicable.

G. Additional Awards

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this NOFO, consistent with EPA policy and

guidance, if additional funding becomes available after all the selections are made under this NOFO. For

this NOFO, this only applies to making additional awards for those applications considered during the final

monthly review, described in Section V. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than 6

months after the final monthly review.

H. Funding Type

EPA anticipates awarding cooperative agreements under this NOFO because it is expected that there will

be substantial Federal involvement through the EPA Project Officer with selected applicants in the

performance of the grant and for effective EPA oversight of grantee performance. Although EPA will

negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial federal involvement as part of the award

process with each grantee awarded a cooperative agreement, the anticipated substantial federal involvement

may include:

• Closely monitoring the grantee’s performance to verify the results reported by the applicant;

• Reviewing proposed procurement, in accordance with the Procurement Standards in 2 CFR Parts

200 and 1500;

• Reviewing evidence of completion of project phases (e.g., planning) before providing approval for

the grantee to begin work on the next project phase (e.g., implementation);

• Reviewing the substantive terms of contracts, subawards, or other financial transactions (EPA will

not select contractors, subrecipients, or program beneficiaries);

• Approving qualifications of key personnel (EPA will not select employees or contractors employed

by the grantee);

• Reviewing and commenting on reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (the final

decision on the content of reports will rest with the grantee); and

• Addressing compliance with Build America, Buy America requirements, in accordance with 2 CFR

§ 184, and providing technical assistance, if necessary, on compliance with CAA § 314 and the

Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

In addition, there may be Federal involvement with selected applicants in the performance of the grant,

which may include co-sponsoring community meetings and other events and collaborating during

performance of the scope of work.

Section III. Eligibility Information

(back to the Table of Contents)

Note: Additional provisions that apply to this section of the NOFO can be found in the EPA Solicitation

Clauses.

A. Eligible Applicants

Consistent with CAA §138(b)(3) and Assistance Listing 66.616, applicants eligible to apply and receive

grants under this NOFO are (1) a partnership between two community-based nonprofit organizations

(CBOs) as defined below, or (2) a partnership between a CBO and one of the following: a federally

recognized Tribe, a local government, or an institution of higher education. These types of partnerships for

eligibility purposes are known as Statutory Partnerships. Further eligibility requirements are described

below.

1. Community-Based Non-Profit Organization (CBO)

To qualify as a CBO for eligibility purposes, an organization must demonstrate that they are a “nonprofit

organization” as defined at 2 CFR 200.1, which “means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or

other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose

in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve,

or expand the operation of the organization.”

Applicants must include documentation in their application demonstrating that they are a nonprofit

organization by one of two ways: 1) a written determination by the Internal Revenue Service that they are

exempt from taxation under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code, or 2) based on a written

determination by the state, territory, commonwealth, Tribe, or other United States governmental entity in

which they are located. This can be done, for example, by submitting a letter, certificate, or articles of

incorporation from the state where the organization is located that recognizes them as a nonprofit

organization. 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. Foreign non-profit organizations cannot qualify as a CBO for eligibility purposes.

In addition to being considered a nonprofit organization, an organization must demonstrate that they are a

public or private nonprofit organization that supports and / or represents a community and/or certain

populations within a community through engagement, education, and other related services provided to

individual community residents and community stakeholders. A “community,” for these purposes, can be

characterized by a particular geographic area and / or by the relationships among members with similar

interests and can be characterized as part of a local, regional, or national community where organizations

are focused on the needs of urban, rural, and / or Tribal areas, farmworkers, displaced workers, children

with high levels of lead, people with asthma, subsistence fishers, and other similar groups. For purposes of

this NOFO, the CBO must have a geographic presence or connection in, or relationship with, the specified

community that the projects are intended to benefit. For example, national or statewide CBOs must

demonstrate the CBO’s connection to the community that will benefit from the grants.

For the purposes of this NOFO, applicants that demonstrate that they are Alaska Native Nonprofit

Organizations or Alaska Native Nonprofit Associations are considered CBOs. In addition, Inter-Tribal

Consortia may be able to qualify as CBOs if they meet the above requirements. The for-profit Alaskan

Native Corporations are not eligible under the CBO definition and therefore are unable to apply as CBOs.

29 
2.  Local Government (in partnership with a CBO) 
 
The following units of government within a state, as defined by the regulations in 2 CFR 200.1, are eligible 
to enter a Statutory Partnership with a CBO:  
  
•  County  
•  Borough  
•  Municipality  
•  City  
•  Town  
•  Township  
•  Parish  
•  Local public authority, including any public housing agency under the United States Housing Act 
of 1937  
•  Special district  
•  School district  
•  Intrastate district  
•  Council of governments, whether incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law; and  
•  Any other agency or instrumentality of a multi-, regional, or intra-State or local government. 
 
3.  Federally Recognized Tribe (in partnership with a CBO) 
 
For the purposes of eligibility for entering into a Statutory Partnership with a CBO, EPA uses the definition 
of “Indian Tribe” in §302(r) of the CAA which provides that the term “...means any Indian  Tribe, band, 
nation, or other organized group or community, including any 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.” Note that this definition does not include Alaskan Native Corporations 
or State-recognized Tribes.  
 
4.  Institutions of Higher Education (in partnership with a CBO) 
 
For the purposes of eligibility for entering into a Statutory Partnership with a CBO, the grant regulations at 
2 CFR 200.1 state that Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) are defined at 20 U.S.C. § 1001.  
 
EPA also recognizes that it is important to engage all available minds to address the environmental and 
climate justice challenges the nation faces. Accordingly, EPA encourages Minority Serving Institutions 
(MSIs) to participate in the grants under this NOFO, including by partnering with a CBO.  
 
