4>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Brownfields
Cleanup & Redevelopment
(5105)
EPA 560-F-04-001
February 2005
Brownfields Training, Research, and Technical Assistance Grants and
Cooperative Agreements Program
Section I: FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
Section I.I: Subject Areas for Training, Research, and Technical
Assistance Cooperative Agreements
Section 1.2: Subject Area Descriptions
Section II: AWARD INFORMATION
Section III: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
Section III. 1: Eligible Applicants
Section III.2: Cost-sharing or Matching
Section III.3: Other
Section IV: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Section IV. 1: How to Get Application Materials
Section IV.2: Content and Form of Application Submission
Section IV.3: Selection Criteria - Threshold Criteria
Section IV.4: Selection Criteria - Ranking Criteria
Section IV.5: Submission Dates and Times
Section IV.6: Other Submission Requirements
Section V: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
Section V. 1: Criteria
Section V.2: Review and Selection Process
Section V.3: Funding Restrictions
Section VI: AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
Section VI. 1: Announcement and Award Dates
Section VI.2: Award Notices
Section VI.3: Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Section VI.4: Reporting
Section VI.5: Intergovernmental Review
Section VII: AGENCY CONTACTS
Section VIII: OTHER INFORMATION
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Brownfields Training, Research, and Technical Assistance Grants and
Cooperative Agreements Program
OVERVIEW
Federal Agency Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Brownfields
Cleanup and Redevelopment (OBCR)
Federal Funding Opportunity Title: Brownfields Training, Research, and Technical
Assistance Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program
Announcement Type: This is a revised announcement of a funding opportunity. On
September 15, 2004, EPA issued a funding announcement for Brownfields Training, Research,
and Technical Assistance Grants and Cooperative Agreements. After reviewing proposals
submitted in response to that announcement, the Agency decided not to fund any proposals and
to issue a revised announcement and guideline for this funding opportunity.
Funding Opportunity Number: BFRES -04 -02
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.814, Brownfields Training,
Research, and Technical Assistance Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program, authorized
under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as
amended, (CERCLA or Superfund), 42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(6).
Dates: Proposals must be postmarked or received by the U.S. EPA by May 1, 2005.
Award announcements are expected to be made by June 2005. EPA reserves the right to reject
all applications and make no awards. No late proposals will be accepted. No fax or e-mail
submissions will be accepted. The Standard Form 424 (SF424) must be included with your
proposal and may be obtained by following the links to SF forms on the following web site:
www. gsa. gov/form s.
Executive Summary:
EPA's brownfields program is built upon four basic goals and principles - protecting the
environment, partnering for success, stimulating the marketplace, and promoting sustainable
reuse. As the federal leader of the national Brownfields Program, EPA is committed to
supporting training, research and technical assistance that will further the goals of the program
and provide enhanced knowledge, tools, and processes to the broad range of non-Federal
brownfields stakeholders (e.g., state, local and other non-governmental entities)
On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business
Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. This law expands potential federal financial
assistance for training, research, and technical assistance related to brownfields cleanup and
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redevelopment. The new law requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
publish guidance to assist applicants in preparing grant proposals. These guidelines implement
that requirement for training, research, and technical assistance grants and cooperative
agreements.
Funding for the brownfields training, research, and technical assistance grants and
cooperative agreements is authorized under §104(k)(6) of the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (CERCLA or Superfund), 42
U.S.C. 9604(k)(6). This statute authorizes EPA to provide, or fund eligible entities or nonprofit
organizations to provide brownfields training, research, and technical assistance to individuals
and organizations. EPA awards grants and cooperative agreements authorized by §104(k) under
a statutory ranking system that includes factors relating to community need, impact on human
health and the environment, stimulation or leveraging of other funds, eligibility for funding from
other sources, effective use of existing infrastructure. In addition to the statutory factors, EPA
also evaluates applicants based on their ability to manage grants and other policy based factors
intended to promote effective stewardship of Federal funds.
The Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment of the U.S. EPA's Office of
Solid Waste and Emergency Response is soliciting proposals for training, research and technical
assistance to focus brownfields programmatic (goals) attention on the environmental and human
health conditions in low income communities and socio-economically disadvantaged
communities unable to draw on alternative sources of funding for assessment or cleanup of
brownfields and their subsequent redevelopment and to provide technical assistance to
communities which will enable them to stimulate economic and other beneficial reuses.
Subsequent sections of these guidelines provide definitions of training, research, and
technical assistance, as well as a description of the subject areas for which EPA is interested in
supporting projects for the benefit of brownfields stakeholders. These subject areas reflect
EPA's understanding of the current needs of various state, local, and tribal brownfields
stakeholders as they pertain to and support the brownfields program and issues related to the
environmental and human health conditions in low income and socio-economically
disadvantaged communities. The subject areas are:
• Community Involvement in Low-income and Socio-Economically Disadvantaged
Communities
• Integrated Approaches to Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment in Low-
income and Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Communities
• How the Economics and Financing of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
Effects Communities
EPA will not consider funding applications for projects that do not fit into the subject
areas described.
The award will be in the form of a cooperative agreement, which entails substantial
involvement by the U.S. EPA to assist successful applicants in carrying out their project(s)
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effectively. Such involvement may include U.S. EPA review and approval of project scope and
phases; EPA participation in and collaboration on various phases of the work; approval of the
substantive terms of contracts; EPA review of all draft and final products; and regular e-mail,
telephone and conference calls. Although EPA will review and provide comments on all draft
and final products, the successful applicant will make the final decision on the content of these
products. Eligible applicants include governmental applicants and non-profit organizations.
Public and non-profit private universities are eligible as well. For-profit organizations are not
eligible and may not submit "joint" applications with eligible applicants. See Section 4.1,
Eligible Applicants.
