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FY 2007 Request for Proposals - Source Reduction Assistance Grants Program for Eight of the Environmental Protection Agency's Regional Pollution Prevention Program Offices

OVERVIEW

Sponsoring Agency and Office: Eight of the Environmental Protection Agency's Regional Pollution Prevention (P2) Program Offices

Funding Opportunity Title: Source Reduction Assistance Grants Program

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement for Fiscal Year 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.717

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OPPT-07-02

Proposal Submission Deadlines: Proposals must be received or postmarked by June 18, 2007. Proposals received after the postmark date will not be considered. Please refer to Section IV, Part D for more information.

The Source Reduction Assistance Grants Program issues grants and cooperative agreements to support pollution prevention/source reduction and/or resource conservation projects that help to eliminate pollution at the source. The grant program does not support projects that rely on reducing pollution by using recycling and/or disposal methods. This Request for Proposals announces that eight of the EPA's Regional P2 Program offices expect to have up to $163,000, per region, to issue grants in FY 2007. Awards will be issued by the Regional P2 Program offices participating in this announcement.

Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants include the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, local governments, city or township governments, independent school districts, incorporated non-profit organizations (other than institutions of higher education), public or private institutions of higher education, community-based grassroots organizations, and Indian Tribes and intertribal consortia.

This Request for Proposals includes the following information:

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration
Section VII. Agency Contacts

FULL TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT

I. Funding Opportunity Description. Eight of EPA's Regional Pollution Prevention (P2) Program offices anticipate having up to $163,000 available, per region, in fiscal year 2007, to fund projects supporting source reduction/pollution prevention and/or resource conservation activities in fiscal years 2007 – 2008. For a list of projects that will be considered by each region participating in this announcement, please refer to Section I, Part E. Please Note: Two of the ten EPA Regions (Regions 4 and 8) have developed grant announcements independent of this one. As such, these two regions will not award grants or cooperative agreements under this announcement. For information on the assistance agreement solicitations developed by EPA Regions 4 and 8 please visit their respective websites:
http://wrrc.p2pays.org/P2GrantInfo.asp and
http://www.epa.gov/region8/community_resources/grants/grants.html.

A. Introduction. The Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) Grants Program provides grants and cooperative agreements to fund pollution prevention (source reduction and resource conservation) activities. For purposes of this grant announcement, pollution prevention means source reduction and is defined as any practice which reduces or eliminates the creation of pollutants through: increased efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy, water, or other resources, or protection of natural resources by conservation. EPA is interested in funding projects which assist in reducing hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants entering waste streams or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal.

For purposes of this grant announcement, pollution prevention/source reduction is defined as any practice which:

Examples of pollution prevention/source reduction projects or activities include: equipment or technology modifications, process or procedure modifications, reformulation or redesign of products, substitution of raw materials, and improvements in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control.

Pollution prevention/source reduction does not include any practice which alters the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of the volume of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant through a process or activity which itself is not integral to and necessary for the production of a product or the providing of a service. (See PPA § 6603 and 40 CFR §§ 35.343 and 35.662). Prevention includes what is commonly called "in-process recycling", but not "out-of-process recycling". Although recycling in an environmentally sound manner shares many of the advantages of prevention, e.g. energy and resource conservation, reducing the need for end-of-pipe treatment, these activities are not traditionally considered pollution prevention/source reduction.

The term "resource conservation," for purposes of this grant notice, is defined as preventing pollution by reducing the use of toxic chemicals, and/or conserving energy, water and materials.

B. Alignment with EPA's Environmental Results Policy. Applicants are required to describe outcome and output environmental measurement efforts in their proposals. The term "outcome," as defined by the Agency, refers to the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related or programmatic in nature and must be able to be quantified. The term "output," as defined by the Agency, refers to an environmental activity or effort and associated work product related to an environmental goal or objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative, but must be measurable during the assistance agreement funding period.

Examples of outcome measures expected to be achieved under the grants awarded through this announcement include, but are not limited to:

Examples of output measures expected to be achieved under the grants awarded through this announcement include, but are not limited to:

Applicants will need to budget adequate resources to pay for measurement and reporting activities. In some cases this may require 10-20% of the proposed budget. Grant proposals must include project milestones specifying the outcomes and outputs that will result, and a clear description of the method(s) the grantee will use to track and measure progress in achieving the expected outcomes and outputs associated with each project milestone.