For purposes of this NOFO, the following are considered MSIs: 
1.  Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 
1061(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 
2.  Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 
1059c(b)(3) and (d)(1)). A list of these schools can be found at American Indian Tribally Controlled 
Colleges and Universities. 
3.  Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 
U.S.C. § 1101a(a)(5)). A list of these schools can be found at Hispanic-Serving Institutions. 
4.  Asian  American  and  Native  American  Pacific  Islander-Serving  Institutions;  (AANAPISIs),  as 
defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059g(b)(2)). A list of these schools can be 
found at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions. 

30 
5.  Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act of 2008, 20 
U.S.C. § 1059e(b)(6). A list of these schools can be found at Predominantly Black Institutions. 
 
B.  Statutory Partnership Requirements and Collaborating Entities 
 
The  Statutory  Partnership  application  is  comprised  of  a  Lead  Applicant  (an  eligible  CBO,  Federally 
recognized  Tribe, local  government, or  institution of  higher  education)  who  enters  into  a  Partnership 
Agreement with a Statutory Partner (which is another eligible entity – a CBO, Federally recognized Tribe, 
local government, or institution of higher education) to carry out the grant activities if the application is 
selected for funding. If the application is selected for award, the Lead Applicant will enter into a subaward 
with the Statutory Partner that must contain the elements of the Partnership Agreement in Appendix B. The 
Lead Applicant must include a copy of a written and signed Partnership Agreement with their application 
to be eligible for funding consideration.  
 
To ensure effective grant performance to meet the objectives of the Community Change Grants outlined in 
Section I, subawards from the Lead Applicant to other entities to implement and perform specific grant 
project activities identified in the application will be necessary. These other entities, including the Statutory 
Partners, are collectively referred to as Collaborating Entities in the NOFO. Given the community centered 
focus of the Community Change Grants, applications that do not include Collaborating Entities will likely 
not score well during the evaluation process. Collaborating Entities may include Statutory Partners (CBOs, 
Federally-recognized  Tribes, local governments, and  institutions of  higher  education) and entities that 
cannot legally be Statutory Partners (e.g., states, territorial governments, and international organizations). 
However, for-profit firms and  individual consultants or  other commercial service providers cannot be 
Collaborating Entities. Subawards made by the Lead Applicant and Collaborating Entities to implement the 
project strategies and activities under the application must be made consistent with the grant regulations at 
2 CFR 200.331 and as permitted in Appendix A of the EPA Subaward Policy.  
 
If selected for award, the Lead Applicant will become the grantee, operating as a pass-through entity for 
purposes of 2 CFR Part 200 and the EPA Subaward Policy, and taking responsibility for making subawards 
to Collaborating Entities. The Lead Applicant will also be accountable to EPA for effectively carrying out 
the full scope of work and the proper financial management of the grant (including the subawards it makes 
under the grant, and contracts to consultants and procurement contractors selected in accordance with the 
competitive procurement requirements in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500 as well as EPA’s 40 CFR Part 33 
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise rule). Additionally, as provided in 2 CFR § 200.332, the Collaborating 
Entities, and other subrecipients, will be accountable to the Lead Applicant for proper use of EPA funding. 
Note that pursuant to 2 CFR § 200.332(a)(2), as implemented in Items 2 and 4 of EPA’s Establishing and 
Managing Subawards General Term and Condition, successful Lead Applicants in the Statutory Partnership 
must ensure that the terms and conditions of the grant agreement “flow down” to all subrecipients in the 
subawards. EPA has developed an optional template for subaward agreements, available in Appendix D of 
the EPA Subaward Policy.  
 
As noted above, Collaborating Entities cannot include for-profit procurement contractors or individual 
consultants who may be involved in project performance but who receive procurement awards made in 
compliance with the competitive procurement requirements in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500 and 40 CFR Part 
33.  Further  information  on  procurement  and  distinguishing  between  subawards  and  procurement 
transactions can be found in the Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under 
EPA Assistance Agreements and in EPA Subaward Policy. 
 

C. Cost-Sharing or Matching Funds

No cost-sharing or matching is required as a condition of eligibility under this NOFO.

D. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

Applications must meet the threshold eligibility criteria below to be considered for funding. Applications

that do not meet all the applicable threshold eligibility criteria will be deemed ineligible for funding

consideration and will not be considered further. If necessary, EPA may contact applicants to clarify

issues relating to threshold eligibility criteria compliance prior to making an eligibility determination. In

addition, applicants should contact EPA with any questions about the threshold eligibility criteria prior to

submission of their applications. Applicants whose applications are deemed ineligible for funding

consideration because of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the

ineligibility determination.

Applications must meet the following threshold eligibility criteria to be considered eligible for funding under

this NOFO:

1. Applications must comply with the content and submission requirements listed below.

• Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and

requirements set forth in Section IV of this NOFO or else they will be rejected. However,

where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the application, or parts

thereof, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Applicants are advised

that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in application

format, including selecting a legible font type and size for use in the application.

• In addition, initial applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section

IV of this NOFO (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission

is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV) on or before the application

submission deadline published in Section IV of this NOFO. Applicants are responsible for

following the submission instructions in Section IV of this NOFO to ensure that their

application is timely submitted. Please note that applicants experiencing technical issues

with submitting through Grants.gov should follow the instructions provided in Section IV,

which include both the requirement to contact Grants.gov and email a full application to

EPA prior to the deadline.

• Applications submitted outside of Grants.gov will be deemed ineligible without further

consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was due to EPA

mishandling or technical problems associated with Grants.gov or SAM.gov. An applicant’s

failure to timely submit their application through Grants.gov because they did not timely

or properly register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason

to consider a submission outside of Grants.gov.