Funding for financial assistance under CERCLA 104(k)(6) is limited, by statute, to no
more than 15% of the amount available for CERCLA 104(k) grants. EPA estimates that
$800,000 will be available to make assistance agreement awards under this competition and that
2-3 grants may be awarded depending on the quality of the applications. EPA intends to fund
successful applicants for periods ranging from 1-5 years, contingent upon the availability of
funds. EPA will only consider applications for $100,000 or less in the first year of funding, and
no more than $300,000 over the entire funding period. The Agency reserves the right to offer
partial funding for specific components of an application(s). EPA may also decide to make only
one award or no awards, if warranted, by changes in Agency funding obligations.
Funding available under this announcement issued under the assistance program
described in Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number 66.814. is intended to
provide training, research and technical assistance to facilitate the inventory of brownfield sites,
site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation.
EPA interprets the term "facilitate" to encompass training, research and technical assistance that
furthers overall Brownfields program development both nationally and in specific communities
rather than conducting assessment, inventory, and cleanup activities at Brownfields sites.
Funding for site assessment and cleanup activities at brownfields sites is awarded under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as
amended, (CERCLA or Superfund), 42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(2) and (3) as described in CFDA Number
66.811. EPA will not consider proposals for assessment, inventory and cleanup activities at
brownfields sites that duplicate activities that are eligible for grants awarded under CFDA
Number 66.811, even if the applicant is not itself eligible for a grant under CERCLA 42 U.S.C.
9604(k)(2) and (3). Similarly, funding for training, research, and technical assistance grants
under this announcement is not available for job training activities that could otherwise be
funded pursuant to EPA's brownfields job training grant competition announcements issued
under CFDA Number 66.815. EPA considers such proposals duplicative. In addition, EPA will
not fund development or delivery of community, college, or graduate level training courses
under this announcement.
Finally, EPA's goal is to select proposals for training, research and technical assistance
under this announcement that demonstrate broad applicability and replicability to benefit
community brownfields programs nationally.
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Guidelines will be published on the EPA brownfields website, www.epa.gov/brownfields
and at the Federal Grants Opportunities website at www. .gov .
Section I: FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
Under CERCLA 104(k)(6), EPA is authorized to provide financial assistance which
facilitates "the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites,
community involvement and site preparation" to focus brownfields programmatic (goals)
attention on the environmental and human health conditions in low income communities and
socio-economically disadvantaged communities unable to draw on alternative sources of funding
for assessment or cleanup of brownfields and their subsequent redevelopment and to provide
research, training and technical assistance to communities which will enable them to stimulate
economic and other beneficial reuses.
Funding is intended to provide training, research and technical assistance to facilitate the
inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community
involvement, or site preparation. This training, research and technical assistance competition
supports EPA's Strategic Plan, Goal 4 Healthy Communities and Ecosystems; Objective 4.2:
Communities; Sub-objective 4.2.3 Assess and Cleanup Brownfields. EPA, in negotiating an
assistance agreement work plan after an award under this competition, will ensure that the work
plan contains well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined
outcomes.
EPA's expected outcomes for grants awarded under this announcement include
increasing the capacity of governmental applicants and non profit organizations to 1) focus
attention on the environmental and human health conditions in low income communities and
socio-economically disadvantaged communities unable to draw on alternative sources of funding
for assessment or cleanup of brownfields and their subsequent redevelopment; 2) enable these
communities to stimulate economic and other beneficial reuses of brownfields sites in order to
improve the environmental conditions and human health; 3) improve community involvement
and stimulate the development of constructive partnerships; and 4) foster self sufficiency in
conducting assessment and remediation of brownfields sites.
The primary outputs that EPA is seeking for training grants awarded under this
announcement include class room style training, workshops and roundtables, training and
curricula modules, computer based training delivery systems and other training and educational
materials that provide general, specialized and practical knowledge of brownfields problems and
solutions.
The primary outputs that EPA is seeking for research grants awarded under this
announcement include reports and data analysis, fact sheets summarizing research findings, case
studies that are disseminated by electronic means as well as research symposia.
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The primary outputs that EPA is seeking for technical assistance grants awarded under
this announcement are documented methods for providing ongoing advice and support to low
income communities and socio-economically disadvantaged communities to help them develop a
specific strategy, design a process for identifying and solving complex brownfields-related
environmental and financial problems, and planning and implementing solutions for these
problems.
Under this funding announcement, EPA will only consider proposals that have an
emphasis on the following subject areas:
• Community Involvement in Low-income and Socio-Economically Disadvantaged
Communities
Integrated Approaches to Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment in Low-
income and Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Communities
• How the Economics and Financing of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
Effects Communities
These subject areas, which are described in Section I.I, below, reflect EPA's
understanding of the current needs of various state, local, and tribal brownfields stakeholders
regarding research, training and technical assistance that will facilitate the coordination of
brownfields prevention, assessment, cleanup and sustainable reuse in low-income and socio-
economically disadvantaged communities. EPA will not consider funding applications for
projects that do not fit into the subject areas described below. Projects may, but need not, have
components that fit under more than one subject area. EPA expects the applicant to submit a
realistic proposal that will provide meaningful outcomes. Note: EPA cannot legally fund
projects that provide products or services for the direct use or benefit of EPA or other federal
agencies.
Sample topic areas for projects that demonstrate broad applicability and replicability to
benefit community brownfields programs nationally are provided in Appendix B. The list of
sample topics is representative of topics for which EPA would be interested in supporting
training, research, or technical assistance. However, the list is not exhaustive; EPA will consider
projects other than those related to the sample topics provided the project relates to the three
subject areas described above. Additionally, selecting from the sample topics to develop your
project does not guarantee an award.
