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Pollution Prevention Information Network Grants Program - Request for Proposals for FY 2007

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

FEDERAL AGENCY: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)
Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE: FY 2007 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Pollution Prevention Information Network (PPIN) Grants Program

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: New Announcement

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: EPA-OPPT-07-01

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBER: 66.708

Dates: The closing date and time for receipt of proposals is June 11, 2007, 6 PM Eastern Daylight Time. (See Section IV Part C for further information.)

OVERVIEW

Under the authority of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, approximately $800,000 will be available to support grants to States, Tribes, and Intertribal Consortia in FY 2007 for programs that target assistance to businesses for whom lack of information is an impediment to implementing source reduction and provide training in source reduction techniques. This RFP describes the main requirements for funding: improved efficiency of pollution prevention information services and enhanced results reporting and evaluation of services.

This Request for Proposal includes the following information:

FULL TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT

I. Funding Opportunity Description.

EPA is announcing the availability of Pollution Prevention (P2) Information Network grants. Under the authority of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, EPA anticipates approximately $800,000 will be available to support grants to states, Tribes, and Intertribal Consortia in FY 2007 for P2 information activities and services in 2007 to 2008. Currently, EPA has established a network of regional P2 information centers to collaboratively develop and disseminate P2 information and provide training in P2 approaches. These Regional P2 centers collaborate and together are known as Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx). They utilize Internet resources to reach a broad audience. Further information can be found at www.p2rx.org. Exit EPA Disclaimer .

A. Introduction

This announcement describes the process by which EPA will award grants under the Pollution Prevention Information Network (PPIN) Grants Program (Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-508) Section 6605; 40 CFR 35.340 and 40 CFR 35.660). Applicants should carefully read through this announcement because it provides important information on the goals of the program, threshold requirements for proposals, the submittal process, deadlines, evaluation criteria, award selection, and instructions for grant reporting.

The goal of the Pollution Prevention Information Network grants program is to assist businesses and industries in identifying better environmental strategies and solutions for reducing or eliminating waste at the source. Funds awarded through this grant program help to support work with businesses and industry to reduce the release of potentially harmful pollutants across all environmental media: air, water, and land. P2 programs have demonstrated that source reduction can be a cost-effective way of meeting or exceeding Federal and State regulatory requirements.

For purposes of this grant announcement, pollution prevention/source reduction is defined as any practice which:

  1. Reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment or disposal;
  2. Reduces the hazards to public health and the environment associated with the release of such substances, pollutants, or contaminants; and
  3. Reduces or eliminates the creation of pollutants through: (a) increased efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy, water, or other resources; or (b) protection of natural resources by conservation.

Examples of pollution prevention/source reduction projects or activities include: equipment or technology modifications, process or procedure modifications, reformulation or redesign of products, substitution of raw materials, and improvements in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control.

Pollution prevention/source reduction does not include any practice which alters the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of the volume of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant through a process or activity which itself is not integral to and necessary for the production of a product or the providing of a service. (See PPA § 6603 and 40 CFR §§ 35.343 and 35.662). Prevention includes what is commonly called "in-process recycling," but not "out-of-process recycling." Although recycling in an environmentally sound manner shares many of the advantages of prevention (e.g., energy and resource conservation and reducing the need for end-of-pipe treatment) these activities are not traditionally considered pollution prevention/source reduction.

B. Program History

EPA has awarded Pollution Prevention Information Network grants since 1997. EPA started this grant program with the intention of improving: 1) coordination of pollution prevention (P2) information collection, 2) synthesis and selection of the best P2 information to support state and local P2 technical assistance providers, and 3) communication among P2 information developers. In 2004, an independent evaluation (by an EPA contractor) of the PPIN grant program concluded that "P2Rx centers have developed an effective national network to share and build their collective information and resources. This is the first important step in increasing nationwide awareness and implementation of pollution prevention techniques."

Currently, this grant program supports eight grantees, working collaboratively, that have formed a group called the Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx). More information about the P2Rx centers can be found on the Internet at: www.p2rx.org. Exit EPA Disclaimer These centers provide peer-reviewed P2 information and services such as: referrals, research for P2 solutions, listserves and electronic libraries of P2 references and videos.

In this 2007 Request for Proposals (RFP) the Agency is emphasizing: 1) providing P2 information services in a more focused and efficient manner and 2) enhancing measurement and evaluation. EPA encourages proposals that seek new approaches to providing P2 information services that will be more efficient. EPA expects grantees to use performance measurement and program evaluation to identify whether projects are achieving their goals and improve performance.

C. Alignment with EPA Environmental Results Policy.

Pursuant to EPA Order 5700.7, "Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements," EPA requires that grant applicants and recipients adequately address environmental outputs and outcomes. Outputs and outcomes differ both in their nature and in how they are measured. Applicants must discuss environmental outputs and outcomes in their proposal.

1. Outputs. The term "output," as defined by the Agency, refers to an environmental activity or effort and associated work product related to an environmental goal or objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative, but must be measurable during the assistance agreement funding period. Expected outputs of awards to be made under this announcement may include, but are not limited to, the following: number of workshops or trainings conducted, number of responses to requests for assistance, or number of user sessions associated with a specific web-based product. Grant recipients are required to submit to EPA status reports about their progress achieving outputs once the project is implemented.

Outcomes. The term "outcome" means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related or programmatic in nature, but must be quantitative. Outcomes may not necessarily be achievable during the project period. Outcomes may be classified as short-, medium-, and long-term. Short-term outcomes include increased learning, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and motivation and must occur during the project period. Medium-term outcomes include decisions, actions, practices, and behavior, which are the foundations of pollution prevention and environmental stewardship. Long-term outcomes include reduced levels of pollution generated due to implementation of P2 practices. These long-term outcomes may occur after the project closes. Examples of environmental outcomes from projects to be funded under this announcement include, but are not limited to, the following: increased understanding of the environmental or economic effectiveness of P2 technologies; adoption of P2 practices or technologies by businesses; or conservation of water resources resulting from adopting P2 practices.

