Descriptions of Previous Projects

FY 2003 - 2004 Great Lakes National Program Office Funding Guidance - Four Requests for Proposals

II. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS (Amounts, Eligibility, Notification, etc.)

Amounts, Targets, and Number of Projects. Estimates of dollar amounts and numbers of projects are included as planning targets for the benefit of Applicants. The actual amounts and numbers may differ substantially for many reasons, including: EPA’s budget and operating plan have not been approved; the number and quality of meritorious, technically qualified Proposals is unknown; and EPA seeks a geographic balance among selected projects. EPA reserves the right to select all or none of the Proposals tendered.

Budget/Project Schedule Considerations. In developing a Proposal, applicants should consider that they must provide a Non-Federal Match of at least 5% of the total project cost, which may be provided in cash or in-kind. Applicants should also consider the Federal requirement that projects involving data collection require an approved Quality Assurance Project Plan prior to commencing environmental data collection - extra funds and extra time may be needed for its development.

Clarification/Revisions. Applicants may be contacted for clarification and for the purpose of negotiating changes in project terms and amounts.

Confidentiality. Applicants should clearly mark information they consider confidential, and EPA will make final confidentiality decisions in accordance with Agency regulations at 40 CFR. Part 2, Subpart B. However, we discourage submission of any confidential material. Note that under Public Law No. 105-277, data produced under an award is subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Cost Principles, Administrative and Audit Requirements. The successful applicant will be required to adhere to the Federal grants requirements, particularly those found in applicable OMB circulars on Cost Principles (A-21, A-87, or A-122), Administrative Requirements (A-102 or 110), and Audit Requirements (A-133) available from http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/.

Deadline for Proposal Receipt: 8:00 AM Central Time, Monday morning, March 31, 2003; except that the portion of RFP 3 for Ecological Conferences, Printing, and General Conferences allows Proposals to be submitted at any time until funding is exhausted. GLNPO will post a notice at http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/glf.html when funding is exhausted.

Dispute Resolution Process. If necessary, a dispute resolution process in accordance with 40 CFR 30.63 and Part 31, subpart F will be implemented.

Eligibility. Assistance (through grants, cooperative agreements, and interagency agreements) is available pursuant to Clean Water Act §104(b)(3) for activities in the Great Lakes Basin and in support of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance identifies this assistance as: 66.469, Great Lakes Program. State pollution control agencies, interstate agencies, other public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, and organizations are eligible; "for-profit" organizations are not. Only State, Tribal, and interstate or intertribal agencies are eligible under RFP 2B (a portion of the RAP/LaMP solicitation). Preference is given to US organizations over foreign organizations; however, Proposals for coordinated, binational projects are encouraged.

Existing Projects. Applicants seeking more funding under existing awards should apply through this Proposal process.

Grants Servicing Intermediary. Following Proposal selection, Ecological Protection and Restoration and other grants may be issued through an "intermediary" organization which would make and administer grant sub-awards. See RFP 4 for additional information.

Ineligible Activities. Under this solicitation, USEPA will not fund: "construction grant" projects; basic research; land acquisition; or general operating support. Education/outreach or conferences are only eligible activities when integrated within a larger project or as specifically requested in RFP 1B (Pollution Prevention and Reduction) and RFP 3 (Conferences and Printing).

Multiple Proposals. If your organization submits multiple Proposals and chooses to rank them, please use PSS2003 to identify an overall contact (including phone, e-mail, and address) and send a single, coordinated submittal. Individuals from the following organizations have offered to serve as their organizations’ contacts.

Indiana DEM: Kathy Luther (219-881-6730)
Indiana DNR: Laurie Rounds (317-233-0132)
- Michigan DEQ: Rick Hobrla (517-335-4173)
Minnesota PCA: Pat Carey (218-723-4744)
Minnesota DNR: Pat Collins (218-834-6612)
New York DEC: Donald Zelazny (716-851-7130)
Ohio EPA: Julie Letterhos (614-644-2871)
Pennsylvania DEP: Lori Boughton (814-332-6155)
Wisconsin DNR: Linda Talbot (608-266-8148)
Army Corps of Engineers: Jan Miller (312-353-6354)
Great Lakes Commission: Michael Donahue (734-971-9135)
TNC: Lois Morrison (312-759-8017)

Notification: We will confirm Proposal receipt within: (i) one week for E-Mail submissions or (ii) two weeks for regular mail. Shortly after the Proposal deadline, we will post Proposal information (including Applicant, Title, and GLNPO identification number) at: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/glf.html. ALL APPLICANTS SHOULD CHECK THIS POSTING TO VERIFY THAT THEIR PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSAL DATABASE. GLNPO will contact all Applicants to tell them whether or not they will be asked to submit Application Packages.