Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Program-Frequent Questions

Questions and answers are organized below in the following categories:

Applicant Eligibility
Threshold Eligibility
Project Objectives
Miscellaneous

A. Applicant Eligibility

A1. Which entities are eligible to apply for the Request for Applications (RFA)?

“Consistent with Assistant Listing 66.616, eligible applicants for Project Area 6 are: 1) community-based nonprofit organizations (CBOs); 2) a partnership of CBOs; or 3) a partnership between a CBO and Federally recognized Indian Tribe, local government or institution of higher education.” For purposes of Project Area 6 applications, CBOs are defined as a state or tribal designated non-profit organization or an organization exempt from Federal taxes under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code, which:

“is a public or private nonprofit organization that supports and/or represents a community and/or certain populations within a community through engagement, education, and other related services provided to individual community residents and community stakeholders. A “community” can be characterized by a particular geographic area and/or by the common environmental justice challenges facing members of a broader national community, such as farmworkers, children with high levels of lead, asthmatics, subsistence fishers, tribal members, indigenous peoples, residents of areas adjacent to industrial facilities, low-income families, or similar groups.”

A2. How does EPA define nonprofit organization?

Section III.A, Eligible Applicants states “Consistent with the definition of Nonprofit organization at 2 CFR § 200.1, the term nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization. The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. Note that 2 CFR 200.1 specifically excludes Institutions of Higher Education from the definition of non-profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation. While not considered to be a nonprofit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR 200.1, public or nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.”

A3. If a potential applicant has questions regarding this announcement, will EPA respond to them?

It depends. EPA will respond to questions from individual applicants regarding threshold eligibility criteria, administrative issues related to the submission of the application, and requests for clarification about the announcement. Questions must be submitted via e-mail to the WaterWorkforceRFA email box (WaterWorkforceRFA@epa.gov) by October 17, 2023. Written responses will be posted on EPA’s Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Program website and will be publicly available.

However, EPA staff are NOT able to discuss draft applications, provide informal comments on draft applications, or provide advice to applicants on how to respond to ranking criteria. Applicants are responsible for the contents of their applications.

A4. Would EPA clarify that applicant really refers to institution and not to the principal investigator?

Individuals are not eligible to apply. Section III.A, Eligible Applicants for Project Area 1-5 states “Eligible applicants under this competition are nonprofit professional or service organizations, nonprofit labor organizations, nonprofit community colleges, institutions of higher education, other nonprofit training and educational institutions or public works departments and agencies.”

Note that only one application can be submitted per applicant (see Section III.C., Threshold Eligibility Criteria in the RFA for additional information).

A5. Are public water agencies eligible to apply for the Innovation Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grants?

Section III.A, Eligible Applicants states “Consistent with Assistance Listing 66.445 eligible applicants for Project Area 1-5 under this competition are nonprofit professional or service organizations, nonprofit labor organizations, nonprofit community colleges, institutions of higher education, other nonprofit training and educational institutions, or public works departments and agencies.” "The term "public works department or agency," as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 300j-19e(a), means a political subdivision of a local, county, or regional government that designs, builds, operates, and maintains water infrastructure, sewage and refuse disposal systems, and other public water systems and facilities."

A6. Can an eligible organization submit one application and be identified as a subrecipient in one or more applications submitted by other eligible applicants?

Yes. Section III.C., Threshold Eligibility Criteria, states “Under this competition, only one application can be submitted per applicant."

If you name subawardees/subgrantees and/or contractor(s), including individual consultants, in your application as partners to assist you with the proposed project, pay careful attention to the information in the CONTRACTS AND SUBAWARDS provision found at EPA Solicitation Clauses (https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses).

A7. If an organization receives funding as a subgrantee under this competitive opportunity, will it be eligible to apply as the primary applicant for potential future competitive opportunities for this program?

Applicant eligibility for any future competitive opportunities will be defined in the competitive announcement.

A8. Are subawardees or partners required to be a nonprofit?

