CELCP | For Recipients

For CELCP Recipients

How to Apply

There are two stages to applying for competitive CELCP funds – a pre-proposal stage and final grant application stage. 

Pre-proposal:

For additional information on funding opportunities and how to submit a pre-proposal through the state’s lead agency, see the Funding Opportunities page.  Funding opportunity announcements and application materials will be posted on that page.  For each competitive funding cycle, NOAA will conduct a technical review of proposals to determine whether they are ready and eligible, and a merit-based peer review process to rank proposals for funding.

Final grant application:

Once Congress has appropriated funding for the CELCP, NOAA will notify the applicants of projects selected for funding and give instructions on how to submit a final grant application to NOAA to receive the funds. The following information explains how to apply for the funds, what information is needed, and special award conditions that apply to these funds.

Using Grants.gov

Final grant applications for CELCP funding must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, the federal grants application program website.  If not yet registered with Grants.gov, applicants should begin this process well before the deadline as it can take several weeks to register. A username and password are needed to submit grant applications.  The Grants.gov website provides information on the process for registering and how to find and apply for grants.  For further assistance, the Grants.gov helpline is available at 800-518-4726 (M-F 7:00am to 9:00pm, EST) or via email at support@grants.gov.  Each applicant will also need to have a DUNS number in order to apply (see below for more information).

Application Materials

Final grant applications consist of the following materials: 

  1. Standard forms for federal assistance: SF-424, SF-424A, 424B, CD-511; and, if applicable, SF-LLL and CD-346 (generally only for Congressionally-directed projects);
  2. A Scope of Work, including a description of the properties to be purchased and/or used as in-kind match, as well as a timeline for completing the project (updated as appropriate from the pre-proposal);
  3. A Budget that describes the costs of the project, the use of the federal funds, and how the non-Federal match will be met (updated as appropriate from the pre-proposal);
  4. Site Map or Aerial Photo, Region Map, and Survey Plat;
  5. The CELCP Project Checklist;
  6. Evidence of Agreement with a Willing Seller for purchase of each property;
  7. Evidence of Marketable Title for each property to be acquired; and
  8. A complete, Self-Contained Appraisal (prepared to the federal appraisal standards) that supports the purchase price or value for each property.
When the grant application is submitted to NOAA, the recipient should also submit the project to:
  1. The state coastal program for federal consistency review, if applicable. Contact the federal consistency coordinator in your state for more information.
  2. The State Historic Preservation Officer for clearance.

Documentation of Federal Consistency Certification and State Historic Preservation Officer clearance should be provided to NOAA before federal funds are spent.

Once NOAA receives a final application, it can take up to 120 days before the award is made. NOAA encourages applicants to submit applications as early in the fiscal year as possible after funding decisions have been made. NOAA cannot guarantee that any application received by NOAA’s Grants Management Division after June 30 will be awarded in the current fiscal year (i.e., by September 30). If special circumstances affect the time needed for processing (i.e., an expiring option date), please contact the CELCP program officer for the project.

If possible, recipients should not close on properties until after NOAA has received and approved the supporting due diligence documentation. Recipients should allow 90 days for review of a complete due diligence package prior to closing. Recipients who close on properties without first getting NOAA approval of due diligence documentation do so at their own risk. NOAA cannot guarantee reimbursement for these costs if the project or the supporting due diligence documentation is found to be unacceptable.

Grant Management and Reporting

Once a grant is awarded, all future grant management activities are conducted electronically through NOAA’s grants management system, NOAA Grants On-line.  If not already registered, a Grants On-line account will be established for each recipient after a grant has been awarded.  

Each applicant will need to have a U.S. Treasury ASAP account in order to draw funds electronically.

Progress reports are required every six months from the time an award starts until it is closed.  The standard performance period is 18 months, but may be extended an additional 18 months if circumstances warrant (e.g. demonstrable progress is being made and the recipient is current on all financial and performance reports). 

See below for more information.

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Other Information and Requirements

Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Final Guidelines (June 2003)

Match: By statute, the CELCP requires a 1:1 cost-share on projects. Information regarding costs and contributions that are acceptable match can be found in the CELCP guidelines and at 15 CFR 24.24 (the Department of Commerce’s codification of the Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments/Matching or Cost-Sharing).