Applicants will need to budget adequate resources to pay for measurement and reporting activities. In some cases this may require 10-20% of the proposed budget. Grant proposals must include project milestones specifying the outcomes and outputs that will result, and a clear description of the method(s) the grantee will use to track and measure progress in achieving the expected outcomes and outputs associated with each project milestone.

D. Alignment with EPA Environmental Strategic Plan.

Proposals must commit to and work towards the four long-term goals of EPA's Pollution Prevention Program, listed below:

  1. By 2011, reduce 4.5 billion pounds of hazardous materials cumulatively compared to the 2000 baseline of 44 million pounds reduced.
  2. By 2011, reduce, conserve, or offset 31.5 trillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) cumulatively compared to the 2002 baseline of 0 BTUs reduced, conserved, or offset.
  3. By 2011, reduce water use by 19 billion gallons cumulatively compared to the 2000 baseline of 220 million gallons reduced.
  4. By 2011, save $791.9 million through pollution prevention improvements in business, institutional, and governmental costs cumulatively compared to the 2002 baseline of $0.0 saved.

The Pollution Prevention program's goals in the Agency's 2006-2011 Strategic Plan are expressed in Goal 5: Objective 5.2: Improve Environmental Performance Through Pollution Prevention and Other Stewardship, Sub-Objective 5.2.1: Prevent Pollution and Promote Environmental Stewardship. For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/cfo/plan/2006/goal_5.pdf

E. Pollution Prevention Information Network National Requirements for Funding.

Proposals must address BOTH of these PPIN national requirements, described below, in order to be considered for funding:

1. Provide P2 Information Services in a Focused and Efficient Manner. Over the past ten years, the PPIN grant program has successfully built a national network of centers that work together to provide P2 information services nation-wide. Given this foundation, the Agency is asking that proposals focus on services that are most valued by clients and identify how these services or information products will be provided more efficiently. Efficiencies can include those associated with a single center as well as functions that relate to the network as a whole, e.g., similar web work that is conducted in each of the current centers. In order to provide flexibility to allow for more focused and efficient approaches, EPA will consider proposals that serve more than one EPA Region. Additionally, these proposals can include sub-grants to other parties to provide specific expertise or services. Proposals will need to justify and document the continuing value of the service provided.

Focusing grant efforts on the information products that clients use and value (and eliminating less important products) and creating efficiencies should allow the PPIN grant program to use more resources to document outputs and outcomes that result from the P2 information provided. Work plans should describe how services will be provided more efficiently, including the funding level and work years (or full time equivalents, FTEs) needed to carry out the proposed task. See this example.

2. Enhance Measurement and Evaluation. Work plans should describe how the grantee will measure and document the outcomes of their activities. This will provide the foundation for evaluating program accomplishments. EPA will provide support to grantees in obtaining the necessary approval from OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act, if needed to collect the information documenting outcomes from the P2 information and services provided. Current grantees are using EPA ICR 1860.03. Background on how the impact of P2 information centers can be addressed can be found in the June 2002 EPA publication "Guide for Measuring Compliance Assistance Outcomes".

Proposals should include a variety of approaches (such as web-based surveys, pre- and post-event surveys, or case studies) documenting how P2 information services met client needs and led to changes in behavior because the use of surveys requires OMB review and may restrict what results can be documented. Outcome measures can include a range, from changes in understanding or awareness of pollution prevention practices, changes in behavior related to implementation of P2 practices, adoption of changes in facility procedures, to measurable reductions of emissions/pollutants from facilities.

Section 6605 of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 specifically mentions the importance of providing businesses with source reduction/P2 information. Therefore, proposals for 2007 should document how business needs are identified, how the proposed services meet those needs, and how services will be evaluated by clients. Proposals should also describe how outreach to the business community is being improved and documented.

Reporting grant results will be most useful to the Agency and the grantee if such results are part of an ongoing monitoring and reporting of program accomplishments. This process of reporting results and evaluating the effectiveness of services provided can help identify services or products that need improvement and whether the project is achieving its goals. A self-evaluation process that examines the program's measurable accomplishments; effectiveness of the work performed under all proposal components; identified potential problem areas; and suggestions for improvement will be a valuable first step to validate the role of the centers in changing business practices.

F. Statutory Authority

Awards under this solicitation will be made under the authority of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, (the Act) (Pub. L. 101-508) which established as national policy that pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible. Specifically, section 6605 of the Act and 40 CFR 35.340 and 35.660 authorize EPA to award grants to States, State entities, e.g., colleges and universities, Federally-recognized Tribes and Intertribal Consortia for projects that promote the use of pollution prevention/source reduction techniques by businesses.

G. Other Applicable Regulations.

State and tribal applicants and recipients of P2 Grants are subject to the applicable requirements of 40 CFR Parts 31 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Assistance Agreements to State, Local and Federally-Recognized Tribal Governments), 34 (Restrictions on Lobbying) and 35 (Environmental Program Grants for States and Tribes).

II. Award Information.

EPA anticipates that in FY 2007 approximately $800,000 will be available to award to successful applicants. In previous years, eight or nine Pollution Prevention Information Network assistance agreements have been awarded in the range of $50,000 to $129,000. This year it is expected that between four to eight new awards will be made through a competitive process for amounts not to exceed $250,000 per year. Proposals may not exceed a project period of 12 months. Proposals that exceed $250,000 in Federal funding will be rejected. Proposals that seek funding for more than 12 months will be rejected.

