Frequently Asked Questions

Top Questions

Is My Organization Eligible?
How much money will be awarded under the Community Change Grants program?
What is the timeline for the Community Change Grants?
Who can apply for the Community Change Grants?
How is “Community-Based Organization” defined for purposes of the Community Change Grants?
How is “local government” defined for purposes of the Community Change Grants?
How is “Federally-Recognized Tribe” defined for purposes of the Community Change Grants?
What type of projects can the Community Change Grants be used for?
How is a “disadvantaged community” defined for the purposes of the Community Change Grants?
What is the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool and EJScreen?
How long will recipients have to perform the grants?
Will there be technical assistance to help applicants under the Community Change Grants?
What should I do to prepare to apply?
Who can I contact with questions about the Community Change Grants?

A. Application Process

1. Is there a limit on how many times we can apply under the NOFO?
2. Can we submit applications for both Track I and Track II under the NOFO?
3. Can I apply for a grant under the CCGP if I am already receiving another grant from EPA?
4. Does the 20-page limit for the Track I Project Narrative include the Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan and Community Strength Plan or are there separate page limits for the plans?
5. Are there any application templates?
6. Can you clarify who needs to register with SAM.gov? Do entities who may serve as contractors under the grant need to register?
7. Will applicants be notified of the status of their application as it is being reviewed?
8. Is the CCGP a pass-through grant program like the Thriving Communities Grantmaker Program?
9. If our application is not selected for award, can we submit it again before the NOFO closing date?
10. Does the debriefing and application resubmission follow a separate process from a dispute?
11. When will applicants know if they have been selected for award?
12. Will applying early increase the likelihood that an applicant will be selected for an award?
13. After the expected initial March 2024 award selections, what is the schedule for future selections?
14. Is the CCGP a one-time funding opportunity or will there be another cycle of the CCGP in the future?
15. When does the three-year period to complete the grants begin?
16. The NOFO states that all funds must be awarded by September 30, 2026. If an award is made on September 1, 2024, when must it be completed?
17. Is there a minimum and maximum amount of funding that may be requested for Track I and II applications?
18. Can projects receiving funds from the CCGP also leverage federal funds for the same project?
19. Are letters of support required to be submitted with an application?

B. Scoring and Evaluation

1. Who will review applications and determine who is selected for awards?
2. Will more points be awarded if a Track I application addresses more than one Climate Action and/or Pollution Reduction strategy?
3. Does having a previous EPA grant impact scoring for this grant?
4. Will EPA fund two applications that focus on the same or similar project activities?
5. If a Lead Applicant applies for two grants, would that be considered in the evaluation of their applications?
6. Is there a minimum score for receiving an award?
7. Do high scoring applications that are not initially selected carry over to subsequent review cycles?
8. What is meant by the “geographical diversity” other selection factor in Section V.E of the NOFO?

C. Awards and Payments

1. How will the grant funds be awarded and distributed among the entities that are part of an application?
2. Does the entire award amount need to flow down to subrecipients?
3. Is there cost-share or match requirement for awards under the NOFO?
4. Will grant funds be paid to recipients via a draw-down system or will there be an opportunity to get the initial lump sum?
5. Can the grants be used as match for other federal grants?
6. Can a project receive funding from other Federal or state funding sources in addition to the CCGP award?
7. If we receive an award under the NOFO, can we delay the official award issuance date so we can delay grant performance?

