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FY13 Request for Proposals (RFP) Overview

Webinar Session Call-in: 1-866-299-3188; Conference code: 202 566 2773 October 22, 2012 Megan Quinn, U.S. EPA Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) Jon Grosshans , EPA Region 5 Frank Gardner, EPA Region 1 Leslie Tomic , EPA Region 1. EPA’s Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program.

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FY13 Request for Proposals (RFP) Overview

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  1. Webinar SessionCall-in: 1-866-299-3188; Conference code: 202 566 2773October 22, 2012Megan Quinn, U.S. EPAOffice of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR)Jon Grosshans, EPA Region 5Frank Gardner, EPA Region 1Leslie Tomic, EPA Region 1 EPA’s Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program FY13 Request for Proposals (RFP) Overview

  2. Webinar Agenda • Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program • RFP Overview • Amount of EPA Assistance • Threshold Criteria Overview • Evaluation (Ranking) Criteria Overview • Transmittal Letter, Narrative Proposal and Attachments • Content and Form of Proposal • Good Proposal Preparation • Questions

  3. Brownfields Area-Wide Planning (BF AWP) • New EPA program started in 2010: • Assist with community involvement, research planning and implementation strategies related to brownfields cleanup & reuse • Focus on key brownfields sites and surrounding area • Assistancegiven for: • Evaluating existing conditions • Identifying community priorities • Developing brownfields area-wide plan; and • Identifying resources or leveraging opportunities to help implement plans • …within an area affected by brownfields, such as a neighborhood, downtown district, local commercial or industrial corridor, etc Goshen, IN Chicopee, MA Monaca , PA

  4. BF AWP Program Context • Multiple sites are often connected through proximity and infrastructure • Brownfields limit the economic, environmental and social prosperity of their surroundings • Area revitalization is critical to the successful long-term reuse of the brownfields • Approaching brownfields from area perspective can be more effective than a single site focus • Leveraginglocal/state/federal funding will help communities revitalize contaminated sites • BF AWP program is part of the HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities Roanoke, VA

  5. FY10 AWP Pilots

  6. FY10 AWP Pilots 10/24/2012

  7. Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program RFP & FAQs • Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program RFP and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): • http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicat.htm • Check back – FAQs are updated periodically! • Today’s training is NO SUBSTITUTE for reading and closely following the detailed RFP • EPA Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

  8. Brownfields Area-Wide PlanningGrant Program & RFP Overview EPA will provide grant funds for projects from eligible entities to facilitate community involvement in area-wide planning approaches to brownfields assessment, cleanup, and subsequent reuse. • Eligible entities = local government, tribes, nonprofit organizations, states, regional councils of government, etc (Not individuals, for-profits, or FY10 BF AWP pilot recipients) • Assistance awarded under CERCLA § 104(k)(6), for research, training, and technical assistance activities • 20 projects anticipated to be selected • Project periods of up to 24 months

  9. Brownfields Area-Wide PlanningGrant Program & RFP Overview Recipients will need to conduct activities that support development of a brownfields area-wide plan • Brownfields area-wide plan must include: • strategies for reusing catalyst, high priority brownfield sites; • information on how assessment and cleanup of those sites will be influenced by the reuse strategies; and • brownfields area-wide plan implementation strategies, which identify specific actions for next steps and specific resources available/resources needed to implement the plan. • Project area must be: • a neighborhood, downtown district, city block, local commercial or industrial corridor, etc • affected by a single large brownfield, or multiple brownfields, with catalyst, high priority brownfield sites selected

  10. RFP Organization • Section 1 – Funding Opportunity Description • Section 2 – Award Information • Section 3 – Applicant Eligibility Information and Threshold Criteria Applicants must be eligible and pass all threshold criteria before their proposal can be evaluated • Section 4 – Proposal Submission Information Instructions for organizing & submitting your proposal • Section 5 – Proposal Review Information Includes evaluation (ranking) criteria • Section 6 – Award Administration Information • Section 7 – EPA Contacts Includes EPA regional contacts, addresses for mailing hard copy proposals

  11. Brownfields Area-Wide Planning RFP Timeline • September 27, 2012 – Request for Proposals (RFP) opened • November 30, 2012– Proposal Submission Deadline Proposals can be submitted to EPA either in hard copy via mail/courier deliver or through www.grants.gov. • March/April 2013 (tentative) – grant recipients selected • June 2013 (tentative) – brownfields area-wide planning projects begin

  12. Amount of EPA Assistance under this RFP • Total estimated EPA assistance available under this RFP: approximately $4,000,000 • EPA will determine amount of grant funding for each project • Applicants may apply for EPA grant funding up to $200,000 per project Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, CA Cleveland, OH New Bern, NC