EPA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete activities, portions, or phases of the proposed project. If EPA decides to partially fund a proposal/application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposal/application, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and that maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process. EPA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and issue no awards under this announcement, or issue fewer awards than anticipated.

The completed application package must include a detailed budget estimating the costs for labor (by labor category), fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractors, and for other direct costs and indirect costs. The proposal budget must include both the Federal funds and the 50% match in all of these categories.

A. Funding Restrictions.

P2 Grant funds may only be used for the purposes set forth in the grant agreement and must be consistent with the statutory authority of the PPIN Grants Program. Grant funds may not be used for matching funds for other Federal grants, lobbying, or intervention in Federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, Federal funds may not be used to sue the Federal government or any other government entity. All costs identified in the budget must conform to applicable Federal cost principles contained in OMB Circular A-87; A-122; and A-21, as appropriate. EPA will subtract proposed ineligible costs from the final approved budget if a grant is awarded.

B. Assistance Instrument to be Awarded.

The funding for selected proposals will be in the form of a grant or cooperative agreement awarded under the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 Section 6605. A cooperative agreement is an assistance agreement that is used when there is substantial federal involvement with the recipient during the performance of the project. EPA will award cooperative agreements for those projects in which it expects to have substantial technical interaction with the recipient throughout the performance of the project. For such projects, EPA may review and approve project phases, review and approve proposed sub-grants and contracts, collaborate with the recipient on the operation of the project, closely monitor the recipient's performance, approve any proposed changes to project narrative and/or budget, approve qualifications of key personnel, and review and comment on reports prepared under the assistance agreement. Award of funding through this year's competition is not a guarantee of future funding.

C. Start Date and Duration.

Proposals should have an anticipated start date of October 1, 2007. The proposed project period can be for up to 12 months. Proposals with a proposed project period in excess of 12 months will be rejected.

III. Eligibility Information.

A. Who May Apply?

Eligible applicants include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, any agency or instrumentality of a state including state colleges/universities, and Indian Tribes that meet the requirement for treatment in a manner similar to a state in 40 CFR 35.663 and intertribal consortia that meet the requirements in 40 CFR 35.504. For convenience, the term "state" in this notice refers to all eligible applicants. Foreign governments, local governments, private universities, non-profit organizations, private businesses, and individuals are not eligible for funding.

B. Cost Sharing and Matching Requirements.

Recipients of assistance agreements under Section 6605 of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 must provide at least 50 percent of the total allowable project cost. For example, a project costing $240,000 could be funded by a grant for up to $120,000 from the Federal government. The recipient is responsible for funding the other half ($120,000) of the project cost. Recipient contributions may include dollars, in-kind goods and services, and/or third party contributions consistent with 40 CFR 31.24. The proposal must contain a detailed budget showing how the cost will be matched with non-Federal dollars or in-kind goods and services. Proposals that do not show this will not be reviewed.

C. Threshold Eligibility Requirements.

In addition to meeting the eligible applicant and cost-sharing requirements discussed above, proposals must meet all of the following threshold criteria. Failure to meet any of the following criteria in the proposal will result in the automatic disqualification of the proposal for funding consideration. Ineligible applicants will be notified within 15 calendar days of the determination that they are ineligible based on the threshold criteria.

1. Program Requirements. Proposals for grants under Section 6605 of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, and the applicable regulations in 40 CFR Part 35 Subparts A and B (see 40 CFR §§ 35.342 and 35.661) must demonstrate how the proposed project activity will accomplish the following: a) Make specific technical assistance available to businesses seeking information about source reduction opportunities, including funding for experts to provide on-site technical advice to businesses seeking assistance and to assist in the development of source reduction plans; b) Target assistance to businesses for whom lack of information is an impediment to source reduction; and c) Provide training in source reduction techniques.

2. Compliance with National Requirements. The proposed activities must meet EPA's definition of pollution prevention (see Section I, Part A and http://www.epa.gov/p2/pubs/p2policy/definitions.htm). In addition, proposals must address BOTH of the national requirements for the PPIN grant program as described in Section I, Part E. Proposals must specify outputs and outcomes as described in Section I, Part C and relate their outcomes and outputs to Goal 5 of EPA's Strategic Plan, Sub-objective 5.2.1 "prevent pollution and promote environmental stewardship."

3. Project Period and Cost. EPA will reject proposals that have a project period longer than 12 months. Proposals may not seek more than $250,000 in Federal funding.

4. Submission Requirements. Proposals must substantially comply with the proposal submission instructions set forth in this announcement or they will be rejected. Where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the proposal and/or parts of the proposal, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Proposals must be received or postmarked by the deadline provided in Section IV, Part E. Proposals received after the deadline will be discarded or returned to the sender without further consideration.

IV. Proposal and Submission Information.

Please note that you may choose to apply under this announcement in one of two ways. If you wish to apply with a hard copy submission, please follow the instructions under "Hard Copy Submission" Section IV, Part C below. If you wish to apply electronically via Grants.gov, please follow the appropriate instructions under "Electronic Submission" Section IV, Part D below. Proposals must be received or postmarked by June 11, 2007. EPA encourages applicants to submit their application/proposal materials electronically through www.grants.gov. EPA will no longer consider proposals sent by e-mail.

Applicants are advised to carefully read through these instructions.

A. General Information

Project narratives, as described in Part B below, must be limited to 14 single spaced pages. All proposals must be formatted for 8 ½" x 11" paper using no smaller than 12 point Times New Roman font with margins at least one-half inch wide and single spaced. Appendices for the budget section, resumes and other supporting documentation such as letters of support can be submitted as attachments to the project narrative and will not count toward the 14 page limit. The federal forms will also not count towards the page limit. Electronic files must be readable in Adobe Acrobat PDF, MS Word or Word Perfect WP6/7/8 for Windows in English.

