Learn the Issues
-
How does the cybersecurity term and condition affect Tribal EN grant recipients?
This Term and Condition requires Tribes to follow applicable cybersecurity requirements. It does not, however, require Tribes to establish cybersecurity requirements, only to adhere to requirements that already exist. EPA, however, encourages Tribes that do not currently have such requirements to develop them. The second requirement, which concerns connections with…
-
What is the Cybersecurity term and condition for EPA assistance agreements?
Cybersecurity includes policies, procedures and technologies that ensure data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. As part of EPA's cybersecurity efforts, the Agency wants to ensure that its partners are protecting their data and ensuring that network connections between partners and EPA are also secure. Consequently, EPA has added a Cybersecurity Term…
-
How do I apply for an EN grant?
Those interested in applying for an EN grant should download the Solicitation Notice (SN) from the grants.gov listing (see the SN section of the EN website for link). The SN identifies EPA's grant funding areas and the types of assistance agreements that are available, provides application instructions, optional templates, and…
-
When and how is this grant advertised to interested parties?
The Solicitation Notice is posted annual to grants.gov and grant cycle updates are regularly posted to the Exchange Network website , so that is an excellent resource for updates on the EN grant program. Exchange Network Alerts are also sent out to registered participants about important EN news throughout the…
-
Can I set up a call with EN grant program staff to address questions while writing my EN grant application?
Applicants with questions about general information and/or eligibility can contact EN Grant Program Manager Erin McGown ( ENGrantProgram@epa.gov ). As this is a competitive grant program, EPA staff are unable to meet with potential applicants during the open application period (the time between the publication of the SN and the…
-
What's New in the FY25 Solicitation Notice?
Potential applicants are encouraged to review the new FY25 Solicitation Notice (SN) in full, as significant updates have been made throughout the document. Please see the EN website’s SN Section for an overview of changes in the FY25 SN.
-
What if my agency does not have an approved indirect cost rate agreement or our rate is expired?
If you have not submitted a proposal for an indirect cost rate (IDC) agreement you may choose one of the following options for including indirect costs in your proposed budget: (1) Select the EPA 15% Default Indirect Cost Rate for the life of the agreement, or (2) choose not to…
-
How should we amend our budget if we anticipate the project will take less than the standard period of performance of 3 years?
Our program recommends, in cases where you predict the work will be completed faster than 3 years, estimating your total personnel cost over the project and then distributing that amount over 3 years (and then applying the fringe rate/costs). See the ‘ We are not sure if our project will…
-
If our Indirect Cost Rate is applied by state fiscal year which runs from July to June, must submit the following year's rate?
Yes, we require that the indirect cost rate submitted with your application be valid until September 30th of the calendar year of the application cycle. So, if you rate expires in June, you will need to provide next year's rate. If you are a Tribal applicant, please see FAQ titled…
-
Is a separate SF 424 form for the partnering organization needed in addition to the SF 424 for the lead applicant? Are any other forms needed?
Applicants applying as an EN partnership must include details in the project narrative; please review the guidance in Appendix E ‘Project Narrative Overview’ to see exactly where details on your partnering organization/partner contacts are required. Though additional forms are needed for partnership applications (see ‘ What sections of the SN…
-
As relates to the requirement to register the development and reuse of IT components, will my application lose past performance points because our grant is still open, and we haven’t yet registered components?
No; the registration requirement is only scored as part of the Past Performance Evaluation for grants awarded since 2011 that are fully closed-out . Please note that grantees can submit the IT Component and Project Registration Form at any time, using the form template available: . Please complete and return…
-
How can a Tribe get involved in the EN?
There are many ways for Tribes to get involved in the Exchange Network. Tribes in any stage of information management program maturity may apply for Exchange Network grants to build the Tribe's capacity to share environmental information with EPA, other EN partners, and the public. Tribes can apply for individual…
-
Which Tribal entities are eligible to apply for EN grant funds?
Please see the eligibility FAQ " Who is eligible to apply for a FY24 Exchange Network grant? ".
-
What is an 'instrumentality of a Tribe'?
An instrumentality is an organization created by or pursuant to state statute or Tribal laws and operated for public purposes. See eligibility FAQ titled “ Who is eligible to apply for a FY24 Exchange Network grant? ” for more information.
-
Can Tribes request basic grants training from EPA? If so, what is the process for requesting training?
Office of Grants and Debarment (OGD) Training: EPA’s OGD offers training opportunities for Tribal grantees and potential applicants online throughout the year. Sessions include topics related to grants management, new regulations, EPA policies, and more. See the EPA Grants Management Training for Applicants and Recipients page. EN Grants Specific Training…
-
If I am a Federally recognized Tribe, can I charge indirect costs?
To charge indirect costs, an indirect cost rate agreements must be included in accordance with 2 CFR 200.414 and must be valid until at least 9/30/2025. If you do not have a previously established indirect cost rate (IDC) agreement, you must prepare an indirect cost rate proposal in accordance with…
-
In a EN partnership agreement, can a partner procure their own contractor? If so, how should these cost be captured in the Budget Narrative and any other applicable attachments?
A partnering organization can procure their own contractor as long as the applicable procurement standards are followed. See Section 4B for more information on procuring contractors. Note that contractual costs solicited by a project partner should be included as part of the total ‘subaward’ cost under the budget category ‘Other’…
-
We are applying as a partnership; do we need to decide which organization will host our dataset, or is this something that we can determine after consulting with stakeholders?
This is dependent on the project and the expected outputs/outcomes and should be decided by the participating organizations (with a goal to best meet the business needs of all). And it is fair that there might be some specifics of the project that aren’t figured out yet, and will be…
-
What are Virtual Exchange Services (VES)?
Virtual Exchange Services are EPA cloud-based services that support all the functions of a Network Node. VES can host any number of state, Tribal, and territory partner data exchange activities and provide all the same services as a traditional Exchange Network node for the data flows listed in Table 1…
-
How does the VES approach assist with development and maintenance of data exchanges?
The VES approach simplifies development and maintenance of data exchanges using inheritance features and plug-in support. It eliminates software licensing costs, server costs and much of the administration costs for partners, while providing a simplified development model and greater economies of scale. State, Tribal or territorial administrators retain complete control…