Urban Waters Small Grants

 

The objective of EPA's Urban Waters Program is to protect and restore America's urban waterways. EPA's funding priority is to achieve the goals and commitments established in the Framework for the Future included in the 2021 Partner Recommitment (https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-11/urban-waters-recommitment-report-112221_508.pdf). This program has an emphasis on engaging communities with environmental justice concerns. The objective of the Urban Waters Grants is to fund research, investigations, experiments, training, surveys, studies, and demonstrations that will advance the restoration of urban waters by improving water quality in urban areas through activities that also support community revitalization and local priorities while strengthening local capacity and increasing information exchange between urban waters communities. This program recognizes that healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance educational, recreational, social, and employment opportunities in nearby communities. Funding Priority Fiscal Year 2023: EPAs funding priority for Urban Waters Grants is to continue to support projects that will advance EPAs water quality and environmental justice goals. The mission of EPAs Urban Waters Program is to help local residents and their organizations, particularly those in underserved communities, restore their urban waters in ways that also benefit community and economic revitalization. Projects address urban water pollution through diverse partnerships that produce multiple community benefits, with emphasis on underserved communities. In general, projects should include one or more of the following priorities and actions: address local water quality issues related to urban water pollution, climate resilience, environmental justice, and/or equitable development; provide additional community benefits; actively engage underserved communities; support capacity development in underserved communities that coordinates partner activities to accelerate on the ground progress; strengthen information exchange and learning opportunities between urban waters practitioners; and foster partnerships.