B. Content of Proposals.

Applicants should prepare their proposal packages as described below. Applicants submitting proposal packages by hard copy are required to submit two copies of their proposal package, preferably double-sided, according to the instructions in Section IV, Part C. Full application packages should not be submitted at this time. Applicants who submit proposals that merit further consideration for funding based on the evaluation criteria, provided in Section V, Part A, will be contacted and instructed to submit a complete application package. Regardless of mode of submission, the following forms and documents are required under this announcement:

  1. Proposal for Federal Assistance Form (SF-424)
  2. Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs From (SF-424A)
  3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54
  4. Project Narrative
  5. Other attachments or appendices. (Not subject to the project narrative page limit)

1. Standard Form (SF) 424, Proposal for Federal Assistance. Complete the form. There are no attachments. Please note that the organizational Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number must be included on the SF-424. Organizations may obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number may also be found at the following website: http://www.Grants.Gov/GetStarted.

2. SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs. Complete the form. There are no attachments. If indirect costs are included, the amount of indirect costs should be entered on line 6(j). The indirect cost rate (i.e., a percentage), the base (e.g., personnel costs and fringe benefits), and the amount should also be indicated on line 22. If indirect costs are requested, a copy of the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement must be submitted as part of the proposal package.

3. EPA Form 5700-54, Key Contacts Form. Complete the form. There are no attachments.

4. Required Content of Project Narrative. The project narrative must be prepared in accordance with the instructions in Section IV Part A and be no longer than 14 single spaced pages. The project narrative must be organized in the format listed below and address all of the evaluation criteria listed in Section V, Part A. The outline for the project narrative is:

  1. Project overview
  2. Partnerships (letters may be attached as appendix)
  3. Project work plan (evaluation process may be attached as appendix)
  4. Environmental Results past performance
  5. Programmatic capability
  6. Detailed budget and narrative (may be attached as appendix)

4.a. Project Overview.

  1. Describe how the project meets the threshold requirements identified in Section III, Part C of this RFP.
  2. Describe how the project will differ from what is already being done, complement existing efforts, and/or provide useful tools and resources to others.
  3. Describe your organizational experience, staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources (or the ability to obtain them) for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project.

4.b. Partnerships.

  1. Describe how partnerships or collaboration will leverage other organizations' resources and expertise.
  2. Identify partners' role in staffing, funding, design, and implementation. (Letters of commitment from all partners contributing any matching funds (cash or in-kind) must be submitted with your proposal package. These letters will not count towards the 14 page limit and can be submitted as attachments.)

4.c. Project Work Plan

  1. Work plan components to be funded under the grant;
  2. Estimated work years and estimated funding amounts for each work plan component;
  3. Work plan outputs and outcomes for each work plan component and a time frame for accomplishment;
  4. A performance evaluation process and reporting schedule in accordance with 40 CFR 35.115. (The following description of the evaluation process may be submitted as an attachment and will not count towards the 14 page limit of the proposal. The self-evaluation process must examine: the program’s measurable accomplishments; effectiveness of the work performed under all proposal components; identified potential problem areas and suggestions for improvement.
  5. Roles and responsibilities of the recipient and EPA in carrying out the work plan commitments. For more information on these requirements see http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/omp.nsf/webpage/Region+10+Grants:++Part+35+A+&+B+Work+Plan+Requirements

4.d. Environmental Past Performance. Submit a list of Federally funded assistance agreements that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than five, and preferably EPA agreements), and describe how you documented and/or reported on whether you were making progress towards achieving the expected results (e.g., outputs and outcomes) under those agreements. If you were not making progress, please indicate whether, and how, you documented why not. In evaluating applicants under this factor in Section V, EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider other relevant information from other sources, including information from EPA files and from current and prior Federal agency grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information provided by the applicant). If you have no relevant or available past performance reporting history, please indicate this in the proposal, and you will receive a neutral score of five for this factor under Section V.

4.e. Programmatic Capability. Submit a list of Federally funded agreements similar in size, scope and relevance to the proposed project that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than five, and preferably EPA agreements), and describe (i) how you were technically able to successfully carry out and manage those agreements and (ii) your history of meeting the reporting requirements under those agreements including submitting acceptable final technical reports. In evaluating applicants under this factor in Section V, EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider other relevant information from other sources, including information from EPA files and from current and prior Federal agency grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information provided by the applicant). If you have no relevant or available past performance or past reporting history, please indicate this in the proposal and you will receive a neutral score of five for the elements of this factor under Section V.

4.f. Detailed Budget and Narrative. In addition to Standard Form 424A, provide a detailed budget that includes the cost of at least the following areas: personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contracts, indirect costs, and income. The detailed budget should contain separate columns for EPA funds and non-Federal matching funds and should identify the source of matching funds. The budget narrative should justify equipment for the project, describe how contractual or sub-grant funds will be used, and outline costs for the project's major tasks, including the cost of measurement and data gathering efforts.

5. Other Attachments or Appendices. The following information should be included with the proposal package as appendices and will not count against the 14 page limit for the project narrative.

5.a. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable. You must submit a copy of your organization's Indirect Cost Rate Agreement as part of the proposal package if your proposed budget includes indirect costs.

5.b. Resumes for the Project Manager(s). Attach a copy of the biographical sketch or resume for each project manager for the proposed project. Please limit the length of a resume to one page and attach a maximum of three resumes. Each resume should outline the education, work history, and knowledge/expertise of the individual that relate to managing the proposed project.