DO NOT WAIT! Register in SAM.gov or Grants.gov as soon as possible. Finalizing these

registrations could take a month or more. You do not want a late registration to prevent you from

being able to properly submit your application through Grants.gov.

2. All applicants must meet the eligibility and statutory partnership requirements in III.A and include

a Partnership Agreement (See Appendix B) with the application.

3. All applications must demonstrate, as required by CAA § 138(b)(1), that the projects will benefit

disadvantaged communities as defined in Appendix A. While projects may have an incidental

benefit to census block groups or other areas that are not considered disadvantaged communities,

the applicant must demonstrate how all the projects in the application will primarily benefit

disadvantaged communities in the Project Area as defined in Appendix A.

4. Track I applications proposing to serve a geographically-defined community identified as

disadvantaged in Appendix A must submit a Project Area Map that defines which specific

disadvantaged community the projects and supporting activities will directly benefit.

5. Given the requirement under CAA § 138(b)(1) that all grants must be completed within three years,

all applications must describe how the projects in the application, including any construction projects,

can be completed within three years of award.

6. All Track I applications must include projects under at least one Climate Action Strategy and at least

one Pollution Reduction Strategy as described in Section I.G. Track I applications also must include

a Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan, Community Strength Plan,

Readiness Approach, and Compliance Plan as described in Section I.G.

7. All Track I applications including a workforce development project under the Climate Action

Strategy must demonstrate how it will help reduce air pollutants and GHG emissions.

8. All Track I applications for projects under Climate Action Strategy 6: Brownfield Redevelopment,

must be performed on sites where cleanup is complete or where the site does not require any

cleanup activities for the intended use or reuse of the site, as well as meet the requirements stated

in Appendix C for Brownfields Redevelopment projects.

9. All Track I applications for Pollution Reduction activities to increase monitoring capabilities or

raise community awareness of pollution must also include an associated remediation,

implementation, or infrastructure pollution reduction project that addresses the identified pollution

issue.

10. Track I applications cannot request more than $20 million in EPA funding and Track II applications

cannot request more than $3 million in EPA funding. Applications requesting more than these

amounts will be rejected. If necessary, EPA will clarify any questions about the funding amounts

requested prior to application review.

11. A Track I application for a TIA defined in Section II.B can only address one TIA. An application

cannot address more than one TIA.

12. Track I applications submitted for TIA A benefitting Alaskan Tribal lands that include a project(s)

for the assessment and cleanup of sites covered by the Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance

Program must meet the relevant requirements specified in Appendix H.

13. Applications submitted for TIA E for U.S.-Southern Border Communities projects, as well as any

including projects that may include project activities within 100 km of a U.S. border as discussed

in Section II.B, must meet the special requirements identified in Section II.B.

14. Written applications must be submitted in English only. Applications written in languages other than

English will not be reviewed or considered for award. If you need assistance to submit the written

application in English, technical assistance may be available. Please refer to Section I.E.

15. Multiple Applications. Lead Applicants may submit no more than two applications under this

NOFO, and receive no more than two awards, as explained in Section II. Excess applications will

not be reviewed. If a Lead Applicant submits more than two applications, they will be contacted

by EPA to determine which one(s) to withdraw. Notwithstanding this limitation, a Lead Applicant

may be a Statutory Partner or Collaborating Entity on other applications.

16. Resubmissions. As stated in Section II.C, a resubmitted application must be clearly identified as a

resubmission of a previously submitted eligible application through such means as providing the date

of the original submission and / or date of the EPA debriefing. It cannot be a completely different

application from the one originally submitted. If EPA determines, in its sole discretion, that it is a

completely different application bearing little resemblance to the original application, it may be

rejected and not reviewed.

17. EPA will not consider any application that includes projects that are exclusively designed to

conduct scientific research. However, applications may include research components such as

building blocks for outreach, training, and program implementation projects. In such cases,

applications should clearly articulate this link, explain why the research is necessary for the

project’s success, and ensure that such research does not already exist.

18. EPA will not consider any application requesting funding for assessment, removal, or remediation

of Superfund sites.

Note: If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible projects, tasks, or activities, including but

not limited to ones that EPA determines cannot be funded under the statutory / regulatory authorities for

the grant, that portion of the application will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to

which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding. This includes but is not

limited to projects requesting funding for relocation activities as described in Section I.F.

Applicants who have any questions about whether their project can be funded under the statutory /

regulatory authorities for the grants and this NOFO, or whether certain costs related to the project are

allowable costs, should clarify the issue with EPA prior to submitting their application. Failure to do so

may result in the projects and / or costs being ineligible for funding and may impact the eligibility of the

entire application.

34 
Section IV. Application and Submission Information 
(back to the Table of Contents) 
 
Note:  Additional  provisions  that  apply  to  this  section  of  the  NOFO,  including  those  related  to 
Intergovernmental Review,  can be found in the EPA Solicitation Clauses. 
 
A. Requirement to Submit through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures 
 
Applicants  must  apply  electronically  through  Grants.gov  under  this  NOFO  based  on  the  grants.gov 
instructions below. If your organization has no access to the internet or access is very limited, you may 
request an exception from applying through Grants.gov for the remainder of this calendar year by following 
the procedures outlined here. 
 
Issues with submissions with respect to this NOFO only are addressed in section 3: Technical Issues with 
Submission below. 
1. SAM.gov (System for Award Management) Registration Instructions 
Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must have an active SAM.gov registration. If you have 
never done business with the Federal Government, you will need to register your organization in SAM.gov. 
If you do not have a SAM.gov account, then you will need to create an account using login.gov to complete 
your SAM.gov registration. 
 