No. See the CONTRACTS AND SUBAWARDS provision found at EPA Solicitation Clauses (https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses) which discusses parameters if an application names subawardees/subgrantees and/or contractor(s), including individual consultants, in your application as partners to assist you with the proposed project. Also, Section III.A, Eligibility Requirements states: “In addition, for purposes of Project Area 6 applications, a “partnership” is: a formal relationship between two or more CBOs, or between a CBO and a Federally recognized Indian tribe, a local government, or an institution of higher education, that is memorialized in writing and is legally binding under applicable law. The partnership agreement must specify which member of the partnership will enter into the assistance agreement with EPA for the purposes of 1) accountability for the proper expenditure of Federal funds; 2) performance of the assistance agreement; 3) liability for claims for recovery of unallowable costs incurred under the agreement; and 4) must specify the respective roles in performing the proposed scope of work for the assistance agreement. At least one CBO in the partnership must receive EPA funding either as a direct recipient or as a subrecipient. As a policy matter, the partnership agreement must also, at a minimum, specify other roles and responsibilities of each partner, including how the priority environmental and public health issues of the disadvantaged communities proposed to be served by the award are identified, as well as the role of community leaders in the decision-making processes and implementation of the proposed projects for funding.”

A9. Will EPA issue future competitive opportunities for this program?

EPA posts all competitive opportunities on Grants.gov. Interested applicants are encouraged to search Grants.gov for future competitive opportunities.

A10. Does the definition of “drinking water and wastewater utility sector” include stormwater management infrastructure?

Yes. Throughout this RFA and supporting materials, when “water utility sector” and “wastewater utility sector” are mentioned, they are meant to be inclusive of stormwater programs and related infrastructure. Workforce development activities that focus on stormwater management and green infrastructure are eligible (assuming all other eligibility requirements in the RFA are met). Section I, Funding Opportunity Description states the goal of ensuring a strong pipeline of skilled and diverse workers in the water utilities sector. Congress authorized EPA to develop a grant program that will accelerate career pipelines and provide access to water utility workforce opportunities. Examples of eligible activities are identified in Section I.C, Project Areas, of this announcement. These project activities must address the workforce needs of water utilities. [Section 1459E of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended, (codified at 42 U.S.C. Section 300j-19e)].

A11. Is a county sanitation district eligible to apply?

Section III.A., Eligible Applicants states that eligible applicants for Project Areas 1-5 include public works departments and agencies. A county sanitation district would meet the definition of “public works department or agency” at SDWA section 1459E(a): “the term ‘public works department or agency’ means a political subdivision of a local, county, or regional government that designs, builds, operates, and maintains water infrastructure, sewage and refuse disposal systems, and other public water systems and facilities.”

B. Threshold Eligibility

B1. Can an organization submit more than one application?

No. Under this competition, only one application may be submitted per applicant. Section III.C., Threshold Eligibility Criteria states “3. Under this competition, only one application can be submitted per applicant. If an applicant submits more than one application, EPA will contact them before the review process begins to determine which application(s) will be withdrawn. If the applicant is not able to communicate a decision within 48 hours of being contacted by EPA, EPA will accept the application received in Grants.gov most recently.”

B2. Are all applicants required to use Grants.gov to submit an application?

Unless EPA provides an exception, discussed below, applicants are expected to submit applications through Grants.gov.

Section IV.A, Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures states “Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If your organization has no access to the internet or access is very limited, you may request an exception for the remainder of this calendar year by following the procedures outlined here. Please note that your request must be received at least 15 calendar days before the application due date to allow enough time to negotiate alternative submission methods. Please see Section IV.C. for Technical Issues with Submission.

C. Project Objectives

C1. Can funds from this grant be used for both development and implementation of a workforce development project?

Section I, Funding Opportunity Description, I.C, Project Areas states “EPA is soliciting applications from eligible applicants for projects in six Project Areas, as described below.” In addition, “All eligible applications will be evaluated based on the criteria in Section V including how well and thoroughly the Project Area is addressed (see Section V).”

For example, “Under Project Area 1, EPA is soliciting applications to expand public awareness about job opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector, and address the workforce needs of drinking water and wastewater utilities. This may be achieved by developing and implementing, for example, but not limited to, targeted internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and post-secondary bridge programs for priority water utility trades through:

(1) On-the-job training, including registered apprenticeships;

(2) Skills development;

(3) Test preparation, including developing test materials for skilled trade apprenticeships;

(4) Advance training in the water utility sector relating to construction, utility operations treatment and distribution, green infrastructure, customer service, maintenance, and engineering; or

(5) Other supportive services to facilitate post-secondary success and participant support costs (e.g., apprenticeship stipend and training materials, reasonable costs for transportation, childcare subsidies) to facilitate post-secondary success.”

