AGENCY: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) TITLE: Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grants for States and Territories ACTION: Program Guidance - Questions and Answers Updated on 1/17/23 SUMMARY: The following are formal Agency responses to questions/comments received regarding the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grants for States and Territories. This list of questions and answers will be updated as questions about the funding opportunity are received. Contents Q&As for the SWIFR Grants for States and Territories 2 General Questions 2 Workplans and Allocation Factors 3 Procurement and Subawards 5 1 ------- O&As for the SWIFR Grants for States and Territories General Questions 1. Question: Where can I find the slides, recording, and Q&As of the webinars? Answer: These can be found at the following link: https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/grants- states-and-territories. Recordings of the webinars are coming soon. 2. Question: Can two separate state agencies submit a notice of intent to participate in this funding opportunity? Answer: Each state or territory should submit only one intent to participate. If another agency in the same state or territory wishes to apply, then those two agencies should discuss which agency will participate. While agencies may work together on a project, only one Notice of Intent to Participate is required. As a reminder, the Notice of Intent to Participate was due on December 15th, 2022. 3. Question: How do I know if my state or territory submitted a Notice of Intent to Participate? Answer: The EPA received a Notice of Intent to Participate from every eligible entity. This includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Therefore, your state has already submitted a Notice of Intent to Participate and the EPA has confirmed its receipt. 4. Question: Do the states and territories need a SAM.gov or Grants.gov account to submit the draft workplan? How do I know if my state or territory has an account or a UEI? Answer: No. States and territories must email their draft workplans to SWIFR@epa. gov with their EPA regional contact cc'd. However, the final workplan must be submitted through Grants.gov, so if a state or territory does not yet have an active account, they should start that process as soon as possible because it could take up to a month to establish accounts in Sam.gov and Grants.gov. Any questions about verifying accounts on Sam.gov or Grants.gov should be directed to the appropriate website. 5. Question: If our state or territory submits a Notice of Intent to Participate, are we bound to submitting a draft workplan and requesting funding? Would a subsequent decision to not pursue a grant cause any major issues? Answer: No, your state or territory is not required participate if they change their mind, and therefore, would not be required to submit a draft workplan. While the EPA would rather work 2 ------- with the state or territory along the process, you may choose to withdraw if you ultimately decide you are no longer interested. 6. Question: What is the period of this first disbursement, and by when will the work need to be completed? Answer: The EPA anticipates disbursing grant funds in Summer of 2023. Funds awarded under this grant program can have up to a three-year project period 7. Question: Can the grant money be used to cover a salary for up to three years of the project period? Answer: Yes, as stated in the Program Guidance (Section IX. Scope of Work) the grants can be used for personnel costs for the grant period, which is up to three years. 8. Question: Once awarded, will the reimbursement period for the grant be back-dated to cover costs associated with the Notice of Intent to Participate, the draft workplan, and any additional work that facilitated the planning process for administering the grant? Answer: This will depend on the timing of when your entity incurs the pre-award costs. If costs were incurred up to 90 days prior to the reward, under 2 CFR § 1500.9, EPA may reimburse successful SWIFR applicants for eligible pre-award costs even if the applicant did not request prior approval to incur pre-award costs provided the costs are eligible and allowable. Costs incurred more than 90 days prior to award require specific approval of an EPA award official. Please note that applicants incur pre-award at their own risk and that EPA is not obligated to reimburse applicants for pre-award costs that are not included in the workplan, and budget EPA approves. 9. Question: Where can I learn more about the prohibition on the "design or to administer the collection of identical information from 10 or more parties" that is mentioned on page 11 of the Program Guidance? Answer: For additional information on activities that would be prohibited because they fall under the Paperwork Reduction Act's scope, refer to https://pra.digital.gov/do-i-need-clearance/. Workplans and Allocation Factors 10. Question: What information is required in the draft workplan? Answer: The draft workplan must include detailed descriptions and responses to the five programmatic factors outlined in Section VII of the Program Guidance. These descriptions and responses are the only information required in the draft workplan. Entities should focus their responses on current activities and operations only, not those that may be implemented using the 3 ------- SWIFR grant funds. Please use the following guidance when providing information on your entity's programmatic factors: 1. Legislation in place mandating a solid waste management plan or waste characterization report. • Does your entity have any legislation in place that mandates a solid waste management plan or waste characterization report? Please cite the legislation with a web link, if possible. • Is your state or territorial legislature currently in session with a relevant bill on the floor? What types of discussions, if any, are taking place about passing legislation? • If your entity has relevant legislation in place, what does it entail? 2. Depth and breadth of a state or territory's data collection efforts. • Does your entity currently collect recycling or other solid waste management data? If so, what data do you collect and from whom? How frequently do you collect this data, and for what purposes have you used that data? • If your entity does not currently collect recycling or other solid waste management data, have there been plans to begin collecting such data? Why or why not? • What barriers or challenges has your state or territory encountered in their data collection efforts? 3. When the state or territory' s most recent waste management plan or report was last updated. • Does your entity have a solid waste management plan or a waste characterization report available? If so, what information does it include? Please cite it with a web link, if possible. • If your entity does not currently have a waste management plan or waste characterization report, then why not? Are there any plans to begin working on these items? 4. Available (existing) resources for implementing a solid waste management plan (e.g., budget and personnel). • If possible, please focus this response on recycling, sustainable materials management, circular economy, or waste minimization activities only. If this is not possible, then please note that and provide information on your state or territory's general solid waste management program. • How many staff members do you currently have to implement a recycling or solid waste management program, if any? • What is the budget (in dollars) of your recycling or solid waste management program? You may also describe how your programs are funded and if the budget is generally consistent or if there are any fluctuations from year to year. o If your state or territory has received any grants for waste reduction, recycling, or solid waste management, please include the details of those grants under this factor. 4 ------- 5. Additional (existing) programmatic factors such as the level of environmental justice incorporated into a program, extent of focus on source reduction efforts, climate considerations, or the existence of other grant programs. • Describe the extent to which your entity's recycling or solid waste management program has incorporated environmental justice and/or climate change goals, actions, and requirements, as well as any results from those programs. Please be as specific as possible. • How has your entity approached source reduction policies or actions, if at all? • Does your entity sponsor any recycling, sustainable materials management, circular economy, or waste minimization grants? Do not include information about grants received by the state or territory here. 11. Question: Is there a page limit or minimum for the draft workplan? Answer: No, but states and territories are encouraged to provide a concise response of no more than 10 pages. Procurement and Subawards 12. Question: Can a state or a territory use the funds received to pass on to their local governments, a non-profit, or other entities? Answer: This depends on the scope of work. Subawards are eligible under certain situations where activities undertaken would fall under the scope of work. Once the state or territory receives funds, they may work with other entities as an expense as long as those activities fall within the scope of work. If an activity is not eligible under the scope of work, then a subaward would not be allowed. 5 ------- |