SAM.gov registration is FREE. The process for entity registration includes obtaining a Unique Entity ID 
(UEI),  a  12-character  alphanumeric  ID  assigned  an  entity  by  SAM.gov,  and  requires  assertions, 
representations and certifications, and other information about your organization. Please review the Entity 
Registration Checklist for details on this process. 
 
If you have done business with the Federal Government previously, you can check your entity status using 
your government issued UEI to determine if your registration is active. SAM.gov requires you renew your 
registration every 365 days to keep it active. 
 
Please note that SAM.gov registration is  different than obtaining a  UEI only. Obtaining an  UEI only 
validates  your  organization’s  legal  business  name  and  address.  Please  review the  Frequently  Asked 
Question on the difference for additional details. 
 
Organizations should ensure that their SAM.gov registration includes a current e-Business (EBiz) point of 
contact name and email address. The EBiz point of contact is critical for Grants.gov Registration and system 
functionality. 
 
Contact the Federal Service Desk for help with your SAM.gov account, to resolve technical issues or chat 
with a help desk agent: (866) 606-8220. The Federal Service desk hours of operation are Monday – Friday 
8am – 8pm ET. 
 
2. Grants.Gov Registration Instructions 
Once your SAM.gov account is active, you must register in Grants.gov. Grants.gov will electronically 
receive your organization information, such as e-Business (EBiz) point of contact email address and UEI. 
Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must have an active Grants.gov registration. Grants.gov 
registration is FREE. If you have never applied for a federal grant before, please review the Grants.gov 

35 
Applicant Registration instructions. As part of the Grants.gov registration process, the EBiz point of contact 
is the only person that can affiliate and assign applicant roles to members of an organization. In addition, 
at least one person must be assigned as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). 
 
Only  person(s)  with  the  AOR  role can  submit  applications  in  Grants.gov.  Please  review the  Intro  to 
Grants.gov-Understanding User Roles and Learning Workspace – User Roles and Workspace Actions for 
details on this important process. 
 
Please note that registering in grants.gov for the first time can take a month or more for new registrants. 
Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met to apply for this opportunity through 
Grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of  the application 
submission deadline. 
 
Contact Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected] to resolve technical issues 
with Grants.gov. Applicants who are outside the U.S. at the time of submittal and are not able to access the 
toll-free number may reach a Grants.gov representative by calling 606-545-5035. The Grants.gov Support 
Center is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, excluding federal holidays. 
 
Application Submission Process 
To begin the application process under this NOFO, go to Grants.gov and click the red “Apply” button at 
the top of the view grant opportunity page associated with this opportunity. 
 
The electronic submission of your application to this NOFO must be made by an official representative of 
your organization who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal 
financial assistance. If the submit button is grayed out, it may be because you do not have the appropriate 
role to submit in your organization. Contact your organization’s EBiz point of contact or contact Grants.gov 
for assistance at 1-800-518- 4726 or [email protected]. 
 
Applicants  need  to  ensure  that  the  Authorized  Organization  Representative  (AOR)  who  submits  the 
application through Grants.gov and whose UEI is listed on the application is an AOR for the applicant listed 
on the application. Additionally, the UEI listed on the  application must be registered to the  applicant 
organization's SAM.gov account. If not, the application may be deemed ineligible. 
Application Submission Deadline 
 
Your organization's AOR must submit your complete application package (including any resubmission as 
explained in Section II.C) electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than November 21, 2024, at 
11:59  PM  ET.  Please  allow  for  enough  time  to  successfully  submit  your  application  and  allow  for 
unexpected errors that may require you to resubmit. Please see Section II and Section V describing the 
rolling application submittal and review process for this NOFO.  
 
Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be time and date stamped electronically. Please note that 
successful submission of your application through Grants.gov does not necessarily mean your application 
is eligible for award. Any application submitted after the application deadline time and date deadline will 
be deemed ineligible and not considered. 
 
3. Technical Issues with Submission 
If applicants experience technical issues during the submission of an application that they are unable to 

resolve, follow these procedures before the application deadline date:

a. Contact the Grants.gov Support Center before the application deadline date.

b. Document the Grants.gov ticket / case number.

c. Send an email with EPA-R-OEJECR-OCS-23-04 in the subject line to [email protected] before

the application deadline time and include the following information:

i. Grants.gov ticket / case number(s)

ii. Description of the issue

iii. The entire application package in PDF format

Without this information, EPA may not be able to consider applications submitted outside of Grants.gov.

Any application submitted after the application deadline will be deemed ineligible and not be considered.

Please note that successful submission through Grants.gov or email does not necessarily mean your

application is eligible for award.

EPA will make decisions concerning acceptance of each application submitted outside of Grants.gov on a

case-by-case basis. EPA will only consider accepting applications that were unable to submit through

Grants.gov due to Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues or for unforeseen exigent circumstances,

such as extreme weather interfering with internet access. Failure of an applicant to submit the application

prior to the application submission deadline time and date because they did not properly or timely register

in SAM.gov or Grants.gov is not an acceptable reason to justify acceptance of an application outside of

Grants.gov.

4. Required Forms and Documents

The following forms and documents are required under this NOFO:

Mandatory Documents for Track I and Track II Applications

1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

2. Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)

3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54

4. EPA Preaward Compliance Review Report Form 4700-4 (Please see these Useful Tips

for completing this form)

5. Project Narrative Attachment Form: Use this to prepare your Project Narrative as described

in Section IV.B below.