EPA has previously provided funding to support brownfields training, research or
technical assistance. This announcement seeks to support and further the work of the
brownfields program by focusing further brownfields training, research or technical assistance
on the environmental and human health conditions in low income and socio-economically
disadvantaged communities.
This announcement is being issued by the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and
Redevelopment in EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response which seeks to
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encourage the cleanup and sustainable redevelopment of Brownfields.
Section I.I: Subject Areas for Training, Research, and Technical Assistance Cooperative
Agreements
These subject areas reflect EPA's understanding of the current needs of various state,
local, and tribal brownfields stakeholders as they pertain to and support the brownfields program
and issues related to the environmental and human health conditions in low income and socio-
economically disadvantaged communities unable to draw on alternative sources of funding for
assessment or cleanup of brownfields and their subsequent redevelopment and to provide
technical assistance to communities which will enable them to stimulate economic and other
beneficial reuses.
Section 1.2: Subject Area Descriptions
• Community Involvement in Low-income and Socio-Economically Disadvantaged
Communities
Research, technical assistance and training in this subject area must address brownfields
issues from a community-based perspective. In particular, projects must focus on the challenges
facing low-income, socio-economically disadvantaged communities including social, economic,
and health impacts surrounding brownfields properties. Projects may also examine and develop
ways of enhancing the level of constructive community participation and coordination with local
government officials when making brownfields-related decisions. Local government
coordination on brownfields redevelopment in various scenarios and for specific reuses such as
ports and urban rivers; petroleum sites; and affordable housing may also be examined. Training
and technical assistance, as well as research projects should aim to provide communities facing
such challenges with information, tools and technology to better understand or participate in the
brownfields cleanup and redevelopment process, or to understand the impacts of living near a
potentially contaminated brownfields property. Projects in this subject area must provide broad
applicability and replicability to benefit community brownfields programs nationally.
• Integrated Approaches to Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment in Low-
income and Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Communities
Projects in this subject area must explore linkages between brownfields and other
environmental, economic, and social issues, including: port and waterfront utilization,
transportation planning, city and regional planning, sustainable development, energy issues, air
and water quality issues, and green building design approaches, particularly as these issues may
relate to low-income and socio-economically disadvantaged communities facing environmental
and brownfields challenges. Training, technical assistance, and research outputs must aim to
increase knowledge of linkages amongst various types of cleanup, redevelopment and planning
efforts, and to increase coordination amongst such efforts. Projects in this subject area must
provide broad applicability and replicability to benefit community brownfields programs
nationally.
• How the Economics and Financing of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
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Effects Communities
Projects in this subject area must examine the economic issues surrounding brownfields
redevelopment in communities facing environmental and brownfields challenges, from financing
brownfields cleanup and redevelopment to market forces that may help or hinder brownfields
cleanup and redevelopment. Training, technical assistance, and research outputs must aim to
increase state, local, and tribal stakeholders' knowledge base of environmental and economic
issues allowing for informed decision-making on cleaning up and revitalizing brownfields sites.
Projects in this subject area must provide broad applicability and replicability to benefit
community brownfields programs nationally.
Section II: AWARD INFORMATION
Funding for financial assistance under CERCLA 104(k)(6) is limited, by statute, to no
more than 15% of the amount available for CERCLA 104(k) grants. EPA estimates that
$800,000 will be available to make assistance agreement awards under this competition and that
2-3 grants may be awarded depending on the quality of the applications. Applicants may
propose single or multi-year projects with funding periods ranging from 1-5 years. EPA expects
to award funds in June 2005. Funding in subsequent years is not guaranteed and will depend on
the availability of funds and the recipient's performance. The Agency reserves the right to offer
partial funding for specific components of an application(s). EPA may also decide to make only
one award or no awards, if warranted, by changes in Agency funding obligations.
EPA will only consider applications for $100,000 or less in the first year of funding, and
no more than $300,000 over the entire funding period. The Agency will reject applications that
exceed these amounts. The Agency reserves the right to offer partial funding for components of
an applicant's project. EPA may also decide to make only one award or no awards, if warranted,
by changes in Agency funding obligations.
Applicants must provide detailed descriptions of the activities proposed for the first-year
under this competition, as well as a description of what follow-up activities would be conducted
in subsequent years, if additional funding is made available. The assistance agreement awards
will be in the form of cooperative agreements. Cooperative agreements entail substantial Federal
involvement in the project. Such involvement may include US EPA review and approval of
project scope and phases; EPA participation in and collaboration on various phases of the work;
approval of the substantive terms of contracts; EPA review of all draft and final products; and
regular e-mail, phone, and conference calls. Although EPA will review and provide comments
on all draft and final products, the successful applicant will make the final decision on the
content of these products.
Section III: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
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Section III. 1: Eligible Applicants
Eligibility is limited to governmental applicants and non-profit organizations. Public and
non-profit private universities are eligible as well. For profit organizations are not eligible, and
may not submit "joint" applications with eligible applicants.
Eligible governmental applicants include a general purpose unit of local government, a
land clearance authority or other quasi-governmental entity that operates under the supervision
and control of or as an agent of a general purpose unit of government; a governmental entity
created by a state legislature; a regional council or group of general purpose unit of local
government; a redevelopment agency that is chartered or otherwise sanctioned by a state; a state;
"an Indian Tribe (other than in Alaska), or an Alaskan Native Regional Corporation and an
Alaska Native Village Corporation as those terms are defined in the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act(43 U.S.C. 1601 and following) and the Metlakatla Indian Community. State
colleges, community colleges, and universities may be eligible as a governmental entity created
by a state, depending on state law.
