FY 2023 Disaster Supplemental

Subject to the availability of funds, awards made under this NOFO will help communities and regions devise and implement long-term economic recovery strategies through a variety of non-construction and construction projects, as appropriate, to address economic challenges in areas where a Presidential declaration of a major disaster was issued under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 5121 et seq.) (Stafford Act) “as a result of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, and of wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022….” EDA is excited to announce the launch of its new grants management platform: the Economic Development Grants Experience (EDGE). EDGE was developed to streamline the application and grants management process by implementing a single platform with increased transparency, improved user experience, higher data quality, and more efficiency throughout the entire grant lifecycle. To apply for the FY 2023 Disaster Supplemental NOFO, please access the portal here . More information on how to apply is provided in the full NOFO.

Details

• Agency: Economic Development Administration
• Department: Department of Commerce
• Opportunity #: EDA-DISASTER-2023
• Total Funding: $483,000,000
• Expected Awards: 150
• Instrument: grant;cooperative_agreement
• Cost Sharing: Required

Eligibility

District Organization; Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes; State, county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions; Institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; or Public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State. The project of an eligible applicant must be able to meet area eligibility requirements to be considered for funding under this Disaster Supplemental NOFO. Such eligibility is predicated upon the project being located in or primarily serving one or more communities impacted by Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, and of wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022. More specifically, consistent with 13 C.F.R. parts 301 and 307, EDA will