6. Attachments: Use the “Other Attachments Form” in Grants.gov for the following additional

documents. These attachments are not subject to the page limitation that applies to the Project

Narrative identified below and some have their own page limitation as identified below:

• Attachments for Track I and Track II Applications:

o Attachment A: Program Budget Template (See below in Section IV.B and

also optional template in Appendix G)

o Attachment B: Partnership Agreement (See Section III.A and Appendix B)

o Attachment C: Any other documents or information not listed above, such

as an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

• Attachments for Track I Applications Only:

o Attachment D: Project Area Map as described in Appendix A.

o Attachment E: Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan

as described in Section I.G that does not exceed 10 single spaced pages-excess

pages will not be reviewed.

o Attachment F: Community Strength Plan as described in Section I.G that

does not exceed 5 single spaced pages-excess pages will not be reviewed.

o Attachment G: Readiness Approach Information as described in Section I.G.

o Attachment H: Compliance Plan as described in Section I.G.

B. Content of Application Submission

Applicants should read the following sections very carefully. A complete application package includes the

forms and documents listed above in Section IV.A.4: Required Forms and Documents, which includes the

materials further described below.

When preparing the content of their applications, and to ensure that their application materials address all

the evaluation criteria for Track I and II applications, applicants should review the evaluation criteria in

Section V. These criteria place increased emphasis on certain evaluation criteria that are integral to ensuring

that the application will advance environmental and climate justice, CCG objectives, and maximize benefits

to disadvantaged communities.

Note: Please see Section V for information on the Track I oral presentation process referenced in Section

I.D.

Project Narrative for Track I and II Applications

Below are the instructions for both Track I and Track II applications. There are different instructions for

each track, so applicants should carefully read the instructions and contact EPA at [email protected]ov with

any questions.

The Project Narrative for both application tracks are comprised of Sections A and B as described below for

each track and should include the information and content below. Applicants should ensure it includes

information addressing the relevant evaluation criteria in Section V for Track I or II applications and any

applicable threshold eligibility criteria in Section III.D including identifying and describing the

disadvantaged communities to benefit from the grants.

• The Project Narrative for Track I applications must not exceed twenty (20) single-spaced pages and

be on letter size pages (8 ½ X 11 inches). Excess pages will not be reviewed.

• The Project Narrative for Track II applications must not exceed fifteen (15) single spaced pages

and be on letter size pages (8 ½ X 11 inches). Excess pages will not be reviewed.

Applicants are encouraged to be concise and do not need to use all the pages within the page limit. Links

to external websites or content will not be reviewed or considered. Any pages beyond the page limitations

will not be reviewed by the Review Panel. It is recommended that applicants use a standard font (e.g., Times

New Roman, Calibri, and Arial) and a 12-point font size with 1- inch margins. While these guidelines

establish the acceptable type size requirements, applicants are advised that readability is of paramount

importance and should take precedence in selection of an appropriate font for use in the application. The

grant application forms and other attachments identified in Section IV.A.4: Required Forms and

Documents above are not included in the Project Narrative page limits

To assist EPA reviewers, applicants should reference the numbers and titles of the evaluation criteria in

their Project Narratives to help identify where the criteria are being addressed as applicable. A table is

included in Section V.A to show how the components relate to one another and to the evaluation criteria.

Applicants should contact EPA with any questions about the application content requirements.

Track I Project Narrative

Track I applications consist of a Project Narrative with two sections as identified below: (A)

Executive Summary and (B) Project Workplan. Together these cannot exceed 20 pages as

described above.

Section A. Executive Summary

The Executive Summary should contain the elements below and should not exceed three pages.

• Application Title: Provide a name for the application.

• Lead Applicant: Name of the Lead Applicant.

• Statutory Partner to the Lead Applicant: Name of the Statutory Partner.

• Contact Information: Include a name, title, email address, and phone number for key personnel

for the Lead Applicant and, Statutory Partner.

• Eligibility: Describe how the Lead Applicant and Statutory Partner meet the eligibility

requirements in Section III.A of the NOFO.

• Climate Action Strategy: Specify which Climate Action Strategy(ies) is addressed in the

application.

• Pollution Reduction Strategy: Specify which Pollution Reduction Strategy(ies) is addressed in

the application.

• Grant Award Period and Completion: Provide estimated beginning and ending dates for the

period of performance for your proposed grant. Given the requirement under CAA § 138(b)(1) that

all grants must be completed within three years, all applications must state how the projects in the

application, including any construction projects, can be completed within three years of award.

• Amount of EPA Funding Requested: See award sizes specified in Section II.A.

• Target Investment Area: If the application is for a Target Investment Area as defined in Section

II.A, please identify which one. If the application is not for a Target Investment Area, put N/A.

• Disadvantaged Community to benefit from the projects: Identify and describe the

disadvantaged communities, as defined in Appendix A, intended to benefit from the projects in the

application. See Section III.D.3 for more detail.

• Other Sources of Funding: Briefly explain, to the extent you can, whether funding for the projects

in your application is available under the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), other IRA

programs, or other funding streams and if so your reasons for seeking funding for these projects

under this NOFO. Please also note the Duplicate Funding clause included in Section IV of the EPA

Solicitation Clauses incorporated by reference in this NOFO and referenced in Section V.E.

• Resubmission Status: Specify if the application is for a resubmission of a previously submitted

and reviewed application. If so, please identify the date of the original submission and the date of

EPA debriefing of the previously submitted application (See Section II.C for further information

on the resubmission process).

Section B. Project Workplan

The Project Workplan should contain the elements below.

Part 1. Community-Driven Investments for Change

1.1 Community Vision Description.

• Community Description: Provide an overview of the community to benefit from the projects

in the application based on the Project Area map submitted and how they will benefit from the

projects. The community description should describe the community’s resources, assets, local

community characteristics, and the type of benefits the grants will provide to the community.

• Community Challenges: Describe the needs and challenges the community in the Project Area

is facing, including climate impacts, climate change risks / exposures, and / or localized

pollution. Describe the impact of these challenges on the community, and particularly on

priority populations within the Project Area who are acutely exposed to and impacted by

climate, pollution, and weather-related threats, and / or who exhibit acute vulnerabilities or

susceptibilities to the impacts of environmental pollution. See footnote 3 for more information

on priority populations.

