Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program - FY 2025
| Agency: | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
|---|---|
| Office: | Office of Community Revitalization |
| Multipart Grant: | No |
| Next Due: | 12/12/2024 (Letter of Interest) |
|---|---|
| Solicitation Date: | Unknown |
| Match Required: | No |
| Actual Funds: | Unspecified |
| Number of Awards: | 5 (Estimated) |
Summary:
The purpose of this program is to support environmental sustainability in communities through the provision of quick, targeted technical assistance using a variety of tools and a proven methodology. Technical assistance is intended to revitalize economies; create jobs; protect clean air and water; prepare for climate change related impacts; and improve quality of life. In the current funding cycle, technical assistance will focus on mitigating urban heat islands, which are urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than outlying areas.
The funding agency will work with recipients to plan a two-day workshop, which will include a public meeting, during which a list of short- to mid-terms actions to address challenges to mitigate urban heat islands will be determined. The workshop will be preceded by at least two conference calls wherein direct consultation will occur between funding agency staff, technical, experts, and a local steering committee of stakeholders related to the specific challenge and neighborhood. Typical solutions to mitigate urban heat islands include:
- Increasing tree and vegetative cover
- Installing green roofs
- Installing cool or reflective roofs
- Using reflective or permeable cool pavements
- Smart growth development
Following the workshop, the funding agency will also provide a next steps memo detailing community engagement and outlining the collaboratively identified actions, as well as providing community implementation guidelines.
Select recipients may also be eligible to receive technical support for a pilot youth engagement module, in which communities will partner with schools or neighborhood groups to meaningfully include youth aged 14-22 in the city planning process.
Eligibility Notes:
Eligible applicants are new or existing partnerships between a local, county, or tribal government, and a neighborhood or community group. Applications may be submitted by local, county, state, territorial, and tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations that have the support of the local government on whose behalf they are applying. Applicants must demonstrate a meaningful partnership between the local government and the residents of that neighborhood.
Applicants applying for the optional youth engagement module must identify a youth-serving core partner organization, which may include a secondary school, community college/university, or other community-based youth services organization..
Eligible applicants may be located in the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Previous award recipients include:
- Akwesasne/St. Regis Mohawk Tribe (NY)
- Chiloquin (OR)
- Houston (TX)
Refer to the Award file for additional information regarding previous award recipients.
Eligible Applicants:
Local GovernmentConsortia
Native American Tribe
Non Profits
State Government
Application Notes:
Mandatory letters of interest (LOIs) must be received by 5:00 p.m. ET on December 12, 2024.
LOIs must be emailed to the address provided in the Contact section.
LOIs (2 pages max) must include:
- Nature of the urban heat island challenge the community faces
- Relevance of this program to the proposed challenge
- Description of local government/neighborhood organization partnership
- Indication of desire to be considered for the youth engagement module (optional)
- Preferred timing for the workshop
- Community's expected capacity for implementation
- How the technical assistance would complement work being done the community using other federal or state funding or programs (if applicable)
- Affirmation that the community can provide required project tools
- Primary point of contact and other key stakeholders
LOIs must be must be submitted in Word or .pdf format, and signed by a representative of the local government and of the neighborhood organization. Letters of support, maps, or other supplemental information should not be included.
Refer to the NOFA file for additional application information.
| Match Required: | No |
|---|---|
| Actual Funds: | Unspecified |
| Number of Awards: | 5 (Estimated) |
|---|
Match Notes:
There are no stated matching requirements for this program.
Funding Notes:
Rather than providing monetary awards, this program will provide technical assistance to an expected five recipients to assist in reducing urban heat islands. Technical assistance will include a variety of tools and a proven methodology, including a two-day workshop in the community with a team of subject matter experts. Up to three of the recipient communities will also be provided with supplemental assistance to support youth engagement in city planning.
Technical assistance tools will generally consist of:
- Agendas, presentations, and exercises to help facilitate discussion around a given topic
- A targeted self-assessment, which helps the community and EPA team delve deeper into local issues to identify the most promising areas for progress
- An action-oriented and inclusive process that leads to an achievable next steps and partnerships
Technical assistance projects will span approximately eight months, and will end by the beginning of September 2025.
For FY 2024, ten awards were provided through this program. Refer to the Award file for details.
Contacts:
Chip Gurkin
Gurkin.Charles@epa.gov
Agency Address
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
Contact Notes:
Questions should be directed to Chip Gurkin.
Letters of interest must be emailed to the address provided.
The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.
Files:
NOFA File: US10152_NOFA_FY2025.pdf (718.6 Kb)Other Pre-Award File: US10152_FAQ_FY2025.pdf (105.3 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US10152_Overview_FY2025.pdf (87.6 Kb)
Award File: US10152_Award_FY2025.pdf (1.1 Mb)
File Notes:
The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. TheThe FAQ file contains a list of answers to frequently asked questions regarding this program. The Overview file contains additional program information. The Award file contains information on previous award recipients.
Grant Keywords
Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Office of Community Revitalization, OCR, infrastructure, green, eco-friendly, sustainability, economy, reduction, greenhouse gas, GHG, policy, planning, built environment, improvement, city planning, civic, infrastructure development, municipal improvement, neighborhood revitalization, urban renewal, sustainable development, community participation, community project, public awareness, ecological, ecology, ecosystem, environment, environmental, environmentalism, collaboration, collaborative, municipalities, municipality, neighborhood improvement, regional planning, renewal, township, administration, administrative, best practices, workshop, workforce, technical assistance, TA, climate change, clean air, clean water, urban heat island, community planning, community, plan, smart growth, air pollution, greenhouse gases, urban temperature, tree cover, vegetation, green roof, cool roof, reflective roof, cool pavement, youth engagement, youth leadership, low-income, minority, public health, environmental justice, disadvantaged, tribe, tribal, territory, territories, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin IslandsGrant Categories
Community DevelopmentEconomic Development
Environment/Natural Resources
Human Services