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Cooperative Agreements

The CARE Program offers two levels of Cooperative Agreements to local communities. They can effectively be thought of as grants and are categorized as Level I or Level II based on whether the community toxics have been previously identified and prioritized.

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2009 CARE Cooperative Agreements Request for Proposals (RFP)

EPA has published the CARE RFP. EPA plans to award approximately $3 million in grants; applications are due by March 16, 2009.

NOTE THIS IMPORTANT REVISION: 2009 CARE RFP Narrative Proposal page limit is 13 pages that includes title page and budget.

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CARE Request for Proposals Q&A Webcast

The CARE program will conduct three national information sessions for cooperative agreement applicants via national Webcasts in February 2009.  

February 3, 2009 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. eastern time
February 24, 2009 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. eastern time
February 27, 2009 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. eastern time

Registration information will be available on this site in January and February.

After the three national Webcast sessions are completed, a recorded version of the full Webcast will be available.

For Your Information: EPA has a new Web-based training page designed to help non-profit recipients of EPA grants and cooperative agreements (grants or grant agreements) manage their grants in a manner that assures EPA meets this vision.

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How the CARE Program Works

CARE offers two different types of Cooperative Agreements: Level 1 and Level 2. These can be thought of as grants and, respectively, amount to approximately $90,000 and $275,000.

Level 1 Cooperative Agreements help communities:
  1. Join together to form a broad-based partnership dedicated to reducing toxics in their local environment. Partners may include non-profit groups, community organizations, businesses, schools, and state, Tribal and local government agencies, EPA, and others Federal Agencies.

  2. Identify problems and solutions. Working together, this stakeholder group assesses toxics problems in their community and considers options for reducing risks. EPA technical assistance is available to support this process.

Level 2 Cooperative Agreements are for communities that already have established broad-based collaborative partnerships and have completed environmental assessments. (The successful completion of a Level 1 Cooperative Agreement is not required.)

 Level 2 Cooperative Agreements help communities:

  1. Implement solutions and reduce risks. The partnership identifies the combination of programs that best meet the community's needs. EPA funding helps to implement theses projects, and the community begins improving its environment. Throughout the process the partnership continues to reassess risks and their priorities.

  2. Become self sustaining. The community now develops new ways to attract funding and partners into their broad-based collaborative to build on its success. New problem assessments are completed and new solutions identified. As a result, the partnership becomes self-sustaining, and continues to improve their environment where community members live work and play.

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