Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program

The information provided below is for reference only and is intended to supplement, not replace the instructions provided in the S-K 2021 Notice of Funding Opportunity. Please refer to the full funding opportunity for complete instructions on how to apply.

You are eligible to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement under the S-K grant competition if:

• You are a citizen or national of the United States.
• You are a citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, or the Federated States of Micronesia.
• You represent an entity that is a corporation, partnership, association, or other non-Federal entity, non-profit or otherwise (including Indian Tribes), if such entity is a citizen of the United States, or NMI, within the meaning of section 2 of the Shipping Act, 1916, as amended (46 U.S.C. Section 5050.).
• You are not eligible to submit an application under this competition if:
• You are an employee of any federal agency.
• You are an employee of a Regional Fishery Management Council.
• You represent a Regional Fishery Management Council.

However, Council members who are not federal employees can submit an application.

Federal employees may not serve as Principal Investigators or Co-Principal Investigators (CoPIs) on any application. However, they may be included as a project partner. NOAA personnel (both federal employees and contractors) cannot serve as CoPIs, but they can be listed as project partners.

Full eligibility requirements are in the section III eligibility information of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

There is no limit on the number of applications you can submit to the S-K grant competition. Multiple proposals submitted must clearly identify different projects, and must be successful in the competitive review process.

This year's solicitation consisted of two separate submission processes. All interested applicants must submit a two-page Pre-Proposal to the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Applicants interested in submitting a full application after the pre-proposal review process must submit the full application through www.grants.gov.

Please note that under this one Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity there are two competition links. Be sure to submit your pre-proposals to the “Pre Proposals FY21 Saltonstall-Kennedy” link within the dates specified (closes August 07, 2020). Please be sure to submit your full proposals to the “Full Proposals FY21 Saltonstall-Kennedy” link prior to the date specified (closes November 20, 2020). Be sure to read the Notice of Funding Opportunity and follow the directions closely.

The goal of the Saltonstall-Kennedy program is to fund projects that:

• Address the needs of fishing communities
• Optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries
• Increase other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable.

The FY21 solicitation seeks applications that fall into one of two priorities.

1) Promotion, Development, and Marketing

Projects sought should:

Promote better business practices to increase market demand for, and value-added of, U.S. commercial and recreational fish species.

Develop collaborative and improved regional, national, and global public relations and marketing opportunities that can position the U.S. seafood industry to increase domestic production and better compete in global markets.

Include marketing strategies which involve participation of the seafood industry locally, regionally, or nationally.

2) Science or Technology that Promotes Sustainable U.S. Seafood Production and Harvesting

Projects sought should:

Directly impact fisheries (to include commercial, recreational, wild capture, and aquaculture) through the development of science and technology based projects that lead to the strengthening of existing, or the creation of new markets and opportunities in U.S fishing communities.

Demonstrate a direct need or benefit to the fishing community that connects all segments of the fisheries supply chain from growing/harvesting to processing and marketing. 

Include, within the scope of the project, participation of the seafood industry and/or fishing community. 

Step 1: Pre-proposal

NOTE: The Pre-proposal period ends August 07, 2020. If you do not submit a pre-proposal by 11:59 p.m. EST on August 07, 2020, you will be ineligible to submit a full proposal. 

For this solicitation, all applicants are required to submit a pre-proposal in advance of a full proposal submission.  The pre-proposal process is intended to provide an indication to potential applicants of the technical merit and the relevancy of the proposed project to the S-K competition before preparing a full proposal.  When drafting a pre-proposal, applicants should clearly convey the impact and applicability of their proposed research for the priority area to which they are applying. Late or incomplete pre-proposals, as well as those that deviate from content or format requirements, will not be reviewed by NOAA.  

To apply, go to Grants.gov and click “Apply” to the “PRE PROPOSALS FY21 Saltonstall-Kennedy.”