FY2023 EDA Disaster Supplemental Full NOFO

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
FY 2023 EDA Disaster Supplemental
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Federal Agency Name: Economic Development Administration (EDA or the Agency), U.S.
Department of Commerce (DOC).
• Federal Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2023 EDA Disaster Supplemental Notice of Funding
Opportunity (NOFO) (Disaster Supplemental NOFO).
• Announcement Type and Date: Disaster Supplemental NOFO announcement publishing EDA’s
application submission requirements and review procedures for the review of applications received
under EDA’s Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) disaster recovery program, as authorized by
Sections 209 and 703 of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, as amended (42
U.S.C. § 3121 et seq.) (PWEDA). Effective date: April 24, 2023.
• Funding Opportunity Number: EDA-DISASTER-2023
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.307, Economic Adjustment Assistance
• Dates: There are no submission deadlines. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until
the publication of a new Disaster Supplemental NOFO, cancellation of this Disaster Supplemental
NOFO or all available funds have been expended. EDA intends to review applications expeditiously
upon receipt of the complete application.
• Eligible Applicants: Pursuant to Section 3(4) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3122(4)(a)) and 13 C.F.R. § 300.3
(Eligible Recipient), eligible applicants under the EAA program include a(n): (i) District Organization
of an EDA-designated Economic Development District (EDD); (ii) Indian Tribe or a consortium of
Indian Tribes; (iii) State, county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special
purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development
activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions; (iv) institution of higher education or a
consortium of institutions of higher education; or (v) public or private non-profit organization or
association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State. Individuals and
for-profit entities are not eligible for funding under this NOFO.
• Funding Opportunity Description: Subject to the availability of funds, awards made under this
NOFO will help communities and regions devise and implement long-term economic recovery
strategies through a variety of non-construction and construction projects, as appropriate, to
address economic challenges in areas where a Presidential declaration of a major disaster was
issued under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 5121
et seq.) (Stafford Act) “as a result of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, and of wildfires, flooding, and other
natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022….”
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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT
FY 2023 EDA Disaster Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity
A. Program Description ............................................................................................................................... 4
1. Overview and Program Information .................................................................................................... 4
2. EDA Investment Priorities .................................................................................................................. 10
3. Statutory Authorities for EDA’s Programs ......................................................................................... 11
B. Federal Award Information .................................................................................................................. 11
1. What Funding Is Available Under this Announcement? .................................................................... 11
2. Initial EDA Regional Office Allocations .............................................................................................. 12
3. What Type of Funding Instrument Will Be Used to Make Awards? How Long Will a Project’s Period
of Performance Be? .......................................................................................................................... 12
C. Eligibility Information ........................................................................................................................... 13
1. Eligible Applicants .............................................................................................................................. 13
2. Eligible Counties Based on Disaster Declarations .............................................................................. 13
3. Cost Sharing or Matching .................................................................................................................. 14
D. Application Submission Information .................................................................................................... 15
1. Obtaining an Application and Electronic Submission through EDGE ................................................ 15
2. Content and Form of Application Submission ................................................................................... 16
3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) ...................................... 22
4. Submission Dates and Times ............................................................................................................. 22
5. Intergovernmental Review ................................................................................................................ 22
6. Funding Restrictions .......................................................................................................................... 23
7. Other Submission Requirements ....................................................................................................... 23
8. EDGE Systems Issues ......................................................................................................................... 24
E. Application Review Information ........................................................................................................... 24
1. Criteria ............................................................................................................................................... 24
2. Review and Selection Process ........................................................................................................... 27
3. Due Diligence ..................................................................................................................................... 27
4. Grants Officer’s Decision ................................................................................................................... 28
5. Review of Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov ...................................................... 28
F. Federal Award Administration Information ......................................................................................... 29
1. Federal Award Notification ................................................................................................................ 29
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements ............................................................................ 29
3. Reporting ........................................................................................................................................... 30
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts ...................................................................................................... 31
H. Other Information ................................................................................................................................ 31
1. Right to Use Information ................................................................................................................... 31
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2. Freedom of Information Act Disclosure ............................................................................................ 31
3. Notice of Government-Wide Procurement Restriction ..................................................................... 32
4. Past Performance and Non-Compliance with Award Provisions ....................................................... 32
5. Certifications Required by Annual Appropriations Acts for Corporations and for Awards over $5
Million ............................................................................................................................................... 32
6. EDA’s Non-Relocation Policy ............................................................................................................. 33
7. NOFO Changes Communicated on Grants.gov .................................................................................. 33
8. Disclosure of Information .................................................................................................................. 34
9. Audit Requirements ........................................................................................................................... 34
10. Fraud Awareness Training ................................................................................................................. 34
11. Office of Inspector General Rights and Responsibilities .................................................................... 34
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A. Program Description
1. Overview and Program Information
EDA’s mission is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and
competitiveness, and preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy.
Through this Disaster Supplemental NOFO, EDA will award investments in regions experiencing severe
economic distress or other economic harm resulting from Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, and of wildfires,
flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022.1 Under this
announcement, EDA solicits applications under the authority of its Economic Adjustment Assistance
(EAA) program. The EAA program is intended to be flexible and responsive to the economic
development needs and priorities of local and regional stakeholders, including those seeking assistance
recovering from Federally declared disasters.2
EAA funds can be awarded to assist a wide variety of activities related to disaster recovery, including
economic recovery strategic planning grants, and public works construction assistance. It is a flexible
resource that responds adaptively to pressing economic issues and is well-suited to help address
challenges faced by regions recovering from natural disasters. Examples of projects that EDA can
support through this program include, but are not limited to:
• construction or upgrading of public infrastructure, including broadband infrastructure;
• workforce development, including the design and implementation of sectoral partnerships (see
section 3.a.);
• activities necessary to strengthen cluster acceleration and expansion;
• capitalization or recapitalization of revolving loan funds (RLFs);
• development and implementation of long-term disaster recovery and resiliency plans, including
capacity building;
• enhancement of infrastructure to make it more resilient to natural disasters;
• development or expansion of commercialization and proof of concept centers;
• procurement of equipment for workforce training programs;
• market or industry research and analysis for larger economic development projects;
• creation or expansion of foreign direct investment, trade, or export initiatives;
• economic development projects that enhance density in the vicinity of other economic
development;
• “strategy grants” to develop, update, or refine a Comprehensive Economic Development
Strategy (CEDS) as described in EDA’s regulations at 13 C.F.R. § 307.3; and
• development of projects that provide technical assistance to enhance the capacity of key
economic development actors in the region to promote the region’s locally owned strategies.
EDA recognizes that urgent infrastructure rebuilding needs exist throughout disaster impacted regions.
In EDA’s experience with post-disaster recovery, the most effective rebuilding efforts are based on long-
term regional development or redevelopment strategies that leverage Federal funding in coordination
1 Note that this does not include COVID-19 disaster declarations.
2 See 42 U.S.C. §§ 3149(c)(2), 3233.
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with state, local and private sector resources. For this reason, EDA encourages the submission of
applications based on long-term, regionally oriented, coordinated and collaborative economic
development or redevelopment strategies that foster economic growth and resilience. EDA will regard
applications that are substantively supported by such strategies as more competitive, while applications
for rebuilding damaged infrastructure that are not demonstrably supported by or otherwise related to a
long-term plan for economic growth and resilience will not be considered competitive.
In addition to implementation projects, applicants may also seek funding in the form of a “strategy
grant” to develop, update, or refine a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) that
alleviates long-term economic deterioration or a sudden and severe economic dislocation, as described
in EDA’s regulations at 13 C.F.R. § 307.3.3 Depending on the needs of a region, Applicants may be
eligible for an initial strategy grant and a subsequent implementation grant. For the purposes of this
Disaster Supplemental NOFO, non-construction strategy grants may include the otherwise ineligible
areas, due to not receiving a major disaster designation under the Stafford Act in calendar year
2021/2022, of an Economic Development District (EDD) when a majority of the counties of a defined
region, such as an EDD, are otherwise eligible under this Disaster Supplemental NOFO. EDA will consider
applications submitted by eligible applicants located in or acting on behalf of the disaster-affected
regions, including one or more institutions of higher education; one or more States, cities or other units
of local government; and economic development organizations, including but not limited to regional
multi-jurisdictional District Organizations and public or private non-profit organizations working in
cooperation with private for-profit organizations, local businesses, and industry leaders.
Prospective applicants should note that Section C of this Disaster Supplemental NOFO sets out eligibility
criteria for applications seeking funding for disaster recovery assistance. Only applications meeting the
eligibility criteria will be considered. EDA will evaluate and select applications according to the
evaluation criteria set forth in Section E of this announcement. Further, EDA will give priority to
applications that propose or reflect sound resilience planning for disasters and are ready for
implementation of that plan.
As noted above, this Disaster Supplemental NOFO will support disaster economic recovery activities that
address the impacts of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, and of wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters
occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022. For all other EDA program and investment opportunities,
please review https://www.grants.gov (Grants.gov) or visit https://www.eda.gov/funding/funding-
opportunities.
EDA may make changes or additions or cancel the Disaster Supplemental NOFO at any time. All changes
will be communicated via Grants.gov.
a. Resiliency
To be competitive, applications must clearly incorporate principles for enhancing the resilience of the
relevant community/region or demonstrate the integration of resilience principles into the investment
project itself. Resilience is an essential component of any strategy for mitigating the potential for future
3 The regulations implementing the EAA program may be found at 13 C.F.R. part 307. Please note that Section
307.3 of EDA’s regulations describes the differences between an EAA implementation grant and an EAA strategy
grant. See also 42 U.S.C. § 3149(b)(2) (EAA planning project is not required to be carried out in an area with a CEDS
or be consistent with an existing CEDS).
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disaster-related losses and adverse economic impacts for communities. Therefore, inclusion of resilience
principles in the project is a necessary step to improve the capacity of the region to recover more
quickly from future disaster events.
In terms of economic development, resilience is broadly defined as the ability of a community or region
to anticipate, withstand, and bounce back from various disruptions to its economic base. These
disruptions can be caused by a variety of things, including extreme weather events. Enhancing
resilience, especially in light of the ongoing impacts of a changing climate, is a multi-dimensional effort
emphasizing engagement and support from all aspects of the community, including economic
development practitioners. Some examples include:
• Efforts to broaden the industrial base or local sectoral specialization with diversification
initiatives (e.g., moving away from a local or regional economy overly dependent on one
industry that might be susceptible to economic downturns). This may include spurring
economic and job creation opportunities in industries that help communities recover from
disasters, become more climate resilient, and assist the transition to a lower carbon future.
• Enhancing business retention and expansion programs to strengthen existing high-growth
sectors and industries, including increasing supplier diversification.
• Development and construction of high-performance and resilient infrastructure and buildings to
mitigate future risk and vulnerability, including from impacts of climate change.
• Enhancing the development and adoption of new technologies that play a vital role in
strengthening economic resilience (e.g., through modern infrastructure like broadband and
renewable energy), and nurturing technology ecosystems that support dynamic, diverse
economies that better withstand acute disruptions.
• Comprehensive planning efforts that involve extensive engagement from the community to
define and implement a collective vision for economic recovery and resiliency.
• Comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify disaster and climate risks to economic
assets, infrastructure, businesses, and industrial sectors, and planning, design, and construction
projects to reduce these risks.
• Capacity building measures including disaster recovery/resiliency coordinators.
• Planning and design efforts that support voluntary placement of industrial parks and critical
economic development infrastructure in more resilient locations.
One particular type of resilience is climate resilience. EDA expects every project it funds to be resilient
to future disruptions, to the greatest extent possible, including the impacts of climate change. The
manner in which this manifests will vary by project and may include considerations such as siting,
construction methods, construction materials, elevation, etc. Applicants should demonstrate that they
have sufficiently accounted for current and future weather- and climate-related risks, such as wildfires,
droughts, extreme heat and cold, inland and coastal flooding, and the high-impact winds produced by
weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes. The proposed project application should include how
new infrastructure assets will be designed, built, and operated to prove resilient to high-impact weather
and climate changes that may occur over the asset’s lifetime. Applicants should make use of available
tools and resources from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal
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Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other federal agencies, as well as applicant-level
resources and centers of expertise, in drawing up their applications.4
Resilience (within the context of economic development) is strengthened when it includes methods and
measures to mitigate the potential for future economic injury, including through disaster mitigation,
promoting a faster “up-time” for economic anchors (e.g., key businesses and/or industries), and
strengthening local and regional capacity to troubleshoot and address vulnerabilities within the regional
economy. Resilience includes assessing and addressing current and future risks to major industries,
economic development infrastructure, business districts, and the workforce, and assisting the transition
to economic opportunities that foster climate resilience and low-carbon alternatives.
As noted above, application submissions that explicitly incorporate resilience principles will be more
competitive. Additional information about this subject is available at https://www.eda.gov/node/10701.
The project’s compliance with these resiliency principles should be documented in section B.2 of the ED-
900 (as discussed below) and will be evaluated as part of the project’s competitiveness.
b. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
Except for a strategy grant as described above, each project funded under EAA must be consistent with
the region’s current CEDS, or if a CEDS does not exist, an equivalent EDA-accepted regional economic
