Having a prior EPA grant may be evaluated as part of the past performance evaluation factor for Track I and II applications as well as any other relevant criteria. Applications will be evaluated based on the evaluation criteria in Section V of the NOFO.
Not necessarily. The NOFO requirement is to address at least one Climate Action Strategy and at least one Pollution Reduction Strategy. Track I applications will be evaluated based on the Track I criteria in Section V of the NOFO.
The review and selection process are described in Section V of the NOFO for Track I and II applications. As stated in Section V.B of the NOFO, all applications that pass the threshold eligibility review process will be evaluated and scored by review panels using the track-specific evaluation criteria in Section V. Review panels may be comprised of EPA staff, other Federal reviewers, and/or external reviewers.
No, there is no requirement to submit letters of support. However, there is a Statutory Partnership requirement as explained in Section III.A of the NOFO and Appendix B.
Generally, yes, if the requirements for each program are met. Costs must be attributed to each individual federal grant/loan and properly accounted for pursuant to 2 CFR 200.403(f) and other applicable provisions of 2 CFR Part 200. In addition, Section V.E.7 of the NOFO (also see Sections V.E.5 and 6) states that in making final funding decisions EPA may consider:
The extent to which the EPA funding may complement or be coordinated with other EPA funding or other Federal and/or non-Federal sources of funds/resources to leverage additional resources to contribute to the performance and success of the grant. This includes but is not limited to funds and other resources leveraged from businesses, labor organizations, non-profit organizations, education, and training providers, and/or Federal, state, Tribal, and local governments, as appropriate.
There is a maximum amount of funding that applicants may request under Track I and II, but there is not a minimum. Section II.A of the NOFO states that:
“EPA anticipates awarding approximately $2 billion in funding through this NOFO depending on funding availability, quality of applications received, EPA priorities, and other applicable considerations. Awards under Track I are expected to be between $10-20million each and cannot exceed $20million. Awards underTrack II are expected to be between $1-3million each and cannot exceed $3million.”
Further information is also in Section III.D.10 of the NOFO. Based on this, while there is a maximum ceiling for Track I and II applications, there is no required minimum amount of funding that may be requested for Track I and II applications because we wanted to provide applicants with some flexibility. However, while applications for Track I and II that are submitted below the stated range may be eligible, they will be evaluated based on the criteria and requirements in the NOFO and Track I applications for significantly less than $10 million may not be as competitive as those between $10-20 million.
As required by law (Section 138(a)(1) and (b)(1) of the Clean Air Act), all the grants under the NOFO must be awarded and funds obligated by September 30, 2026, and the performance period for the grants must not extend beyond three years. If a grant is awarded on September 1, 2024, then it must be completed by September 1, 2027, and there can be no extensions.
The grant period of performance is three years from award date, which is the same as the “agreement date.” Recipients may incur pre-award costs to the extent authorized by 2 CFR 1500.9, but EPA will adjust the period of performance and budget period to cover the pre-award costs as provided in 2 CFR 200.403(h). All costs must be incurred, and grant activities must be completed, during this 3-year period of performance. As provided in 2 CFR 200.344(b), recipients will have 120 days following the end of the period of performance to liquidate financial obligations incurred during the period of performance.
As of this time, the CCGP that is covered by the NOFO is a one-time funding opportunity using Inflation Reduction Act funds. Future funding cycles depend on Congressional appropriations.
EPA will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and anticipates doing approximately monthly reviews and will announce selections as soon as practicable after the review process is complete. The timing of the review and selection process are dependent on the volume of applications received and other considerations. The dates in the NOFO are estimates only.