5.c. Letters of Commitment. Each proposal must include letters of commitment from all partners collaborating and/or contributing matching funds (cash or in-kind) to the project. These letters must be submitted on letterhead, signed by the project partner, and include the partner’s telephone number and address. The commitment letters should be addressed to the applicant and be submitted with your proposal package, not separately.

5.d. Other Attachments. As indicated under the description of the project narrative, certain portions of the project narrative may be expanded on in the appendices. These attachments include: letters from partners specifying financial or in-kind contributions, the evaluation process referred to in the work plan, and the detailed budget description.

C. How to Submit Hardcopy Proposals by Regular Mail, Overnight Delivery or Courier.

Proposal packages must be prepared as described in Section IV, Parts A and B. EPA strongly recommends that applicants use overnight delivery service or courier service to deliver hardcopy proposals because regular mail may be subject to unforeseeable delays. Proposals must be received or postmarked by June 11, 2007. Proposals received or postmarked after this submission date will not be considered for funding. Applicants submitting hardcopy proposals are required to submit two copies of their proposal package, preferably double sided.

Hardcopy proposals sent by regular US Postal Service should be addressed to: Beth Anderson, Pollution Prevention Division (MC-7409M), USEPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001. Hardcopy proposals sent by overnight delivery or courier, which is the preferred method of delivery for hardcopies, should be addressed to: Pollution Prevention Division, MC 7409M, Attention: Beth Anderson (202-564-8833), EPA- East 5213, 1201 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004. Applicants submitting hardcopy proposals are encouraged to email Beth Anderson at: anderson. beth@epa.gov to notify her that a hardcopy proposal has been sent.

D. How to Submit Proposals Electronically.

Applicants choosing to submit their proposal electronically must do so through http://www.grants.gov. Proposal packages must be prepared as described in Section IV, Parts A and B.

If you wish to apply electronically via Grants.gov, the electronic submission of your proposal/application must be made by an official representative of your institution who is registered with Grants.gov and authorized to sign applications for Federal assistance. For more information, go to Grants.gov and click on "Get Registered" on the left side of the page. Note that the registration process may take a week or longer to complete. If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, please encourage your office to designate an official representative (AOR) and ask that individual to begin the registration process as soon as possible.

To begin the application process under this grant announcement, go to www.grants.gov and click on the "Apply for Grants" tab on the left side of the page. Then click on "Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Instructions" to download the PureEdge viewer and obtain the application package and instructions for applying under this announcement using Grants.gov. You may retrieve the application package and instructions by entering the Funding Opportunity Number, EPA-OPPT-06-51, or the CFDA number (CFDA 66.708), in the space provided. Then complete and submit the application package as indicated. You may also be able to access the application package by clicking on the button "How To Apply" at the top right of the synopsis page for this announcement on www.grants.gov (to find the synopsis page , go to www.grants.gov and click on the "Find Grant Opportunities" button on the left side of the page and then go to Search Opportunities and use the Browse by Agency feature to go to EPA opportunities). Application/proposal materials submitted through Grants.gov will be time/date stamped electronically. Please be sure to view the additional instructions for applying electronically under this announcement through use of Grants.gov that are available for download on Grants.gov. If you have any technical difficulties while applying electronically, please refer to www.grants.gov./help/help.jsp. Please refer to Attachment A at the end of this announcement for instructions on submitting a proposal through www.grants.gov.

E. Submission Date

Regardless of the mode of submission, the closing date and time for receipt of proposals under this announcement is June 11, 2007, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Proposals must be received or postmarked by this date. EPA anticipates that final funding decisions will be made 180 days after the post date of this announcement.

F. Confidential Business Information.

In accordance with 40 CFR 2.203, applicants may claim all or a portion of their application/proposal as confidential business information. EPA will evaluate confidentiality claims in accordance with 40 CFR Part 2. Applicants must clearly mark applications/proposals or portions of applications/proposals they claim as confidential. If no claim of confidentiality is made, EPA is not required to make the inquiry to the applicant otherwise required by 40 CFR 2.204(c)(2) prior to disclosure.

G. Federal Requirements.

If an applicant's proposal is selected for Federal funding during the initial review process, the applicant will be contacted by EPA staff to provide additional material and submit required application forms. All application forms must be filled out in their entirety, prior to being considered for an award (see 40 CFR 30.12 and 31.10). In addition, successful applicants will be required to certify that they have not been debarred or suspended from participation in Federal assistance awards in accordance with 40 CFR Part 32.

H. Intergovernmental Review.

This program may be eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her state for more information on the process the state requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the state has selected the program for review. If the applicant does not know who their single point of contact is, they are advised to call the EPA Headquarters Grant Policy Information and Training Branch at 202-564-5325 or refer to the State Single Point of Contact web site at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. Federally-recognized Tribal governments are not required to comply with this procedure.

I. Pre-proposal/Proposal Communications and Assistance.

In accordance with EPA's Competition Policy of January 11, 2005 (EPA Order 5700.5A1), EPA staff will not meet with individual applicants to discuss draft proposals, provide informal comments on draft proposals, or provide advice to applicants on how to respond to ranking criteria. Applicants are responsible for the contents of their proposals. EPA will respond to questions in writing (to anderson. beth@epa.gov) from individual applicants regarding threshold eligibility criteria, administrative issues related to the submission of the proposal, and requests for clarification about the announcement. Please type "PPIN question" in the subject line of your email.

V. Proposal Review Information.

A. Evaluation Criteria.

Only the applications meeting the threshold criteria in Section III will be evaluated against the criteria in this section. Each eligible proposal will be evaluated according to the criteria set forth below. Applicants should directly and explicitly address these criteria as part of their proposal submittal. Each proposal will be rated under a points system, with a total of 100 points possible.