Eligible nonprofit organizations include any organizations that meet the definition of a
nonprofit in Section 4(6) of the Federal Financial Management Assistance Act of 1999, Public
Law 106-107, 31 U.S.C. 6101 Note. This definition includes nonprofit universities and
educational institutions. However, 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.
Groups of two or more eligible applicants may choose to form a coalition and submit a
single application for these assistance agreements. Intertribal consortia, except consortia
comprised of ineligible Alaska tribes, are eligible to apply as well. Coalitions must identify
which eligible organization will be the recipient of the assistance agreement, and which eligible
organization(s) will be subawardees of the recipient. Subawards must be consistent with the
definition of that term in 40 CFR 30.2(ff). The recipient must administer the assistance
agreement, is accountable to EPA for proper expenditure of the funds, and will be the point of
contact for the coalition. As provided in 40 CFR 30.2(gg), subrecipients are accountable to the
recipient for proper use of EPA funding.
For profit organizations may not be part of a coalition application. Any contracts for
services or products funded with EPA financial assistance must be awarded under the
competitive procurement provisions of 40 CFR Part 30, or Part 31 as applicable. Naming a
particular individual consultant, firm or organization in an application does not exempt a
successful applicant from following competitive procurement procedures.
Section III. 2: Cost-sharing or Matching
There are no match or cost-sharing requirements. However, the extent to which an award
will leverage other funds for environmental assessment or remediation, and subsequent reuse, of
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an area in which one or more brownfields sites are located is a statutory ranking factor. See,
Section IV. 4 - Ranking Criteria 6: Leveraging of Resources (15 Points).
Section III. 3: Other
Applicants may submit only one proposal. EPA will reject all applications from
applicants who submit more than one.
Section IV: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Section IV. 1: How to Get Application Materials
There are format and content requirements which are described under Section IV.2,
Content and Form of Application Submission.
Guidelines will be published on the EPA brownfields website, www.epa.gov/brownfields
and at the Federal Grants Opportunities website at _www.fedgrante.j_o_y . The Standard Form
424 (SF424) must be included with your proposal and may be obtained by following the links to
SF forms on the following web site: www.gsa.gov/forms.
Section IV. 2: Content and Form of Application Submission
Applicants must submit one original proposal and 3 copies of their proposal.
To be considered complete and eligible for review, all proposals must include a cover
letter, summary information page, budget and budget narrative, project description, responses to
Threshold Criteria; responses to Ranking Criteria, the Standard Form 424, and attachments as
specifically required by these guidelines. EPA will not consider incomplete applications. The
application must not exceed 15 single-sided pages in length, not including the Cover Page and
Budget/Budget Narrative information requested below. Pages in excess of this limit will be
removed and not evaluated. Applicants who exceed the 15 page limit bear the risk that their
proposal will be rejected on threshold grounds or ranked low if important information is included
on the pages which reviewers do not consider.
All applications must be submitted on letter sized paper ("8 Va" by 11") in accordance
with the requirements and criterion in these guidelines. Proposals may not use point type smaller
than 11 point type, single sided paper and must have page margins all-around of at least one
inch. Do not submit your proposal in binders or folders. No fax or e-mail submission will be
accepted. Applicants who do not meet this formatting standard will lose 5 points under Section
IV. 4: - Ranking Criteria 5: Institutional Capacity.
Applicants must meet all threshold criteria as well as the maximum funding amounts, due
dates, and other administrative requirements described. Threshold criteria will be evaluated on a
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pass/fail basis. Failure to meet all of these criterion will render an application ineligible;
ineligible applications will not be reviewed. If an application fails to meet threshold criteria,
EPA Headquarters may seek clarification from an applicant regarding its response to the
threshold criteria, if appropriate. (Note: EPA will not seek clarification on responses to any
ranking criteria).
The following format is required for all proposals:
• COVER LETTER (does not count against page limit)
A cover letter must accompany your proposal must be signed by an official with the
authority to commit your organization to the project and must be written on your organization's
official letterhead.
• SUMMARY INFORMATION PAGES
The summary information page must accompany your proposal and must include all of
the following information:
The title and number of this request (Brownfields Training, Research, and
Technical Assistance Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program
BFRES-04 -02).
Project title and location.
• Applicant name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address
• Name and title of proj ect contact (including how to reach if different from
above).
• Type of applicant organization (e.g., nonprofit, local government, state
government, etc.).
Type of project. Applicants must specify whether they are applying for
training, research or technical assistance funding under this
announcement.1 See Appendix C.
• The subject area for which funding is requested. (Community
Involvement in Low-income and Socio-Economically Disadvantaged
Communities; Integrated Approaches to Brownfields Cleanup and
Redevelopment in Low-income and Socio-Economically Disadvantaged
Communities; and/or How the Economics and Financing of Brownfields
Cleanup and Redevelopment Effects Communities). See Appendix C.
• Number of years for which funding is requested
Funding requested for each year of proj ect.
1 In addition to complying with 40 CFR Part 30 or Part 31 as applicable, successful
research grant applicants must comply with 40 CFR Part 40 and successful training applicants
must comply with 40 CFR Part 45.
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Again, EPA will not consider incomplete applications.
• BUDGET AND BUDGET NARRATIVE (does not count against page limit)
BUDGET. Provide a comprehensive proposed budget for your training,
research and/or technical assistance project. This budget narrative must
include cost estimates for each of the proposed project activities to be
conducted using EPA funds. EPA does not require that applicants include
a matching or cost share. Applicants may use the budget categories
presented in the chart below to organize their budget. Please note that use
of EPA financial assistance compensation for consultants is limited under
EPA's appropriations act to the daily equivalent of the rate paid to Federal
employees at the ES-IV level. See 40 CFR 30.27(b).
