EPA Requests Proposals for Urban Waters Small Grants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expects to award between $1.8 to $3.8 million in funding for projects across the country to help restore urban waters by improving water quality and supporting community revitalization. The funding is part of EPA’s Urban Waters program, which supports communities in their efforts to access, improve, and benefit from their urban waters and the surrounding land. Healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance educational, recreational and employment opportunities in nearby communities.

The goal of the Urban Waters Small Grants program is to fund research, studies, training, and demonstration projects that will advance the restoration of urban waters by improving water quality through activities that also support community revitalization and other local priorities such as public health, social and economic opportunities, general livability and environmental justice for residents. Examples of projects eligible for funding include:

· Education and training for water quality improvement or green infrastructure jobs

· Public education about ways to reduce water pollution

· Local water quality monitoring programs

· Engaging diverse stakeholders to develop local watershed plans

· Innovative projects that promote local water quality and community revitalization goals

Information about Urban Waters Small Grants including the Request for Proposal (RFP) and registration links for the webinars. EPA expects to award the grants in Summer 2012.

Note to Applicants: In accordance with EPA's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy (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. However, consistent with the provisions in the announcement, EPA will respond to questions from individual applicants regarding threshold eligibility criteria, administrative issues related to the submission of the proposal, and requests for clarification about the announcement. Questions must be submitted in writing via e-mail to and must be received by the

Agency Contact, Ji-Sun Yi, by January 16, 2012 and written responses will be posted on EPA’s website

Dates to Remember:

· Deadline for submitting proposals: January 23, 2012.

· Two webinars about this funding opportunity: December 14, 2011 and January 5, 2012.

· Deadline for submitting questions: January 16, 2012

Related Links:

For more information on EPA’s Urban Waters program

· EPA’s Urban Waters program supports the goals and principles of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, a partnership of 11 federal agencies working to reconnect urban communities with their
waterways. For more information on the Urban Waters Federal Partnership.