C2. Is there a limit on indirect costs or administrative costs?

This competitive opportunity does not establish a maximum indirect cost rate or administrative cost cap. Indirect cost rates must be negotiated with the cognizant federal funding agency in accordance with the procedures in 2 CFR 200 Subpart E “Cost Principles”. As specified in the RFA, Section IV.E.1.f: See Indirect Cost Guidance for Recipients of EPA Assistance Agreements for additional information about indirect cost rates.”

C3. What are examples of “work-based learning opportunities” for Project Area 2?

Section I.C., Project Area 2, states: “Under Project Area 2, EPA is soliciting applications to expand student awareness about the job opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector and to address the workforce needs of drinking water and wastewater utilities by developing education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students and provide training opportunities for secondary and higher education students that:

(1) Inform students about the role of drinking water and wastewater utilities in their communities;

(2) Increase student awareness of career opportunities, and increase student exposure to water utility careers through various work-based learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom;

(3) Connect students to career pathways related to water utilities;

(4) Provide hands-on contextualized learning opportunities;

(5) Offer dual enrollment credit for post-secondary education and training programs;

(6) Create a direct connection to water utility and industry employers; and/or

(7) Build integrated learning laboratories in secondary educational institutions.

Section I. F., EPA’s Strategic Plan Linkage and Anticipated Environmental Results includes the following: “Examples of anticipated outputs from the cooperative agreements expected to be awarded under this announcement for Project Area 2, Education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students, may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Establishment of new partnerships with community and technical colleges to provide classroom, online, and/or on the job training experiences for elementary, secondary, or higher education students.
Development, distribution, and use of age-appropriate educational materials to raise elementary, secondary, or higher education student awareness about opportunities in the drinking water or wastewater utilities sector.
Development of an innovative program or strategy in a secondary educational institution to recruit diverse populations to the water utility sector workforce.

C4. For Project Area 2 does the proposed project need to include all levels from elementary, secondary and higher education? Or can the project focus on one of two of those?

Section I. C. Project Area 2, states “EPA is soliciting applications to expand student awareness about the job opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector and to address the workforce needs of drinking water and wastewater utilities by developing education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students and provide training opportunities for secondary and higher education students that:

(1) Inform students about the role of drinking water and wastewater utilities in their communities;

(2) Increase student awareness of career opportunities, and increase student exposure to water utility careers through various work-based learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom;

(3) Connect students to career pathways related to water utilities.

For the purposes of this announcement, “secondary education” means education beyond the elementary grades and “higher education” means education beyond the secondary level (e.g. community colleges, vocational schools and/or university level).”

Section V.A., Selection Criteria, states “All applications will under-go an eligibility review using the Section III.C threshold eligibility criteria. Eligible applicants will then be evaluated using the evaluation criteria and weights below (100 total point scale). Points will be awarded based on how well and thoroughly each criterion and/or sub-criterion is addressed in the application package.” Criteria 1, Project Areas, states “Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their ability and approach for effectively addressing the Project Areas in Section I.C. of the RFA that the application focuses on. In conducting this evaluation, the following factors will be taken into account:

i. The extent and quality of the overall approach to addressing the Project Area described in the application and the proposed community outreach strategies and cultural competencies, particularly if the project will involve and benefit tribes, underserved communities, and for purposes of project area 6 disadvantaged communities. In addition, applications for Project Area 6 will be evaluated based on how well the applicant demonstrates how the project will benefit disadvantaged communities as defined in Section I.C. (10 points)

ii. The extent to which the applicant includes innovative approaches in addressing the workforce needs of drinking water and wastewater utilities. For Project Area 6 applications, this includes evaluating the extent to which the project will help reduce GHG emissions and air pollution. (8 points)

iii. The extent to which the applicant describes the proposed approach to share (or make available) the project activities, the results of the project activities, and the lessons learned to geographically diverse areas. (7 points)

C5. What are examples of participant support costs?