• Note: As financial assistance will be awarded incrementally, it is
important that you provide yearly budgets and a total budget for your
project in your proposal. Approval of subsequent funding increments is
dependent on satisfactory project progress, continued relevance of the
project to EPA 's priorities, and availability of funds. Also note the funding
limitations ($100,000 for the first year and $300,000 for the entire
project) described in Section II: A WARD INFORMA TION. EPA will
reject applications which exceed these funding limitations.
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Tasks
Budget
Categories
Personnel
Travel
Equipment
Supplies
Contractual
Subawards*
Other
Subawards/subgrants must be consistent with the definitions of these terms in 40 CFR
30.2 (ff) and 40 CFR 31.3 "Subgrant," as applicable.
• BUDGET NARRATIVE. Provide a budget narrative to accompany the
budget and explain each activity, including how it is relevant to the EPA
funding authority and to the objective of providing training or technical
assistance or conducting research. Describe how each activity and cost is
relevant to the EPA funding authority.
For further restrictions on costs see Appendix A for a description of prohibited
administrative costs and eligible programmatic costs and Section V.2 "Review
and Selection Process' below for additional considerations.
• PROJECT DESCRIPTION
• ABSTRACT. You must provide a 5-10 line abstract of the proposal.
• EXPERIENCE. Provide information describing your experience in
providing training, or technical assistance or conducting research related
to complex environmental and brownfields and/or technical subject
matter.
STAKEHOLDERS RELATIONSHIPS. Provide information describing
your relationships with stakeholders in the brownfields community and
your knowledge of brownfields issues particularly as they relate to those
communities.
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• RESPONSE TO THRESHOLD CRITERIA
Provide your response to Threshold Criteria.. If an application fails to meet
threshold criteria, EPA Headquarters may seek clarification from an applicant
regarding its response to the threshold criteria, if appropriate.
• RESPONSE TO RANKING CRITERIA
Provide your response to the Ranking Criteria. Your response must address each
criterion or provide an explanation for why a particular criterion is not applicable.
(Note: EPA will not seek clarification on an applicant's response to any ranking
criteria).
• ATTACHMENTS
Do not include attachments unless specifically required to do so in the criteria.
Section IV. 3: Selection Criteria - Threshold Criteria
To be eligible for this Brownfields training, research and technical assistance
announcement, applicants must meet all of the following threshold criteria as well as the
maximum funding amounts, due dates, and other administrative requirements described above.
Threshold criteria will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis. Failure to meet all of these criterion
will render an application ineligible; ineligible applications will not be reviewed. If an
application fails to meet threshold criteria, EPA Headquarters may seek clarification from an
applicant regarding its response to the threshold criteria, if appropriate. (Note: EPA will not seek
clarification on an applicant's Cover Letter or their response to any ranking criteria).
• Threshold Criterion 1: Applicant Eligibility
Describe how you are an eligible applicant for a training, research, or technical assistance
grant. See description of eligible applicant Section III.l: - Eligible Applicants.
EPA welcomes and encourages applications from coalitions of eligible applicants, but a
single eligible applicant must be identified as the legal recipient. See Section III. 1 for additional
information on coalition applications.
• Threshold Criterion 2: Knowledge of Brownfields Issues
The applicant must provide demonstrated understanding and experience with the
Brownfields program, including the impacts of the recent brownfields legislation. Provide
evidence of your understanding of the brownfields program and examples of your involvement
in brownfields-related activities, including your roles and responsibilities in such activities.
• Threshold Criterion 3: Subject Matter
Applicants must briefly explain how their proposed project(s) fall within one or more of
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the eligible subject matters described in Section 1.1: Subject Areas for Training, Research, and
Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreements. Applicants may also cross refer to other section
of their application to meet this criterion.
• Threshold Criterion 4. Project Type
Applicants must explain why their project falls under the scope of this announcement.
As noted above, applicants may not propose projects that duplicate grants awarded under other
EPA Brownfields grant programs described in CFDA Nos. 66.811 and 66.815. EPA considers
such proposals duplicative. In addition, EPA will not fund development or delivery of
community, college, or graduate level training courses under this announcement.
Section IV. 4: Selection Criteria - Ranking Criteria
Respond to each of the following 9 ranking criteria. If a particular criterion is not
applicable to your project, please provide an explanation.
• Ranking Criteria 1: Past Performance (10 points)
a. Describe your history of managing federal funds generally. You must include
information on all adverse audit findings made within the last five years and special or "high
risk" terms and conditions imposed as a result of grant compliance issues within the last five
years.
b. Describe your history of providing required reports and other project deliverables in a
timely manner.
c. Identify and describe successful environmental outcomes from your Federally funded
activities, including projects that are similar to the one(s) covered by your application.
Note: If you have not previously received Federal funds, you may provide a history of your past
performance with private funding, or funding awarded by state, tribal or local governments.
Applicants who have not performed projects with outside financing may provide information
regarding academic or community projects.
• Ranking Criteria 2: Constituent/Community Need (20 points)
a. Provide a detailed description of the target state, local, or tribal constituency or
community that this brownfields training, research and technical assistance project will benefit.
Describe your proposal's broad applicability and replicability to benefit community brownfields
programs nationally.
b. Describe the extent to which a grant would meet the needs of a community(ies) or
constituency(ies) that has an inability to draw on other sources of funding for environmental
remediation and subsequent redevelopment of the area in which a brownfield site is located
because of the small population or low income of the community(ies) or constituency(ies).
c. You must relate the response to this criterion to your response to Ranking criterion 9.