development strategy meeting EDA’s CEDS or strategy requirements. Applicants must clearly detail how
the proposed project will support the economic development needs and objectives outlined in the CEDS
or equivalent strategy, and identify the CEDS or strategy and provide a copy of this planning document,
either by attaching the document to the application, including the web link for the document. In
addition, applicants should indicate if other Federal funds have been secured for, or have been
requested to support, any portion of the project for which an EDA investment is proposed. Applicants
should describe how the EDA investment will complement, leverage, or otherwise align with other
public and private investments to accomplish the planned deliverables and outcomes. Where other
Federal funding may be involved in the project, the applicant should provide the Federal program name
and contact information with their application in order to facilitate interagency coordination and avoid
duplication of resources.
c. Workforce Projects
To the extent that a project involves workforce development activities, both non-construction and
construction, there are specific program objectives to consider.
4 FEMA Hazard Mitigation Plan Information is available at: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-
management/hazard-mitigation-planning. The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard resource is available at:
https://www.fema.gov/floodplain-management/intergovernmental/federal-flood-risk-management-standard.
NOAA’s Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation is available at: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/biden-
administration-launches-portal-to-help-communities-assess-exposure-to-climate-hazards. The AT&T, FEMA and
DOE Argonne National Laboratory, Climate Risk and Resilience Portal is available at:
https://about.att.com/story/2022/fema-argonne-climrr.html. FEMA’s National Risk Index is available at:
https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/products-tools/national-risk-index.
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Non-construction workforce projects eligible under this NOFO should support demand-driven sectoral
partnerships that will support Americans in securing and retaining quality jobs, consistent with the
Department of Commerce workforce principles.5 For the purposes of this NOFO, “sectoral partnership”
is defined as a partnership of employers from the same industry who join with other strategic partners
to train and place workers into high-quality jobs that the employers need filled and intend to fill through
the partnership. The strategic partners can include: government, education (including community and
technical colleges), training organizations, economic development organizations, workforce
development organizations, unions, labor management partnerships, industry associations, employer-
serving organizations, and/or community-based organizations. A sectoral partnership is focused on one
specific industry and one or more specific roles within that industry. The lead entity of a sectoral
partnership (i.e., Backbone Organization) serves as an intermediary across all the partners in the sectoral
partnership and must be an EDA eligible applicant to receive funding through this NOFO. Sectoral
partnerships are effective because: they are carefully built to include all necessary partners before
workforce solutions are designed; they cut across traditional economic development, workforce,
education, and social services system silos; they are targeted to in-demand sectors with high-quality
jobs; and they consider the economic realities of a regional industry in assessing workforce demand and
training needs.
A project that is entirely or partially intended to develop, deploy, expand, or initiate workforce training,
must:
• connect trained workers with quality job6 opportunities through a sectoral partnership;
• demonstrate employer leadership. EDA is seeking applications that have employer engagement
in the development of the training and firm employer commitments to hire people who
complete the training, which can come in different forms including earn-and-learn models like
Registered Apprenticeships;
• include comprehensive wrap-around services (e.g., childcare, transportation) to support
vulnerable populations;7
• increase educational and workplace diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, including
through recruitment and retention efforts focused on underserved populations;
• carry out activities in one or both of the following categories:
Program Design funding for sectoral partnerships to identify the skills needed by
o
industry and workers, develop the skills training curriculum and materials, and secure
technical expertise needed to train workers with the skills needed by businesses,
including providing professional development and capacity-building to trainers and
educators, and/or
5 https://www.commerce.gov/issues/workforce-development.
6 For more information on what constitutes a quality job, see https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles.
7 Note that not all wrap-around services will be eligible expenses. You will need to work with EDA to identify those
that qualify as eligible participant support costs under 2 CFR 200.1 and 200.456.
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Program Implementation funding to deliver workforce training and wrap-around
o
services that place workers into quality jobs through a new or expanded sectoral
partnerships; and
• measure and evaluate outcomes such as workers’ employment and earnings. Ensure that data is
transparent, actionable, secure, and linked back to those executing programs.
If the project is a workforce project, its compliance with these workforce principles must be
documented in section B.2 of the ED-900 (as discussed below) and will be evaluated as part of the
project’s competitiveness. See section E.1, Criteria.
EDA recognizes that in many circumstances having adequate, modernized facilities is a critical
component of a successful workforce training program that responds to industry needs today and into
the future. As such, equipment costs, expenses related to securing adequate space (e.g., rent, leases),
and other non-construction capital expenses are allowable expenses under workforce projects. Building-
based construction projects (i.e., any activity that disturbs the ground or modifies a structure) should be
submitted as a construction project.
For construction projects, it is critical that any future programming that will occupy the facility also
follow the above principles related to employer engagement and job commitments.
d. Equity
Consistent with Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved
Communities through the Federal Government, and EDA’s Equity Investment Priority, EDA expects
projects to advance equity to underserved populations to the extent practicable. In this context, EDA is
seeking projects that directly benefit: 1) one or more traditionally underserved populations, including
but not limited to women, Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans,
and Pacific Islanders or 2) underserved communities within geographies that have been systemically
and/or systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic prosperity such as
Tribal Lands, Persistent Poverty Counties, and rural areas with demonstrated, historical underservice.
Underserved and marginalized communities may be more vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters
and climate change, and slower to recover.
A successful project will articulate which populations or communities will benefit (as noted above and
https://www.eda.gov/funding/investment-priorities) and include a plan for inclusive community
engagement in the project and ensuring that the economic benefits of the project will be shared by all
communities in the project region, including any underserved communities. Your explanation should
address the communities affected, barriers those communities may face in accessing benefits of the
project, contemplated outreach efforts, and other planned steps to address identified barriers, as
appropriate.
The project’s compliance with these equity principles should be documented in section E.1 of the ED-
900 (as discussed below) and will be evaluated as part of the project’s competitiveness.
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e. Puerto Rico
Given the unprecedented amount of federal funding flowing into Puerto Rico, the need to be
coordinated across the archipelago and ensure that the most effective resiliency projects are selected,
EDA expects Puerto Rico applications to identify how the proposed project fits in the greater landscape
of funding activities occurring in Puerto Rico. Thus, either consistent with the CEDS requirement
described above, or in lieu thereof, EDA expects Puerto Rico-related applications to reference a Puerto
Rico-wide strategic planning document (such as “PRopósito,” available at:
https://ddec.pr.gov/proposito-en/ or “Transformation and Innovation in the Wake of Devastation: An
Economic and Disaster Recovery Plan for Puerto Rico” available at:
https://www.rand.org/hsrd/hsoac/projects/puerto-rico-recovery.html) and describe how the proposed
project fits within the parameters of the strategic planning document.
f. Ineligible Projects
Some projects are generally ineligible under this NOFO, including projects that are primarily residential
in nature (e.g., housing), projects to create community amenities (e.g., swimming pools, zoos,
recreational centers), projects that support casinos or gaming, projects that support general
governmental functions (see 2 C.F.R. 200.444), and requests for funding to supplement operating
budgets or replace lost revenue (including lost tax revenue). Applicants who are unsure whether their
proposed project is eligible under this NOFO should consult the appropriate EDA Regional Office Point of
Contact (POC) listed in section G.
Funds may not be used, directly or indirectly as an offset for other funds, to support or oppose collective
bargaining.
2. EDA Investment Priorities
EDA’s Investment Priorities are:
1. Equity
2. Recovery & Resilience
3. Workforce Development
4. Manufacturing
5. Technology-Based Economic Development
6. Environmentally-Sustainable Development
7. Exports & Foreign Direct Investment
Under this NOFO, each project must be consistent with #2, Recovery & Resilience. Consistency with
additional Investment Priorities may make a project more competitive. Further, for workforce
development projects, incorporation of the principles found in section A.1.c. of this NOFO will make the
project more competitive.
More information about these Investment Priorities, including definitions, can be found at
https://www.eda.gov/funding/investment-priorities. EDA’s website may be updated from time to time if
there are any revisions to these Investment Priorities. While all are important, equity and recovery and
resilience are also evaluation factors and incorporating such principles or elements into a project
application may make it more competitive.
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3. Statutory Authorities for EDA’s Programs
The statutory authority for the EAA program is Section 209 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3149). The statutory
authorization of supplemental appropriations for disaster economic recovery activities is Section 703 of
PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3233).
Applicant eligibility and program requirements are set forth in EDA’s regulations (codified at 13 C.F.R.
Chapter III), and all applicants must address these requirements. EDA’s regulations are accessible at the
U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) website at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/. Under “Browse,”
select the Code of Federal Regulations, choose the most recent year, and scroll down to find Title 13,
Chapter III.
4. Federal Awarding Agency Contact
Potential applicants should contact the EDA representative listed for their State (see Section G of this
NOFO) to obtain additional information regarding any information in this NOFO.
B. Federal Award Information
1. What Funding Is Available Under this Announcement?
Under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (Div. N of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023, Pub. L. 117-328), Congress provided EDA with the following disaster-specific
program appropriation to supplement its core FY23 appropriations:
Pursuant to section 703 of the Public Works and Economic Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3233), for
an additional amount for ‘‘Economic Development Assistance Programs’’ for necessary expenses
related to flood mitigation, disaster relief, long-term recovery, and restoration of infrastructure
in areas that received a major disaster designation as a result of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, and
of wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022
under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et
seq.), $500,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That within the amount
appropriated under this heading in this Act, up to 3 percent of funds may be transferred to the
‘‘Salaries and Expenses’’ account for administration and oversight activities: Provided further,
That the Secretary of Commerce is authorized to appoint and fix the compensation of such
temporary personnel as may be necessary to implement the requirements under this heading in
this Act, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments
in competitive service: Provided further, That within the amount appropriated under this heading
in this Act, $2,000,000 shall be transferred to the ‘‘Office of Inspector General’’ account for
carrying out investigations and audits related to the funding provided under this heading in this
Act.
Consistent with the above, EDA has allocated $483 million in EAA program funds under this Disaster
Supplemental NOFO among its six Regional Offices that cover the applicable disaster areas, as described
below in Section B.2 of this Disaster Supplemental NOFO. If an applicant is awarded funding, neither
DOC nor EDA is under any obligation to provide any future funding in connection with that award or to
make any future award(s). Amendments or renewals of an award to increase funding or to extend the
period of performance are at the sole discretion of DOC and EDA.
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Publication of this announcement does not obligate DOC or EDA to award any specific grant or
cooperative agreement or to obligate all or any part of available funds. The award of any grant is subject
to the availability of funds at the time of award as well as to DOC priorities at the time of award. Neither
DOC nor EDA will be held responsible for application preparation costs. EDA plans on funding between
100 and 150 disaster recovery projects with this appropriation.
2. Initial EDA Regional Office Allocations
Applying a number of factors, including impact and distress, EDA has allocated the $483 million in
disaster supplemental program funds among six Regional Offices as follows:
Atlanta Regional Office — $160,000,000
Austin Regional Office — $110,000,000
Chicago Regional Office — $18,000,000
Denver Regional Office — $57,000,000
Philadelphia Regional Office — $103,000,000
Seattle Regional Office — $35,000,000
Note: When appropriate, EDA may exercise its discretion to adjust the allocations to the Regional
Offices based on its experience in administering disaster supplemental appropriations to ensure funds
are used to maximum effect, or to adjust to unforeseen changes in recovery efforts.8
3. What Type of Funding Instrument Will Be Used to Make Awards? How Long Will a
Project’s Period of Performance Be?
Funding Instrument: Subject to the availability of funds, EDA may award grants or cooperative
agreements to eligible applicants to help support economic development project-based activities. EDA
will award a cooperative agreement on a case-by-case basis if substantial agency involvement is
required. For a cooperative agreement, the nature of EDA’s “substantial involvement” (to be included in
the terms and conditions of the award) will generally be collaboration between EDA and the recipient on
the scope of work. However, other possible examples of EDA’s “substantial involvement” may include,
but are not limited to: (i) authority to halt immediately an activity if detailed performance specifications
are not met; (ii) stipulation that the recipient must meet or adhere to specific procedural requirements
before subsequent stages of a project may continue; and (iii) operational involvement and monitoring
during the project to ensure compliance with statutory requirements.
8 If EDA determines that an application is eligible for funding under another EDA NOFO (e.g., the Fiscal Year (FY)
2023 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance NOFO), EDA may at its sole discretion transfer the
application for processing from the original NOFO to another. EDA will document that the applicant is in
compliance with the application requirements of the NOFO to which the application is transferred.
At EDA’s sole discretion, EDA may also jointly fund a project under more than one NOFO if a project meets the
eligibility requirements of each respective NOFO at time of award. This may arise where a disaster impacts a
project previously funded under a separate NOFO or where an area has been impacted by multiple disasters across
several years. EDA will document the project’s eligibility under the respective NOFOs and that the applicant
complied with the respective application requirements of all NOFOs under which funding is awarded.
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Period of Performance: Under the EAA program, the project period of performance depends on the
nature of the project for which the grant is awarded. Typically, disaster and economic recovery strategy
grants may range in duration from 12 to 18 months with extensions considered on a case-by-case basis.
Implementation grants involving construction of project facilities and infrastructure generally are
expected to range from 12 to 48 months. EDA will work closely with the recipients to accommodate
their projected timelines within reason and allowances of regulations and grant policies. EDA expects
that all projects will proceed efficiently and expeditiously, and EDA encourages applicants to clearly
document how quickly they will be able to start and complete the proposed project scope of work.
C. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants for EDA EAA investment assistance include a(n):
a. District Organization;
b. Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes;
c. State,9 county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose
unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development
activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions;
d. Institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; or
e. Public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with
officials of a political subdivision of a State.10
2. Eligible Counties Based on Disaster Declarations
The project of an eligible applicant must be able to meet area eligibility requirements to be considered
for funding under this Disaster Supplemental NOFO. Such eligibility is predicated upon the project being
located in or primarily serving one or more communities impacted by Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, and of
wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022.
More specifically, consistent with 13 C.F.R. parts 301 and 307, EDA will determine area eligibility
pursuant to the applicable Federal disaster declaration under the Stafford Act, and the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designation of areas as eligible for public assistance or
individual assistance due to the declared disasters listed on FEMA’s website (www.fema.gov/disaster/).
For construction projects (including design and engineering), the project must be located within an
eligible county. For non-construction projects, the project’s scope of work must primarily benefit eligible
9 Under section 3(10) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3122), the term “State” includes any State, the District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the
Republic of Palau.
10 This may include labor unions to the extent they can provide proof that they are organized as and operating as a
non-profit organization. See section D.2.c.v, Organizational Documentation, for documentation required to show
eligibility.
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counties, and stakeholders representing those eligible counties must be directly engaged in the
project.11
3. Cost Sharing or Matching
a. EDA Investment Rate
Funds for this Disaster Supplemental NOFO must be used to carry out paragraph (c)(2) of Section 209 of
PWEDA, which provides, in relevant part, that EAA assistance may be provided for activities identified by
communities, the economies of which are injured by “disasters or emergencies, in areas with respect to
which a major disaster or emergency has been declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 5121 et seq.), for post-disaster economic recovery.” Subsection