The preferred source of match is an equal cash contribution from the Recipient, another state or local public entity involved in the project, or private source of funding. However, other acquisition-related costs (e.g., appraisal and attorney fees, closing costs), if accrued during the award period; and under certain circumstances, the value of donated lands, such as another similar conservation property purchased by or donated to the grant recipient, may also be eligible as in-kind match.

In-kind match must be accrued during the award period with the exception of land acquisitions, which can have occurred up to three years prior to the date of final application. For further details, please review the CELCP guidelines or match provisions in the funding opportunity notice.

Public Ownership: Properties purchased with, or used as in-kind match for, CELCP funds must be held by a public agency, unless Congress has provided other direction.

Special Award Conditions:  Recipients must comply with special award conditions as a term of accepting the funds. For example, the conditions include requirements to record language in the property deed restricting the use and disposition of the property, as well as to install a permanent sign at the site acknowledging NOAA’s funding. View a sample list of the conditions. Additional conditions may be placed on a grant if any of the required documentation was not submitted with a final grant application.

Federal Consistency: Awards of financial assistance through the CELCP are federal actions that are subject to the consistency provisions of the Coastal Zone Management Act.  If a project is located within, or would directly impact, the state’s designated coastal zone, the state’s coastal management program may need to review the project to ensure consistency with the state’s approved program. NOAA recommends contacting the Federal consistency coordinator in your state’s coastal management program as soon as possible to find out whether they review CELCP projects for consistency (some states waive this review due to the nature of CELCP projects), and if so, what the process is for that state. 

Each grant award will contain a special award condition that requires this certification of consistency (or documentation of a waiver) before funds can be accessed. In general, recipients will need to submit to the state the same due diligence package for the proposed acquisition(s) that is submitted to NOAA, but it is important to check with the state’s consistency coordinator to confirm what specific information each state will require, and by what date (federal consistency review is subject to prescribed timelines). If the State waives consistency for CELCP projects, the recipient may provide a statement to NOAA documenting that the state does not require review (or provide a copy of the state’s waiver to the recipient).

DUNS Number: The Office of Management and Budget has directed federal agencies to require all applicants to provide a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements. This is to improve the statistical reporting of federal grants and cooperative agreements, and will be used for tracking purposes and to validate address and point of contact information. This number is required on the SF-424.

Reporting: Progress reports are required every six months from the time an award starts until it is closed. Within 30 days of the conclusion of each six-month period, recipients must submit a report summarizing activities conducted in support of the project during the prior six months. Within 90 days of the conclusion of the last reporting period, recipients must submit a final report that contains a summary of the project and activities, proof of the acquisition (recorded deed or conservation easement showing NOAA language), proof that a sign was installed (photo), and some representative site photos (digital preferred). NOAA’s Grants Management Division will also provide guidance for its semi-annual financial reporting requirements.

A grant is not considered complete when the property closing occurs. Each grant recipient will need to demonstrate, through performance and financial reports, that all award conditions have been met before an award can be closed. Recipients must keep reporting until the end of the official award performance period.

Payment: Award payments are made through electronic funds transfer. NOAA uses the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Automated Standard Application for Payment (ASAP) system. The ASAP system allows grant recipients to withdraw funding directly from an established ASAP account for each award once approval for the funding is given and the recipient has enrolled in ASAP. NOAA will provide instructions for enrolling in ASAP, which takes approximately 6-8 weeks.  If the recipient already has an ASAP account, the recipient will simply need to provide the account number to NOAA’s Grants Management Division. If the funds are needed less than 6 weeks after the award is due to start, it may be possible to request the funds using the SF-270 (Request for Cash Advance or Reimbursement), which usually takes 10 business days. Otherwise, use of ASAP is mandatory. If the project's circumstances will require quick access to the funds, contact the CELCP program officer as soon as possible.

Award Management: Grants.gov is used to submit grant applications electronically. Once a grant is awarded, all future grant management activities are conducted electronically through NOAA’s grants management system, NOAA Grants On-line. If the recipient does not have a NOAA Grants On-line account, an account will be set up after an award is made. All grant actions MUST be done through this system, such as submitting project documentation, progress and financial reporting, requesting an extension to the performance period, etc.  

Paper-based documentation will NOT be accepted.

Please ensure that all documents can be submitted electronically, preferably as Adobe pdf or Word files. If a recipient must submit documentation prior to enrollment in NOAA Grants On-line, information must be submitted electronically, either via e-mail or by mailing it on a disk or CD.

For questions or additional information, contact Elisabeth Morgan at (301) 713-3155 x166.

 

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