Purdue Extension Community Development is the Indiana lead for the Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC). Additional Indiana partners include Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the Purdue Center For Regional Development. The TCTAC’s mission is to support community organizations in successfully navigating funding opportunities to access the resources they need to lead in the transition to clean energy, pollution clean-up, and green workforce development. The target audience(s) include communities within disadvantaged and rural census tracts. The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool is a preferred resource for identifying eligible census tracts: https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#13.14/41.71604/-86.2807.
The Purdue Extension Community Development newsletter will highlight monthly TCTAC funding, outreach, and training updates. Several technical assistance resources are being developed, and more information and opportunities will be available this spring.
Our TCTAC partner, Environmental Protection Network (EPN), shares funding opportunities and training resources on their website, newsletter, and notices. Sign up to receive their newsletter and/or funding notices here: https://https://www.environmentalprotectionnetwork.org/epn-newsletter/subscribe/-newsletter/subscribe/
A summary of several federal grant opportunities and EPN training efforts is below, courtesy of EPN.
USDA’s Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grant Program
1) FY2024 United States Department of Agriculture’s Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) Grant Program
The UAIP Grant Program funds planning and implementation projects, with priority for areas facing food and nutrition insecurity. Grants range from $75,000 to $350,000. Eligible entities include nonprofits, local government, tribal organizations, and schools K-12. Applications are due Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Go to #1 on the EPN website for more information.
EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants (Community Change Grants)
2) 6-step Application Guides for Community Change Grants
EPN has added a Track II sample proposal narrative to its 6-step application guides for the Change Grants. You will also find a sample proposal narrative for Track 1, plus additional templates/samples for Track I attachments. Although the final deadline for the Change Grants is November 21, 2024, EPA plans to review applications on a rolling basis each month, and there may be initial award announcements as soon as March 2024. As such, EPN suggests that applicants (who are ready) submit applications ASAP. Please reach out to info@environmentalprotectionnetwork.org if you would like additional help. Go to #2 on the EPN website for more information.
3) Community Change Grants Target Investment Areas (TIAs) Webinars
EPA will hold a series of informational webinars specifically for TIAs: Tribes in Alaska, other Tribes, Territories, Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities, and US-Southern Border Communities. Each webinar will last between 60-90 minutes and will cover application requirements, eligible entities, eligible project activities, and other helpful information on the specific TIAs. Go to #3 on the EPN website for more information and to register.
4) Community Change Grants Updated Information
EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR) has updated and modified two important documents for the Change Grants, including a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document and a modified Notice of Funding Opportunity to clarify certain areas. Go to #4 on the EPN website for more information.
5) Community Change Technical Assistance Program (CCTA) and Community Change Equitable Resilience Technical Assistance (CCER TA)
As a reminder, EPA is offering two pro bono technical assistance to Community Change Grants applicants through CCTA and CCER TA for applicants in disaster-prone areas. In addition, CCTA is holding a series of informational webinars weekly on Tuesdays, 3-4 pm ET, through at least March 2024. Go to #5 on the EPN website to apply for EPA’s pro bono assistance and to register for these helpful webinars.
6) Funding to Help Communities Apply for Federal Funding
The Just Transition Fund is a national philanthropic organization that provides grants (up to $100k) and technical assistance to help communities impacted by the decline of the coal industry apply for federal funding, like EPA’s Community Change Grants program. Nonprofit organizations and local governments located in a community with a coal plant and/or mine are eligible to apply if they’re applying for federal funding for an economic development, workforce, or broadband infrastructure project. Go to #6 on the EPN website for more information.
EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grants (CPRG)
7) Step-by-Step Guides to the CPRG Implementation Application Process
EPN has created application guides for the General Competition (due April 1, 2024), and the Tribal/Territories Only Competition (due May 1, 2024) and for Applicants Interested in Applying to both the General Competition and the Tribal and Territories Only Competition. Go to #7 on the EPN website for more information.
8) CPRG Implementation Grants Webinar on FAQs
EPA hosted a webinar on the CPRG Implementation Grants competitions on February 15, reviewing frequently asked questions (FAQs). Go to #8 on the EPN website for more information and to access presentation materials.
9) Updated CPRG Implementation Grants Questions and Answers (Q&As)
General Competition questions and answers were updated on February 16, 2024, and Tribes and Territories competition questions and answers were updated February 6, 2024. Go to #9 on the EPN website to access these.
EPN Virtual Office Hours and Webinars
10) EPN SAM.gov Registration Office Hours
Please join us every other Wednesday (the next one is Wednesday, March 13) at 2pm eastern. EPN staff will help you begin, continue, or finish up your registration process. As a reminder, federal funding applicants must have an active SAM.gov and Grants.gov registration in order to apply, and subawardees must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on SAM.gov. The UEI is used to validate and verify U.S. contractors. Go to #10 on the EPN website for more information.
11) IRS Office Hours - Elective Pay/Direct Pay
The IRS is hosting additional office hours to help entities with the pre-filing registration process. Pre-filing registration is a required step for applicable entities and eligible taxpayers to take advantage of elective payment/direct pay or transfer of credits available in the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act. Registration is required. Go to #11 on the EPN website for more information.
12) Center for Creative Land Recycling Webinar (CCLR)
CCLR is hosting the webinar Justfields: Elevate your Land Reuse Initiatives with New Environmental Justice Funding on Thursday, March 7, at 11 am PST. They will identify the intersections between brownfields funding and EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice (ECJ) Program funding and explain how to effectively leverage ECJ funding to support communities’ revitalization initiatives and mitigate past environmental injustices. Go to #12 on the EPN website for more information and to register.