In addition to the other evaluation factors listed in Section V, grant proposals must be based on projected project estimates; and the applicant's ability to provide a clear method to track and measure their project's progress towards achieving expected outcomes and outputs as described above (also see Section V, Part A 2).

C. Agency Strategic Plan. Proposals must commit to and work towards the following four long-term goals of EPA's Pollution Prevention Program. The program based the numeric targets for these goals on the anticipated cumulative results from all program areas by 2011. Baseline amounts count reductions achieved by the program by the baseline year. For hazardous materials, the program had counted reductions of 44 million pounds by 2000. It aims to reduce 4.46 billion more pounds cumulatively by 2011, totaling 4.5 billion pounds cumulatively reduced by 2011. For BTUs, the program had counted reductions of zero by 2002, and aims to reduce 31.5 trillion cumulatively by 2011.

The Pollution Prevention program's goals in the Agency's 2006-2011 Strategic Plan are located in Goal 5: Objective 5.2: Improve Environmental Performance Through Pollution Prevention and the Adoption of Other Stewardship Practices that Lead to Sustainable Outcomes, Sub-Objective 5.2.1 Prevent Pollution and Promote Environmental Stewardship by Business, Government and the Public:

For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/ocfopage/plan/2006/goal_5.pdf and scroll down to page 129 to Objective 5.2.

D. Statutory Authority. SRA grants and cooperative agreements will be awarded using the following statutory authorities: Clean Air Act, Section 103(b) and (g), as amended; Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3), as amended; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, as amended; Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442 (a)(1) and (c), as amended; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(a), as amended; and Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, as amended.

Please Note: Projects must consist of activities within the statutory terms of these EPA grant authorities. The statutes authorize grants for the following activities: "research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstration of new or innovative techniques, surveys and studies." These activities relate generally to the gathering or transferring of information or advancing awareness. Applicants should emphasize in their grant proposal's this "learning" concept, as opposed to "fixing" an environmental problem using a well-established method. For example, a proposal to install a more energy efficient heating system in the applicant's facility in order to conserve energy, would not, in itself fall within research, studies, demonstrations, etc. All activities in the proposal must be eligible under one or more of the statutory authorities.

E. Region-Specific Activities. The applicant must explain how their proposal will address one or more of the region-specific activities listed below for the region they are applying to. Activities must either be research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations of new or innovative techniques, surveys and/or studies. When submitting proposals, applicants must apply to the EPA region where they plan to conduct the project (see Section IV, Part A on how to submit a proposal). For a list of the States and/or territories represented by the participating EPA regions, please refer to Section VII. Any proposed projects performed in Regions 4 or 8 will be rejected.

Region 1

Region 2

Region 3

Region 5

Region 6

Region 7

Region 9

Region 10

II. Award Information. EPA will issue SRA awards in the form of grants and cooperative agreements. If a cooperative agreement is awarded, the degree of involvement by the Agency will be determined by the regional P2 program office. However, EPA will not be substantially involved in the performance of grants. EPA anticipates having up to $163,000 available, per region (for Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10), in fiscal year 2007 to fund source reduction/pollution prevention and/or resource conservation projects during fiscal years 2007- 2008. EPA estimates it will receive approximately 250 grant proposals and issue approximately 40 awards. All awards will be made through a competitive process.

EPA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete activities, portions, or phases of the proposed project. If EPA decides to partially fund the proposal, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposal, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and that maintains the integrity of the competition and the evaluation/selection process.

In order to be considered for partial funding, proposals must have clearly delineated activities or phases with separate budget estimates for each activity/phase of the project. All awards will be consistent with the applicable EPA regulations and policies.

EPA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and issue no awards under this announcement, or issue fewer awards than anticipated.

The completed proposal package must include a detailed budget estimating the costs for labor (by labor category), fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractors, and for other direct costs and indirect costs. Your budget must itemize these costs under each task identified in the work plan as well as for the entire proposed project. If your proposal does not contain a budget, it will be rejected.

III. Eligibility Information. Assistance agreements under this program are restricted to certain applicants.

A. Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants include the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, local governments, city or township governments, independent school districts, incorporated non-profit organizations (other than institutions of higher education), public or private institutions of higher education, community-based grassroots organizations, Indian Tribes and intertribal consortia.

Please Note: Non-profit organizations must be able to demonstrate their non-profit status with appropriate documentation at the time of award. However, non-profit 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 ineligible to apply. Individuals and for-profit businesses are also ineligible to apply and will not be considered for funding.