1. Project Overview. (10 points) The proposal describes how the project meets the threshold requirements identified in Section III, Part C of this RFP and how the project will differ from what is already being done.

2. Organizational Experience. (10 points) The proposal clearly identifies the key personnel, describes their qualifications and accountability on the project, and describes how they will ensure timely and successful completion of project objectives.

3. Partnerships. (10 points) The proposal effectively demonstrates an effective use of partnerships, leveraging other organizations' resources and expertise, and identifying the partners’ role in staffing, funding, design and implementation. Partners must provide letters of support, from an official within the organization, confirming their specific contributions to the project.

4. Project Work Plan Requirements. (30 points) a) The work plan specifies estimated work years (or Full Time Equivalents), estimated funding amounts, and time frame or milestones for each work plan component. (10 points) b) The work plan describes a self-evaluation process that examines the program's measurable accomplishments and effectiveness of the work performed under all proposal components. (10 points) c) The extent to which the proposal narrative includes a well-conceived strategy addressing both of the national requirements for the PPIN Grant program identified in Section I, Part E. (10 points)

5. Environmental Measurement. (10 points) The proposal provides a clear method to track, measure, and evaluate the applicant's progress towards achieving expected behavioral, environmental and/or economic outcomes.

6. Environmental Past Performance. (10 points) The proposal adequately documents and/or reports on progress the applicant has made towards achieving the expected results (e.g., outcomes and outputs) under federally funded agency assistance agreements performed within the last three years. If such progress was not being made, whether the applicant adequately documents and/or reports why not. In evaluating applicants under this factor, EPA will consider the information provided by the applicant and may also consider relevant information from other sources including agency files and prior/current grantors (e.g., to verify and/or supplement the information supplied by the applicant).

Please note: If the applicant does not have any relevant or available past performance reporting history, they will receive a neutral score for this factor (5 points).

7. Programmatic Capability. (10 points) Under this factor, the Agency will evaluate the applicant's technical ability to successfully carry out the proposed project taking into account the following factors: (a) its past performance in successfully completing and managing Federally funded agreements similar in size, scope and relevance to the proposed project and performed within the last three years, (b) its history of meeting reporting requirements under those agreements including submitting acceptable final technical reports, (c) its organizational experience and plan for timely and successfully achieving the objectives for the proposed project, and (d) its staff, their expertise and knowledge; their resources or the ability to obtain them; and their ability to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project.

8. Detailed Budget and Narrative. (10 points) The proposal provides a detailed budget that includes at least the cost of the following areas: personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contracts, indirect costs, and income and contains separate columns for EPA funds and non-Federal matching funds. The budget narrative describes how contractual funds will be used, and outlines costs for the project’s major tasks, including the cost of measurement and data gathering efforts.

B. Review and Selection Process.

A panel comprised of EPA staff will evaluate each proposal for threshold eligibility purposes (Section III). Those proposals that pass the threshold eligibility review will be evaluated by the panel and scored based upon the criteria listed in Section V, Part A. Reviewers will identify the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal. The review panel will provide the highest ranked proposals that merit further consideration to the selecting official.

The selecting official will select from the highest ranked proposals, considering the evaluation ranking among other factors such as: program priorities, geographic diversity, or duplication of effort with ongoing projects.

VI. Award Administration Information.

A. Award Notices.

EPA headquarters will notify both successful and unsuccessful applicant(s) by electronic mail. EPA reserves the right to negotiate appropriate changes in project narratives after the selection and before the final award consistent with EPA's Competition Policy (EPA Order 5700.5A1, Section 11). The notification, which advises that the applicant's proposal has tentatively been selected and is being recommended for award, is not an authorization to begin performance. A notice signed by the Grants Administration Division is the authorizing document to the applicant to begin performance.

Activities shall be completed and funds spent within the time frame specified in the award agreement. EPA grant funds may be used only for the purposes set forth in the grant agreement and must conform to Federal cost principles contained in OMB circulars A-87, A-122, and A-21, as appropriate. Ineligible costs will be deducted from the final grant award.

B. Dispute Resolution Process.

Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005) which can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/competition/resolution.htm. Copies of these procedures may be requested by contacting the appropriate regional P2 program office listed in Section VII.

C. Administrative Requirements.

1. Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC). Certain quality assurance and/or quality control (QA/QC) and peer review requirements are applicable to the collection of environmental data. Environmental data are any measurements or information that describe environmental processes, location, or condition; ecological or health effects and consequences; or the performance of environmental technology. Environmental data also include information collected directly from measurements, produced from models, and obtained from other sources such as data bases or published literature. Regulations pertaining to QA/QC requirements can be found in 40 CFR Parts 30.54 and 31.45. According to 40 CFR 30.54, projects that involve environmentally related measurements or data generation must develop and implement quality assurance practices to meet the project's objectives. Additional guidance can be found at http://www.epa.gov/quality/qa_docs.html#noeparqt.

Applicants should allow sufficient time and resources for this process in their proposed projects. If your organization does not have a Quality Management System in place, one may need to be developed. A project-specific Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) or functional equivalent may need to be submitted and approved by EPA. All projects reporting environmental data will require quality assurance documentation. Applicants for the FY 2007 Pollution Prevention Grant Program are not required to submit a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) as part of the application package, but may be required at time of award. Each grant award will contain a condition establishing a deadline for the grantee to submit acceptable quality assurance documentation to EPA.

2. Audits. Periodic audits should be made as part of the recipient's system of financial management and internal control to meet the terms and conditions of grants and other assistance agreements. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A?133, State agencies that receive less than $500,000 within the State's fiscal year shall have an audit made in accordance with Federal laws and regulations governing the programs in which they participate.