(b) of Section 703 of PWEDA provides that the Federal Share of the cost of activities funded with such
amounts made available may be up to 100%, as described below.
Once applicant and area eligibility are established, EDA generally expects to fund up to 80% of the
eligible costs of such assistance. However, EDA’s consideration of factors such as scale of the project,
the extent of the impact of the relevant disaster on the region, total project cost, relative distress of the
community, or geographic distribution of disaster funds, may cause EDA to fund projects at a grant rate
that is lower than 80%. The remaining portion of the costs for the EDA scope of work must be borne by
the recipient or provided to the recipient by a third party as a contribution for the purposes of and
subject to the terms of the award. Further, in accordance with the agency’s statutory authority under
Section 703 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3233), EDA may increase the investment rate up to a maximum of
100%. In determining whether to increase the Federal Share above 80%, EDA’s Grants Officer in the
applicable Regional Office will consider on a case-by-case basis whether the circumstances of the
proposed project warrant a Federal Share in excess of 80%, including whether the applicant has
exhausted its effective taxing or borrowing capacity or meets other thresholds for elevated need based
on the overall economic situation of the region. Additionally, EDA may establish a maximum investment
rate of up to 100% for projects of Indian Tribes. The applicant is responsible for demonstrating to EDA
that an enhanced grant rate is justified by providing statistics and other appropriate information on the
nature and level of economic distress in the region, including information regarding other disaster-
related needs facing the region and the level of resources available to address those needs.
b. Documentation of Cost Share or Matching
Applications must include commitment letters or equivalent documents that demonstrate, to the
satisfaction of EDA, that all matching funds (whether cash, loans, bonds, or in-kind) from all sources
(e.g., any applicant, any co-applicants, and any other sources of matching funds) referenced in the
application will be unencumbered, unrestricted, and committed at the time of award and that are
signed by authorized representatives of the sources of the matching funds. Authorized representatives
must have the authority to execute documents and to obligate and expend funds on behalf of their
respective organizations.
Each matching share commitment letter must state whether the contribution is cash, loans, bonds, or
in-kind; if in-kind, provide a valuation for in-kind contributions. In-kind match must consist of
11 See also 13 C.F.R. § 301.3(a).
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contributions directly related to the proposed project, such as services, equipment, or space. EDA will
fairly evaluate all in-kind contributions, which must be eligible project costs and which must meet
applicable federal cost principles and uniform administrative requirements. Funds from other federal
financial assistance awards may be considered matching share funds only if authorized by statute, which
may be determined by EDA’s reasonable interpretation of the statute.
Additional documentation may be requested by EDA to substantiate the availability of the matching
funds. For example, if bonds are contemplated as match, counsel opinion of the applicant’s bonding
authority and eligibility of the bonds for use as match, along with full disclosure of the type of bonds and
the schedule of the applicant’s intended bond issue, are required.
A provider of matching share, including an entity providing cash or in-kind contributions, may not serve
as a contractor under the same award, and may not be paid with award funds to provide goods or
services to the award recipient.
In addition, applicants should indicate if other Federal funds have been secured for, or have been
requested to support, any portion of the project for which an EDA investment is proposed. Applicants
should describe how the EDA investment will complement, leverage, or otherwise align with other
public and private investments to implement the project. Where other Federal funding may be involved
in the project, the applicant should provide the Federal program name and contact information with
their application to facilitate interagency coordination and avoid duplication of resources. Note that
consistent with 2 CFR § 200.306, not all sources of Federal funding may be allowed as match and
applicants shall raise any concerns as early as possible with their EDA Regional Office POC listed in
section G.
D. Application Submission Information
Please note that all submissions under this Disaster Supplemental NOFO are subject to EDA’s review
process for EAA projects.
An applicant must submit a complete application, as detailed in Section D.2.a of this NOFO, to be
considered for funding. EDA intends to review each application expeditiously after receiving the
complete application. EDA may request additional documentation or information from the applicant to
make an eligibility determination. EDA will reject any documentation of eligibility that the agency
determines is inaccurate or incomplete, which may cause the application to be rejected. Please see
Section E of this NOFO for more information on award criteria, and the review and selection process.
1. Obtaining an Application and Electronic Submission through EDGE
An applicant must obtain, complete, and submit an application electronically through the Economic
Development Grants Experience (EDGE) at sfgrants.eda.gov. EDA will not accept paper, facsimile, or
email transmissions of applications except as provided below. In order to obtain and submit an
application through EDGE, an applicant must register for an EDGE account at sfgrants.eda.gov. As part
of the registration process, you will register one Authorized Representative for your organization,
however, multiple points of contact may be registered or added by the applicant to the application
workspace to view or work on completing the application. The Authorized Representative will be the
only official with the authority to submit applications.
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a. Verification of Submission
Applicants should save and print written proof of an electronic submission made through EDGE.
Applicants, specifically the Authorized Representative submitting the application and materials, will
receive a time and date stamped email from EDGE confirming the submission and receipt of the
application and other required documents.
Applicants should save and print both the confirmation screen provided on EDGE after the applicant
has submitted an application and the confirmation email sent when the application has been
successfully submitted.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify that its submission was timely received and submitted
successfully through EDGE. To see the date your application was submitted, log on to EDGE and click on
the Submitted Application section from the Home Page.
If you experience a systems issue with EDGE, see Section D.8. below for instructions.
b. Alternatives to Submission through EDGE
To accommodate an applicant’s accessibility requirements, a paper version of this application may be
obtained by contacting the appropriate POC listed in section G of this NOFO. Or if an applicant is
otherwise unable to submit an application through EDGE for reasons beyond the control of the
applicant, EDA, in its sole discretion, may pre-approve in writing submission via an alternate method
(e.g., email).
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
a. Application Format and Signatures
All relevant forms must be signed electronically by the applicant’s Authorized Representative, as
identified per Section D.1 of this NOFO.
The preferred electronic file format for attachments is Adobe portable document format (PDF);
however, EDA will accept electronic files in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or Microsoft Excel formats. All
documentation and data submitted should be current and applicable as of the date submitted.
b. Required Documents
The following application forms must be submitted for all project types in addition to any other forms
required for your specific project type:
• Form SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
• Form ED-900 (General Application for EDA Programs)
• Budget Narrative
• Match Commitment Letter and supporting documentation (See section C.2.)
• Form CD-511 (Certification Regarding Lobbying)
ED-900 Information. Each section of the ED-900 must be filled out. Please also note the following
additional instructions for the ED-900:
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• Every project must discuss resiliency principles detailed in section A.1.a. above incorporated into
the project in section B.2 of the ED-900.
• In section B.2, for construction projects only, explain whether and/or how the project will
incorporate strong labor standards, including project labor agreements and community benefit
agreements, that offer wages at or above the prevailing rate and include local hire provisions,
and a description of the applicant’s workforce plans and practices, including the use of
Registered Apprenticeships.
• If the project is a workforce project, in order to be competitive, the ED-900 must discuss in
section B.2 its compliance with the workforce principles detailed in section A.1.c. above,
including any plans to establish a Registered Apprenticeship program.
• In order to receive competitive consideration for inclusion of equity principles discussed in
section A.1.d. above, the project must explain in section E.1 of the ED-900 the steps that you will
take to ensure inclusive community engagement in the project, and that the economic benefits
of the project will be shared by all communities in the project region, including any underserved
communities such as women, Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian
Americans, Pacific Islanders, or any underserved communities within geographies that have
been systemically and/or systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in economic
prosperity. Your explanation should address the communities affected, barriers those
communities may face in accessing benefits of the project, contemplated outreach efforts, and
other planned steps to address identified barriers, as appropriate.
If a project requires or anticipates the payment of federal funds to third parties (such as partners,
consultants, vendors, and/or service providers), it is the applicant’s responsibility to determine whether
a third party should be characterized as a subrecipient or a contractor. The characterization must be
reflected in the terms of each agreement made with each third party. (See 2 C.F.R. § 200.1 for
definitions of contract, contractor, subaward, and subrecipient; see also 2 C.F.R. § 200.331, Subrecipient
and contractor determinations.)
All subawards must receive EDA prior approval. If selected for award, and before initial disbursement of
any funds by EDA for any costs incurred by a subrecipient, EDA may request documentation
demonstrating that the subrecipient is an entity eligible to receive EDA assistance.
In addition to the four forms required for all applications, Table 2 below provides a complete list of
documents required based on the type of EDA assistance:
TABLE 2
Construction Design & Non- Revolving Loan
Engineering Construction Fund
(including
sectoral
partnerships)
SF-424 (Application for Federal X X X X
Assistance)
ED-900 (General Application for X X X X
EDA Programs)
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Match Commitment X X X X
Documentation
CD-511 (Certification Regarding X X X X
Lobbying)
SF-LLL (If Applicable) X X X X
SPOC Documentation (If X X X X
Applicable)
Indirect Cost Rate X X X
Documentation (If Applicable)
Organizational Documentation X X X X
(If Applicable) (See below for
examples)
SF-424A (Budget Information— X X
Non-Construction Programs)
SF-424C (Budget Information— X X
Construction Programs)
SF-424D (Assurances— X X
Construction Programs)
ED-900B (Beneficiary X
Information Form) from each
beneficiary, as applicable
ED-900C (EDA Application X
Supplement for Construction
Programs) and supporting
documentation, e.g.,
Preliminary Engineering Report
(PER).
ED-900D (Requirements for X
Design and Engineering
Assistance)
X
ED-900E (Calculation of
Estimated Relocation and
Land Acquisition Expenses)
ED-900F (Additional EDA X
Assurances for Revolving Loan
Fund Applications)
Environmental Narrative X X
Certification Clause (with X X
environmental narrative)
Map X X
Draft RLF Plan X
Budget Narrative (See below) X X X X
*Co-applicants will be required to submit their own SF-424, CD-511, SF-LLL (if applicable), SF-424D (if
applicable), Applicant Certification Clause as part of the Environmental Narrative (if applicable), and
organizational documentation.
The Draft RLF plan must address all components required by EDA’s regulation at 13 C.F.R. § 307.9.
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The Budget Narrative must identify and justify how funds in each line item of the budget will be used to
support the proposed project. The Budget Narrative should specifically address each budget line item
(including both the Federal Share and matching Non-Federal Share), and the narrative total should
match the total project costs listed in both the SF-424 question 18, line g, and SF-424A or SF-424C, as
applicable. This includes describing any other Federal funds that have been secured or requested to
support the project (see Section A.1). The Budget Narrative should include itemized valuations of any in-
kind matching funds. The non-Federal Share, whether in cash or in-kind, is expected to be paid out at
the same general rate as the Federal Share; however, if the applicant’s Budget Narrative proposes
otherwise, applicants must also include information that clearly indicates what project elements the
matching share funds will support and explain why deviation from paying out at the same general rate is
required for the project to be implemented. For construction projects, the budget narrative may be
included in the Preliminary Engineering Report.
i. Additional Requirements for Incubators and Accelerators
In addition to the required forms listed above, applications for a business technology, or other type of
incubator or accelerator, must also include the following:
1. A feasibility study establishing the market demand for the specific start-up companies proposed
for incubation (technology, general business, bio-tech, manufacturing, etc.) and the presence of
necessary resources and community support;
2. Documentation with detailed demonstration that the applicant has the financial capacity to
operate the facility (if applicable) and reach a positive cash flow within a reasonable period of
time, which EDA generally expects to be three years; and
3. A management plan for operation that, at a minimum, includes a/an:
Tenant/client selection policy that includes a description of the types of businesses
o
sought and any established selection criteria;
Tenant lease or license agreement (if applicable) that enumerates the shared services to
o
be provided; delineates the business assistance policy, including the provision of
management, technical, and training assistance, and the graduation policy; and
establishes periodic access to the tenant’s business records to permit assessment of the
financial and operational viability of the tenant’s business;
Business assistance policy that outlines the various types of assistance that will be
o
provided to start-up firms, including how support will be provided to tenants/clients
with access to capital needed to grow their businesses successfully;
Staffing plan that details the talent and resources that will be dedicated to supporting
o
the startup companies accepted;
Tenant graduation policy that is documented as a provision of the tenant lease or
o
license agreement (if applicable) with clear requirements for tenant graduation from the
facility or services; and
Performance plan that includes how the entity will track the success of tenants/clients,
o
specifically identifying what performance measurement data are proposed to be
collected from tenants/clients and for what period of time during and after the service
period the data will be collected. This should also include members of any oversight or
policy board that will be responsible for setting performance goals, selecting or
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approving selections of staff, establishing and reviewing policy, and monitoring
performance.
c. Conditionally Required Documents
These documents may be required for a complete application, depending on the circumstances:
i. Form SF-LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities)
A form SF LLL is required if an applicant has retained a registered lobbyist in conjunction with the
proposed project.
ii. SPOC Compliance Documentation
If a project’s primary service area is located within one or more States that participate in the
intergovernmental review process established by Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs,” an applicant must submit documentation demonstrating compliance with that
State’s or those States’ processes. See section D.5 “Intergovernmental Review” of this NOFO. The
current list of participating States and their Single Points of Contact (SPOC) can be found at
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf. Each State may
participate for all or a subset of federal grant programs. EDA strongly encourages applicants to contact
SPOCs early in the application period to determine the relevant State’s or States’ processes.
Based on the applicant’s State, EDA requires the following documentation:
State does not
No documentation required—check SF-424 box 19(c).
participate
Documentation (e.g., a State executive order, a letter from the
State participates; this
SPOC) showing that this grant program is not subject to review—
grant program not
provide the documentation as an attachment to the application
subject to review
and check SF-424 box 19(b).
Documentation (e.g., a letter from the SPOC) with comments or
indicating that this project was not selected for review, or, if the
State participates; this
comment period has expired or comments were not received, a
grant program subject
copy of the applicant’s request for comments (e.g., email)—
to review
provide the documentation as an attachment to the application
and check SF-424 box 19(a).
iii. Indirect Cost Rate Documentation
If indirect costs are included in the budget, the applicant must include documentation to support the
indirect cost rate they are using (unless claiming the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate, discussed
below). The applicant must submit a copy of its current, approved, and negotiated indirect cost rate
agreement (NICRA). The maximum dollar amount of allocable indirect costs for which EDA will
reimburse a recipient will be the lesser of the (i) line-item amount for the federal share of indirect costs
contained in the EDA approved budget for the award, or (ii) federal share of the total allocable indirect
costs of the award based on either (i) the indirect cost rate approved by EDA (or applicable cognizant
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federal agency), provided that the cost rate is current at the time the costs were incurred and provided
that the rate is approved on or before the award end date, or (ii) other acceptable documentation as
indicated below.
If the applicant does not have a current or pending NICRA, it may propose indirect costs in its budget;
however, the applicant must prepare and submit an allocation plan and rate proposal for approval
within ninety calendar days from the award start date (unless claiming the 10 percent de minimis
indirect cost rate, discussed below). See 2 C.F.R. part 200 Apps. III, IV, V, VI, VII for guidance. The
allocation plan and the rate proposal shall be submitted to EDA’s Office of Regional Affairs (or the
applicable cognizant federal agency). The applicant should include a statement in its Budget Narrative
that it does not have a current or pending NICRA and will submit an allocation plan and rate proposal to
EDA or the applicant’s cognizant federal agency for approval.
In accordance with 2 CFR § 200.414(f), an applicant that does not have a current negotiated or
provisional NICRA, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs
(subject to the exceptions of § 200.414(f)). No documentation is required to justify the 10 percent de
minimis indirect cost rate; however, an applicant electing to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent
must include a statement in its Budget Narrative that it does not have a current negotiated (including
provisional) rate and is electing to charge the de minimis rate.
If the applicant is a state or local unit of government that receives less than $35 million in direct federal
funding per year it may submit any of the following:
• a NICRA;
• a Certificate of Indirect Costs from the Department of the Interior (DOI) or EDA (See:
https://www.eda.gov/sites/default/files/filebase/archives/2021/files/tools/grantee-
forms/Certificate-of-Indirect-Costs-template.pdf);
• an acknowledgment received from EDA and a Certificate of Indirect Costs in the form prescribed