Examples of participant supports costs are identified in Section I.C and include: “Other supportive services and participant support costs (e.g., apprenticeship stipend and training materials, reasonable costs for transportation, childcare subsidies) to facilitate post-secondary success. RAIN-2018-G05-R1 EPA Guidance on Participant Support Costs has additional information.

In their training program descriptions, applicants should describe the process they will follow for determining the amounts of allowable stipends, procedures for accounting for participant support cost payments (including receipts) and documenting that the costs are allowable and do not duplicate other support for the trainee. Additional information on participant support costs is available in EPA Guidance on Participant Support Costs (pdf) (187.7 KB).

C6. We are considering a project under activity 2. We currently have a water operations diploma program at our institution but would like to expand the program online to reach more students. This will require us to conduct curriculum development and seek approval through our state’s academic approval process. This would mean that actual implementation of the online program would not be launched until the third year of funding. Is this acceptable or was the hope for student impact to begin sooner in the funding period?

To determine whether a project is eligible for this funding opportunity under Project Area 2, please see Section I.B., Goals and Objectives, Section I.C. Project Areas, Section III.C Threshold Eligibility Criteria, and Section V.A. Selection Criteria of the RFA.

Per Section VII, in accordance with EPA’s Assistance Agreement Competition Policy (EPA Order 5700.5A1), EPA staff will not discuss draft applications, provide informal comments on draft applications, or provide advice to applicants on how to respond to selection criteria. Applicants are responsible for the contents of their applications.

C7. Our organization works with juniors and seniors in schools across the state. Many of the actual high school locations we work in are not in the disadvantaged boundaries, but the whole school district boundary that high school serves includes disadvantaged communities. Do they still qualify as disadvantaged?

Section III.C., Threshold Eligibility Criteria states “Applications submitted for Project Area 6 must demonstrate how they will benefit disadvantaged communities as described in Section I.C. under Project Area 6.” Project Area 6, Section I.C Project Areas of the RFA states, “Applications submitted for this Project Area must demonstrate how they will benefit disadvantaged communities, which for purposes of Project Area 6 applications are defined as:

Any census tract that is included as disadvantaged in Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST);
Any census block group that is at or above the 90th percentile for any of EJScreen’s Supplemental Indexes when compared to the nation or state;
Any geographic area within Tribal lands as included in EJScreen: Alaska Native Allotments, Alaska Native Villages, American Indian Reservations, American Indian Off-reservation Trust Lands, and Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Areas.”

See also Section V.A., Selection Criteria.

C8. Are education, certificates, internships, and entry-level jobs that focus on river health, data collection and monitoring, and river health improvement projects considered eligible for this funding?

Section III.C., Threshold Eligibility Criteria states, “Applicants must address one, and only one of the six Project Areas listed in Section I.B.” Please also see Section I.B., Goals and Objectives; Section I.C. Project Areas; Section III.C., Threshold Eligibility Criteria; and Section V.A., Selection Criteria of the RFA.

C9. For Project Areas other than Project Area 6, can applicants include identification of project partner(s) and incorporation of a project partner into the project as part of the Scope of Work? We work with a variety of external partner organizations, and we continue to develop additional partnerships with new organizations. We are exploring options for partnering on our project but are not yet sure if it will work out.

Section I.D., Project Partnerships states: “Effective partnerships are important for the success of projects solicited under this announcement. In their applications, applicants should identify appropriate and necessary partnerships to successfully conduct the project as further described below and in Section III with respect to Priority 6 projects that have unique partnership eligibility requirements. Applicants should also include a clear description of the roles of specific partners, or planned partners, in the project’s components and/or tasks. If you choose not to partner, applications will be evaluated based on how the applicant demonstrates how it will successfully conduct the project and meet the objectives described in Section I.B without the use of partners. If the applicant chooses to identify any partner entities who will receive subawards or procurement contracts (including consultants), please pay careful attention to the information to the Contracts and Subawards provision found at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses before doing so as EPA will not consider their qualifications unless the applicant selects them in compliance with applicable regulations and provisions. Partnerships between organizations can greatly benefit from one another’s experience and expertise.” See also Section IV.E.2.C.2., Project Partnerships, and Section V.A.2., Project Partnerships.