3. Records. Financial records, including all documents to support entries on accounting records to substantiate charges to each assistance agreement, must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA assistance agreement accounts. All records must be maintained for three years from the date of submission of the annual financial status report. If questions still remain, such as those posed as a result of an audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.

4. Computers. Recipients who use grant funds to purchase desktop computers, or notebook computers must specify that such equipment be an EPEAT-registered product with a rating of "bronze" or better. Information about EPEAT-rated products can be found at http://www.epeat.net/. This specification requirement is consistent with EPA's role in the Federal Electronics Challenge; see http://www.federalelectronicschallenge.net.

D. Reporting.

Funding recipients must complete six month and annual reports and provide a final report at the end of the grant period. Progress reports (six month and annual) must address the status of all objectives and activities in the proposal (including measures), and a statement of impacts and expenses. The Final report shall be completed within 90 calendar days of the completion of the period of performance. The final report should encompass a complete overview/summary of all of the activities conducted within the grant project period. Specific financial, technical and other reporting requirements to measure the grant recipient's progress will be identified in the EPA grant award agreement. Reporting must be consistent with the requirements of 40 CFR 35.107, 35.115, and 35.515.

Grant recipients should send all semi-annual and final technical reports, including any final products generated from the P2 Grant to the grant project officer. Examples of final products include, but are not limited to: fact sheets, pamphlets, handbooks, model curricula, assessment and audit tools, videos, event brochures, etc. The Grant Project Officer may share final technical reports, and/or final products with the appropriate regional P2Rx center and may send the materials to the Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (PPIC) by mailing materials to: US EPA/PPIC (MC-7409M), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001. Final reports should include the grant project's environmental output and outcome results.

E. Administrative and National Policy Requirements.

A listing and description of general EPA Regulations applicable to the award of assistance agreements may be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/AppKit/applicable_epa_regulations_and_description.htm. Programmatic terms and conditions will be negotiated with the selected recipient.

VII. Agency Contact.

Beth Anderson, Pollution Prevention Division (MC-7409M), US EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001, telephone number: (202) 564-8833; fax number: (202) 564-8899; e-mail address: anderson. beth@epa.gov.

VIII. Other Information.

The EPA Award Official is the only official that can bind the Agency to the expenditure of funds for selected projects resulting from this announcement.

Information about current P2 information network grant program may be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/p2/pubs/grants/ppin/ppin.htm. Information about the current P2Rx centers may be viewed at www.p2rx.org. Exit EPA Disclaimer

ATTACHMENT A

I. Instructions for Applying through Grants.gov.

The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative (AOR) of your institution who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal assistance. For more information, go to http://www.grants.gov and click on "Get Registered" on the left side of the page. Note that the registration process may take a week or longer to complete. If your organization is not currently registered with Grants.gov, please encourage your office to designate an AOR and ask that individual to begin the registration process as soon as possible.

To begin the application process go to http://www.grants.gov and click on the "Apply for Grants" tab on the left side of the page. Then click on "Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Instructions" to download the PureEdge viewer and obtain the application package for the announcement. To download the PureEdge viewer click on the "PureEdge Viewer" link. Once you have downloaded the viewer, you may retrieve the application package by entering the Funding Opportunity Number, EPA-OPPT-07-01 or the CFDA number (CFDA 66.708) in the appropriate field. You will find both of these numbers at the beginning of this announcement.

You may also be able to access the application package by clicking on the button "How To Apply" at the top right of the synopsis page for this announcement on http://www.grants.gov (to find the synopsis page, go to http://www.grants.gov and click on the "Find Grant Opportunities" button on the left side of the page and then go to Search Opportunities and use the Browse by Agency feature to find EPA opportunities).

II. Proposal Submission Deadline.

Your organization's AOR must submit your complete proposal electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) no later than June 11, 2007.

III. Proposal Materials.

The following forms and documents are required to be submitted under this announcement as specified in Section IV, Part B and as described below.

  1. Proposal for Federal Assistance Form (SF-424)
  2. Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs Form (SF-424A)
  3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54
  4. Project Narrative
  5. Other attachments or appendices. (Not subject to the project narrative page limit)

1. Standard Form (SF) 424, Proposal for Federal Assistance. Complete the form. There are no attachments. Please note that the organizational Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number must be included on the SF-424. Organizations may obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number may also be found at the following website: http://www.Grants.Gov/GetStarted.

2. SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs. Complete the form. There are no attachments. If indirect costs are included, the amount of indirect costs should be entered on line 6(j). The indirect cost rate (i.e., a percentage), the base (e.g., personnel costs and fringe benefits), and the amount should also be indicated on line 22. If indirect costs are requested, a copy of the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement must be submitted as part of the proposal package.

3. EPA Form 5700-54, Key Contacts Form. Complete the form. There are no attachments.

4. Required Content of Project Narrative.

4.a. Project Overview. i) Describe how the project meets the Threshold requirements identified in Section III, Part C of this RFP, ii) Describe how the project will differ from what is already being done, complement existing efforts and/or provide useful tools and resources to others, and iii) Describe your organizational experience, staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources (or the ability to obtain them) for timely and successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project.

4.b. Partnerships. i) Describe how partnerships or collaboration will leverage other organizations' resources and expertise and ii) Identify partners’ role in staffing, funding, design and implementation.

4.c. Project Work Plan Requirements. The work plan must specify: i) work plan components to be funded under the grant; ii) estimated work years and estimated funding amounts for each work plan component; iii) work plan outputs and outcomes for each work plan component and a time frame for accomplishment; iv) a performance evaluation process and reporting schedule (in accordance with 40 CFR 35.115), and iv) the roles and responsibilities of the recipient and EPA in carrying out the work plan commitments.