at 2 C.F.R. pt. 200, app. VII; or
• a Cost Allocation Plan approved by a federal agency (note that cost allocation plans or indirect
cost rates approved by state agencies are not acceptable).
As noted in EDA’s Standard Terms and Conditions for Construction Projects (Construction ST&Cs),
indirect costs are generally not applicable to construction awards.
iv. Environmental and Historic Preservation Documentation
All applicants for EDA construction assistance (and design and engineering assistance) are required to
provide adequate environmental information. This includes filling out an environmental narrative
attached to section H of the ED-900C and a certification clause found on Appendix A to the
environmental narrative. Each application will be reviewed by EDA for compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. During the NEPA review process, applicants may
be instructed to contact the designated State and/or Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO/THPO),
provide approvals from other governmental agencies, or provide more detailed environmental
information. EDA, after compliance with requirements for consultation with Federally recognized Indian
Tribes, may require applicants to participate in Tribal consultation, as necessary. The implementing
regulations of NEPA require EDA to provide public notice of the availability of project-specific
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environmental documents, such as environmental impact statements, environmental assessments,
findings of no significant impact, and records of decision, to the affected public.
v. Organizational Documentation
Depending on the type of organization, an applicant may need to provide documentation that supports
its organizational status as an eligible entity:
• States, federally-recognized Indian tribes, cities or other political subdivisions of States, and
institutions of higher education that are 100% publicly controlled are not required to submit
organizational documentation.
• Nonprofit organizations, including unions, must submit documentation that demonstrates their
status as nonprofit organizations. This must include articles of incorporation, bylaws, and
certificate of good standing, or equivalent. It may also include proof of tax-exempt status.
Nonprofit or for-profit tribal entities, may need to submit similar documentation that
o
demonstrate the entity is wholly owned by and operated for the benefit of the tribe.
• Other entities, including institutions of higher education that are not 100% publicly controlled,
must provide documentation that demonstrates their organization type.
Regardless of entity type, EDA reserves the right to request documentation or additional proof of
organizational status.
3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)
Applicants are required to: (i) be registered in SAM before submitting an application; (ii) provide a valid
unique entity identifier (UEI) in the application; (iii) make certain certifications (see also section H.5 of
this NOFO); and (iv) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all
times during which they have an active federal award, or an application or plan under consideration by a
federal awarding agency. EDA may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has
complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with
the requirements by the time the EDA is ready to make an award, EDA may determine that the applicant
is not qualified. Recipients will be subject to reporting requirements, as identified in OMB guidance
published at 2 C.F.R. parts 25 and 170. All subawardees must have a UEI before any subawards are
made.
4. Submission Dates and Times
There are no submission deadlines under this NOFO. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until
the publication of a new Disaster Supplemental NOFO, cancellation of this Disaster Supplemental NOFO
or all available funds have been expended. EDA may cancel, modify, or withdraw this NOFO at any time.
Due to the volume of declared disasters between 2021-2022, EDA anticipates strong demand for this
program and encourages applicants to submit proposals as soon as they are viable and ready, and to
work with their local Economic Development Representatives (EDR) to prepare a competitive proposal.
EDA anticipates it will begin making awards in August 2023.
5. Intergovernmental Review
Applications submitted under this NOFO are subject to the requirements of Executive Order (EO) 12372,
“Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” if a State has adopted a process under EO 12372 to
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review and coordinate proposed Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development
(commonly referred to as the “single point of contact review process”). All applicants must give States
and local governments a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on the proposed Project,
including review and comment from area-wide planning organizations in metropolitan areas. To find out
more about a State’s process under EO 12372, applicants may contact their State’s Single Point of
Contact (SPOC). Names and addresses of some States’ SPOCs are listed on OMB’s website at
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf. Question 19 of Form SF-
424 allows applicants to demonstrate compliance with EO 12372.
An applicant seeking funding under the Public Works program, or for a construction or RLF grant under
the EAA program, that is not a State, Indian Tribe, or general purpose local governmental authority must
afford the appropriate general purpose local governmental authority in the project region a minimum of
15 days to review and comment on the proposed project and provide with its application a statement of
its efforts to seek comments and either (i) a copy of the comments received and a statement of any
actions to address those comments or (ii) a statement that no comments were received.
See section D.2.c.ii. of this NOFO for instructions on how to comply with this requirement.
6. Funding Restrictions
In general, EDA does not reimburse pre-award project costs. Applicants that are in need of such
reimbursement should work closely with the EDA representative for their State to determine if their pre-
award costs may be considered for reimbursement. For contracted pre-award costs to be eligible for
reimbursement, the applicant must competitively procure services pursuant to the Federal
government’s procurement procedures. All pre-award costs are incurred at an applicant’s own risk and
will be considered for reimbursement, in EDA’s sole discretion, only if an applicant receives an award
and such costs are approved by EDA in writing. Under no circumstances will EDA or DOC be held
responsible for application preparation expenditures, which are distinguished from pre-award project
costs.
It is DOC policy that funds may not be used to pay for management fees in excess of costs or profits,
unless statutorily authorized. Funds may not be used, directly or indirectly as an offset for other funds,
to support or oppose collective bargaining. Additionally, the use of project funds to make equity or
hybrid investments in businesses is not an allowable cost.
See section A.1.f. for project types that are generally ineligible.
7. Other Submission Requirements
After EDA reviews an application, EDA may contact the applicant to request additional documentation
to clarify or substantiate submitted application materials, depending on the type of project proposed.
Examples of additional documentation may include, but are not limited to, title verification,
documentation of the value of in-kind contributions, evidence all funding is available and committed to
the project, or documentation required for environmental or legal compliance. This additional
documentation will be required to ensure that the proposed project complies with all applicable rules
and regulations prior to EDA’s issuance of an award. EDA will provide applicants a reasonable amount of
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time to provide any additional documentation. Failure to provide complete and accurate supporting
documentation in a timely manner when requested by EDA may result in the denial of an application.
8. EDGE Systems Issues
If you experience a systems issue with EDGE (i.e., a technical problem or glitch with the webpage) that
you believe threatens your ability to complete a submission before a deadline, please (i) print any
error message received; (ii) email the help desk at GrantHDSupport@eda.gov; and (iii) contact EDA
using the contact information in Section G. of this NOFO. Please be sure to track your issue using a
case number given to you by the help desk. Please note that problems with an applicant’s computer
system or equipment are not considered systems issues. Similarly, an applicant’s failure to, e.g., (i)
complete the required registration, (ii) ensure that a registered Authorized Representative submits the
application, or (iii) notice receipt of an email message from EDGE are not considered systems issues.
An EDGE issue is an issue occurring in connection with the operations of the website itself, such as the
temporary loss of service due to unexpected volume of traffic or failure of information technology
systems, both of which are highly unlikely. In the event of a confirmed systems issue, EDA reserves the
right to accept an application in an alternate format.
Applicants should go to sfgrants.eda.gov and click on the Resources page for assistance in navigating
EDGE and for a list of useful resources.
E. Application Review Information
Throughout the review and selection process, EDA reserves the right to seek clarification in writing from
applicants whose application packages are being reviewed. This may include reaching out to applicants
and proposing they seek funding under a different EDA program or other federal financial assistance
program under which they may be more competitively assessed. EDA may additionally ask applicants to
clarify application materials, objectives, and work plans, or modify budgets or other specifics necessary
to comply with Federal requirements. After applications are reviewed during the Competitiveness
Review but before the Investment Review Committee as those processes are described below, EDA will
screen applications to verify that all required forms are complete and all required documentation is
included. Applications that do not contain all elements listed in section D.2.a will not be reviewed.
As discussed further in the sections below, the review and selection process will consist of a
Competitiveness Review and an Investment Review Committee (IRC).
1. Criteria
a. Competitiveness Review Criteria
Each project will be reviewed on a pass/fail basis according to the following criteria in the
Competitiveness Review process (detailed below):
i. Whether the project is responsive to this NOFO, including whether the proposed project
budget is consistent with EDA’s funding guidelines, and whether the project demonstrates
area eligibility pursuant to an applicable Federal disaster declaration;
ii. The project’s demonstrated alignment with EDA’s Recovery & Resiliency Investment Priority
as outlined at https://www.eda.gov/funding/investment-priorities;
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iii. The availability and committed nature of proposed matching funds; and
iv. The project’s alignment with the regional CEDS or other CEDS equivalent EDA-accepted
economic development strategy if a CEDS does not exist.
Only applications that pass competitiveness review will be reviewed further, according to the
following additional criteria in an IRC (detailed below).
b. Investment Review Committee (IRC) Criteria
For construction and non-construction projects (except proposals for preparation or revision of a
CEDS), the following criteria will receive equal weight:
i. The project’s feasibility or likelihood that it will achieve its projected outcomes on the
proposed schedule;
ii. The extent to which the project is responsive to the needs of communities impacted by the
relevant disasters regarding disaster relief, long-term economic recovery, resilience to
future disasters, and restoration and enhancement of infrastructure;
iii. The extent to which the project demonstrates support from and involvement with regional
stakeholders, e.g. private, public, and non-profit entities, civil rights- and equity-focused
organizations, community-based organizations, civil society and consumer-focused groups,
unions and worker organizations, workforce boards, economic development organizations,
schools, community colleges, neighborhood and housing associations, and the communities
that stand to benefit;
iv. The project’s alignment with the regional CEDS or other CEDS equivalent EDA-accepted
economic development strategy, including the extent to which the project is aligned with
and integrated into other public or private investments currently ongoing or planned for the
community and region;
v. The extent to which the project incorporates resiliency principles articulated in section
A.1.a. of this NOFO and demonstrates resiliency to future sudden and severe economic
dislocations, e.g., closures of major local employers, climate change, etc.;
vi. The significance of the project’s impact on the region’s recovery from the relevant disaster;
vii. The project’s demonstrated ability to foster job creation and retention, including whether
the project will create union and well-paying, quality jobs with good benefits, and
Registered Apprenticeships when possible;
viii. The likelihood that the project is capable of starting quickly and the immediacy of its
impacts;
ix. The applicant’s organizational capacity, including its financial and management capacity;
x. The extent to which the project will enable the community/region to become more
economically diversified, prosperous, and resilient to disasters;
xi. The degree of economic distress experienced in the project region;
xii. The extent to which the application articulates a plan for ensuring that the project’s benefits
are shared across all affected communities, with a priority given to serving historically
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underserved areas, rural areas, minority populations, and women as discussed in section
A.1.d. of this NOFO; and
xiii. The project’s demonstrated alignment with Investment Priorities beyond the Recovery &
Resiliency Investment Priority (see: https://www.eda.gov/funding/investment-priorities).
In addition to the above criteria, for workforce projects only, EDA will consider the following criterion
equal to the combined weight of the above thirteen criteria:
i. The extent to which the project incorporates the workforce principles articulated in section
A.1.c. of this NOFO, including the number of job placements expected and the number and
type of employer commitments, relative to the capacity of the region.
In addition to the above criteria, for Puerto Rico projects only, EDA will consider the following criterion
to be 25% of the combined weight of the above fourteen criteria:
i. The project’s alignment with a Puerto Rico-wide strategic planning document as described
in section A.1.e. of this NOFO.
For proposals to prepare or revise a CEDS (i.e., a strategy grant), the following criteria will receive equal
weight:
i. The quality of the proposed scope of work for the development, implementation, revision,
or replacement of a strategic or economic development recovery, mitigation, or resilience
plan;
ii. The project’s potential to increase the capacity of the community or region to promote job
creation, private investment in the regional economy, and resilience to sudden and severe
economic dislocations;
iii. The project’s feasibility and the likelihood that the project will achieve its projected
outcomes;
iv. The project’s demonstrated alignment with EDA’s current Investment Priorities as outlined
at https://www.eda.gov/funding/investment-priorities;
v. The ability of the applicant to successfully implement the proposed project;
vi. The extent to which the project demonstrates support from regional stakeholders (private,
public, and non-profit entities, etc.); and
vii. The extent to which the project articulates a plan for ensuring that the needs of all affected
communities are considered in strategy development, including by providing opportunities
for meaningful participation by those communities in strategy development, and the extent
to which the project demonstrates the capacity to account for the unique needs of
historically underserved areas and populations.
Note: Throughout the application review and selection process, strategy grants will be evaluated
independently from all other applications and will be reviewed based on the above specified strategy
grants evaluation criteria.
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2. Review and Selection Process
a. Competitiveness Review (CR) Process
For construction and non-construction projects, except proposals for preparation or revision of a
CEDS, EDA will conduct a Competitiveness Review (CR).
In CR, each Regional Office will review applications for their region. This review will be conducted by at
least two EDA staff members. This CR team will review each application against the pass/fail evaluation
criteria described above. Applications that the two reviewers agree fail any of the listed criteria will be
deemed “Not Competitive” and will not receive further consideration. Projects that pass all criteria will
be deemed “Competitive” and will advance to a full merit review by an Investment Review Committee
(described below). Grants for the preparation or revision of a CEDS are not subject to CR.
b. Investment Review Committee (IRC) Process
For projects deemed Competitive after the CR, and all proposals for preparation or revision of a CEDS,
each EDA Regional Office will convene periodic IRCs consisting of at least three EDA staff members. The
IRC will make a group evaluation of the merits of each application based on the extent to which the
application meets the program specific award and application requirements. Specifically, the IRC will
evaluate and rate projects according to the criteria listed in E.1 above.
Note: Throughout the application review and selection process, strategy grants will be evaluated
independently from all other applications and will be reviewed based on specified strategy grants
evaluation criteria.
c. Additional Review Information
Among construction projects, Applicants are encouraged to utilize Registered Apprentices on the
jobsite.
Based on consideration of the above factors, the IRC will prepare a ranking or other categorization of
applications (e.g., fund, don’t fund, or carry forward) to assist the Regional Director in making funding
decisions. EDA’s final decision on whether to fund a project is dependent upon the ability of the
applicant to provide sufficient documentation.
EDA intends to provide applicants written notification of the collective outcome of the CR and IRC
expeditiously after receipt of a complete application. Applications for complex or large dollar value
projects may require a longer review time.
3. Due Diligence
EDA may request that an applicant submit additional documents and information to allow EDA to fully
evaluate compliance with applicable rules and regulations. If the applicant provides the requested
information and supporting documentation in a timely fashion and EDA determines that the project is
fully compliant with applicable rules and regulations, the application will be forwarded to the Grants
Officer for a final decision and potential award approval. Applicants that do not provide the additional
information and supporting documentation in a timely fashion or who are deemed not to be in
compliance with applicable rules and regulations will receive notification that their application was not
successful.
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4. Grants Officer’s Decision
Applications recommended by the IRC and deemed fully compliant with applicable rules and regulations
will be forwarded to the Regional Director, who is the designated Grants Officer under this NOFO. Each
Regional Director has been delegated the final authority regarding funding of applications and may
select a project for funding that differs from the IRC’s recommendations based on any of the following
selection factors:
i. Responsiveness to the NOFO;
ii. The extent to which the application meets the overall objectives of Section 2 of
PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3121);
iii. The extent to which resilience is integrated, as defined in Section A.1.a. of this
NOFO, into the project scope of work;
iv. The applicant’s performance under previous Federal financial assistance awards,
including whether the grantee submitted required performance reports and data;
v. The availability of program funding;
vi. The extent to which the project supports EDA’s goals of geographic balance in
distribution of program funds, project types, organizational type (to include smaller
and rural organizations) and the overall portfolio;
vii. The extent to which the application articulates a plan for ensuring that the project’s
benefits are shared across all affected communities and the extent to which the
application demonstrates the capacity to account for the unique needs of