The SF-424 form will serve as a cover page to the pre-proposal. Each pre-proposal may not exceed two pages, single-spaced in at least 12 point font and must provide:

• Title of project
• Background section that sets the stage for the work and identifies which singular priority found in Section I.B that the pre-proposal addresses directly
• Rationale of why the work should be conducted and how it is relevant to the Salstonstall-Kennedy Program
• Clear statement of objectives and general methodology to be used
• Identification of required permits (i.e. ESA, MMPA) and permit numbers, if applicable
• Estimated budget amount

Pre-proposals must be received at http://www.Grants.gov under the competition link named “PRE PROPOSALS FY21 Saltonstall-Kennedy,” postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 11:59 p.m. EST, August 07, 2020, 60 days after the posting date of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Reviewers will assign scores to pre-proposals ranging from 0-40 points based on the four evaluation criteria below. Scoring will be determined by subject matter experts in a process similar to that used at the full proposal stage, providing scores for:

• How well the proposal addresses the needs of the fishing community(s)
• Approach and methodology (realistic and timely objectives and appropriate design)
• How relevant is the proposed project to the S-K priority for which it is applying
• Involvement/collaboration with the fishing community, industry, or other stakeholders

NOAA will inform applicants within 45 days of the pre-proposal due date if the S-K Program encourages or discourages submission of a full proposal.

Step 2: Full Proposal

Full proposals will not be reviewed or evaluated if a pre-proposal was not received and ranked. Full proposals must be received by http://www.Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 11:59 p.m. EST, November 20, 2020. We strongly encourage you to submit your full application through Grants.gov.

To submit your full proposal, go to the Grants.gov announcement and click “Apply” to the “FULL Proposals FY21 Saltonstall Kennedy.”

Please note applicants must be registered with Grants.gov in order to apply for funding electronically. The registration process can take up to one month, so we recommend that applicants start this process as early as possible.

Read further instructions on how to register with Grants.gov 

Detailed guidance on how to prepare proposals is provided in the S-K FFO. This document should be read carefully to ensure that proposals meet eligibility requirements and are complete upon submission. Complete instructions for preparing and submitting proposals are available through Grants.gov; however, here are some important requirements for your full proposal:

• The applicant should describe in detail in the detailed Project Narrative (also known as the “Statement of Work”) the nature and degree of participation of any NOAA entity in the project.
• In the section of your proposal for “data sharing plan” describe the data you will be collecting and what you plan to do with them.
• You are required to provide detailed information on your program activities to help proposal reviewers understand the potential environmental effects of your project.

Funding

The total federal amount requested can be no less than $25,000 and no greater than $300,000, for up to a two-year period (24 months), including direct and indirect costs. Project applications that request funding outside of this range will not be accepted or reviewed.

The S-K Program will not consider expenses associated with:

• Fees
• Fund-raising activities
• Travel for activities not directly related to project implementation
• Travel or salaries for federal employees
• Profit as allowable costs in the proposed budget

The total costs of a project consist of all allowable costs incurred in accomplishing project activities during the project period. Project costs can only include support for activities conducted between the effective start date and end date of the award, and cannot include activities undertaken either before or after the agreed upon dates. Applicants will not be reimbursed for time expended or costs incurred in developing a project or in preparing an application, or in any discussions or negotiations with the agency prior to the award.

More details about budget information can be found in the FAQ and in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

The solicitation, published this year on Grants.gov on June 08, 2020, is generally published in the fiscal year before the fiscal year in which the awards are made. The FY21 solicitation will close on November 20, 2020. Successful applicants are announced in May of the following year.

It is recommended to confirm that you—an individual or an organization(s) interested in applying for a grant—are registered with Grants.gov. If you are not registered, register immediately. The entire Grants.gov registration process can take up to one month to complete so it is important to begin this process as early as possible.

This one-time only registration process for Grants.gov includes obtaining a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, registering in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and registering in Grants.gov. If you have problems registering for Grants.gov, call the Grants.gov Help Desk (800) 518-4726 for support.

June 08, 2020: FFO posted on Grants.gov.

June 08–August 07, 2020: Submission period for pre-proposals.

September 21, 2020: Full proposal submission period opens.

November 20, 2020: Full proposal submission period closes.