• Community Vision: Articulate a vision for the impact and benefits the grant would have on

the community in the near and long term, including the effect it will have on reducing and

preventing pollution; building resilience to climate change and mitigating current and future

climate risks;; creating high-quality jobs and expanding economic opportunity through

workforce development; and bolstering community strength by insuring that local residents

receive the benefits of investments and have the opportunity to build on them for current and

future generations.

1.2 Selected Strategies: As described in Section I.G, applications must address at least one Climate

Action Strategy and at least one Pollution Reduction Strategy. Accordingly, applications should

address the following requirements:

• Strategy Overview – for each selected Climate Action and Pollution Reduction Strategy:

o Provide an overview of the strategy and associated projects and describe how they will

be implemented during the grant term.

o Describe how the strategies and associated projects in the application are integrated

and / or designed to complement each other to benefit the disadvantaged communities

o Explain how the amount / proportion of the requested funding was determined for each

strategy and associated project in the application.

• Climate Action Strategies

o Describe how the project(s) associated with the Climate Action Strategy(ies) will

address the climate impacts, risks, and / or challenges facing the Project Area

community; will decrease GHG emissions within the Project Area and increase overall

community resilience to current and anticipated climate impacts; and are responsive to

the community needs and challenges identified in the Community Vision Description.

• Pollution Reduction Strategies

o Describe how the project(s) associated with the Pollution Reduction Strategy(ies) will

address the localized pollution challenges facing the Project Area communities; will

make substantial and measurable (i.e., quantifiable) progress towards preventing,

reducing, and / or mitigating existing and future sources of pollution to benefit the

Project Area; and are responsive to the community needs and challenges identified in

the Community Vision Description.

1.3 Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan: Applications should address the

elements of the Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan as described in

Section I.G, the sections of which are outlined below. As described in Section IV.A.4, the plan

cannot exceed 10 pages (excess pages will not be reviewed) and should be uploaded to Grants.gov

as a separate attachment.

• Past Community Outreach and Engagement Conducted: The application should

demonstrate how past engagement impacted the strategy and associated project selection and

implementation approach included in the application. This includes describing selected

outreach and engagement methods used for the Project Area, including engagement to specific

neighborhoods or groups.

• Community Engagement Plan Implementation: The applicant should demonstrate the

specific community engagement methods, as well as how they will mitigate barriers and

involve relevant governmental stakeholders necessary to support overall implementation.

• Collaborative Governance Structure: The applicant should provide details regarding the

roles and responsibilities of the Lead Applicant, Collaborating Entities, and community

residents and / or community-selected representatives for implementing, managing, and

overseeing the application’s project activities, including how regularly they will meet to discuss

project implementation.

1.4 Community Strength Plan: Applications should address the elements of the Community Strength

Plan as described in Section I.G, the sections of which are outlined below. As described in Section

IV.A.4, the plan cannot exceed 5 pages (excess pages will not be reviewed) and should be uploaded

to Grants.gov as a separate attachment.

• Maximizing Economic Benefits of Projects: The applicant should describe how the projects

included in the application will strive to maximize economic benefits for individuals in the

Project Area, including priority populations.

• Displacement Avoidance: The applicant should discuss potential near-term and long-term

risks associated with the proposed projects to residents, small businesses, nonprofits, and other

community members. Applicants should also assess and describe the vulnerability the

community faces to rising costs attributable to their proposed project(s) and assess potential

impacts to households, small businesses, and other existing groups.

Part 2. Program Management, Capability and Capacity

2.1 Performance Management Plan, Outputs / Outcomes: Applicants should describe the

environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the

maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will

contribute to the Community Change Grants goals and objectives. (See Section I.I and Appendix

F for more detail on expected outputs and outcomes). In addition to identifying expected project

outputs and outcomes, applicants should describe how they plan to track and measure their project

performance, including through indicator tracking, to monitor progress towards achieving the

expected outputs and outcomes throughout the performance period.

Applicants should also:

• Describe how they selected the expected outputs and outcomes and how they will lead to

improvements to the environmental conditions and public health of the community

members of the Project Area in the short and long term.

• Describe how the expected project outputs and outcomes are specific and include

achievable and reasonable target measures within the project period.

• Describe how the recipient will use program evaluation activities (e.g., utilizing proper

evaluation tools and personnel / organizations with experience in evaluating program and

project progress / success) from project initiation through project completion to

meaningfully document and measure their progress towards achieving project goals.

2.2 Project Linkages to the EPA Strategic Plan: Applications should describe how the proposed

project activities support and advance EPA Strategic Plan Goal 2 (Take Decisive Action to

Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights), Objective 2.1, (Promote Environmental Justice

and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Levels). See Section I.I. In addition,

applications, depending on the projects included in them, should also address how they support

and advance the following EPA Strategic Plan Goals as applicable:

• Goal 1 - Tackle the Climate Crisis

• Goal 4 - Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities

• Goal 5 - Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities

• Goal 6 - Safeguard and Revitalize Communities; and

• Goal 7 - Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment

Refer to the EPA Strategic Plan.

2.3 CBO Experience and Commitment: Applications should describe the following for the Lead

Applicant and / or Statutory Partner for the proposed grant:

• Their history and experience as a CBO.

• The depth of their commitment, connections, and relationships with the disadvantaged

communities the application is intended to benefit.

