Clean Ports Program: Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition - FY 2024
| Agency: | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
|---|---|
| CFDA: | 66.051 |
| Federal FON: | EPA-R-OAR-CPP-24-04 |
| Office: | Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) |
| Multipart Grant: | No |
| Next Due: | 05/28/2024 (Application) |
|---|---|
| Solicitation Date: | 02/28/2024 |
| Match Required: | Yes |
| Match Type: | Cash/In-Kind |
| Actual Funds: | $2,790,000,000 (Estimated) |
Summary:
The purpose of this program is to help U.S. water ports and dry ports transition to zero-emission (ZE) operations by funding ZE equipment, technologies, and related infrastructure to reduce mobile source emissions. The overall goals of the Clean Ports Program are to build a foundation for ports across the country to transition to fully ZE operations, positioning ports to serve as a catalyst for transformational change across the freight sector; reduce mobile source pollution in near-port communities, especially disadvantaged communities; and help ensure that meaningful community engagement and emissions reduction planning are port industry standard practices.
Eligible project activities include:
- ZE mobile equipment: eligible project costs include the purchase and deployment of new eligible battery-electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, vessels, powertrains, and other mobile equipment that directly serve a port, which fall in the following general categories:
- Cargo handling equipment
- Drayage trucks
- Locomotives and railcar movers
- Harbor craft and other vessels
- ZE infrastructure serving mobile equipment: eligible project costs include the purchase and installation of new or expanded electric charging and/or hydrogen fueling infrastructure serving eligible ZE port equipment purchased as part of the applicant's project, as well as shore power infrastructure for marine vessels
- ZE technology deployment support activities: eligible project costs include ZE technology deployment project support activities directly related to the implementation of an eligible ZE technology project, including acquiring eligible ZE equipment and infrastructure or deploying the technology into regular service; eligible project costs related to support may include:
- Project-specific public engagement
- Safety planning and protocol development
- Operational planning and protocol development
- Workforce training
- Project performance monitoring
- Project management and administrative costs
- Collection and analysis of in-use operational data to optimize/refine ZE technology implementation
- Infrastructure testing and approval
- Permit applications
Refer to pages 6-7 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding eligible project activities.
Projects must support the following goals and objectives from the funding agency's FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan:
- Goal 1: tackle the climate crisis:
- Objective 1.1: reduce emissions that cause climate change: aggressively reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from all sectors while increasing energy and resource efficiency and the use of renewable energy
- Goal 4: ensure clean and healthy air:
- Objective 4.1: improve air quality and reduce localized pollution and health impacts: reduce air pollution on local, regional, and national scales to achieve healthy air quality for people and the environment
Applicants are encouraged to focus on and seek funds for planning projects that will best enable them to build capacity to reduce port emissions and transition to ZE operations over time.
Optional webinars are scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.
This program is related to the Clean Ports Program: Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition, known in eCivis Grants Network as US17396.
Last Updated: May 23, 2024
Eligibility Notes:
Eligible applicants are:
- Port authorities
- State, regional, local, or tribal agencies that have jurisdiction over a port authority or a port
- Air pollution control agencies
Private entities, including for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations, are also eligible to apply in a statutory partnership with an entity described above, as long as they own, operate, or use the facilities, cargo-handling equipment, transportation equipment, or related technology of a port. A partnership between an eligible private entity and another eligible non-private entity is a statutory partnership. Non-statutory partnerships are also allowable, and may be established between an applicant and a collaborating entity, which may include both eligible and non-eligible entities. An eligible entity may be listed as a statutory partner and/or collaborating entity on more than one application.
Intertribal consortia are also eligible to apply as long as they demonstrate that all members meet the eligibility requirements and submit documentation of the existence of the partnership between Indian tribal governments and authorization from all members to apply for and receive the assistance.
Applicants may be located in any of the U.S. states; the District of Columbia; and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Priority will be given to projects that take place in or near communities overburdened by air pollution.