• Ranking Criteria 3: Impact on human health and the environment (15 points)
a. Describe the extent to which a grant would address or facilitate the identification and
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reduction of threats to human health and the environment, including environmental and human
health conditions in low income communities and socio-economically disadvantaged
communities.
b. Describe, if applicable, the extent to which a grant would facilitate the creation of,
preservation of, or addition to a park, a greenway, undeveloped property, recreational property or
other property used for nonprofit purposes.
• Ranking Criteria 4: Stakeholder Involvement (10 points)
Describe your outreach under this grant to communities including any special
communication needs of low-income communities and socio-economically disadvantaged
communities and how this grant plans to meet those needs including the extent to which a grant
would foster involvement of local communities in the process of making decisions relating to
cleanup and future use of brownfield properties. Describe your proposal's broad applicability
and replicability to benefit community brownfields programs nationally.
• Ranking Criteria 5: Institutional Capacity (10 points)
a. Describe your organization's ability to conduct sound research, and/or effective
training, and/or effective technical assistance related to brownfields. This can be demonstrated
through a description of personnel and other resources of the organization.
b. Describe your ability to manage this grant, including your financial management and
procurement system, or describe the system(s) you have in place to hire the requisite expertise.
• Ranking Criteria 6: Lever aging of Resources (15 points)
a. Describe the extent to which your project will stimulate the availability of other funds
for environmental assessment or remediation, and subsequent reuse of brownfields.
b. Describe your plan for obtaining additional financial and in kind support for your
project. Applicants are encouraged to provide information regarding resources (cash/in-kind
services) that they, or a project partner would commit to brownfields research, training, and/or
technical assistance. As noted above, a formal match is not required. EPA will consider
leveraged commitments as part of this ranking factor. Leveraged resources are not limited to
eligible and allowable costs under this announcement.
Note: Under OMB Circulars, EPA financial assistance cannot be used for fund-raising.
Therefore, any costs associated with fund-raising must not be included in the budget for your
proposal or charged to your EPA cooperative agreement if your proposal is successful. In
addition, you must make clear, in any solicitation for funds that your organization, and not EPA
is asking for funding. You cannot imply that EPA endorses any fund-raising activities in
connection with your project. You must also make clear to donors that any gift to the recipient
for use in connection with brownfields training, research, and/or technical assistance will go
solely toward defraying your expenses, not EPA.
• Ranking Criteria 7: Objectives and Plans (20 points)
a. Describe the objectives of your proposed project with a time line showing start and
completion dates for significant tasks.
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b. For training projects, provide your plans for class room style training, workshops and
roundtables, training and curricula modules, computer based training delivery systems and other
training and educational materials that provide general, specialized and practical knowledge of
brownfields problems and solutions as an attachment.
c. For research projects, provide your plans for reports and data analysis, fact sheets
summarizing research findings, case studies that are disseminated by electronic means as well as
research symposia as an attachment.
d. For technical assistance projects, provide your plans for providing ongoing advice and
support to low income communities and socio-economically disadvantaged communities to help
them develop a specific strategy, design a process for identifying and solving complex
brownfields-related environmental and financial problems, and planning and implementing
solutions for these problems and include as anattachment.
• Ranking Criteria 8: Quality Assurance/Quality Control (10 points)
a. Describe monitoring and quality assurance and project management activities. For
example, describe management tools, management plans, scheduling tools, organizational charts,
and any other methods and tools you will use to ensure timely, efficient, and coordinated
completion of tasks. Describe your quality assurance/quality control procedures and how they
will ensure development of high quality final products.
b. Describe an ongoing evaluation process that will assess the management of the grant
and achievement of goals. Describe how an ongoing evaluation process will be accomplished.
c. Describe your plans for measuring success in achieving your training, research, and
technical assistance outputs and outcomes under this grant.
d. Describe any reports or other deliverables you plan to provide to EPA as
documentation of your project's progress and success.
• Ranking Criteria 9: NationalReplicability (15 points)
Applicants must demonstrate how this project will support a long-term approach or
benefit community brownfields programs nationally through replication of the projects that the
applicant intends to carry out. Applicants must propose a plan for disseminating information
regarding their projects.
Section IV. 5: Submission Dates and Times
Applicants will be given approximately 45 days from the date of publication of these
competition guidelines for the submission of proposals. Guidelines will be published on the
EPA brownfields website, wywj^piyiQy/bj^ and proposals must be postmarked by the
U.S. Postal Service or received by EPA at the address indicated by May 1, 2005. No late
proposals will be accepted. No fax or e-mail submissions will be accepted.
Section IV. 6: Other Submission Requirements
The delivery address for submitting your proposal will vary depending on whether you
are mailing your proposal or arranging for hand delivery. If you are sending your proposal via
hand delivery (e.g., commercial delivery service, courier or some other means) send it to:
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Desi Crouther
U.S. EPA
Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
1301 Constitution Avenue N.W.
Room 2402
Washington, D.C. 20004
If you are mailing your proposal, send it to:
Desi Crouther
U.S. EPA Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Mail code 5105 T
Washington, D.C. 20460
Please note that there may be substantial delays in conventional mail service to U.S.
EPA due to heightened security screening
Section V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
Section V.I: Criteria
See Section IV: Application and Submission Information. (IV. 3 andIV. 4)
Section V.2: Review and Selection Process
Applications will be evaluated for compliance with threshold requirements and scored
under the evaluation criteria by an EPA panel based on information the applicant provides in the
application and required attachments. EPA evaluation panel members may verify the accuracy
of any information an applicant provides in its application. The EPA evaluation panel will score
each eligible application, rank the applications, and forward the recommended rankings to Senior
Agency management for final ranking decisions. In making final decisions, Senior Agency
management may also consider such factors as geographic diversity, project diversity, avoiding
duplication of effort, and applicant diversity (i.e., type(s) of organizations) in deciding which
applicant's to approve for funding. As noted, the Agency reserves the right to offer partial
funding for specific components of an applicant's project or make no awards.
