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Cooperative Agreements
The CARE Program offers two levels of Cooperative Agreements to local communities. They can effectively be thought of as grants, and are categorized as Level I or Level II based on whether the community toxics have been previously identified and prioritized.
On this page
On the Community Profiles page
- Community Profiles of Grant Recipients for 2007
- Community Profiles of Grant Recipients for 2006
- Community Profiles of Grant Recipients for 2005
How the CARE Program Works
CARE offers two different types of cooperative agreements: Level 1 and Level 2. These can be thought of as grants and, respectively, amount to approximately $90,000 and $275,000.
Level 1 Cooperative Agreements help communities:- Join together to form a broad-based partnership dedicated to reducing toxics in their local environment.
Partners may include non-profit groups, community organizations, businesses, schools, and state, Tribal and local
government agencies, EPA, and other federal agencies.
- Identify problems and solutions. Working together, this stakeholder group assesses toxics problems in their community and considers options for reducing risks. EPA technical assistance is available to support this process.
Level 2 Cooperative Agreements are for communities that already have established broad-based collaborative partnerships and have completed environmental assessments. (The successful completion of a Level 1 Cooperative Agreement is not required.)
Level 2 Cooperative Agreements help communities:
- Implement solutions and reduce risks. The partnership identifies the combination of programs that best meet the community's needs. EPA funding helps to implement theses projects, and the community begins improving its environment. Throughout the process the partnership continues to reassess risks and its priorities.
- Become self sustaining. The community now develops new ways to attract funding and partners into their broad-based collaborative to build on its success. New problem assessments are completed and new solutions identified. As a result, the partnership becomes self-sustaining, and continues to improve its environment where community members live work and play.
2008 CARE Cooperative Agreements Request for Proposals (RFP)
EPA has published the CARE RFP. We plan to award $3.5 million in grants in 2008. Applications were due by March 17, 2008. See the RFP.
CARE Request for Proposals Q&A Webcast
The CARE program conducted three national information sessions for cooperative agreement applicants via national Internet seminars, or Webcasts, in January and February 2008.
| January 18, 2008 | 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. eastern time |
| February 11, 2008 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. eastern time |
| February 27, 2008 | 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon eastern time |
A recorded version of the full Webcast is available on: https://www.clu-in.org/live/archive. 
EPA has a new Web-based training page designed to help non-profit recipients of EPA grants and cooperative agreements (grants or grant agreements) manage their grants in a manner that assures EPA meets the highest management and fiduciary standards and its mission of protecting human health and the environment. Learn more about the new Web-based training.