  13. Key changes from FY10 BF AWP pilot round to FY12 grant round • Grant funding only – no award combination of grant & contractor technical assistance • States eligible to apply on behalf of a local community • One letter of support required for threshold; other letters may be provided for evaluation under ranking criterion 3 and as leveraging documentation • Strong focus on proposal discussion around: • specific catalyst, high priority brownfield sites in project area • creating specific BF AWP implementation strategies • Revised brownfields site eligibility requirements • Threshold Criteria Worksheet Example - optional • Other Factors checklist – submission required • Connection to HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities

  14. Five Threshold Criteria - Overview • Applicant Eligibility • Location of proposed BF AWP project area • Identify the specific catalyst, high priority brownfield site(s) within the proposed BF AWP project area around which your project will focus • Ineligible activities • Letter of support • Applicants may use Threshold Criteria Example Worksheet to organize this information for their proposal submittal • Failure to meet any threshold criterion will result in an ineligible proposal; applicants will be notified within 15 calendar days if they fail a threshold

  15. Threshold Criterion #1 All applicants must describe how they are an eligible entity in order to receive consideration • List provided in RFP Section 3.A., Eligible Entities • Documentation of applicant eligibility is needed for entities other than cities, counties, states or tribes • States are eligible if they are serving in a fiscal and administrative role on behalf of a local community; attach memorandum of understanding

  16. Threshold Criterion #2 Location of proposed BF AWP project area: Define geographic boundaries of proposed project area - street, natural (e.g., river) and/or constructed boundaries (e.g., railway) and approximate acreage - provide a small, but legible, black & white map of project area in the larger city/county context; include scale/street level detail • Focus on a specific project area such as a neighborhood, downtown district, city block or local commercial corridor • Do not apply for comprehensive, city-wide or regional planning

  17. Threshold Criterion #3 Identify the specific catalyst, high priority brownfield site(s) within the proposed BF AWP project area around which your project will focus. For each brownfield site, provide: • Site name and address • Affirmation that site is not statutorily restricted from funding (e.g., not a NPL site or federal facility, subject to certain orders, etc) • Type of contaminant or potential contaminant (hazardous substance or petroleum). For petroleum site(s), provide additional information • (if applicable) Date of EPA’s prior determination that site is a “brownfield” • Brownfields sites submitted here must be the same as those described in ranking criterion 2.i. • At least 50% of sites submitted must meet CERCLA definition of a “brownfield”; no substitution of sites allowed. • Discuss questions with your EPA Regional contact.

  18. Threshold Criterion #4 Ineligible activities Proposal must not request EPA assistance for ineligible activities, such as: • site assessment, cleanup, response activities, other area-wide plan implementation activities • marketing of brownfield properties • zoning, master planning, general community visioning, smart growth, comprehensive plan updates where unrelated to brownfields cleanup/reuse in project area • fundraising or lobbying • proposal preparation • ETC -- See RFP Section 1.C. Proposal will fail threshold if proposed activities that are ineligible exceed 50% of project Any cleanup planning activities for specific sites requires additional EPA approval from your project officer

  19. Threshold Criterion #5 Letter of support • For government/quasi-government applicants, letter of support must be from a relevant nonprofit organization • For nonprofit applicants, letter of support must be from a relevant government entity Must: • clearly demonstrate the supporting organization’s level of involvement in the proposed BF AWP project • be attached to grant proposal to be considered

  20. Evaluation (Ranking) Criteria • Proposal must have passed the Threshold Criteria to be Ranked • 6 Ranking Criteria Sections: 1. Community Need (15 points) 2. Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Project Description (30 points) 3. Community Engagement (20 points) 4. Community Benefits (15 points) 5. Programmatic Capability and Past Performance (15 points) 6. Leveraging (5 points) • 100total possible points • See Section 5.B. Proposal Evaluation (Ranking) Criteria in the RFP for points under each sub-criterion • Fully and individually address sub-criteria ; much more specific information on each sub-criterion in RFP)

  21. Evaluation Criterion #1 Community Need(15 points) Proposal evaluated on how project area is affected by economic distress/disruption, public health challenges, social needs, brownfield sites, environmental degradation & environmental justice concerns Discuss: • Economic concerns (may use sample table format in RFP) – 5 pts • How grant funding will serve minority and/or low-income residents facing environmental/health challenges – 5 pts • How economic/social/health concerns relate to brownfield challenges – 5pts Responses should clearly identify the sources of information used in this section.