The award will be in the form of a cooperative agreement, which entails substantial
involvement by the U.S. EPA to assist successful applicants in carrying out their project(s)
effectively. Such involvement may include U.S. EPA review and approval of project scope and
phases; EPA participation in and collaboration on various phases of the work; approval of the
substantive terms of contracts; EPA review of all draft and final products; and regular e-mail,
telephone and conference calls. Although EPA will review and provide comments on all draft
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and final products, the successful applicant will make the final decision on the content of these
products.
Section V.3: Funding Restrictions
Funding is only available for the activities authorized under CERCLA 104(k)(6) and the
terms of this funding announcement. All costs incurred under this program must be allowable
under the applicable OMB Cost Circulars (A-21 for universities, A-87 for governments, and A-
122 for nonprofit organizations) and eligible for funding under EPA's appropriations authority.
Ineligible and unallowable costs include lobbying, entertainment, and litigation against the
Federal government.
In accordance with CERCLA 104(k)(4)(B)(i)(III), EPA cannot fund a successful
applicant's administrative costs. Prohibited administrative costs include proposal preparation
costs and a successful applicant's indirect costs. See Appendix A for a detailed description of
prohibited administrative costs and eligible programmatic costs.
Pre-award costs are governed by 40 CFR 30.25(f) and 40 CFR 31.23, as applicable. EPA
will not fund construction activity under this announcement. Equipment costs are allowable only
with the prior written consent of EPA.
Applicants must comply with the procurement requirements of the EPA financial
assistance regulations, 40 CFR Part 30 for nonprofit organizations, and 40 CFR Part 31 for
states, tribes, and local governments. Subawards/subgrants must be consistent with the
definitions of these terms in 40 CFR 30.2 (ff) and 40 CFR 31.3 "Subgrant," as applicable.
Section VI: AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
Section VI. 1: Announcement and Award Dates
EPA anticipates notifying applicants who fail one or more of the threshold criteria or who
are otherwise ineligible (e.g. excessive funding requests) within 15 working days of the
Agency's decision. The Agency anticipates announcing selections under this competition by
June 2005. EPA expects to provide written notification in June 2005 to applicants whose
applications are eligible but are not selected for funding by Senior Agency management.
Section VI. 2: Award Notices
Awards are not final until the successful applicants receive an official notice of award
from EPA's Grants Administration Division (GAD). EPA will announce award recipients on the
U.S. EPA Brownfields web site (www.epa.gov/brownfields). This information will be posted
within 30 days after GAD issues a written offer of award to the recipient.
Pre-award costs are governed by 40 CFR 30.25(f) and 40 CFR 32.23, as appropriate.
Until the award is final, successful applicants incur pre-award costs at their own risk.
Section VI. 3: Administrative and National Policy Requirements
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This announcement provides all of the instructions needed for preparing an application
for funding under this announcement. Successful applicants will submit required forms and
certifications after being notified of selection by EPA. Applicants may download applicable
forms from the Internet at
Applicants must comply with the standard requirements, terms and conditions of EPA
assistance agreements. Funded activities must be allowable under EPA statutory authority. All
recipients must have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number
on their formal SF424 applications. A DUNS number can be obtained by calling
1-866-705-571 1. A DUNS number is not required for initial proposals.
Section VI. 4: Reporting
Recipients will be required to submit quarterly progress reports and will have to
participate in annual reviews of their projects with their U.S. EPA project officer. A project
officer will be designated at the time of the award of this cooperative agreement; that project
officer will work in partnership with the recipient.
Section VI. 5: Intergovernmental Review
All applicants must be aware that, if their application is successful, formal requests for
assistance and associated documentation may be subject to intergovernmental review under
Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." Applicants should
contact their state's Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for further information. There is a list of
these contacts at the following web site: http://whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
Section VII: AGENCY CONTACTS
If you have questions about this solicitation, please contact:
Barbara Bassuener
U.S. EPA Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Mail code 5105 T
Washington, D.C. 20004
phone: 202-566-2768
Potential applicants may submit written requests for clarifications to Ms. Bassuener via
e-mail (bassu^ngr.barbara@epa.gov )or letter. She will post significant clarifications on the
brownfields website htjj)://w!vwji^^ . This is the only pre-application
assistance available. EPA staff will not meet with applicants to discuss draft proposals or provide
informal comments on draft proposals. Please note that taking advantage of pre-application
assistance from EPA staff does not guarantee selection by the evaluation panel.
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Section VIII: OTHER INFORMATION
Both initial proposals and formal request for funding are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act. This means that anyone can request, and receive, copies of information
contained in proposals that is not exempt from disclosure under FOIA. Applicants must clearly
mark information they consider confidential. U.S. EPA will make final confidentiality decisions
in accordance with agency regulations (40CFR part 2, subpart B).
Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with
the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26,
2005) which can be found at
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-
1371 .htm. Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting Barbara Bassuener at
bassuener.barbara@epa.gov. U.S. EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no
awards.
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Appendix A. Prohibited Uses of Funds
The following discussion of the administrative cost prohibition is provided to you for illustrative
purposes only. If you receive a grant as a result of this competition, your agreement will include
a more detailed term and condition specifying requirements for complying with the
administrative cost prohibition.