historically underserved areas and populations as discussed in section A.1.d.; and
viii. The relative economic distress of the area.
The Regional Director’s final decision must be consistent with EDA’s and DOC’s published policies. Any
time a Regional Director makes a selection that differs from the IRC’s recommendation, the Regional
Director will document the rationale for the decision in writing.
5. Review of Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov
Before making an award with a total amount of Federal Share greater than the simplified acquisition
threshold (currently $250,000 but periodically adjusted), EDA is required to review and consider any
information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible
through SAM (formerly FAPIIS). See 41 U.S.C. § 2313.
Each applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance
systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding
agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system
accessible through SAM. EDA will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other
information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the
applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing
the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.206.
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F. Federal Award Administration Information
1. Federal Award Notification
If an applicant successfully and timely completes all due diligence requirements and the application is
selected for funding, EDA will notify the successful applicant in writing. This notice is not an
authorization to begin work, however; work should not be undertaken until the award is signed by EDA
and the applicant’s authorized representative, as discussed below.
The EDA Grants Officer will issue the award (Notice of Award), which is the authorizing financial
assistance award document and includes Specific Award Conditions and, as applicable, the DOC Financial
Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions (DOC ST&Cs), the EDA Revolving Loan Fund Financial
Assistance Award Standard Terms and Conditions (RLF ST&Cs), and/or the EDA Construction ST&Cs, as
described in Section F.2.b, below.
By accepting the Notice of Award, the applicant agrees to comply with all award provisions. EDA will
provide the Notice of Award to the applicant’s authorized representative. The applicant’s authorized
representative must review and accept the Notice of Award without modification within 30 calendar
days of the date of receipt.
If an applicant is awarded funding, neither DOC nor EDA is under any obligation to provide any
additional future funding in connection with that award or to make any future award(s). Amendment or
renewal of an award to increase funding or to extend the period of performance is at the discretion of
DOC and EDA.
EDA will notify unsuccessful applicants in writing to the applicant’s authorized representative. EDA will
retain unsuccessful applications in accordance with EDA’s record retention schedule.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
a. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements
Recipients of an EDA award will be bound by the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles,
and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) as set forth in 2 C.F.R. part 200.
b. DOC Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions and EDA Standard Terms and
Conditions for RLF and Construction Projects
Recipients of all non-construction EDA awards will be bound by the DOC ST&Cs applicable on the date of
the award. The DOC ST&Cs may be accessed at the following website:
http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/default.htm.
Recipients of an RLF award will be bound by the DOC ST&Cs and the EDA RLF ST&Cs. The RLF ST&Cs may
be accessed at https://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/revolving-loan-fund/guidance under the header
“Standard Terms and Conditions for RLF and Construction Projects.”
Recipients of an EDA construction award will be bound by EDA’s Construction ST&Cs. The Construction
ST&Cs may be accessed at https://www.eda.gov/grant-resources/find-grant-resources/grantee-
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guidance/construction-awards under the header “Standard Terms and Conditions for RLF and
Construction Projects.”
Recipients of DOC financial assistance are obligated to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin, and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, in Federally
assisted programs or activities.
c. DOC Pre-Award Notification Requirements
DOC will apply the Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements
effective December 26, 2014, 79 Fed. Reg. 78,390. The Pre-Award Notice may be accessed at the
Government Printing Office (GPO) website at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-30/pdf/2014-
30297.pdf.
d. Build America, Buy America Requirements Inapplicable
Projects funded under this NOFO are not subject to the Build America, Buy America Act because they
are post disaster expenditures pursuant to a major disaster or emergency declared under the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistant Act.
3. Reporting
a. Financial, Performance, and Impact Reports
All recipients are required to submit financial, performance, and impact reports in accordance with the
terms and conditions of the grant award, generally no less than semi-annually. All project progress and
financial reports must be submitted to the applicable EDA program officer in an electronic format to be
determined at the time of award.
b. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 includes a requirement for awardees
of applicable Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive
compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY 2011 or later. All awardees of applicable
grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System
(FSRS) available at www.FSRS.gov on all subawards over $30,000. See 2 C.F.R. part 170.
c. Government Performance and Results Act
EDA will require additional data on activities, outputs, and actual impact of the funded investment, in
part to fulfill the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). EDA anticipates
that recipients will be expected to track their engagement activities within the scope of work, with
project beneficiaries, and other project stakeholders. EDA further anticipates recipients will be expected
to collect data, using surveys of beneficiaries or clients if necessary, on the outputs and outcomes of
their activities, such as the number of strategic plans or economic development tools developed, the
number of new business partnerships formed, or the range of new capabilities acquired. EDA plans to
collect this information using Forms ED-915 (Public Works, Economic Adjustment Infrastructure and
Revolving Loan Fund Investments) ED-916 (Semi-annual Program Outputs Questionnaire for EDA
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grantees), ED-917 (Annual Capacity Outcomes Questionnaire for EDA Grantees serving clients), and ED-
918 (Annual Capacity Outcomes Questionnaire for EDA Grantees). For more information, please refer to
https://www.eda.gov/performance/gpra. EDA may also engage with leading research institutions to
perform third-party program evaluations, which will require cooperation between the grantee,
organizations within their service area, and the evaluating institution.
d. Requirements for Recipients with More than $10 Million in Federal-wide
Funding
As required by appendix XII to 2 C.F.R. part 200, a recipient with more than $10 million in federal-wide
funding must maintain the currency of information reported to SAM that is made available in the
designated integrity and performance system (formerly FAPIIS) about civil criminal, or administrative
proceedings.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
For questions concerning this NOFO, including technical assistance with application requirements, you
may contact the appropriate EDA representative listed on EDA’s website at
https://www.eda.gov/contact/.
H. Other Information
1. Right to Use Information
The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data contained in applications for
financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial, performance and other
reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the Department of Commerce in conducting reviews
and evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For this purpose, applicant information and data
may be accessed, reviewed, and evaluated by Department of Commerce employees, other Federal
employees, and also by Federal agents and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel, all of whom
enter into appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of such
information. As may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance award,
applicants are expected to support program reviews and evaluations by submitting required financial
and performance information and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating with
Department of Commerce and external program evaluators. In accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.303(e),
applicants are reminded that they must take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally
identifiable information and other confidential or sensitive personal or business information created or
obtained in connection with a Department of Commerce financial assistance award.
2. Freedom of Information Act Disclosure
EDA may publish any applications it receives, including any supporting documentation, on its website or
through other means.
In addition, Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA),
5 U.S.C. § 552, are found at 15 C.F.R. part 4, Public Information. These regulations set forth rules for the
Department regarding making requested materials, information, and records publicly available under
the FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity may be subject to
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requests for release under the Act. In the event that an application contains information or data that the
applicant deems to be confidential commercial information that should be exempt from disclosure
under FOIA, that information should be identified, bracketed, and marked as Privileged, Confidential,
Commercial or Financial Information. In accordance with 15 C.F.R. § 4.9, the Department of Commerce
will protect from disclosure confidential business information contained in financial assistance
applications and other documentation provided by applicants to the extent permitted by law.
3. Notice of Government-Wide Procurement Restriction
The general rule for Federal financial assistance is that contractors that develop draft specifications,
requirements, statements of work, invitations for bids or requests for proposals are prohibited from
competing for the final procurement. For instance, a professional engineer or architect who prepared
the Preliminary Engineering Report for an EDA application would be excluded from bidding on the same
work under the award under 2 C.F.R § 200.319. Under 2 C.F.R. 200.317, only State recipients are
expressly exempt from this prohibition. Local governments and Indian Tribes may also take advantage of
the exemption in two narrow circumstances: (i) if they are required (by statute, for example) to follow
the State’s procurement rules in full and without exception; or (ii) if they are required to follow a
specific State procurement rule that creates an explicit conflict with the prohibition in 2 C.F.R. §
200.319(a) (i.e., there is a statute that requires or permits the local government or Indian Tribe to award
the final procurement to the same contractor that developed the draft specifications). Absent one of
these two scenarios, the local government or Indian Tribe must comply with the prohibition. Applicants
are encouraged to contact the EDA representative listed for their applicable State in Section G of this
NOFO with any questions regarding application of this regulation.
4. Past Performance and Non-Compliance with Award Provisions
Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal awards may result in an application not being
considered for funding. Failure to comply with any or all of the provisions of an award may have a
negative impact on future funding by the DOC (or any of its operating units) may be considered grounds
for any or all of the following actions: (1) establishing an account receivable; (2) withholding payments
to the recipient under any DOC award(s); (3) changing the method of payment from advance to
reimbursement only; (4) imposing other specific award conditions; (5) suspending any active DOC
award(s); and (6) terminating any active DOC award(s).
5. Certifications Required by Annual Appropriations Acts for Corporations and for Awards
over $5 Million
As discussed in section D.2.d, all applicants are required to be registered in SAM before applying under
this NOFO. SAM requires registering entities to certify compliance with all limitations imposed by annual
appropriation acts. For corporations, this certification includes that the corporation:
(a) Was not convicted of a felony criminal violation under a Federal law within the preceding 24
months, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation
and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of
the Government; and/or
(b) Does not have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial
and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a
timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax
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liability, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation
and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of
the Government.
For financial assistance awards in excess of $5 million, this certification includes that the entity:
(a) To the best of its knowledge and belief, has filed all Federal tax returns required during the
three years preceding the certification;
(b) Has not been convicted of a criminal offense under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
and/or
(c) Has not been notified, more than 90 days prior to certification, of any unpaid Federal tax
assessment for which the liability remains unsatisfied, unless the assessment is the subject of an
installment agreement or offer in compromise that has been approved by the Internal Revenue
Service and is not in default, or the assessment is the subject of a non-frivolous administrative
or judicial process.
6. EDA’s Non-Relocation Policy
If an application is selected for award, the recipient will be required to adhere to a specific award
condition relating to EDA’s non-relocation policy as follows:
In signing this award of financial assistance, Recipient(s) attests that EDA funding is not intended by the
Recipient to assist its efforts to induce the relocation of existing jobs within the U.S. that are located
outside of its jurisdiction to within its jurisdiction in competition with other U.S. jurisdictions for those
same jobs. In the event that EDA determines that its assistance was used for those purposes, EDA
retains the right to pursue appropriate enforcement action in accord with the Standard Terms and
Conditions of the Award, including suspension of disbursements and termination of the award for
convenience or material noncompliance, which may include the establishment of a debt requiring the
Recipient to reimburse EDA.
For purposes of ensuring that EDA assistance will not be used to merely transfer jobs from one location
in the United States to another, each applicant must inform EDA of all employers that constitute primary
beneficiaries of the project assisted by EDA. EDA will consider an employer to be a “primary beneficiary”
if: (i) the employer is specifically named in the application as benefitting from the project, and the
applicant estimates that the employer will create or save 100 or more permanent jobs as a result of the
investment assistance (if the jobs in question were originally located in a smaller community, EDA may
extend this policy to the relocation of 50 or more jobs); or (ii) the employer is or will be located in an
EDA-assisted building, port, facility, or industrial, commercial, or business park constructed or improved
in whole or in part with investment assistance prior to EDA’s final disbursement of funds.
7. NOFO Changes Communicated on Grants.gov
EDA may make changes or additions to this NOFO. All changes will be communicated on Grants.gov. It is
recommended that applicants set up a Grants.gov account and subscribe to this funding opportunity in
order to be notified of any updates or changes. DOC or EDA may cancel, modify, or withdraw this NOFO
at any time. EDA is not obligated to make any federal award or commitment as a result of this
announcement.
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8. Disclosure of Information
For the purpose of achieving rigorous program evaluations, all applications (including those not selected
for funding) may be shared with EDA staff, outside parties contracted by EDA for the purposes of
evaluation, and other federal agencies.
9. Audit Requirements
Single or program-specific audits shall be performed in accordance with the requirements contained in
the Uniform Guidance (see 2 C.F.R. part 200, Subpart F, “Audit Requirements”).
The Uniform Guidance requires any non-Federal entity (i.e., non-profit organizations, including non-
profit institutions of higher education and hospitals, States, local governments, and Indian Tribes) that
expends Federal awards of $750,000 or more in the recipient’s fiscal year to conduct a single or
program-specific audit in accordance with the requirements set out in the OMB Uniform Guidance.
Applicants are reminded that EDA or the DOC’s Office of Inspector General also may conduct an audit of
an award at any time.
10. Fraud Awareness Training
Consistent with 2 CFR part 200, in signing a financial assistance award, Recipient personnel responsible
for managing the Recipient’s finances and overseeing any contractors, sub-contractors or sub-grantees,
will be required to complete the training PowerPoint entitled “Compliance with EDA Program
Requirements” and return the signed Certificate of Training Completion to EDA as instructed by the
Agency. Further, Recipient will be required to monitor award activities for common fraud schemes and
report suspicious activity to EDA and the Office of Inspector General.
11. Office of Inspector General Rights and Responsibilities
The U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General (OIG) seeks to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the Department’s programs, including deterring and detecting fraud, waste, abuse, and
mismanagement. The OIG accomplishes this mission primarily through investigations, audits, and
inspections of Department activities, including grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and contracts.
a. Disclosures
Recipients of financial assistance originating from the U.S. Department of Commerce, including EDA,
shall timely disclose, in writing, to the OIG and awarding agency, whenever, in connection with the
award, performance, or closeout of this grant or sub-award thereunder, the recipient has credible
evidence that a principal, employee, agent, or sub-recipient has committed:
(i) A violation of federal criminal law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity
violations found in Title 18 of the United States Code; or
(ii) A violation of the civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733).
b. Reporting
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The OIG maintains a hotline to receive allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse. To report such allegations,
please visit https://www.oig.doc.gov/Pages/Hotline.aspx. Upon request, the OIG will take appropriate
measures to protect the identity of any individual who reports misconduct, as authorized by the
Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. Reports to the OIG may also be made anonymously.
c. Whistleblower Protection
Recipients, sub-recipients, and employees working on this grant award will be subject to the
whistleblower rights and remedies established under 41 U.S.C. § 4712.
An employee of a recipient or sub-recipient may not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise
discriminated against as a reprisal for disclosing information that the employee reasonably believes is
evidence of: gross mismanagement of a federal contract or award; a gross waste of federal funds; an
abuse of authority (i.e., an arbitrary and capricious exercise of authority that is inconsistent with the
mission of EDA or the U.S. Department of Commerce or the successful performance of a contract or
grant awarded by EDA or the Department) relating to a federal contract or award; a substantial and
specific danger to public health or safety; or a violation of a law, rule, or regulation related to a federal
contract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract) or grant.
The recipient or sub-recipient shall inform its employees and contractors, in writing, in the predominant
language of the workforce or organization, of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41
U.S.C. § 4712, as described above and at https://www.oig.doc.gov/Pages/Whistleblower-Protection-
Program.aspx.
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Budget Narrative Attachments

