The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Region 8 Office has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC). The agency is offering an up to $10 million grant opportunity to help communities and other environmental justice stakeholders address concerns in EPA’s Region 8, which includes the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, and 28 federally recognized tribes.
In April, EPA announced the selection of 17 EJ TCTACs that will receive $177 million to help underserved and overburdened communities across the country access funds from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, including historic investments to advance environmental justice. As part of this opportunity, EPA is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) to deliver much-needed assistance to communities, tribes, and other stakeholders within Region 8.
The agency will host two informational webinars on July 27 and August 11 for prospective applicants, which will also include a partnership facilitation session.
Process
EPA Region 8 issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and will be seeking applications from eligible entities through September 11. The award amount will be approximately $10 million for a five-year project period, up to $2 million for each year.
Eligible applicants who can compete under the NOFO will generally include:
- Public and private universities and colleges and other nonprofit institutions of higher education such as community colleges
- Public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (including philanthropic organizations)
- Intertribal Consortia – a coalition between two or more Indian tribal governments authorized by the governing bodies of those tribes to apply for and receive assistance and participate in self-governance.
Entities that have been previously awarded EJ TCTAC funding are not eligible to apply for this opportunity. Further information can be found in the NOFO, posted on EPA's website, and at www.grants.gov. Until an EJ TCTAC grant is awarded through this upcoming grant competition, EPA Region 8 communities will be able to access assistance through one of the designated national EJ TCTACs.
The EJ TCTAC program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40% of the benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. The new EJ TCTACs will help ensure communities with environmental and energy justice concerns can access President Biden's historic investments in America to address generational disinvestment, legacy pollution, infrastructure challenges and build a clean energy economy that will lower energy costs, strengthen our energy security and meet our climate goals.