D. Miscellaneous

D1. Can EPA provide clarification about the “environmental outcomes” required? Does there also need to be a larger public health or environment-related outcome proposed within the proposal?

Section I.F. EPA’s Strategic Plan Linkage and Anticipated Environmental Results, states “EPA also requires that applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements -- https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements). Applications must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs. To the maximum extent practicable, the application should include well-defined outcomes that demonstrate how the project will contribute to the overall protection of human health and the environment by ensuring safe drinking water and preventing water pollution.”

Section I.F. also states “Outcomes: Environmental outcomes are the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to the environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature. Outcomes should be quantitative and may not necessarily be achieved within the assistance agreement funding period.” Examples of anticipated outcomes from the cooperative agreements expected to be awarded under this announcement are provided in Section I.F. of the RFA for each of the 6 Project Areas.

D2. Are letters of support or memorandums of understanding (MOUs) required to demonstrate partnerships?

No. The mandatory documents are listed under the RFA Section IV. B. Submission Instructions and further described in Section IV.D. Application Materials.

D3. Will written responses to questions be posted as they are received?

Section VII., Agency Contact, states “Written responses will be posted on EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/innovative-water-infrastructure-workforce-development-program.”

D4. Does the requirement for geographic diversity imply a project that reaches across state boundaries, or are multi-county or multi- municipal jurisdictions within a state sufficient?

Section I.C. Project Areas, includes descriptions for five of the six Project Areas that address geographic diversity. Each of the five Project Areas includes the statement “For the purposes of this announcement, “geographically diverse,” means in different areas of the country.”

D5. Can a review of current workforce development programs and retirement expectations in a region be included as a task in the proposal?

Under Section I., Funding Opportunity Description, Subsection C. Project Area 3 states, “Regional industry, and workforce development collaborations to address water utility employment needs and coordinate candidate development, particularly in areas of high unemployment or for water utilities with a high proportion of retirement eligible employees.” In addition, “under Project Area 3 it states, “EPA is soliciting applications to expand public awareness about job opportunities in the water sector and address the workforce needs of utilities by establishing regional industry and workforce development collaborations that will address drinking water and wastewater utility recruitment and retention issues. Applications should describe water utility employment needs and provide information on if and how candidate development will occur in areas with high unemployment or for water utilities with high proportion of retirement eligible employees in the water utility community.”

D6. Is there a particular template for letters of support or letters of commitment that EPA requires?

No. The mandatory and optional documents are listed under Section IV.D. Application Materials.

D7. Must subrecipients also fill out EPA form 4700-4 Preaward Compliance Review Report under this solicitation, EPA-R-OW-OWM-23-02? Or is this form only to be submitted by the prime applicant?

All applications must include the mandatory documents described in Section IV.D. Application Materials.

D8. For successful applicants, will grant funds be distributed on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis?

Please see Recipient/Applicant Information Notice (RAIN) RAIN-2018-G06-R -- EPA Requirements for Enrolling in the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) System and Disbursing EPA Funds Within 5 business Days of Drawdown.

D9. Can applications include contractual costs?

Section IV. Application and Submission Information states, “Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses.”

Under EPA Solicitation Clauses it states, “Applicants must compete contracts for services and products, including consultant contracts, and conduct cost and price analyses, to the extent required by the procurement provisions of the regulations at 2 CFR Part 200. Applicants are not required to identify subrecipients and/or contractors (including consultants) in their application. However, if they do, the fact that an applicant selected for award has named a specific subrecipient, contractor, or consultant in the application EPA selects for funding does not relieve the applicant of its obligations to comply with subaward and/or competitive procurement requirements as appropriate. Please note that applicants may not award sole source contracts to consulting, engineering or other firms assisting applicants with the application solely based on the firm's role in preparing the application. For additional guidance applicants should review EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements.”