2.4 Programmatic and Managerial Capability and Resources: Applications should provide

information demonstrating the Lead Applicant's and Statutory Partner’s ability to successfully

complete, oversee, and manage the award including:

• Their organizational experience and capacity related to performing the proposed projects

or similar activities (e.g., experience in managing projects and activities like those in the

application)

• Their resources, capacity, capabilities, staff (e.g., project manager and other key

personnel), expertise, and skills to perform and manage the award activities effectively

during the three-year award period. For Lead Applicants submitting two applications under

this NOFO, this includes how they demonstrate they have the above attributes to perform,

manage, and oversee two awards effectively within the three-year award period.

• Their financial stability, controls in place, and capacity to manage taxpayer dollars

ethically and efficiently as well as the policies and controls to be in place for project

oversight and to manage program risk. This includes controls to identify waste, fraud, and

abuse, and reduce the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse, by including plans and policies

for program oversight, including confidential reporting (e.g., whistleblower protections),

and risk management.

• A projected milestone schedule for the proposed projects (up to three years) with a breakout

of the project activities into phases with associated tasks and timeframes for completion of

tasks, including the approach, procedures, and controls for ensuring that the award funds

will be expended in a timely and efficient manner while ensuring that costs are eligible,

reasonable, and allowable.

2.5 Past Performance: Describe federally funded and / or non-federally funded assistance

agreements (assistance agreements include grants and cooperative agreements but not contracts)

that the Lead Applicant performed within the last three years (no more than three agreements in

total) and provide the information below for them. EPA agreements are preferred to be included.

• Describe whether, and how, the Lead Applicant was able to successfully complete and

manage the agreements.

• Describe the history of the Lead Applicant in meeting the reporting requirements under the

agreements including submitting acceptable final technical reports.

• Describe how the Lead Applicant documented and / or reported on whether progress

towards achieving the expected results (i.e., outputs and outcomes) under those agreements

was being made. If progress was not made, please indicate whether, and how, that was

documented.

Note: In evaluating the Lead Applicant’s past performance, the Agency will consider the

information provided in the application and may also consider relevant information from other

sources, including information from EPA files and / or from current and prior federal agency

grantors (e.g., to verify and / or supplement the information provided by the applicant). If there is

no relevant or available past performance information, please indicate this in the application, and

you will receive a neutral score for these factors under Section V. Failure to provide any past

performance information, or to include a statement that you do not have any relevant or available

past performance or reporting information, may result in a zero score for these factors (see also

Section V).

Part 3. Readiness to Proceed, Feasibility, and Sustainability: Provide the following information in the

application:

3.1 Readiness Approach: Demonstrate, based on the Readiness Approach Requirements described in

Section I.G, the applicant’s ability and readiness to proceed with grant performance for the projects

in the application upon receiving an award, and generally no later than 120 days after award, in

order to ensure that the projects can be completed within the statutory three-year grant period. As

appropriate, this may include a description of the completed project planning and design phases

related to the project(s) as well as demonstrating that the applicant has obtained and / or complied

with the necessary approvals, permits, permissions, and any other applicable requirements, to

commence project performance upon award, and if not their plan for doing so within 120 days of

award.

3.2 Feasibility: Demonstrate that all the projects in the application can be successfully and effectively

performed within the three-year grant period of performance, and the degree of risk that they cannot

be. This includes describing how the strategies and associated projects can individually and

collectively be completed within three years.

3.3 Sustainability: Demonstrate the extent to which the benefits and outcomes from the projects can

be sustained after the three-year grant period of performance based on factors including but not

limited to whether (i) the applicant will leverage funding and / or resources from other sources to

ensure the sustainability of the projects beyond the three-year grant term and (ii) the description of

an operations and maintenance approach including plans and commitments to ensure there is

continued funding available for operation and maintenance activities of infrastructure activities for

the projects after the grant term is over (e.g., are there demonstrated commitments for continuing

operation and maintenance funding / resources from the appropriate parties after the three year

grant term is over) including coordination with appropriate responsible parties.

3.4 Program Budget Description: Provide a detailed budget description and estimated funding

amounts for each project component / task similar to that on the budget found in SF-424A, which

includes the EPA funding requested to be expended over the three-year period of performance. This

section provides an opportunity for a narrative description of the budget or aspects of the budget

found in the SF-424A. In the description, explain how the budget is reasonable to accomplish the

projects, and the cost-effectiveness of the budget in terms of maximizing the share of funds used

for the delivery of benefits to disadvantaged communities (both the direct costs of funds passed

through for financial assistance as well as associated indirect costs).

Note: A template to depict the program budget description is included as Appendix G and may be

used to supplement the budget description in the Project Narrative. Applicants that do not use the

template will not be penalized and applicants can convey the information in other forms. While the

program budget description is part of the Project Narrative page limit, the template is not part of

the page limit for the Project Narrative and will not count against the 20-page Project Narrative

page limit for Track I applications.

3.5 Compliance Plan: Applicants must submit a Compliance Plan as described in Section I.G that

does not exceed 5 pages. Excess pages will not be reviewed.

Track II Application Requirements

Track II applications consist of a Project Narrative with two sections as identified below: (A)

Executive Summary and (B) Project Workplan. Together these cannot exceed 15 pages as

described above.

Section A. Executive Summary

The Executive Summary should contain the elements below and should not exceed two pages.

• Application Title: Provide a name for the application.

• Lead Applicant: Name of the organization applying.

• Statutory Partner to the Lead Applicant: Name of the Statutory Partner.

• Contact information: Include a name, title, email address, and phone number for key personnel

for Lead Applicant, Statutory Partner.

• Eligibility: Describe how the Lead Applicant and Statutory Partner meet the eligibility

requirements in Section III.A of the NOFO.

• Disadvantaged Community to benefit from the projects: Identify and describe the

disadvantaged communities, as defined in Appendix A, intended to benefit from the projects in the

application. See Section III.D.3 for more detail.

