Learn the Issues
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Can you use funds to pay for laboratory analysis of water samples?
We cannot give specific project advice; however, we can stay that we have funded prior projects which include water sample analysis. Applicants should review the water related project opportunities that we have listed in Appendix B to see if any of those is a good fit for the project you…
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As a non-profit are we eligible to be a subawardee on a partnership grant?
Yes. As a non-profit, you can partner with an eligible entity and submit an application, provided they (the eligible entity) are the lead applicant. Please note that for-profit entities are not eligible to apply as either a lead or partnering organization.
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Can an organization be a partner on two different applications?
This is not allowable, as the EN Grant Program has an express restriction on submitting only one application per competition cycle. If more than one application is submitted for the same entity, one application will be marked ineligible prior to application scoring. Here is an example: Washington and Oregon partner…
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For tribal consortia, you're mentioning required letters of support. Wouldn't we need tribal resolutions?
Letters of support are not needed for intertribal consortia. We do need documentation that shows that a formal partnership exists among the Tribal government members and that the majority of those members are federally recognized Tribes. We also need documentation that demonstrates the consortium has been authorization to apply for…
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If we propose AI solutions (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) for retrieving data from archival documentations and use it to complement current environmental data collection, which funding area would be the best to apply for? The data is mainly on water and sediment quality.
We cannot give specific project advice; however, we would encourage applicants interested in AI to review the open data write-up in SN Appendix A. If the applicant is a Tribal entity, the capacity building area should also be considered. Please note that an applicant can apply under multiple EN project…
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Can entities with a within a partnership application have varying defined goals, i.e., separate projects that fall under different funding opportunities?
We do have an FAQ on this – please see FAQ titled Our agency is considering applying for two projects within one grant application; is it better to submit them as two separate applications?. Applicants can compile multiple projects or multiple goals and outputs within the same project. When you…
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Will you fund a project starting 01/01/2026? What if the period of performance ends on 12/31/2028?
There is a standard three-year period of performance for Exchange Network grants and an applicant’s project work plan must reflect these dates (10/1 of the competition’s calendar year through 9/30, three years later). An applicant can always have their first project goals and outputs as scheduled in accordance with a…
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Can you please speak to funding eligibility regarding Workshops and Conferences not initiated, advertised, and conducted for the benefit of the recipient and other state, Tribal, territorial, or local representatives or public participants or are conducted primarily for EPA’s benefit.
That is not an allowable cost. EN assistance agreements can fund the hosting of workshops and trainings, but only for those that are for the benefit of the public, partners, grant recipients, or for which the majority of participants are not EPA. Grantees can also request funds to pay for…
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If we are applying for a specific EN opportunity (CAERS) that's under Funding area 2, can we still list the Open Data opportunity in EN area 1, since it would be a data modernization effort too? Or should we just list the one area that is most directly applicable?
Yes, applicants are encouraged to include as many EN project opportunities as is applicable to the proposed project. Remember, however, that Funding Area 3: Capacity Building is restricted to only Tribal and territorial applicant types.
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If the proposed project will require working with a contracting firm, should contract be procured during the three-year grant performance period or can an existing contract (competitively procured prior to the awarded grant) be used for the work?
This scenario would still be considered a noncompetitive procurement from EPA’s perspective, because you'd be using an existing contractor at the time of award. EPA’s recommendation would be to hold off on the actual procurement, using a competitive procurement approach like a Request for Proposals (RFP) or sealed bid, until…
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My organization is a state agency, and we’ve applied for and received EN grant funding twice in the past 5 years. Do we still need to provide an attorney general letter proving my agency is an instrumentality of the state?
If your organization is a state agency, no further information or attachments are needed – you just need an active registration in sam.gov. The instrumentality status is only for organizations that act on behalf of a state or Tribe but are not technically a state/Tribal agency/department. An example would be…
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Can I apply as an interstate entity?
Our eligibility unfortunately does not extend to interstate agencies. However, an interstate applicant could look to partner with an eligible entity (with the eligible entity as the lead applicant) and could receive a portion of awarded grant funds through a subaward. If you are interested in this option, please see…
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Is a municipality within a US territory eligible to apply under your program?
Municipalities and other local governments are unfortunately not eligible under our grant program, unless they have status as an ‘instrumentality of a state, Tribe, or territory’. This is often a public university (state or Tribal) or in some rare cases, a local air or water district that has this status…
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If my Tribe is a member of an intertribal consortium that is applying for an EN grant, am I able to also submit an individual application for my Tribe in the same competition year?
Unfortunately, this is not allowed, as this scenario would be considered by EPA as submitting multiple applications for the same entity in the same competition cycle. EPA’s grant office has clarified that intertribal consortia applications are inherently EN partnerships (which is why they can apply under the higher funding limit…
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If our organization is looking to contract with a firm, but that firm assigns a specific programmer, does the consultant fee cap still apply?
The consultant fee cap only applies if you are procuring an individual; I would not name the staff member from the contracting firm in your application to avoid any confusion on this. Please instead just name the contracting firm within your proposal.
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If my organization applies under multiple project opportunities, does it matter if they’re not the same type of award? UST Finder is a cooperative agreement but one of our partners is considering adding goals and outputs that relate to one of the other EN project opportunities that can be awarded as a direct grant.
The entirety of the assistance agreement would have to be issued as the same type of award – either a cooperative agreement or a direct grant. You can embed other aspects of other EN project opportunities into your proposed project, if it is appropriate/you have available funding/other EN requirements are…
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Can my Tribe write a letter of support for a state-led partnership application, even if my organization does not directly participate in the project as an EN partner?
Yes- Tribal and other entities are welcome to provide letters of support for applications. A letter of support on its own would not inherently count an organization as a partner in the application. To avoid any confusion on EPA’s part, however, please be sure that it is very clear in…
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My Tribe is interested in applying for an EN grant but concerned about requirements around data sharing. Historically, our organization has maintained a policy of NOT sharing data with anyone outside of this tribe. Does this make us ineligible to apply?
There is no current obligation through the EN Grant Program to share data outside of your Tribe. We do have an IT Component and Project Registration form, which is due at project close-out, that does require some summary information about what goals/outputs were accomplished, as well as what technology was…
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If we apply for Funding area 1, but need a new server for increased computational capacity - is it eligible for funding?
Expensive equipment such as a server may be funded under the Exchange Network Grant Program, with a couple of caveats: It must be clear that the server is necessary to carry out the overall accomplishments of project goals/outputs and/or meet organizational business and administrative needs. When EPA reads your application…
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Key Terms
This page provides definitions for ACRES terminology.