Question: I wonder if state universities are eligible to apply for this grant?

Answer:

Under the National Wetland Program Development Grant (WPDG) competition only nonprofit organization, intertribal consortia, and interstate agencies are eligible to apply. Universities and Colleges are not considered to be a nonprofit using the definition found in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular Number A-122. An excerpt of that definition is provided below.

Non-profit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization which:

1. is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest;
2. is not organized primarily for profit; and
3. uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve, and/or expand its operations. For this purpose, the term "non-profit organization" excludes (i) colleges and universities; (ii) hospitals; (iii) State, local, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments; and (iv) those non-profit organizations which are excluded from coverage of this Circular in accordance with paragraph 5.

If the university or a portion of the university such as a research center is considered a nonprofit organization then that "center" would be able to apply under this Request for Proposals (RFP).

Each of our Regional wetland programs also conducts a RFP for their Regional WPDGs in which universities that are chartered as state agencies can apply.

Question: I noted the 25% match requirement. In-kind services apply - which is good - but I'm assuming that is limited to state services, correct? Not our national partners? Am I allowed to include Letters of Support from federal staff members that are not on the EPA Review Board?

Answer:

Your match can be in-kind services from state or other nonprofit and for-profit partners you might have, but general in-kind services from federal partners are not allowed. You can include letters of support from anyone you wish including any federal partners other than EPA.

Question: We are looking at working with Wisconsin, as one of our pilot states in our project. Wisconsin has received a WPDG to develop a state wetlands restoration database and they are interested in being involved in our project. They want to know if their match contribution of in-kind services can be applied to our grant, if they are getting funding for that staff time through another EPA grant.

Answer:

In general, any funds, time, or other resources that are tied up in one federal grant are not eligible for use as match in another federal grant.

Question: Could we use the value of data that a state provides us with as a part of our project as match funding? That GIS data would be valued at the going market rate of data layers and the staff time needed to create those layers. What if some of the data was originally created by a federal agency (USFWS) and has been transferred and altered by the state since then? Can we assess the value of that data and apply it to match funding? Does it matter if the state created the data or not originally if they have since taken "ownership" of it?

Answer:

If the data has market value especially any additional value from the alterations made by the University I would think that you could use it to meet match if it will be used for free during the project that you are applying for. I don't think that it matters who originated the data since there has been some alteration to it.

Question: Who do I address letters of support to?

Answer:

Your can address the letters of support to either Myra Price, if you want an actual person, or you can addresses them to the Wetlands Division WPDG Review Panel if a generic entity is sufficient for your needs.

Question: As far as the eligibility on this grant, is it limited to state regulatory agencies?

Answer:

This particular competition is open to interstate agencies, intertribal consortia, and nonprofit organizations only. We are not accepting proposals under this particular Wetlands Division Headquarters competition for state/tribal/local government regulatory agencies or for-profit organizations.

Question: I have a question on the evaluation of past performance on grants with respect to environmental results. Should we use grants that are active or grants that have closed?

Answer:

You should use your last three grants open or closed in the last three years.

Question: We have two active grants now, but they have not been completed and while we are in compliance with these grants and on time with filing all the paperwork; we cannot report that all the environmental results have been achieved. How should we handle this?

Answer:

You don't need to report that all results have been achieved if the grant is still open but if you have intermediate results you should indicate that those intermediate milestones have been meet and reiterate the fact that you are in compliance with the reporting requirements in your current grant. You should make sure that you let us know which grants are currently open and which grants are closed and if the closed grants were issued before EPA's new environmental results policy if these grants were EPA grants.

Question: Could you please check on if it is acceptable for a Non-Profit Organization with a 501(c)(3) pending status to submit a proposal? We really are in the "waiting" stages for our 501(c)(3) organization. I have found out that we have been approved for expedited service for this status-so it really could come in any day. Please let me know if we can proceed with your RFP with our status already applied for and submitted.

Answer:

The definition of nonprofit in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular Number A-122 that governs our grant program has been provided below but does not indicated that an organization has to have final 501(c)(3) status to be eligible for this grant program. In the RFP itself we have specifically excluded nonprofit organization that are engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and are described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Non-profit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization which:

1. is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest;
2. is not organized primarily for profit; and
3. uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve, and/or expand its operations. For this purpose, the term "non-profit organization" excludes (i) colleges and universities; (ii) hospitals; (iii) State, local, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments; and (iv) those non-profit organizations which are excluded from coverage of this Circular in accordance with paragraph 5.

5. Exclusion of some non-profit organizations. Some non-profit organizations, because of their size and nature of operations, can be considered to be similar to commercial concerns for purpose of applicability of cost principles. Such non-profit organizations shall operate under Federal cost principles applicable to commercial concerns.