Applicants may submit up to two application as long as the same port is not included in more than one application. Applicants may include multiple types of projects within one application. If an applicant submits multiple applications, and multiple applications are selected for funding, the funding agency may issue a single award that combines separate applications for different tasks/activities.
Applicants are encouraged to apply to both this program and the Clean Ports Program: Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition, known in eCivis Grants Network as US17396.
Entities that use any of the following logistics information platforms, whether in part or in whole, are not eligible to apply:
- The national transportation logistics public information platform, commonly referred to as LOGINK
- Any national transportation logistics information platform provided by or sponsored by the People's Republic of China or a controlled commercial entity
- A similar system provided by Chinese state-affiliated entities
Federal entities are not eligible to apply even if they have jurisdiction over a port; however, federal entities may serve as partners/subrecipients in limited cases.
Eligible Applicants:
Local GovernmentConsortia
Native American Tribe
Non Profits
Private Sector
State Government
Application Notes:
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on May 28, 2024.
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.
Applications must include:
- SF 424
- SF 424A
- EPA form 4700-4
- EPA form 5700-54
- Project narrative (25 pages max)
- Grants.gov lobbying form
- Statutory partnership agreement(s) (if applicable)
- Intertribal consortium documentation (if applicable)
- Applicant fleet and infrastructure description
- Project team biographies (optional)
- Negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (optional; if applicable)
- Letter(s) of commitment (optional; if applicable)
- Approval letter to use alternate means to submit initial application (optional; if applicable)
- Documentation of partnership with utility (optional; if applicable)
- Supplemental application template (if applicable)
Accepted file types for application documents include .docx, .pdf, .xlsx, .xls, .jpeg, and .png. The project narrative must be formatted on single-spaced pages, and the funding agency recommends the use of one-inch margins and 11-point Calibri font.
The following are required in order to submit an application:
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
- SAM (System for Award Management) registration
Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.
Applicants are encouraged to email optional, non-binding notices of intent to apply to the address provided in the Contact section by March 28, 2024.
Optional webinars will be held for this program as follows:
March 13, 2024
2:00 p.m. ET
Registration: www.zoomgov.com
April 25, 2024
1:00 p.m. ET
Registration: www.zoomgov.com
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Project summary and approach (42 points)
- Environmental results - outcomes, outputs, and performance measures (25 points)
- Programmatic capability and past performance (15 points)
- Environmental justice and disadvantaged communities (23 points)
- Project sustainability (10 points)
- Job quality and equitable workforce development (10 points)
- Project resilience to climate impacts (5 points)
- Budget (20 points)
Refer to the NOFA file and Application and SampleApp folders for additional application information.
| Match Required: | Yes |
|---|---|
| Match Type: | Cash/In-Kind |
| Actual Funds: | $2,790,000,000 (Estimated) |
Match Notes:
Matching requirements will vary according to award tier, as follows:
- Tier A: water ports only: any eligible entity: applicants must provide at least 20 percent of the total project costs via cash or in-kind contributions
- Tier B: water or dry ports: any eligible entity: applicants must provide at least 10 percent of the total project costs via cash or in-kind contributions
- Tier C: water or dry ports: tribal applicants only: matching funds are not required
For territory applicants in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, up to $5 million of the matching requirement will be waived.
Funding Notes:
An estimated $2.79 billion is available through this program to support an anticipated 32 to 90 grants or cooperative agreements. Applications will be sorted into the following award tiers based on the amount of funding requested, the port type, and the applicant type:
- Tier A: water ports only: any eligible entity: an anticipated 5 to 10 awards ranging from $150 million to $500 million
- Tier B: water or dry ports: any eligible entity: an anticipated 25 to 70 awards ranging from $10 million to $149,999,999; however, for projects at small water ports, awards will range from $5 million to $149,999,999
- Tier C: water or dry ports: tribal applicants only: an anticipated 2 to 10 awards ranging from $2 million to $50 million
The funding agency expects to award up to $250 million for projects taking place at dry ports, and at least $250 million for projects taking place at small water ports.
