Application Notes:

Prior to submitting an application, applicants planning to request technical assistance from the funding agency must contact Maribeth Menendez, using the information provided in the Contact section, to discuss the request.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and must be received by 4:00 p.m. MT on one of the following dates:

• First submittal period: November 21, 2023
• Second submittal period: March 29, 2024
• Third submittal period: September 30, 2024

The due date for the second submittal period has been extended to May 31, 2024. The due date for the third submittal period has been extended to November 26, 2024. Additional information is included in the DueDateExt file.

Applications may be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov. Alternatively, one hard copy of the application may be mailed or delivered to the appropriate address provided in the Contact section. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications online. Applicants submitting hard-copy applications via mail or delivery must contact Chandrika Nasstrom, using the information provided in the Contact section, for approval by 2:00 p.m. MT of the applicable application deadline. Applications submitted via any other method, including email and fax, will not be accepted.

Applications must include:

• SF 424
• SF 424A
• SF 424B
• SF LLL (if applicable)
• Grants.gov lobbying form (if applicable)
• Technical proposal (40 pages max)
• Budget narrative
• Environmental and cultural resources compliance
• Required permits or approvals
• Overlap or duplication of effort statement
• Conflict of interest disclosure statement
• Uniform audit reporting statement
• Letters of support

The full application is limited to 125 pages in length. Applications must be formatted on standard-sized pages with one-inch margins using at least a 12-point easily readable font. The technical proposal must be formatted on consecutively numbered pages. For hard-copy submission, applicants must be bound using only a binder clip. Hard-copy applications may not be stapled for otherwise bound. Applications formatted on oversized pages will not be accepted.

The following are required in order to submit an application:

• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
• SAM (System for Award Management) registration
• SPOC (state Single Point of Contact) notification

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam. Applicants in states participating in the SPOC program must contact the relevant SPOC listed in the SPOC file before applying.

An optional webinar for this program is scheduled as follows:

October 25, 2023
11:00 a.m. MT
Registration: teams.microsoft.com

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Water supply (35 points)
• Environment and water quality (15 points)
• Economic benefits (25 points)
• Presidential and Department of the Interior priorities (15 points)
• The funding agency’s obligations and watershed perspective (10 points)

Refer to the NOFA file, as well as the Guide folder, for additional application information.

Match Notes:

Applicants must provide at least 75 percent of total project costs. Eligible types of matching contributions include cash, costs contributed by the applicant, and third-party in-kind contributions.

Matching contributions from sources outside the applicant’s organization must be secured and available to the applicant prior to award.

In general, other sources of federal funding may not be used as a match, unless authorized by federal statute.

The cost or value of third-party in-kind contributions that have been or will be relied on to satisfy a cost-sharing or matching requirement for another federal financial assistance agreement, federal procurement contract, or any other award of federal funds may not be used as a match.

Funding Notes:

Up to $180 million is available to support approximately two to ten grants or cooperative agreements through this program. There is no minimum award amount. The maximum award amount is $180 million or 25 percent of the expected total project costs, whichever is less.

Eligible projects must have total project costs equal to or greater than $500 million.

In addition to providing monetary awards, the funding agency may provide technical assistance after award of the project. Applicants planning to request technical assistance must account for such costs in the budget.

The program officer stated that award announcements are expected to be made in February 2024 for the first application submittal period.

In general, awards are anticipated to be made within approximately six months after funding selections are announced. For the first application submittal period, awards are anticipated to be made on September 30, 2024.

In general, the project period will last approximately two years after awards are made. For the first application submittal period, projects are anticipated to be completed by November 21, 2026. Eligible costs must be incurred after the date of the funding agency’s feasibility study review findings for the project and within three years of the applicable application deadline.

Pre-award costs may be allowable, as detailed on pages 34-35 of the NOFA file.

Where environmental or cultural resources compliance requires significant participation by the funding agency, the funding agency will add a line item for costs incurred by the funding agency to the project budget during development of the financial assistance agreement and cost shared accordingly, as detailed on page 35 of the NOFA file.

Funds may not be used for:

• Costs incurred prior to the date of the funding agency’s feasibility study review findings for the project
• Development of water recycling feasibility studies to meet the funding agency's directives and standards
• Water reclamation projects that are solely ocean or brackish water desalination
• Operations, maintenance, and replacement (OM&R) activities, as detailed on pages 20-21 of the NOFA file
• Application preparation and submission costs

February 29, 2024
An announcement concerning the changing of the due dates for the application has been released and attached as the DueDateExt file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.

February 12, 2024
An announcement regarding updated required forms for the application has been released and attached as the ApplicationUpdate file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.

October 13, 2023
A revised solicitation for this program has been released and attached as the NOFA file. In addition, information regarding an optional webinar that is scheduled for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.

September 14, 2023
The program officer provided clarification regarding the award announcement time frame for the first application submittal period. The Financial section has been updated accordingly.