• Grant Award Period and Completion: Provide estimated beginning and ending dates for the

period of performance for your proposed grant. Given the requirement under CAA § 138(b)(1) that

all grants must be completed within three years, all applications must state how the projects in the

application can be completed within three years of award.

• EPA Funding Requested: See award sizes specified in Section II.A.

• Other Sources of Funding Briefly explain, to the extent you can, whether funding for the projects

in your application is available under the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), other IRA

programs, or other funding streams and, if so, your reasons for seeking funding for these projects

under this NOFO. Please also note the Duplicate Funding clause included in Section IV of the EPA

Solicitation Clauses incorporated by reference in this NOFO and referenced in Section V.E.

• Resubmission Status: Specify if the application is for a resubmission of a previously submitted

and reviewed application. If so, please identify the date of the original submission and date of EPA

debriefing of the previously submitted application (See Section II.C for further information on the

resubmission process).

Section B. Project Workplan

1. Track II Program Objectives: Applications should describe the following:

• How the application addresses the Track II objectives identified in Section I.H.

• What methods, tools, and trainings the applicant will use to facilitate the engagement of

disadvantaged communities in state and Federal advisory groups, workshops, rulemakings,

and / or other public processes, including local, Tribal, and other governmental processes,

related to environmental and climate justice.

• How the application addresses the disadvantaged community’s lack of access to, or weak

relationships with, governmental entities, including how the application improves those

relationships, increases points of access for disadvantaged communities with government

entities, and creates channels to work cooperatively to promote environmental and climate

justice

• How the application will result in governmental entities better understanding the root

causes of environmental and climate justice issues that impact disadvantaged communities,

so government leaders and decision-makers are better prepared to proactively address

concerns before issues materialize.

2. Project Collaboration and Participation: Applications should describe the following:

• How meaningful input and feedback was considered from the disadvantaged community

and other stakeholders in designing and developing the project and how input will continue

to be obtained and considered during grant performance.

• The facilitation and accountability measures to establish and maintain trust between the

disadvantaged community and government officials to ensure the community can

collaborate in an authentic and meaningful way, rather than an insincere manner, on

environmental and climate justice issues with governmental bodies.

• The applicant’s and any Collaborating Entities’ history of relationships and collaborations

with disadvantaged communities, governmental bodies, and other stakeholders to address

environmental and environmental / climate justice issues.

3. Project linkages: Applicants should describe how their application supports and advances EPA

Strategic Plan Goal 2 (Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights),

Objective 2.1, (Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and

Local Levels).

4. Program Budget Description: Applicants should describe:

• The reasonableness of the budget and allowability of the costs for each component / activity

of the project and their approach, procedures, and controls for ensuring that awarded grant

funds will be expended in a timely and efficient manner to comply with the statutory 3-

year project period limitation.

• The cost effectiveness of the budget / project in terms of maximizing the share of funds

used for the delivery of benefits to disadvantaged communities (both the direct costs of

funds passed through for financial assistance as well as associated indirect costs to the

greatest extent practicable).

5. Environmental Results: Applicants should describe the following:

• Their plan, with associated timeframes, for tracking and measuring their progress in

achieving the expected project outcomes and outputs for Track II applications. See Section

I.I and Appendix F for more detail on expected outputs and outcomes.

• Whether and how the projects and their outcomes are sustainable beyond the three-year

grant period, and how they will leverage resources, community support, etc. to facilitate

this. The quality and specificity of the proposed outputs and outcomes, and how they will

lead to the success of the grants, should also be addressed.

6. CBO Experience and Commitment: Applicants should describe the following for the Lead

Applicant and / or Statutory Partner for the proposed grant:

• Their history and experience as a CBO.

• The depth of their commitment, historical connections, and relationships with the

disadvantaged community the application is intended to benefit.

7. Programmatic and Managerial Capability and Resources: Provide information demonstrating

the Lead Applicant's and Statutory Partner’s ability to successfully complete, oversee, and manage

the award including:

• Their organizational experience and capacity related to performing the proposed projects

or similar activities (e.g., experience in managing projects and activities like those in the

application).

• Their resources, capacity, capabilities, staff (e.g., project manager and other key

personnel), expertise, and skills to perform and manage the award activities effectively

during the three-year award period. For Lead Applicants submitting two applications under

this NOFO, this includes how they demonstrate they have the above attributes to perform,

manage, and oversee two awards effectively within the three-year award period.

• Their milestone schedule for the proposed projects (up to three years) including the

breakout of the project activities into phases and timeframes for completion of tasks, and

the approach, procedures, and controls for ensuring that the award funds will be expended

in a timely and efficient manner while ensuring that costs are eligible, reasonable, and

allowable.

• Their legal and financial controls in place, and capacity to manage taxpayer dollars

ethically and efficiently as well as the policies and controls for project oversight and

program risk. This includes the extent and quality to which the application includes

controls to identify waste, fraud, and abuse, and reduce the potential for waste, fraud, and

abuse by including plans and policies for program oversight, including confidential

reporting (e.g., whistleblower protections).

8. Past Performance: Describe federally funded and / or non-federally funded assistance agreements

(assistance agreements include grants and cooperative agreements but not contracts) that the Lead

Applicant performed within the last three years (no more than three agreements in total) and provide

the information below for them. EPA agreements are preferred to be included.

• Describe whether, and how, the Lead Applicant was able to successfully complete and

manage the agreements.

• Describe the Lead Applicant’s history of meeting the reporting requirements under the

agreements including submitting acceptable final technical reports.

• Describe how the Lead Applicant documented and / or reported on whether progress

towards achieving the expected results (i.e., outputs and outcomes) under those agreements

was being made. If progress was not being made, please indicate whether, and how, this

was documented.