B. Cost Sharing and Matching Requirements. EPA requires the applicant to provide a minimum 5% match, as part of the total allowable project cost. For example, the Federal government will provide 95% of the total allowable cost of the project and the recipient will provide the remaining 5%. The match may be issued in the form of cash and/or in-kind contributions, e.g., donated services, charges for real property and equipment or the value of goods and services directly benefiting the EPA funded project. Applicants who do not provide the minimum 5% match will not be considered for funding.

C. Threshold Requirements for Proposals. Proposals from eligible applicants (refer to Section III, Part A) will be required to meet the following threshold criteria in order to be evaluated for funding.

  1. Program Requirements.

    • Proposals must meet EPA's definition of pollution prevention/source reduction and resource conservation as provided in Section I, Part A and must comply with one or more of the statutory authorities identified in Section I, Part D. EPA will only fund projects involving research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations of new or innovative techniques, surveys and studies. These activities must relate to one or more of the applicable regional program activities listed in Section I, Part E that apply to the region in which the applicant is proposing to perform the project in. EPA will not fund projects that focus on recycling, disposal, treatment and/or energy recovery activities.
    • Eligible applicants, as identified in Section III, Part A may represent any of the ten EPA regions, but the grant project must be conducted in one or more of the following regions – 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10. Applicants proposing to conduct work in Regions 4 and 8 will not be considered for funding.
    • Proposals must address all six evaluation criteria listed in Section V.
    • Proposals must substantially comply with the proposal submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or else they will be rejected. In addition, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the proposal and/or parts of the proposal, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed.
    • Proposals must be received by the appropriate regional EPA regional office or through www.grants.gov on or before the solicitation closing date (that applies to that region) as noted in Section IV of this announcement. Proposals received after the closing date will be returned to the applicant without further consideration.
    • EPA requires the applicant to provide a minimum 5% match, as part of the total allowable project cost.
    • EPA will not fund projects longer than two years.

D. Funding Restrictions. EPA assistance agreement funds may only be used for the purposes set forth in the assistance agreement and must be consistent with the designated statutory authorities of the SRA Grants program. Assistance agreement funds may not be used for matching funds for other Federal grants, lobbying, or intervention in Federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, Federal funds may not be used to sue the Federal government or any other government entity. All costs identified in the budget must conform to applicable Federal cost principles contained in OMB Circular A-87; A-122; and A-21, as appropriate. EPA will subtract proposed ineligible costs from the final approved budget if a grant or cooperative agreement is awarded.

IV. Application Submission Information. Applicants are advised to carefully read through these instructions.

A. How to Submit a Proposal. Applicants must send proposals to the applicable P2 regional program office either by hard copy or electronically through http://www.grants.gov. EPA will no longer consider proposals sent by e-mail. Applicants must prepare their proposal package, as described below in Section IV, Part B to be considered for evaluation.

Applicants who submit proposals that merit further consideration based on the evaluation criteria described in Section V will be asked by the applicable regional P2 program office to complete and submit a grant application package to finalize the submission process. Only those applicants who are asked to complete an application will be considered for an award. Applicants sending proposals in hard copy format must send proposals to the regional P2 program office designated by the State and/or territory where the applicant proposes to conduct its work.

  1. How to Send Proposals by Regular Mail, Overnight Delivery or Courier. Applicants must send proposals to the appropriate regional address listed in Section VII. EPA strongly recommends that applicants use overnight delivery service or courier service, as regular mail may be subject to unforeseeable delays.
  2. How to Send Proposals Electronically through http://www.grants.gov. Applicants choosing to send their proposal electronically must do so through http://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov is a database created in response to the President's 2002 Fiscal Year Management Agenda to improve government services to the public. Agencies were instructed to "allow applicants for Federal grants to apply for and ultimately manage grant funds online through a common website, simplifying grants management and eliminating redundancies." Please refer to Attachment A at the end of this announcement for instructions on sending a proposal through http://www.grants.gov.

B. Content of Proposals. Applicants must prepare their proposal packages as described below. Applicants submitting proposal packages by hard copy are required to submit two copies of their proposal package, preferably double-sided, to the regional P2 program office listed in Section VII. Applicants are strongly advised to submit proposal narratives which are clear and concise. Regardless of the mode of submission, proposal packages must contain the following elements.

1. Required Proposal Package Materials:

All proposal narratives must be no more than 9 pages when printed (i.e., a page equals one side). Proposal narratives longer than 9 pages will only be reviewed up to the page limit. Applicants must use no less than 11 point font on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. The page limit applies only to the proposal narrative; the cover page - SF-424 and letters of support do not count toward the page limit requirement.