Section IV.E.2.C.6. Detailed Budget Narrative states “Provide a detailed budget and estimated funding amounts for each project component/task. This section provides an opportunity for a narrative description of the budget or aspects of the budget found in the SF-424A such as “other” and “contractual.”
1. “Applicants must itemize costs related to personnel, fringe benefits, contractual costs, travel, equipment, supplies, other direct costs, indirect costs, and total costs. All subgrant funding should be in the “other” cost category. Describe itemized costs in sufficient detail for EPA to determine the allowability of costs for each project component/task, as well as the cost-effectiveness and reasonableness of all costs.”

Please see Interim General Budget Development Guidance for Applicants and Recipients of EPA Financial Assistance (RAIN-2019-G02).

D10. What is the general timeframe for this funding award?

EPA is anticipating awarding these cooperative agreements in late Spring 2024, but this is only an estimate and not a guarantee. Once the cooperative agreements have been awarded, applicants will receive official project start and end dates.

D11. What are the quarterly reporting requirements?

Section VI. C. Reporting states “In general, recipients are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations and activities supported by the assistance funding, to assure compliance with applicable federal requirements, and for ensuring that established milestones and performance goals are being achieved. Performance reports and financial reports must be submitted quarterly and are due 30 days after the reporting period. The final report is due 120 days after the assistance agreement has expired. Recipients will be required to report direct and indirect environmental results from the work accomplished through the award. In negotiating assistance agreements, EPA will work closely with the recipient to incorporate appropriate performance measures and reporting requirements in the work plan consistent with 2 CFR 200 and 1500.” Financial information is reported on the Federal Financial Report Standard Form SF‑425.

In accordance with grant regulations (2 CFR 200.329), the recipient agrees to submit quarterly progress reports to the EPA Project Officer within thirty days after each reporting period.

An example of the reporting schedule is:

1st Quarter, January - March, due April 30
2nd Quarter, April - June, due July 31
3rd Quarter, July - September, due October 31
4th Quarter, October - December, due January 31

D12. We have an educational outreach program teaching higher education level students how to prepare to join the water infrastructure workforce. The program is in partnership with the county public schools and has completed its first of three years. We are hoping to apply to secure funding for the next two years. Since this is an already established program, is it eligible for funding?

Section I.B. Goals and Objectives states: “Through this grant program, EPA is soliciting applications from eligible applicants as described in Section III.A to assist in the development and utilization of innovative activities relating to workforce development and career opportunities in the water utility sector, which may include:

(A) expanding the use and availability of activities and resources that relate to the recruitment, including the promotion of diversity within that recruitment, of individuals to careers in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector, including stormwater;

(B) expanding the availability of training opportunities for (i) individuals entering the water and wastewater utility sector; and (ii) individuals seeking to advance careers within the water and wastewater utility sector;

(C) expanding the use and availability of activities and strategies, including the development of innovative activities and strategies, that relate to the maintenance and retention of a sustainable workforce in the water and wastewater utility sector; and

(D) expanding the availability of workforce development and training that enables drinking water and wastewater utility workers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other air pollutants to benefit disadvantaged communities.

Applicants interested in applying should review Section I.C., Project Areas, of this Request for Applications (RFA). Applications must address only one of the Project Areas identified in Section I.C. Applicants should also review Section III.C Threshold Eligibility Criteria and Section V.A Selection Criteria of the RFA.”

D13. Would submittal of letters of support from project partners be allowed in the “Other Attachments” section to strengthen our proposal, or is that strictly for the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement and Biographical Sketches?

Section I.D, Project Partnerships states “In their applications, applicants should identify appropriate and necessary partnerships to successfully conduct the project as further described below and in Section III with respect to Priority 6 projects that have unique partnership eligibility requirements. Applicants should also include a clear description of the roles of specific partners, or planned partners, in the project’s components and/or tasks. If you choose not to partner, applications will be evaluated based on how the applicant demonstrates how it will successfully conduct the project and meet the objectives described in Section I.B without the use of partners. If the applicant chooses to identify any partner entities who will receive subawards or procurement contracts (including consultants), please pay careful attention to the information to the Contracts and Subawards provision found at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses before doing so as EPA will not consider their qualifications unless the applicant selects them in compliance with applicable regulations and provisions. Partnerships between organizations can greatly benefit from one another’s experience and expertise.” Section IV E. Content of Application Package Submission states “Biographical Sketches. Submit a biographical sketch of each major project manager, support staff member, or other major project participant for the proposed project.” Letters of support from project partners will not be evaluated (see Section V.A Selection Criteria).

