The EPA Office of Mission Support is announcing the Fiscal Year 2025 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program, aimed at facilitating better environmental data sharing among EPA, states, tribes, and territories. Applications are due by March 24, 2025, with anticipated awards ranging from $200,000 to $600,000 for approximately 30-35 projects, targeting priorities like increased data access and innovative business processes. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian tribes, states, U.S. territories, and instrumentalities of a state or tribe. Projects will support EPA's strategic plan goals, particularly those addressing climate change, environmental justice, and improving air and water quality. The program emphasizes the importance of reusability, environmental compliance, and innovative IT solutions to enhance data management capabilities. Each submission must include a detailed project narrative, budget, and demonstrate alignment with designated funding areas. Additionally, applications will be evaluated on criteria related to project outputs, feasibility, alignment with Exchange Network goals, budgeting clarity, and past performance with previous grants. Timely submission via Grants.gov is mandatory, and successful applicants will be subject to post-award requirements and reporting obligations to ensure accountability and compliance with federal standards.

The "Optional Exchange Network Budget Calculating Tool v.7" is designed to assist applicants in calculating project budgets for federal grants and RFPs. It features specific sections for various cost categories, including personnel costs, fringe benefits, travel expenses, equipment, supplies, contractual services, and indirect costs. Users are guided on entering information into highlighted fields while being cautioned against deleting rows, which may disrupt formula integrity. The document emphasizes ensuring accurate data entry to avoid errors like "#VALUE!" or "$#REF" when referencing cells. Key details to be filled out include the type of applicant, staff roles, costs for trips, supply rates, and contractual rates while adhering to set maximum costs for certain categories. It also integrates best practices for grant preparation and compliance, highlighting essential contacts for support. Overall, the document supports budget formulation necessary for proposal submission efficiently while maintaining requirements established for federal transactions.

The FY25 Optional Budget Narrative Attachment Form Template provides guidelines for applicants seeking federal grants, specifically from the EPA Exchange Network Grant Program. While using this template is optional, it serves to assist in drafting the mandatory budget narrative for proposals. The form has no page limit and must be error-free for award processing. Key sections include personnel costs, fringe benefits, travel expenses, equipment and supply costs, contractual costs, other expenses, and indirect costs. Each category has detailed instructions for calculation and presentation, requiring applicants to provide specifics such as salary, time allocation, and purpose of expenditures. The summary emphasizes the importance of accuracy and detailed explanations, ensuring all information aligns with project goals. This document facilitates efficient grant applications, ensuring compliance with federal funding requirements and contributes to successful project funding.

The document serves as an optional cover letter template for applicants applying under the FY 2025 Exchange Network Grant Program managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It outlines the mandatory components that must be included in the cover letter, emphasizing that the letter should be concise—no more than one or two pages—and tailored with specific project-related information. Key sections include details about the grant application, financial requests, partnerships, indirect costs, procurement methods, and contact information. Additionally, it notes that the cover letter can influence the review and scoring of the application. Specific guidance is provided on formatting, including the removal of instructional notes and placeholder text before submission. The document highlights that in-kind support and indirect costs should be clearly defined, and outlines the conditions under which different procurement methods can be utilized. Overall, the purpose of this template is to facilitate the organization and clarity of cover letters for proposals, ultimately enhancing the applicants' chances of success in securing federal funding.

The FY 2025 Exchange Network Grant Program's Optional Project Narrative Template provides guidance for applicants seeking funding, outlining the project narrative's structure and required content. The narrative, limited to a maximum of ten single-spaced pages, should comprehensively describe the proposed project, its goals, expected outcomes, and the alignment with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) strategic objectives. Applicants can use this optional template to format their project descriptions, goals, funding requests, and budget justifications. The document emphasizes the significance of detailing project goals and outputs, identifying key personnel, and demonstrating a commitment to using existing tools and shared platforms. It also highlights the importance of including rationales for selected financial estimates and procurement methods, particularly regarding non-competitive procurement. Finally, the template underscores the need for a project budget overview, including total costs, in-kind contributions, and any involvement of formal partners or mentors. Overall, the template provides a structured approach for applicants to effectively present their proposals while ensuring compliance with EPA requirements and enhancing project clarity and organization.