C. Before Writing the Proposal. Applicants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to contact their regional P2Rx center (there are eight centers in total) to ascertain the type of P2 work that has already been accomplished within their field of interest. For more information on the eight P2Rx centers, please visit http://www.p2rx.org.

D. Submission Dates. Proposals must be received or postmarked by June 18, 2007. If sending a hard copy proposal, applicants must send their proposals to the appropriate regional P2 program office listed in Section VII. Electronic proposals must be sent via http://www.grants.gov. Proposals received through any other method and/or after the postmark date will not be considered. EPA anticipates that final funding decisions will be made 180 days after the post date of this announcement. Please note: Regions 4 and 8 are not participating in this assistance agreement announcement; proposals will not be accepted.

E. Other Submission Requirements.

  1. Intergovernmental Review. Applicants must comply with the Intergovernmental Review Process and/or the consultation provisions of Section 204, of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act, if applicable, which are contained in 40 CFR Part 29. All State applicants should consult with their EPA Regional office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires when applying for assistance; if the State has selected the program for review. If you do not know who your Single Point of Contact is, please call the EPA Headquarters Grant Policy Information and Training Branch at (202) 564-5325 or refer to the State Single Point of Contact website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. Federally-recognized tribes and intertribal consortia are not required to comply with this procedure.
  2. Confidential Business Information. In accordance with 40 CFR 2.203, applicants may claim all or a portion of their proposal as confidential business information. EPA will evaluate confidentiality claims in accordance with 40 CFR Part 2. Applicants must clearly mark proposals or portions of the proposal they claim as confidential. If no claim of confidentiality is made, EPA is not required to make the inquiry to the applicant otherwise required by 40 CFR 2.204(c)(2) prior to disclosure.
  3. 3. Federal Requirements. An applicant whose application is selected for Federal funding must complete applicable forms prior to award (see 40 CFR 30.12 and 31.10). In addition, successful applicants will be required to certify that they have not been debarred or suspended from participation in Federal assistance awards in accordance with 40 CFR Part 32.

V. Application Review Information.

A. Evaluation Criteria. EPA will only evaluate proposals that meet the threshold criteria listed in Section III, Part C. Proposals will be evaluated and scored on the six evaluation criteria listed below.

  1. Project Strategy. (40 points – 15 points for subfactors a and b; 10 points for subfactor c) (a) The extent to which the proposal narrative includes a well-conceived strategy addressing all threshold requirements listed in Section III, Part C and region-specific activity, listed in Section I, Part E; (b) the extent to which the proposal narrative sets forth a reasonable time schedule for the execution of the tasks associated with the project(s) – this subfactor may be addressed by providing a timeline of project milestones; and (c) the extent to which the proposal's goals are realistic and will actually be implemented by the end of the project period.
  2. Environmental Measurement. (20 points –10 points for each subfactor) (a) The extent to which the applicant's work achieves projected project estimates and provides a clear method to track and measure their applicant's progress towards achieving expected outcomes and outputs; (b) the extent to which the proposal narrative addresses the applicant's participation in the National Pollution Prevention Results System as demonstrated by the applicant's agreement to use the System's P2 common measures and to submit data to the System. The System was developed by State P2 officials, the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR), and the regional Pollution P2Rx centers, with EPA financial assistance. The System is designed to collect P2 measures from a wide variety of sources nationally and is based in large part on the regional aggregation tool initiated in Region 10. For more details please visit NPPR's website at http://www.p2.org/workgroup/Background.cfm.

    Participation in the System could be demonstrated by the applicant's agreeing to sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) found on the NPPR's website noted above. Or, applicants can show evidence of participation by using the System's P2 common measures and submitting data to the System or by noting their plans to do so (e.g., an applicant may send a signed letter with their proposal to their EPA regional contact, informing the region that the system will be used during the project period). The signed letter will not count toward the page limit requirement.

    Please note: EPA will give preference to proposals that aim to achieve outcome-based estimates and/or actual outcome-based results, while focusing less attention to achieving output-based estimates and/or output-based results. In contrast, EPA will give less preference to proposals that aim to achieve output-based estimates and/or output-based results, while focusing less attention to achieving outcome-based estimates and/or actual outcome-based results. Output-based proposals will receive a neutral score of (5) for each subfactor.