Budget Narrative File(s)
* Mandatory Budget Narrative Filename:
To add more Budget Narrative attachments, please use the attachment buttons below.

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CD-511

FORM CD-511
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
(REV 1-05) CERTIFICATION REGARDING LOBBYING
Applicants should also review the instructions for certification included in the regulations before completing this form. Signature on this form provides for
compliance with certification requirements under 15 CFR Part 28, 'New Restrictions on Lobbying.' The certifications shall be treated as a material representation
of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the Department of Commerce determines to award the covered transaction, grant, or cooperative agreement.
LOBBYING Statement for Loan Guarantees and Loan Insurance
As required by Section 1352, Title 31 of the U.S. Code, and implemented The undersigned states, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief,
at 15 CFR Part 28, for persons entering into a grant, cooperative that:
agreement or contract over $100,000 or a loan or loan guarantee over
$150,000 as defined at 15 CFR Part 28, Sections 28.105 and 28.110, the
applicant certifies that to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that: In any funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of
Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a
(1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on Member of Congress in connection with this commitment providing for the
behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to United States to insure or guarantee a loan, the undersigned shall
influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress in complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, 'Disclosure Form to Report
connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Lobbying,' in accordance with its instructions.
Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any
cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal,
Submission of this statement is a prerequisite for making or entering into
amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or
this transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code. Any person
cooperative agreement.
who fails to file the required statement shall be subject to a civil penalty of
not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure
(2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will
occurring on or before October 23, 1996, and of not less than $11,000 and
be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or
not more than $110,000 for each such failure occurring after October 23,
employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of
1996.
Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with
this Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the
undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, 'Disclosure
Form to Report Lobbying.' in accordance with its instructions.
(3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be
included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including
subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and
cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and
disclose accordingly.
This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance
was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Submission of
this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this
transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code. Any person who
fails to file the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not
less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure
occurring on or before October 23, 1996, and of not less than $11,000 and
not more than $110,000 for each such failure occurring after October 23,
1996.
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant, I hereby certify that the applicant will comply with the above applicable certification.
* NAME OF APPLICANT
AWARD NUMBER PROJECT NAME
Prefix: * First Name: Middle Name:
* Last Name: Suffix:
* Title:
SIGNATURE: DATE:

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Environmental Narrative and Applicant Certification Clause

# Revised June 2021. Please check EDA’s website before using this template to confirm that you are using the latest version. As of the date of this version, the current template can be found at the bottom of the “Funding Opportunities” page at EDA.gov.

# Environmental Narrative Requirements

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires Federal agencies to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with proposed federal actions, including financial assistance. Applicants are encouraged to contact their designated Economic Development Representative or the applicable EDA Regional Environmental Officer with questions regarding this template and/or the appropriate level of documentation (please see the EDA website or the applicable Federal Funding Opportunity for contact information). Resources of available information are listed in many of the sections. If you are using a locally saved copy of this template, please check EDA’s website to confirm this is the current version.

For further information regarding EDA’s obligations under NEPA, please refer to the regulations for implementing NEPA at 40 C.F.R. 1500-1508. The Council on Environmental Quality’s 2007 guidance document “A Citizen’s Guide to the NEPA” is another resource available online.

Several issues discussed in the environmental narrative below may require consultation with other State or Federal agencies at a later date (for example, the State Historic Preservation Office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)). While EDA does not require that applicants complete such consultations before submitting an initial application, applicants should be aware that in the event their project is selected for further evaluation for funding, EDA may delegate these consultations to the applicant and expect them to be completed in an expeditious manner and prior to approval of an award.

Applicants must provide information on the following items in the environmental narrative. For any area in which the applicant asserts that an item is not applicable to a project, provide an explanation.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Beneficiaries

• Identify any existing businesses or major developments that will benefit from the proposed project, and those that will expand or locate in the area because of the project.

Proposed Construction

• As an exhibit to this Narrative, provide a topographical map of the project area and a site map (with legend and north arrow) displaying the project location and boundaries, existing and proposed project components and location of all sites and/or companies benefitting from the proposed project. The documents should be of sufficient clarity for adequate interpretation of the Applicant’s intentions.

• Describe the project construction components in detailed, quantifiable terms. Describe the project location, proposed construction activities (e.g., grading, trenching), and schedule. It is sufficient to simply reference the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) here if a PER containing this information has been submitted or will be submitted concurrently. See the mock example below for the level of specificity expected by EDA:

• The City of ______________ is proposing to construct a 30-inch (in) water line which would be constructed within an existing 50-foot City of __________ right-of-way (ROW) and measure 1,220 linear feet (lf). The project is located within Township 39N, Range 10E, Section 24 in the City of ________, _______ County, [[[State]]]. The project would be constructed over a three-month period from April June 2011. Construction of this project would entail trenching a 1 ft wide by 3 ft. deep ditch and installing the 30-in. pipe within the existing ROW. Total land disturbance will be 2.1 acres.

• The construction staging area would be located entirely within the existing ROW. Minor maintenance would occur during the operation of the waterline, but would not entail any ground disturbing activities.

Need and Purpose

Provide a brief summary of the underlying need and purpose of the proposal for EDA funding.

Alternatives to the Proposed Project

• Based in the Need and Purpose summary above, provide a detailed description of alternative actions that were considered during the project planning but were not selected (e.g., alternative locations, designs, scopes, other projects having similar benefits, and a “no project” alternative). Explain why this project/site was selected as the preferred alternative. Provide detail on why other alternatives were rejected (e.g. did not meet the purpose and need of the project, implicated more environmental receptors, had greater climate impacts or were at greater risk to climate change than the proposed action). If the selected project would impact wetlands or floodplains, please provide a detailed description of alternatives to those proposed impacts.

HISTORIC/ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES

• Identify any known historic/archeological resources within the project site(s) or area of potential effect that are either listed on the National Register of Historic Places or considered to be of local or State significance and perhaps eligible for listing on the National Register. In many states, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) maintains GIS databases of historic properties and cultural resources. Delineate an Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the project. The APE is the geographic area or areas within which a proposal may cause changes in the character or use of historic properties, which would include (but is not limited to) any new development or renovation by the beneficiary facilitated by the proposed EDA project. Discuss the potential impacts of the project on culturally significant resources and provide a determination as to whether there will be: no historical properties/cultural resources present; no historical properties/cultural resources adversely affected; or historical properties/cultural resources adversely affected.

• Note that the applicant is not required to contact the SHPO until directed to do so by EDA. If comments from the SHPO have already been received, they should be attached along with copies of the information provided to the SHPO. If you wish to initiate early consultation, please consult the website of the appropriate SHPO for instructions on required information.

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT

• For the resource areas identified below, indicate potential direct and indirect impacts from proposed project activities and specify proposed measures to mitigate probable impacts. Direct impacts are caused by the proposed action and occur at the same time and place. Indirect impacts are those that are caused by a proposed action, but that may occur later in time or farther removed in distance, relative to the primary impacts of the proposed action (40 C.F.R. Section 1508.8) Development induced by the proposed project would be an example of an indirect impact.

Affected Area

• Describe the general project area, including topography, historic land usages, unique geological features, and economic history. Provide site photographs if available. Identify native vegetation and wildlife found in the project area or its immediate vicinity. Describe the amount and type of vegetation in the project area and indicate the impact to vegetation if removed (e.g., 1.2 acres of early successional native hardwood forest). Identify any designated State and National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, or National Game Preserves located on or in the vicinity of the proposed project activities. Identify any Wilderness Areas, as designated or proposed under the Wilderness Act, or wild or scenic rivers, as designated or proposed under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, or other lands protected under state or federal law that are located on or in the vicinity of the proposed project activities.

• Please describe any direct effects

• Please describe any indirect effects

Coastal Zones

• Indicate whether the project is located within a designated coastal zone subject to the Coastal Zone Management Act. Information on coastal zone boundaries is available on the NOAA’s website. Identify any shorelines, beaches, dunes, or estuaries within or adjacent to the project site(s) and explain how the proposed project is consistent with the state’s Coastal Zone Management Plan. If state concurrence is required, identify the state’s Coastal Zone Management Agency.

Wetlands

• Identify any wetlands within or adjacent to the project site(s). If available, provide an on-site wetland/waters delineation performed in accordance with the 1987 (or current version) USACE Wetland Delineation Manual, as amended. Provide any correspondence from USACE, including any jurisdictional determination or permit documents.

• Provide a determination of direct and indirect effects including the amount of jurisdictional waters affected by type (e.g. 1.1 acres of palustrine emergent wetlands would be impacted by the proposed project).

• If any wetlands would be impacted by the project, provide an analysis of alternatives to wetland impact in this section or in the Alternatives to the Project section above.

• Describe any mitigation plans here or in Section D below.

• Also indicate if there are any proposed overwater structures that could impact navigable waters as defined in 33 CFR part 329.

• If wetlands, streams, or navigable waters may be impacted, it is recommended that Applicants contact USACE concerning any jurisdictional waters resources.

Floodplains

• Please state whether the project is located within a mapped 100- or 500-year floodplain. Provide a FEMA floodplain map (with the map number and effective date) displaying the project location and boundaries, existing and proposed project components, and location of all sites and/or companies benefiting from the proposed project. The document should be of sufficient clarity for adequate interpretation of the applicant’s intentions.

• Floodplain maps can be viewed and printed from FEMA’s website. If FEMA floodplain maps do not exist in the project area, provide a letter from a Professional Engineer regarding the presence or absence of a 100-year floodplain.