To ensure further geographic and port type diversity in the award pool, the funding agency expects to issue at least one award for each of the funding agency's ten regions.
Between both this program and the Clean Ports Program: Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition, known in eCivis Grants Network as US17396, the funding agency expects to award at least $750 million for projects in non-attainment areas.
Selection decisions are expected to be made from August to September 2024, and awards are expected to be issued by December 2024.
The project period is expected to last up to four years, and is expected to begin on December 1, 2024.
Additional consideration will be given to applicants that propose to use at least 50 percent of program funds for the purchase and installation of zero-emissions (ZE) equipment or shore power infrastructure for vessels.
Funds may not be used for:
- Equipment that will not directly serve at least one port for a minimum of three years based on the parameters listed on page 22 of the NOFA file
- Equipment that is not human-operated or human-maintained
- Equipment which uses a non-ZE powertrain
- First-of-a-kind demonstration and pilot projects designed to determine the technical feasibility and economic potential of technologies at either a pilot or prototype stage
- Research and development projects
- Light-duty vehicles
- Expenses related to repowering and/or replacing engines for existing onroad vehicles
- Solar or wind power generation systems that are not located on land in close proximity to the port facilities
- Hydrogen production systems, associated infrastructure, and their installation
- Marine shore power projects that do not meet international shore power design standards
Refer to pages 22-25 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding unallowable costs.
Contacts:
Program Staff
cleanports@epa.gov
Agency Address
Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
Contact Notes:
Questions must be emailed to the program staff by 11:59 p.m. ET on May 6, 2024. The subject line of the email must include "Clean Ports NOFO Question." A questions and answers document will be posted online at www.epa.gov/ports-initiative/cleanports and revised approximately weekly, and the final posting of the document is expected to be made on May 17, 2024.
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.
Optional, non-binding notices of intent to apply must be emailed to the address provided.
The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.
Files:
Application File: US17983_Application_FY2024.zip (138.9 Kb)NOFA File: US17983_NOFA_FY2024.pdf (909.5 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17983_SampleApp_FY2024.zip (1.1 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17983_Webinar_FY2024.pdf (224.6 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17983_Q&A_FY2024.pdf (708.9 Kb)
File Notes:
The NOFA file contains the revised solicitation for this program. The Application folder contains required forms for submission. The SampleApp folder contains revised sample formats applicants are encouraged to use to prepare their applications. The Webinar file contains information regarding optional webinars scheduled for this program. The Q&A file contains an updated list of questions and answers regarding this program.
May 23, 2024
An updated list of questions and answers regarding this program has been released and attached as the Q&A file.
April 25, 2024
An updated list of questions and answers regarding this program has been released and attached as the Q&A file. The Eligibility section has been updated accordingly.
April 11, 2024
A revised solicitation for this program has been released and attached as the NOFA file. Revised sample formats have been released and attached in the SampleApp folder. An updated list of questions and answers regarding this program has been released and attached as the Q&A file. Information regarding the scheduling of an additional webinar for this program has been released and appended to the Webinar file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
Grant Keywords
Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, OTAQ, US17396, clean port, port, water port, dry port, climate, climate change, air, air quality, clean air, port authority, port authorities, tribe, tribal, territory, territories, territorial, air pollution, air pollution control agency, air pollution control agencies, pollute, polluting, polluted, pollutant, pollution, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, environment, environmental, environmentalism, natural resource, emission, emission inventory, emissions inventories, strategy analysis, community engagement, resiliency measure, zero-emission, ZE, greenhouse gas, GHG, air toxic, toxic, toxin, Inflation Reduction Act, IRA, Ports Initiative, supply chain, environmental impact, freight, freight sector, mobile source equipment, diesel, fossil fuel, marine vessel, transportation, transport, transit, fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, NOX, CO2, Clean Air Act, CAA, Grants to Reduce Air Pollution at Ports, mobile source pollution, emissions reduction, ZE mobile equipment, ZE infrastructure, ZE technology, ZE technology deploymentGrant Categories
Environment/Natural ResourcesTransportation