  3. Partnerships. (10 points) The extent to which the applicant presents a proposal narrative which effectively demonstrates the use of partnerships, wherever possible, to leverage other organizations' funding and expertise. Partners must provide letters of support from an official within the organization, specifying and confirming their specific contributions to the project.
  4. Environmental Past Performance. (10 points) The extent and quality to which the applicant adequately documented and/or reported on its progress towards achieving the expected results (e.g., outcomes and outputs) under federally funded agency assistance agreements performed within the last three years, and if such progress was not being made whether the applicant adequately documented and/or reported why not. In evaluating applicants under this factor, EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources including agency files and prior/current grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information supplied by the applicant).

    Please Note: If the applicant does not have any relevant or available past performance reporting history, the proposal will receive a neutral score for this factor (5 points).
  5. Budget. (10 points – 5 points for each subfactor) (a) The extent to which the applicant presents a proposal narrative which explains the project(s) budget by category and (b) the extent to which the applicant demonstrates they will make effective and judicious use of Federal funds.

    Please note: The use of EPA financial assistance compensation for consultants is limited to the daily equivalent of the rate paid to Federal employees at the ES-IV level (see 40 CFR §§0.27 B (b) and 31.36 (j)).
  6. Programmatic Capability. (10 Points – 2.5 points for each subfactor) Under this factor, the Agency will evaluate the applicant's technical ability to successfully carry out the proposed project taking into account the following factors: (a) its past performance in successfully completing and managing federally funded agreements similar in size, scope, and relevance to the proposed project performed within the last 3 years, (b) its history of meeting reporting requirements under federally funded agreements similar in size, scope, and relevance to the proposed project performed within the last 3 years and submitting acceptable final technical reports under these agreements, (c) its organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project, and (d) its staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

    Please Note: In evaluating applicants under this factor, the Agency will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources including agency files and prior/current grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information supplied by the applicant). Applicants with no relevant or available past performance or reporting history under subfactors a and b above will receive a neutral score for those elements under this evaluation factor (1.25 points each).

B. Review and Selection Process.

  1. Review Process. Proposals will be reviewed by the EPA Regional P2 review team based upon the threshold requirements noted in Section III, Part C and the evaluation criteria and scoring noted in Section V, Part A. Each of the eight EPA Regional P2 program offices participating in this competition will convene their own review panels to evaluate proposals submitted to their region based on the criteria listed above and use evaluation forms to document and record the results; the evaluation will result in a list of the highest ranked proposals preliminarily recommended for funding, per region, that will be referred to the Selection Official described in Section 2 below. Those applicants with the highest ranked proposals will be contacted by the region and instructed to submit a grant application package. Further instructions for completing the application process will be provided at that time.
  2. Selection Process. Eligible applicants with the highest ranked proposals preliminarily recommended for funding will be asked to complete and submit a grant application package. Completed application packages will be sent to the Regional Division Director or Senior Executive Service (SES) equivalent in the region for review.
  3. Selection Official. Completed applications will be selected for funding by the Regional Division Director (or SES equivalent) in the regional P2 program office. In making the final funding selection decisions, the Regional Division Director (or SES equivalent) will consider the review panel evaluation rankings and may consider other factors such as program balance and geographic diversity.

VI. Award Administration Information.

A. Award Notices. EPA anticipates that awards will be announced by September 2007 and award notices will be issued by October 2007. Non-profit applicants that are recommended for funding will be subject to pre-award administrative capability reviews consistent with Sections 8.b, 8.c, and 9.d of EPA Policy Order: 5700.8.

B. Dispute Resolution Process. 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 be requested by contacting the appropriate Regional P2 Coordinator listed in Section VII.

C. Administrative Requirements.

1. Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC). Certain quality assurance and/or quality control (QA/QC) and peer review requirements are applicable to the collection of environmental data. Environmental data are any measurements or information that describe environmental processes, location, or condition; ecological or health effects and consequences; or the performance of environmental technology. Environmental data also include information collected directly from measurements, produced from models, and obtained from other sources such as data bases or published literature. Regulations pertaining to QA/QC requirements can be found in 40 CFR Parts 30.54 and 31.45. According to 40 CFR Part 30.54, projects that involve environmentally related measurements or data generation must develop and implement quality assurance practices to meet the projects' objectives. Additional guidance can be found at http://www.epa.gov/quality/qa_docs.html#noeparqt.