• Describe direct and indirect effects to 100-year floodplains, if any.

• If any 100-year floodplains would be impacted by the project, provide an analysis of alternatives to floodplain impact in this section or in the Alternatives to the Project section above.

• Indicate whether the Applicant’s community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program.

• Indicate if a critical action (e.g., emergency response facility, hospital, wastewater treatment plant) is being located within the 500-year floodplain.

Climate Change

• Identify any current or potential risks to the project due to climate change (e.g., flooding, wildfires, sea level rise, severe weather), utilizing federal resources, including the National Climate Assessment. Describe any steps taken in the planning and design of the project to mitigate those risks, including utilizing federal resources such as the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. Identify any ways in which the project may contribute to future climate risks, such as by increasing flood risks, and any potential measures for mitigating those contributions. Describe any steps taken to reduce the project’s immediate and future carbon footprint (e.g., use of renewable building materials, incorporation of energy-efficient design features).

Endangered Species

• Provide a list of all threatened, endangered, and candidate species located in or near the project area, including any proposed development by the beneficiary, and the immediate vicinity. Identify these species’ potential or existing habitat, and critical habitat designations in the project area. Identify the potential for direct or indirect impacts on these species. Critical habitat designations, lists of protected species by county, and information on effect determinations are available on the FWS website. The FWS’ web-based Information, Planning, and Conservation System (IPaC) may also be useful for the early planning stage of a project. If an Effect Determination or Biological Assessment has been completed for any of the species listed, please provide. Attach any correspondence with FWS that exists related to their proposal. For projects with possible impacts to fisheries and marine/coastal species, provide any correspondence with NMFS.

Land Use and Zoning

• Describe the present formal zoning designation and current land use of the project site and adjacent land parcels. The areas include: the site of construction activities, adjacent areas, and areas affected by the primary beneficiaries. Land uses to be considered include, but are not limited to, industrial, commercial, residential, agriculture, recreational, woodlands, mines/quarries, and open spaces. Please indicate whether the project is located entirely within a city limit.

• Identify agriculture land parcels designated as “prime/unique agriculture lands” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Federal Farmlands Protection Act or a local equivalent. Additional information may be found at the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service website.

Solid Waste Management

• Indicate the types and quantities of solid wastes to be produced by the project facilities and primary beneficiary. Describe local solid waste collection and disposal methods and the expected useful life of the disposal facility. Indicate if recycling or resource recovery programs are currently being used or will be used in the future.

Hazardous or Toxic Substances

• Describe any toxic, hazardous, or radioactive substances that will be utilized or produced by the proposed project facilities and primary beneficiaries. Describe the manner in which these substances would be stored, used, or disposed. Complete and sign one “Applicant Certification Clause” for each co-applicant (see Appendix A). Indicate if hazardous or toxic substances have been or must be remediated prior to construction, demolition, or renovation. If a recent Phase I or Phase II Environmental Site Assessment has been performed, please provide a copy of the executive summary (a full copy may be requested at a later date).

Water Resources

• Describe surface and underground water resources at or near the proposed project site(s) and any impacts of the project to these. If groundwater will be used, is the aquifer in overdraft and /or adjudicated? If there will be discharges to surface water, is the receiving surface water body listed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Section 303(d) list of impaired waters? Is a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit required for any discharges to surface waters? Indicate if the proposed project is located within an area mapped by the EPA as sole source aquifer recharge area (maps and further information are available on EPA’s website). Describe any induced changes in local surface water runoff patterns, and the status of storm water discharge permit processes (if applicable).

Water Supply and Distribution System

• Indicate the source, quality, and supply capacity of local domestic and industrial/commercial water resources, and the amount of water that project facilities and primary beneficiaries are expected to utilize. Note whether the water that is being supplied is in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, and if not, what steps are being taken to ensure compliance.

Wastewater Collection and Treatment Facilities

• Describe the wastewater treatment facilities available for processing the additional effluent including usage by the beneficiary(s). Indicate design capacities and current loading (both daily average and peak), and adequacy in terms of degree and type of treatment required. Describe all domestic class or process wastewater or other discharges associated with the proposed project facilities and its primary beneficiaries, and the expected composition and quantities to be discharged either to a municipal system or to the local environment. Indicate all discharges that will require on-site pre-treatment. Note whether the wastewater treatment plant is in violation of the Clean Water Act, and if so, what steps are being taken to ensure compliance. If local treatment and sewer systems are or will be inadequate or overloaded, describe the steps being taken for necessary improvements and their completion dates.

Environmental Justice (Executive Order 12898)

• Describe whether the proposed project will result in disproportionate adverse human health or environmental impacts relative to minority and low income populations. Sufficient detail should be provided to enable EDA to determine whether the project will comply with Executive Order 12898.

Transportation (Streets, Traffic and Parking)

• Briefly describe the local street/road system serving the project site(s) and describe any new traffic patterns that may arise because of the proposed project. Indicate if land use in the vicinity, such as residential, hospital, school, or recreational, would be affected by these new traffic patterns. Indicate if any existing capacities of these transportation facilities would be exceeded as a direct or indirect result of this project implementation, particularly in terms of car and truck traffic, and what the new Level of Service designation would be.

Air Quality

• Indicate types and quantities of air emissions (including odors) to be produced by the proposed project facilities and its primary beneficiaries, and any measures proposed to mitigate adverse impacts. Indicate the impact that the project would have on greenhouse gas emissions. Is the proposed project site within an area classified as a “non-attainment” for any criteria pollutants? If so, what are those pollutants? Indicate any local topographical or meteorological conditions that hinder the dispersal of air emissions.

Noise

• Would operation of project facilities or primary beneficiaries’ facilities increase local ambient noise levels? If yes, indicate the estimated levels of increase, and the areas and sensitive receptors (e.g., residences, wildlife) to be affected.

Permits

• Identify any Federal, State, or local permits of an environmental nature needed for the project (e.g., USACE, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Coastal Zone Management/Shoreline Management, Air Quality, State Environmental Policy Act, NPDES) and the status of any such permits. Attach copies of any such permits and all associated correspondence, including the permit applications.

Public Notification/Controversy

• Provide evidence of the community’s awareness of the project, such as newspaper articles or public notification and/or public meetings, as applicable. If a formal public hearing has been held, attach a copy of the minutes. Fully describe any public controversy or objections which have been made concerning this proposed project and discuss steps taken to resolve such objections.

Cumulative Effects

• Please list projects (public and private, whether or not directly related to the proposed project described above) that have occurred or will occur in the past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future in and around the project area that could result in significant cumulative impacts when considered in aggregate with the proposed EDA project. Cumulative impacts result from the incremental impacts of a proposed action when added to other past, present and reasonable foreseeable future actions (40 C.F.R. Section 1508.7). In other words, cumulative impacts can result from individually minor but collectively significant impacts. Based on the direct and indirect impacts identified in Sections C1-18, identify which resources, ecosystems, and human communities are affected; and which effects on these resources are important from a cumulative effects perspective.

MITIGATION

Describe methods to be employed to reduce impacts to any and all adverse impacts identified in Section C. List all mitigation measures that would be implemented to minimize impacts to environmental resources from project implementation.

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

• The following checklist is a list of required and optional attachments to the Environmental Narrative as described in the sections above. The items listed in the optional section may be required by EDA at a later date to complete the project review and selection process, so it is recommended that you provide them now if they are currently available. While the documents listed below are the most frequently required for scoping determinations, EDA reserves the right to request additional items that are not listed below when necessary.

• Applicants are not required to contact other governmental agencies for environmental or historical resources consultation until directed by EDA, though any interagency coordination letters that may be currently available should be provided. EDA expects that all Applicants whose projects are selected for further evaluation will proceed with consultations in an expeditious manner. As such, Applicants should have the required information prepared for submission immediately upon notification of selection by EDA. If you determine prior to application that your project may affect environmental or historical resources, you may contact the appropriate Regional Environmental Officer to determine if early interagency consultation is appropriate.

• Please refer to the applicable Federal Funding Opportunity for unique requirements for each individual grant competition and a list of documents required for submittal with the application.

Checklist of Optional Environmental Documents that should be submitted with Application if available (will expedite review and selection process):

SHPO/THPO and Tribal leader comments and copy of submittals (see Section B)

Site photographs (see Section C1)

Coastal Zone consistency determination (see C2)

Wetland delineation and/or Jurisdictional Determination (see C3)

Preliminary wetland info (see C3)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers comments, Section 404 Permit, Section 10 Permit, and/or Water Quality Certification (401 approval) (see C3)

Biological Assessment and/or survey for federally protected species (see C5)

Correspondence with US Fish and Wildlife Service and/or National Marine Fisheries Service (see C5)

Natural Resources Conservation Service determination of Prime Farmland, Form AD-1006, if applicable (see C6)

Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessment (seeC8)

Sole Source Aquifer review by US Environmental Protection Agency, if applicable (see C9)

Other federal, state and local environmental permits (see C16)

Copies of public notices, public hearing minutes, etc. (see C17)

The applicant represents and certifies that it has used due diligence to determine that the description of the project site described herein is accurate with respect to the presence or absence of contamination from toxic and hazardous substances. The term “site” includes the entire scope of the project, including future phases of the project and all areas where construction will occur.

Is the site currently, or has it in the past 50 years, been used for any of the following operations or activities:

Generation of hazardous substances or waste?

______ Yes ______ No

Treatment, storage (temporary or permanent), or disposal of solid or hazardous substances or waste?

______ Yes ______ No

Storage of petroleum products?

______ Yes ______ No

Used/waste oil storage or reclamation units?

______ Yes ______ No

Research or testing laboratory?

______ Yes ______ No

Ordinance research, testing, production, use, or storage?

______ Yes ______ No

Chemical manufacturing or storage?

______ Yes ______ No

Weapons or ammunition training, use, or testing?

______ Yes ______ No

Iron works/foundry?

______ Yes ______ No

Railroad yard?

______ Yes ______ No

Industrial or manufacturing operation?

______ Yes ______ No

If any of the above operations ever occurred at the site, and if appropriate cleanup or other mitigation actions were performed in accordance with the local, State, and federal laws, please attach documentation of these actions.

Do wells draw from an underlying aquifer to provide the local domestic water supply?

______ Yes ______ No

Has a federal, State, or local regulatory authority ever conducted an environmental assessment, environmental impact statement, or a preliminary assessment/site inspection, or similar environmental surveyor inspection report at the site? If yes, please list here and attach copies of these reports or results.

______ Yes ______ No

1) _______________________________________________________________________________

2) _______________________________________________________________________________

3) _______________________________________________________________________________

4) _______________________________________________________________________________

5) _______________________________________________________________________________

Have any environmental or OSHA citations or notices of violation been issued to a facility at the site? If yes, please attach copies.

______ Yes ______ No

Have any unauthorized releases of hazardous substances occurred at any facility at the site which resulted in notification of the EPA’s National Response Center?

______ Yes ______ No

Is any material containing asbestos or lead paint located at the site? If yes, please attach information concerning State and federal regulatory compliance.

______ Yes ______ No

Is there any equipment (electrical transformers, etc.) containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) on the site? If yes, please attach a description of the equipment.

______ Yes ______ No

Are there underground or above ground storage tanks on the site? If yes, please attach a detailed description, including the number of underground storage tanks on the site, whether the tanks have been inspected (or removed) and the results of such inspections.

______ Yes ______ No

Has the site been tested for radon? If yes, please attach results.

______ Yes ______ No

Have there been, or are there now any environmental investigations by federal, State or local government agencies that could affect the site in question? If yes, please attach available information.

______ Yes ______ No

The applicant acknowledges that this certification regarding hazardous substances and/or waste is a material representation of fact upon which EDA relies when making and executing an award. EDA reserves the right to terminate any award made in conjunction with the representations contained herein if, at any time during the useful life of the project, EDA becomes aware of the presence of hazardous materials or waste at the site, or that hazardous materials or waste have been inappropriately handled thereon.

Further, if it is determined at any time that the presence of hazardous materials or waste, or handling thereof, has been misrepresented, EDA may pursue other available legal remedies against the applicant.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Applicant’s Name

__________________________________________________________________________________

Name and Title of Applicant’s Authorized Representative

__________________________________________________________________________________

Signature of Applicant’s Authorized Representative Date

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SF424

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