4.d. Environmental Results Past Performance. Submit a list of Federally funded assistance agreements that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than 5, and preferably EPA agreements), and describe how you documented and/or reported on whether you were making progress towards achieving the expected results (e.g., outputs and outcomes) under those agreements.

4.e. Programmatic Capability. Submit a list of Federally funded agreements similar in size, scope and relevance to the proposed project that your organization performed within the last three years (no more than 5, and preferably EPA agreements), and describe (i) how you were technically able to successfully carry out and manage those agreements and (ii) your history of meeting the reporting requirements under those agreements including submitting acceptable final technical reports.

4.f. Detailed Budget and Narrative. In addition to Standard Form 424A, provide a detailed budget that includes at least the cost of the following areas: personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contracts, indirect costs, and income.

5. Other Attachments or Appendices. The following information should be included with the proposal package as appendices but will not count against the 14 page limit for the project narrative.

5.a. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable. You must submit a copy of your organization's Indirect Cost Rate Agreement as part of the proposal package if your proposed budget includes indirect costs.

5.b. Resumes for the Project Manager(s). Attach a copy of the biographical sketch or resume for each project manager for the proposed project. Please limit the length of a resume to one page and attach a maximum of three resumes. Each resume should outline the education, work history, and knowledge/expertise of the individual that relate to managing the proposed project.

5.c. Letters of Commitment. Each proposal must include letters of commitment from all partners collaborating and/or contributing matching funds (cash or in-kind) to the project.

5.c. Other Attachments. As indicated under the description of the project narrative, certain portions of the project narrative may be expanded on in the appendices. These attachments include: letters from partners specifying financial or in-kind contributions, the evaluation process referred to in the work plan, and the detailed budget description.

IV. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions.

Documents in Section III (just above this section) listed under Proposal Materials above should appear in the "Mandatory Documents" box on the Grants.gov Grant Application Package page. For documents 1, 2 and 3 above, click on the appropriate form and then click "Open Form" below the box. The fields that must be completed will be highlighted in yellow. Optional fields and completed fields will be displayed in white. If you enter an invalid response or incomplete information in a field, you will receive an error message. When you have finished filling out each form, click "Save." When you return to the electronic Grant Application Package page, click on the form you just completed, and then click on the box that says, "Move Form to Submission List." This action will move the document over to the box that says, "Mandatory Completed Documents for Submission."

For documents 4 and 5, you will need to attach electronic files. Prepare your project narrative (document 4) as described above in Section III and save the document to your computer as an MS Word, PDF or WordPerfect file. When you are ready to attach your project narrative to the application package, click on "Project Narrative Attachment Form," and open the form. Click "Add Mandatory Project Narrative File," and then attach your proposal (previously saved to your computer) using the browse window that appears. You may then click "View Mandatory Project Narrative File" to view it. Enter a brief descriptive title of your project in the space beside "Mandatory Project Narrative File Filename;" the filename should be no more than 40 characters long. For other attachments (i.e., Letters of Support) you need to click "Add Optional Project Narrative File" and proceed as before. When you have finished attaching the necessary documents, click "Close Form." When you return to the "Grant Application Package" page, select the "Project Narrative Attachment Form" and click "Move Form to Submission List." The form should now appear in the box that says, "Mandatory Completed Documents for Submission."

V. Saving Your Work.

Once you have finished filling out all of the forms/attachments and they appear in one of the "Completed Documents for Submission" boxes, click the "Save" button that appears at the top of the Web page. It is suggested that you save the document a second time, using a different name, since this will make it easier to submit an amended package later if necessary. Please use the following format when saving your file: "Applicant Name – FY07 – Assoc Prog Supp – 1st Submission" or "Applicant Name – FY 07 Assoc Prog Supp – Back-up Submission." If it becomes necessary to submit an amended package at a later date, then the name of the 2nd submission should be changed to "Applicant Name – FY07 Assoc Prog Supp – 2nd Submission."

Once your proposal package has been completed and saved, send it to your AOR for submission to U.S. EPA through Grants.gov. Please advise your AOR to close all other software programs before attempting to submit the proposal package through Grants.gov.

In the "Application Filing Name" box, your AOR should enter your organization's name (abbreviate where possible), the fiscal year (e.g., FY07), and the grant category (e.g., Assoc Prog Supp). The filing name should not exceed 40 characters. From the "Grant Application Package" page, your AOR may submit the application package by clicking the "Submit" button that appears at the top of the page. The AOR will then be asked to verify the agency and funding opportunity number for which the application package is being submitted. If problems are encountered during the submission process, the AOR should reboot his/her computer before trying to submit the application package again. [It may be necessary to turn off the computer (not just restart it) before attempting to submit the package again.] If the AOR continues to experience submission problems, he/she may contact Grants.gov for assistance by phone at 1-800-518-4726 or email at http://www.grants.gov/help/help.jsp or contact the person listed in Section VII of this announcement.

Proposal packages submitted through Grants.gov will be time/date stamped electronically. If you have not received a confirmation of receipt from EPA (not from grants.gov) within 30 days of the application deadline, please contact the person listed in Section VII. Failure to do so may result in your application not being reviewed. Grants.gov is a new system that is still undergoing change, thus, applicants are strongly advised to send an e-mail notification to the contact in Section VII noting that a proposal was submitted via Grants.gov.

VI. Instructions for Submitting an Application through Grants.gov.

Applicants who submit proposals that merit further consideration, based on the evaluation described in Section V, will be asked by the applicable EPA program office to submit additional documents to complete the grant application package. The applicant will receive an e-mail containing the application deadline and instructions for submitting a complete application through http://www.grants.gov.

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