Applicants should allow sufficient time and resources for this process in their proposed projects. If your organization does not have a Quality Management System in place, one may need to be developed. A project-specific Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) or functional equivalent may need to be submitted and approved by EPA. All projects reporting environmental data will require quality assurance documentation.

Applicants for the FY 2007 Source Reduction Assistance Grant Program are not required to submit quality assurance documentation as part of the application package, but may be required at time of award. Each grant award will contain a condition establishing a deadline for the grantee to submit acceptable quality assurance documentation to EPA.

2. Audits. Periodic audits should be made as part of the recipient's system of financial management and internal control to meet the terms and conditions of grants and other assistance agreements. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A 133, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," non-federal entities that receive financial assistance of $500,000 or more within the State's fiscal year shall have an audit made for that year. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A 133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," was published in the Federal Register on June 30, 1997. The Circular implements the Single Audit Act amendments of 1996. State agencies that receive less than $500,000 within the State's fiscal year shall have an audit made in accordance with Federal laws and regulations governing the programs in which they participate.

3. Records. Financial records, including all documents to support entries on accounting records to substantiate charges to each assistance agreement, must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA assistance agreement accounts. All records must be maintained for three years from the date of submission of the annual financial status report. If questions still remain, such as those posed as a result of an audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.

D. Reporting.

1. Uniform reporting requirements for institutions of higher education and other non-profit organizations. The recipient, along with the Regional Project Officer, will develop a process for jointly evaluating and reporting progress and accomplishments under the work plan. The work plans and reporting must be consistent with the requirements of 40 CFR Part 30, subpart C. A description of the evaluation process and a reporting schedule must be included in the work plan (see sections 30.51 through 30.53). Under this grant program, EPA will require the grant recipient to submit semi-annual progress reports during the life of the project to the Regional Project Officer. Recipients should provide discussion of accomplishments as measured against work plan commitments; a discussion of cumulative effectiveness of the work performed under all work plan components; a discussion of existing and potential problem areas; and suggestions for improvement, including where feasible, schedules for making improvements. If evaluation reveals the recipient has not made sufficient progress under the work plan, the Regional Project Officer and the recipient will negotiate a resolution. The recipient may request a review of the Regional Project Officer's decision under the dispute resolution process under 40 CFR 30.63. Upon completing the grant project, the recipient will be required to submit a final technical report to the Regional Project Officer.

2. Uniform reporting requirement for State, local and tribal governments. The recipient, along with the Regional Project Officer, will develop a process for jointly evaluating and reporting progress and accomplishments under the work plan. The work plans and reporting must be consistent with the requirements of 40 CFR 31, subpart C. A description of the evaluation process and a reporting schedule must be included in the work plan (see sections 31.40 through 30.42). Under this grant program, EPA will require the grant recipient to submit semi-annual progress reports during the life of the project to the Regional Project Officer. Recipients should provide discussion of accomplishments as measured against work plan commitments; a discussion of cumulative effectiveness of the work performed under all work plan components; a discussion of existing and potential problem areas; and suggestions for improvement, including where feasible, schedules for making improvements. If evaluation reveals the recipient has not made sufficient progress under the work plan, the Regional Project Officer and the recipient will negotiate a resolution that addresses the issues. If issues cannot be resolved through negotiation, the Regional Project Officer may take appropriate action (see sections 31.43 through 31.44.) The recipient may request a review of the Regional Project Officer's decision under the dispute resolution process under 40 CFR, Part 31, subpart F. Upon completing the grant project, the recipient will be required to submit a final technical report to the Regional Project Officer.

3. Where to Send Semi-Annual and Final Technical Reports. Grant recipients should send all semi-annual and final technical reports, including any final products generated from the SRA Grant to the Regional Project Officer. Examples of final products include, but are not limited to: fact sheets, pamphlets, handbooks, model curricula, assessment and audit tools, videos, event brochures, etc.

The Grant Project Officer may share final technical reports, and/or final products with the appropriate regional P2Rx center and may send the materials to the Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (PPIC). For more information on PPIC, please visit http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/ppic.

VII. Agency Contacts.

For further information, please contact the appropriate EPA Regional Program office.