The Brownfields law prohibits the use of any "part of a grant or loan" awarded under Section
104(k) of CERCLA for the payment of:
a penalty or fine
a federal cost-share requirement (for example, a cost share required by other federal
funds)
an administrative cost, including indirect costs
In implementing the administrative cost prohibition, EPA has made a distinction between
prohibited administrative costs and eligible programmatic costs
Administrative Costs
Prohibited administrative costs are direct costs including those in the form of salaries, benefits,
contractual costs, supplies, and data processing charges incurred to comply with most provisions
of the "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants" contained in 40 CFR Part 30 or 40
CFR Part 31. Direct costs for grant administration are ineligible even if the grantee or sub-
grantee is required to carry out the activity under the grant agreement. Ineligible grant
administration costs include expenses for:
Preparation of applications for Brownfields grants and sub-grants,
Record retention required under 40 CFR 30.53 and 40 CFR 31.42,
Record-keeping associated with supplies and equipment purchases required under 40
CFR 30.33, 30.34, and 30.35 and 40 CFR 31.32 and 31.33,
• Preparing revisions and changes in the budgets, scopes of work, program plans and other
activities required under 40 CFR 30.25 and 40 CFR 31.30,
• Maintaining and operating financial management systems required under 40 CFR 30.20
and 40 CFR 31.20,
Preparing payment requests and handling payments under 40 CFR 30.22 and 40 CFR
31.21,
Nonfederal audits required under 40 CFR 30.26, 40 CFR 31.26, and OMB Circular A-
133, and,
Close out under 40 CFR 30.71 and 40 CFR 31.50.
Prohibited administrative costs are also all indirect costs under OMB Circulars A-21
(Educational Institutions), A-87 (Governments), and A-122 (Non-profit Organizations), and
Subpart 31.2 (Commercial Organizations) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Indirect costs
are not eligible even if your organization has a negotiated indirect cost agreement with a
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cognizant Federal agency.
For governmental recipients, indirect costs include the indirect costs originating in departments
of the governmental unit carrying out the assistance agreement and the costs of central
governmental services distributed through the central service cost allocation plan. Indirect costs
are normally charged to Federal awards by the use of an indirect cost rate. Because of the diverse
characteristics and accounting practices of governmental units, the types of costs which may be
classified as indirect costs cannot be specified in all situations. However typical examples may
include certain State/local-wide central service costs, general administration of the grantee
department, accounting and personnel services performed within the grantee department,
depreciation or use allowances on buildings and equipment, the costs of operating and
maintaining facilities, etc.
For non-profit organizations, indirect costs are those that have been incurred for common or joint
objectives and cannot be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. After direct
costs have been determined and assigned directly to awards or other work as appropriate,
indirect costs are those remaining to be allocated to benefitting cost objectives. Typical examples
of indirect costs for many non-profit organizations may include depreciation or use allowances
on buildings and equipment, the costs of operating and maintaining facilities, and general
administrative costs, such as the salaries and expenses of executive officers, personnel
administration, and accounting.
Programmatic Costs
EPA has determined that the administrative cost prohibition does not apply to "programmatic"
costs, i.e., direct costs for activities that are integral to achieving the purpose of the assistance
agreement, even if the Agency considered the costs to be "administrative" under the prior
Brownfields program. In the case of assistance agreements for implementation of Brownfields
programs under CERCLA 104(k)(6), programmatic costs would include expenses for providing
training, research, and technical assistance. Eligible programmatic costs can include expenses
for travel, training, equipment, supplies, reference materials and contractual support if those
costs are reasonable and allocable to tasks specified in a recipient's approved scope of work.
Direct costs, as defined in the applicable OMB Cost Principle Circular, for the following
programmatic activities are not subject to the administrative cost prohibition:
• Costs incurred for complying with procurement provisions of 40 CFR Part 30 and 31 are
considered eligible programmatic costs only if the procurement contract is for services or
products that are direct costs for research, training, and/or technical assistance.
Costs for performance and financial reporting required under 40 CFR 30.51 and 30.52,
and 40 CFR 31.40 and 31.41 are eligible programmatic costs. Performance and financial
reporting are essential programmatic tools for both the recipient and EPA to ensure that
assistance agreements are carried out in accordance with statutory and regulatory
requirements.
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Appendix B. Sample Topics for Brownfields Training, Research and
Technical Assistance Projects
This appendix provides a listing of sample topics for training, research, and technical assistance
projects to focus attention on the environmental health and conditions in low-income or
socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.
The list below is not exhaustive; it is meant to be representative of the general types of
projects EPA is interested in supporting. EPA will consider projects focused on other topics.
• Technical assistance to enhance community involvement and ability to reach alternative
sources of funding.
Research related to community involvement in ports and urban rivers; railyards;
petroleum sites; and affordable housing and brownfields
Technical assistance to state, local, and tribal governments on how to link land reuse
strategies to state cleanup standards
• Sustainable future uses of Brownfields
• Financing tools for brownfields cleanup and redevelopment
• Impact of brownfields assessment and cleanup on real estate transactions
Impact of environmental workforce development on state, local, and tribal economies
• State relations/local government relations including peer exchange.
• Technical assistance in leveraging funding for brownfields cleanup and redevelopment
• Research related to assisting communities with an inability to draw on other sources of
funding because of a small population or low income of the community.
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Appendix C.
Requested Assistance Type(s) and Funding Form
Requested Grant/Cooperative Agreement Type and Funding (print/copy and complete
and submit with proposal)
Name of Applicant:
Please respond as appropriate.
Type of project, (check only one)
Applicants must specify whether they are applying for training, research or technical
assistance funding under this announcement.
Q Training
Q Research
Q Technical Assistance
Subject Area (check all that apply)
Q Community Involvement
Q Integrated Approaches to Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
Q Economics and Financing of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
What is the total amount of funds requested? $
What is the approximate period of performance for your project?
lyear Q 2 yearO 3 yearO 4 year Q 5 yearO
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