Active 66.440 Environmental Protection Agency B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 In FY 16, awards totaling an estimated $1.3 million will be made for projects that seek to help restore and protect urban water quality and revitalize adjacent neighborhoods by engaging communities in activities that increase their connection to, understanding of, and stewardship of local urban waterways. Competitive announcements for Urban Waters Small Grants are issued based on available funds and program priorities. The number of awards made is expected to be between 20 and 25. In FY 16, 24 awards totaling $1.3 million were made for projects that seek to help restore and protect urban water quality and revitalize adjacent neighborhoods by engaging communities in activities that increase their connection to, understanding of, and stewardship of local urban waterways. Competitive announcements for Urban Waters Small Grants are issued based on available funds and program priorities
Fiscal Year 2017 In FY 17, funding supported projects that sought to help restore and protect urban water quality and revitalize adjacent neighborhoods by engaging communities in activities that increased their connection to, understanding of, and stewardship of local urban waterways.
Fiscal Year 2018 In FY 18, funding continued to support projects that sought to help restore and protect urban water quality and revitalize adjacent neighborhoods by engaging communities in activities that increase their connection to, understanding of, and stewardship of local urban waterways. Information about the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program - 2018 can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/urbanwaterspartners/five-star-and-urban-waters-restoration-grant-program-2018
Fiscal Year 2019 In FY 19, funding continued to support projects that seek to help restore and protect urban water quality and revitalize adjacent neighborhoods by engaging communities in activities that increase their connection to, understanding of, and stewardship of local urban waterways
Fiscal Year 2022 Continued to support the Urban Waters Federal Partnership and improving water quality and public health in urban watersheds.
Fiscal Year 2023 No awards were funded in FY 2023. Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3), as amended (33 US Code 1254 et seq.)
National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102(2)(I) Assistance under this program is generally available to States, local governments, Indian Tribes, public and private universities and colleges, public or private nonprofit institutions/organizations, intertribal consortia, and interstate agencies. Nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply. An intertribal consortium must meet the definition of eligibility in the Environmental Program Grants for Tribes Final Rule, at 40 CFR 35.504 (66 FR 3782. January 16, 2001) (FRL-6929-5) and be a non-profit organization within the meaning of 2 CFR 200. Indian Tribes (or "federally recognized Indian tribe"), as defined in 2 CFR 200.54, is any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. Chapter 33), which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)). See annually published Bureau of Indian Affairs list of Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Services. State, as defined in 2 CFR 200.90, is defined as any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any agency or instrumentality thereof exclusive of local governments. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy Residents of urban areas adversely impacted by water pollution, State and local governments, Indian Tribes, other public and private nonprofit institutions, intertribal consortia, and interstate agencies. EPA may request that applicants demonstrate their eligibility. Documentation of nonprofit status may be required. Preapplication coordination is required. This program is 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. EPA financial assistance programs and activities subject to intergovernmental review that are subject to review under State single point of contact procedures are identified at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-financial-assistance-programs-subject-executive-order-12372-and-section-204. Applicants for programs or activities subject to Intergovernmental Review that are not subject to State single point of contact review must provide directly affected State, areawide, regional, and local entities at least 60 days to review their application following notification by EPA that the application has been selected for funding as provided by 40 CFR 29.8(a) and (c). EPA awards grants and cooperative agreements supporting surveys, studies, and investigations based on competitive applications submitted in response to EPA solicitations, considering relevance and likelihood of success of proposed projects. Regarding pre-application assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed in the competitive announcement. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through Grants.gov. For competitive awards Requests for Applications will specify application procedures. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in the competitive announcement. Approximately 180 days. 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). Copies of these procedures may also be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/grant-competition-dispute-resolution-procedures. Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable. Not applicable. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing description will be described in the competitive announcement. Grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs in approved scopes of work plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. Funding awarded for research does not include research within the purview of EPA's Office of Research and Development. The funds will support conducting and promoting the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Specific uses and restrictions on funds will be described in detail in the competitive announcements. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Geospatial information is information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the earth, or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, GPS, remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial). Performance Reports: Reporting requirements shall be determined at the time of grant award. Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipients grants and cooperative agreements records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure reports as required by 2 CFR 200.334. If questions, such as those raised because of audits remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. Matching requirements, if any, will be described in the competitive announcement.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. EPA may negotiate the project period with each applicant based on project requirements. The term of the grant shall be determined at the time of grant award. The method of fund disbursement will be determined at the time of award. None/Not specified. Jeanine Finley
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. (Mail Code: 4601M)
Washington, DC 20460 USA
finley.jeanine@epa.gov
Phone: 202-564-2195 https://www.epa.gov/urbanwaterspartners 68-0108-0-1-304 (Project Grants) FY 22$40,000.00; FY 23 est $0.00; FY 24 est $0.00; FY 20$0.00; FY 21 est $0.00; FY 19$50,000.00; FY 18$155,000.00; FY 17 est $0.00; FY 16$1,600,000.00; - Range: $40,000 to $400,000/fiscal year; Average: $100,000/fiscal year. Surveys, studies, investigations, demonstrations, and training grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the grant regulations 2 CFR Part 1500 (EPA Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards); 40 CFR Part 33 (Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in United States Environmental Protection Agency Programs); and 40 CFR Part 45 (Training Assistance). Fiscal Year 2016 Funded projects will help restore and protect urban water quality and revitalize adjacent neighborhoods by engaging communities in activities that increase their connection to, understanding of, and stewardship of local urban waterways. Examples of selected projects include youth education on watershed science and stewardship of urban waterways, water quality monitoring and studies, community engagement and outreach to promote best management practices in restoring urban waters, urban watershed assessments to develop a community action plan, and hands-on learning workshops to educate the public on the importance of urban waters. More information on specific projects selected for funding can be found at http://www2.epa.gov/urbanwaters/urban-waters-small-grants Funded projects will help restore and protect urban water quality and revitalize adjacent neighborhoods by engaging communities in activities that increase their connection to, understanding of, and stewardship of local urban waterways. Examples of selected projects include youth education on watershed science and stewardship of urban waterways, water quality monitoring and studies, community engagement and outreach to promote best management practices in restoring urban waters, urban watershed assessments to develop a community action plan, and hands-on learning workshops to educate the public on the importance of urban waters. More information on specific projects selected for funding can be found at http://www2.epa.gov/urbanwaters/urban-waters-small-grants.
Fiscal Year 2018 Funded projects helpd to restore and protect urban water quality and revitalize adjacent neighborhoods by engaging communities in activities that increase their connection to, understanding of, and stewardship of local urban waterways. Examples of selected projects include youth education on watershed science and stewardship of urban waterways, water quality monitoring and studies, community engagement and outreach to promote best management practices in restoring urban waters, urban watershed assessments to develop a community action plan, and hands-on learning workshops to educate the public on the importance of urban waters. More information on specific projects selected for funding can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters
Fiscal Year 2019 Funded projects will help restore and protect urban water quality and revitalize adjacent neighborhoods by engaging communities in activities that increase their connection to, understanding of, and stewardship of local urban waterways. Examples of selected projects include youth education on watershed science and stewardship of urban waterways, water quality monitoring and studies, community engagement and outreach to promote best management practices in restoring urban waters, urban watershed assessments to develop a community action plan, and hands-on learning workshops to educate the public on the importance of urban waters. More information on specific projects selected for funding can be found at https://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/urban-waters-small-grants.
Fiscal Year 2022 One award was issued to continue to support the Urban Waters Federal Partnership and improve water quality and public health in urban watersheds.
Fiscal Year 2023 No additional awards were made in FY2023.