STATE EPA REGIONAL P2 PROGRAM OFFICE
Region 1
CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT		 Robert Guillemin - Pollution Prevention Coordinator
1 Congress Street Suite 1100 (SPP)
Boston, MA 02114-2023
Phone: 617-918-1814
E-mail: guillemin.robert@epa.gov
Website: www.epa.gov/region1/assistance/p2/index.html
Region 2
NJ, NY, PR, VI		 Alex Peck - Pollution Prevention Coordinator
290 Broadway, 25th Floor (SPMMB)
New York, NY 10007-1866
Phone: 212-637-3758
E-mail address: peck.alex@epa.gov
Website: www.epa.gov/region02/rfp/2005/p2.htm
Region 3
DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV		 Maryann Helferty - Pollution Prevention Coordinator
1650 Arch Street (3EA40)
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
Phone: 215-814-3299
E-mail: helferty.maryann@epa.gov
Website: www.epa.gov/region03/p2/grants.htm
Region 5
IL, IN, OH, MI, MN, WI 		Phil Kaplan - Pollution Prevention Coordinator
77 West Jackson Boulevard (DW-8J)
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
Phone: 312-353-4669
E-mail: kaplan.phil@epa.gov
Website: www.epa.gov/region5/p2/grants.htm
Region 6
AR, LA, NM, OK, TX 		David Bond - Pollution Prevention Coordinator
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 (6EN-XP)
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: 214-665-6431
E-mail: bond.david@epa.gov
Website: www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6en/xp/enxp4d.htm
Region 7
IA, KS, MO, NE		 Gary Schlicht - Pollution Prevention Coordinator
901 N. 15th Street (ARTD/SWPP)
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: 913- 551-7097
E-mail: schlicht.gary@epa.gov
Website: www.epa.gov/region07/economics/r7_grant_opportunities.htm
Region 9
AZ,CA,HI, NV, Pacific Islands 		Leif Magnuson - Pollution Prevention Coordinator
75 Hawthorne Street (WST-7)
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-972-3286
E-mail: magnuson.leif@epa.gov
Website: www.epa.gov/region09/funding/
Region 10
AK, ID, OR, WA 		Carolyn Gangmark - Pollution Prevention Coordinator
1200 Sixth Avenue (AW-128)
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-553-4072
E-mail: gangmark.carolyn@epa.gov
Website: http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/OI.NSF/Pollution+Prevention/Pollution+Prevention?opendocument

ATTACHMENT A

I. Instructions for applying through Grants.gov. The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative (AOR) of your institution who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal assistance. For more information, go to http://www.grants.gov and click on "Get Registered" on the left side of the page. Note that the registration process may take a week or longer to complete. If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, please encourage your office to designate an AOR and ask that individual to begin the registration process as soon as possible.

To begin the application process go to http://www.grants.gov and click on the "Apply for Grants" tab on the left side of the page. Then click on "Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Instructions" to download the PureEdge viewer and obtain the application package for the announcement. To download the PureEdge Viewer click on the PureEdge Vieweer Link. Once you have downloaded the viewer, you may retrieve the application package by entering the Funding Opportunity Number, EPA-OPPT-07-02 or the CFDA number (CFDA 66.717) in the appropriate field. You will find both of these numbers at the beginning of this announcement.

You may also access the application package by clicking on the button "How To Apply" at the top right of the synopsis page for this announcement on http://www.grants.gov (to find the synopsis page, go to http://www.grants.gov and click on the "Find Grant Opportunities" button on the left side of the page and then go to Search Opportunities and use the Browse by Agency feature to find EPA opportunities).

II. Proposal Submission Deadline. Your organization's AOR must submit your complete proposal electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) no later than TBD. Please submit all of the proposal/application materials described below. To view the full funding announcement, go to http://www.epa.gov/p2/pubs/grants/index.htm or go to http://www.grants.gov and click on "Find Grant Opportunities" on the left side of the page and then click on Search Opportunities/Browse by Agency and select Environmental Protection Agency.

III. Proposal Materials

The following forms and documents are required to be submitted under this announcement as specified in Section IV, Part B and as described below:

1. Cover Page. The cover page should contain the title, the funding opportunity number and the applicant's contact information (i.e., name of applicant, name of the organization, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address and fax number). The cover page does not count toward the page limit requirement.

2. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424). Complete the form. There are no attachments. Please be sure to include organization fax number and email address in Block 5 of the Standard Form SF 424. Please note: The organizational Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number must be included on the SF-424. Organizations may obtain a DUNS number by calling the toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711. Alternatively, applicants may request a DUNS number online by going to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform and following the instructions for grant applications.