  22. Evaluation Criterion #2 • Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Project Description (30 points) • Proposal evaluated on specific information for how the applicant will conduct the project, including identification of specific brownfield sites, reasonable project approach, budget, consistency/integration with existing community planning efforts, and measurable outputs/outcomes. Describe the proposed project’s: • specific, high priority catalyst brownfield sites in your project area (need to be same sites as discussed in threshold criterion 3) – 10 pts • activities/tasks and budget narrative/table – 10 pts • consistency/integration with existing community planning efforts – 5 pts • anticipated outputs and outcomes – 5 pts

  23. Sample Budget Table

  24. Evaluation Criterion #3 • Community Engagement and Partnerships (20 points) • Proposal evaluated on effectiveness of community engagement and key partners, stakeholder and organizational support, and approach for incorporating community input throughout process Provide: • description of the degree to which an existing, inclusive and collaborative project area revitalization effort is already underway, and how the proposed BF AWP will help to further that effort – 5 pts • list and support letters of organizations/stakeholders/governments involved in the proposed BF AWP project – 5 pts • explanation of how those involved will work together on project, information on governing structure, & applicant leadership role – 5 pts • details on how community input will be incorporated throughout process – 5 pts

  25. Evaluation Criterion #4 • Community Benefits (15 points) • Proposal evaluated on how the proposed project will result in project area improvements to local economy, environment, public health and safety, and advance the Livability Principles and sustainable/equitable development outcomes Provide specific details on how proposed BF AWP project will: • lead to community improvements, brownfields assessment/cleanup/ reuse (stimulate economic development, reuse infrastructure, create/ preserve green space/recreational/other nonprofit uses) – 10 pts • advance Livability Principles, leading to these and other sustainable and equitable development outcomes – 5 pts

  26. Evaluation Criterion #5 • Programmatic Capability and Past Performance (15 points) • Proposal evaluated on technical capability to carry out proposed project • Provide: • list of assistance agreements and describe whether/how your organization successfully managed and completed them – 10 pts • summary of staff and organization’s knowledge, experience, qualifications and resources to enable timely/successfully completion of the BF AWP project goals – 5 pts

  27. Evaluation Criterion #6 • Leveraging(5 points) • Proposal evaluated on leveraging of additional funds/resources beyond the EPA grant funding requested and how funds/resources will contribute to eventual cleanup/reuse of brownfield sites and overall revitalization. • Provide: • list of dollars or other resources to be leveraged within project area, and if they have been secured already; demonstrated commitments in letters of support or other documentation • description of how the leveraged dollars or other resources will contribute to the proposed BF AWP project activities or eventual assessment/cleanup/reuse of brownfield sites/overall area revitalization

  28. Content and Form of Proposal • Proposal packages must contain: (see Section 4.C. in RFP) • Transmittal Letter (2 pg limit) • Narrative Proposal (15 pg limit) • Attachments: • (Optional) Threshold Criteria Worksheet (no page limit) • Project milestones schedule (1 page limit) • Letters of support (must be attached to proposal; will not be considered if received separately) • One as required per threshold criterion 5 (see Section 3.C.). • Additional letter(s) of support from all partners/organizations and stakeholders identified in ranking criterion 3, Community Engagement and Partnerships • Leveraging documentation (if not provided in letters of support) which affirms any additional commitments to the project • Completed Other Factors Checklist (with supporting documentation attached) • Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) • Documentation of applicant eligibility

  29. Encouraging Basic Proposal Prep • Read the entire RFP and follow directions. • Refer to the FAQs which are posted alongside the RFP. • Write as though the reader knows NOTHING about your community. • Address all criteria – if it doesn’t apply say so and explain why. • Use the Proposal Checklist in RFP Section 5.D. • Avoid using acronyms and technical/organizational jargon • Contact partners for assistance in preparing and/or reviewing your proposal

  30. Encouraging Basic Proposal Prep (con’t) • Obey page limits and other parameters in RFP Section 4.C. • SF-424 and documentation of applicant eligibility do not count towards page limits. • 1” margins; 12 pt font; no binders; no color. • Limit attachments to those listed in the RFP. Do not attach photos, graphics, extraneous materials, etc • Contact EPA with all questions (particularly site eligibility questions) early! • Set up a public meeting and get meaningful public input.

  31. EPA Brownfields Program Find other EPA Brownfields Program Funding Opportunities at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/grant_info/index.htm

  32. FY12 BF AWP Competition Questions? Contact Megan Quinn U.S. EPA Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization Phone: 202-566-2773 Email: quinn.megan@epa.gov OR Your regional Brownfields Coordinator, as listed in Section VII of the RFP

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