D14. Are we allowed to include equipment in the application?

Equipment may be an allowable project cost. Section IV.E.2.C.6. Detailed Budget Narrative states “Provide a detailed budget and estimated funding amounts for each project component/task. This section provides an opportunity for a narrative description of the budget or aspects of the budget found in the SF-424A such as “other” and “contractual.”

a. “Applicants must itemize costs related to personnel, fringe benefits, contractual costs, travel, equipment, supplies, other direct costs, indirect costs, and total costs. All subgrant funding should be in the “other” cost category. Describe itemized costs in sufficient detail for EPA to determine the allowability of costs for each project component/task, as well as the cost-effectiveness and reasonableness of all costs.”

For additional guidance on equipment costs, applicants should review EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements. For additional guidance on developing an application budget, applicants should review Interim General Budget Development Guidance for Applicants and Recipients (RAIN) 2019-G02. Training is available on How to Develop a Budget.

D15. If we do not currently have a faculty member to lead this grant, is it acceptable to hire a faculty member to lead, if awarded funding? From a bio sketch perspective and appropriate project lead, is the dean’s background acceptable to serve as project lead until a new faculty member/project lead can be identified?

Applications will be evaluated on both organizational experience and staff expertise and qualifications. Section IV.E.2.C.7., Programmatic Capability/Experience states:

a. Organizational Experience - Provide a brief description of your organization, and for Project Area 6 the organizations comprising the partnership if a partnership is applying for the award, experience related to the proposed project, and organizational infrastructure as it relates to its ability to successfully implement the proposed project.

b. Staff Expertise/Qualifications - Provide a list of key staff who will be working on the project and briefly describe their experience/expertise/qualifications, cultural competency including appropriate language fluency to serve communities in the geographic areas to be served, and knowledge, and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the project. See also Section IV.E.1.f., Biographical Sketches. Submit a biographical sketch of each major project manager, support staff member, or other major project participant for the proposed project.

Please refer to Section V.A.6., Selection Criteria for additional information on how applications will be evaluated for organizational experience and staff expertise and qualifications.

D16. We use some technical equipment for our water quality and sampling collections in our training, which can be very costly per unit. We see things like laptops, waders, and hardware accessories, for example, as supplies, and things like probes as equipment. How and when can we request the amount of a micro-purchase threshold be raised to purchase the more expensive equipment that would put us over the combined supplies and equipment 10K threshold?

For additional guidance on equipment costs, applicants should review EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements.

D17. Does EPA ever allow the grantee to incur costs for eligible activities undertaken between the time of the grant award announcement and the time the grant cooperative agreement is executed?

See RAIN-2019-G02 Interim General Budget Development Guidance for Applicants and Recipients of EPA Financial Assistance (pdf) (591.34 KB), Section I.C. Pre-Award Costs, which states:

1. The allowability of pre-award costs are governed by 2 CFR 200.458 and 2 CFR 1500.9 unless a program specific regulation (e.g. 40 CFR 35.6275(b) for Superfund Cooperative Agreements or 40 CFR 35.4100 for Technical Assistance Grants) prohibits or restricts the allowability of pre-award costs.

2. EPA defines pre-award costs as costs incurred prior to the award date, but on or after the start date of the Budget period and Period of performance as defined in 2 CFR 200.1. Under EPA’s interpretation of 2 CFR 200.308(e)(1) and 2 CFR 1500.9, all eligible costs must be incurred during the budget/performance period as defined by the start and end date shown on the grant award to receive EPA approval. This interpretation is implemented in a grant-specific Term and Condition entitled ‘Pre-award Costs’ which will be included in all awards when the recipient has incurred EPA approved costs prior to award.

3. The budget/project periods must be consistent with that shown in section 17 of the Standard Form 424 (SF-424), Recipient Workplan, and EPA Notice of Award.

D18. Although matching funds are not required, are any additional points or preference given if the project applicant commits to provide matching funds?

No cost share or match is required (see Section III.B). There are no evaluation criteria associated with non-federal cost share/match or leveraging (see Section V.A).