3. Proposal Narrative containing the following:

Proposal narratives should be no more than 9 pages when printed (i.e., a page equals one side). Proposal narratives longer than 9 pages will only be reviewed up to the page limit. Applicants must use no less than 11 point font on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. The page limit applies only to the proposal narrative; the cover page and letters of support do not count toward the page limit requirement. Narratives should be readable in PDF, MS Word or Word Perfect WP6/7/8 for Windows and consolidated into a single file.

4. Project Budget. The budget must include estimates on the costs for labor (by labor and category), fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractors, and for other direct costs and indirect costs. Your budget must itemize these costs under each task identified in the work plan as well as for the entire proposed project.

5. Letters of Support.

IV. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

Documents in Section III listed under Proposal Materials above should appear in the "Mandatory Documents" box on the Grants.gov Grant Application Package page.

For document 2 above, click on the appropriate form and then click "Open Form" below the box. The fields that must be completed will be highlighted in yellow. Optional fields and completed fields will be displayed in white. If you enter an invalid response or incomplete information in a field, you will receive an error message. When you have finished filling out each form, click "Save." When you return to the electronic Grant Application Package page, click on the form you just completed, and then click on the box that says, "Move Form to Submission List." This action will move the document over to the box that says, "Mandatory Completed Documents for Submission."

For documents 1, 3, 4 and 5 you will need to attach electronic files. Prepare your proposal narrative as described above in Section III and save the document to your computer as an MS Word, PDF or WordPerfect file. When you are ready to attach your proposal narrative to the application package, click on "Project Narrative Attachment Form," and open the form. Click "Add Mandatory Project Narrative File," and then attach your proposal (previously saved to your computer) using the browse window that appears. You may then click "View Mandatory Project Narrative File" to view it. Enter a brief descriptive title of your project in the space beside "Mandatory Project Narrative File Filename;" the filename should be no more than 40 characters long. For other attachments you need to click "Add Optional Project Narrative File" and proceed as before. When you have finished attaching the necessary documents, click "Close Form." When you return to the "Grant Application Package" page, select the "Project Narrative Attachment Form" and click "Move Form to Submission List." The form should now appear in the box that says, "Mandatory Completed Documents for Submission."

V. Saving Your Work

Once you have finished filling out all of the forms/attachments and they appear in one of the "Completed Documents for Submission" boxes, click the "Save" button that appears at the top of the Web page. It is suggested that you save the document a second time, using a different name, since this will make it easier to submit an amended package later if necessary. Please use the following format when saving your file: "Applicant Name – FY07 – Assoc Prog Supp – 1st Submission" or "Applicant Name – FY 07 Assoc Prog Supp – Back-up Submission." If it becomes necessary to submit an amended package at a later date, then the name of the 2nd submission should be changed to "Applicant Name – FY07 Assoc Prog Supp – 2nd Submission."

Once your proposal package has been completed and saved, send it to your AOR for submission to U.S. EPA through Grants.gov. Please advise your AOR to close all other software programs before attempting to submit the proposal package through Grants.gov.

In the "Application Filing Name" box, your AOR should enter your organization's name (abbreviate where possible), the fiscal year (e.g., FY07), and the grant category (e.g., Assoc Prog Supp). The filing name should not exceed 40 characters. From the "Grant Application Package" page, your AOR may submit the application package by clicking the "Submit" button that appears at the top of the page. The AOR will then be asked to verify the agency and funding opportunity number for which the application package is being submitted. If problems are encountered during the submission process, the AOR should reboot his/her computer before trying to submit the application package again. [It may be necessary to turn off the computer (not just restart it) before attempting to submit the package again.] If the AOR continues to experience submission problems, he/she may contact Grants.gov for assistance by phone at 1-800-518-4726 or email at http://www.grants.gov/help/help.jsp or contact the regional contact listed in Section VII of this announcement.

Proposal packages submitted through Grants.gov will be time/date stamped electronically.

If you have not received a confirmation of receipt from EPA (not from Grants.gov) within 30 days of the application deadline, please contact the regional contact listed in Section VII. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed. Grants.gov is a new system, thus, applicants are strongly advised to send an e-mail notification to their regional contact noting that an SRAP Grant proposal was submitted via Grants.gov.

VI. Instructions for Submitting an Application through Grants.gov

Applicants who submit proposals that merit further consideration based on the evaluation described in Section V will be asked by the applicable regional P2 program office to submit a grant application package to complete the submission process. Only those applicants who are asked to complete an application will be considered for an award. Applicants who are contacted by the region will receive an e-mail containing the application deadline and instructions for submitting a complete application through http://www.grants.gov. Only completed applications will be considered for funding.

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