D. Eligibility and Statutory Partnerships

1. Are non-profit organizations with a 501(c)(6) designation eligible to apply under the NOFO?
2. Are the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and any other territories eligible to be in a Statutory Partnership with a CBO to apply under the NOFO?
3. Are the Freely Associated States eligible to apply under this NOFO?
4. Are hospitals eligible to apply under the NOFO?
5. Can a nonprofit organization incorporated as an LLC be considered a CBO and be part of a Statutory Partnership to apply under the NOFO?
6. What are some examples of local governments that may apply under the NOFO with a CBO partner?
7. Is there a preference for collaborations with local governments over partnerships between two CBOs under the NOFO?
8. What constitutes a Statutory Partnership agreement between the two Statutory Partners, and does EPA have a model agreement?
9. Can a letter of collaboration between the two Statutory Partners be a substitute for the Statutory Partnership Agreement?
10. Must local governments enter into subaward agreements prior to award to meet the Statutory Partnership requirements in Appendix B even if local law prohibits binding commitments on the part of local governments?
11. Does the Lead Applicant have to make subawards to Collaborating Entities before they are awarded a grant?
12. Do the two Statutory Partners have to demonstrate that they have worked together in the past to apply as a Statutory Partnership?
13. How do organizations determine which eligible entity should be the Lead Applicant and which should be the Statutory Partner?
14. Can a federal agency be a Lead Applicant or a Statutory Partner on an application?
15. Can we apply as a collaboration between multiple Federally recognized Tribes?
16. Can the Statutory Partnership that applies for a grant consist of more than 2 entities?
17. Can an institution of higher education apply with a Resource Conservation District (RCD) as the CBO?
18. If a CBO is partnering with a single Joint Powers Association (JPA) entity made up of five local governments, then can the JPA serve as the Lead Applicant?
19. Can a CBO that works in a disadvantaged community partner with an Institution of Higher Education that is not located in that disadvantaged community?
20. Can a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) be considered a CBO and apply in partnership with another CBO or a local government?
21. Can a Public Benefit Corporation with non-profit CBO “shareholders” apply as a CBO or other eligible entity?
22. Can a collaborative of CBOs apply as one CBO?
23. Can the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories receive funding under the NOFO as a subrecipient to a Lead Applicant?
24. Are investor-owned public utilities eligible to apply for the grants?
25. If a CBO partners with a local government to apply for a grant, does the Partnership Agreement between them need to be adopted by the local government?
26. Is a national Tribal consortium eligible to apply as part of a Statutory Partnership under the NOFO?
27. Can religious-affiliated organizations be considered CBOs under the NOFO?
28. Is a state agency eligible to apply for funding under the NOFO?
29. The NOFO refers to Institutions of Higher Education as being eligible to apply with a CBO, but are K-12 educational institutions also eligible to participate?
30. Can CCGP funding be used for AmeriCorps stipends?
31. Is there a list of Federally recognized Tribes who are eligible?
32. What is EPA’s position on “fiscal sponsors” applying under the NOFO?
33. Can a community college or other Institution of Higher Education with non-profit status qualify as a CBO?
34. Our university’s research corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, submits and administers grant dollars on behalf of the university. Would the research corporation be eligible to be a CBO on an application submitted under the NOFO?
35. Are local government agencies considered part of a local government even if they have their own unique entity identifier (UEI) and indirect cost rates?
36. My organization is a national organization but has a presence in certain communities to work on community issues-- would we be considered a CBO?
37. If a university has only one sponsored project office for its entire multi-campus system, and assuming it is an Institution of Higher Education and wants to be a Lead Applicant on an application, is it limited to two applications as a Lead Applicant?
38. Are Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) eligible to apply for the grants as a CBO?
39. Can a Tribe apply as a Lead Applicant even if the project isn’t on tribal land?
40. Can a Federally recognized Tribe qualify as a CBO since they are exempt from Federal taxation?

E. Collaborating Entities

1. Is there a minimum or maximum number of subawards that a Lead Applicant must make to Collaborating Entities?
2. Can a Collaborating Entity be an organization located outside of the United States?
3. Can subawards only be granted to Collaborating Entities named in the application?
4. Can for-profit/private companies be Collaborating Entities?
5. Can a for-profit entity receive a subaward, or otherwise be a program participant?

F. Procurement Questions

1. If we have already completed a competitive procurement in advance of applying, can we list the contractor/consultant in the application? And does this apply to engineering contracts as well?
2. What if we have a Master Service Agreement that was previously competed in compliance with federal procurement policies? Can we list it in the application?
3. Can a Lead Applicant procure contractors to assist with grant performance, or should procurement be managed by subrecipients who receive subawards from the Lead Applicant?