Brownfield Funding and Other Assistance Available

There are several opportunities for assistance with Brownfield redevelopment.  Listed below are some announcements for Brownfield funding and other assistance that is currently available from a variety of sources.  This information has been gathered from many different partners and shared for you in one compilation message.  Please read each item to see if any of these resources / events may help you in your Brownfield redevelopment process.  

Please note that clicking on a link will direct you to a site that is not hosted by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

•   Request for Proposals - FY 2016 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant Guidelines

The proposal submission deadline is December 18, 2015.

These brownfields grants may be used to address sites contaminated by petroleum and hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants (including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum). Opportunities for funding are as follows: Brownfields Assessment Grants (each funded up to $200,000 over three years; Assessment Coalitions are funded up to $600,000 over three years), Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grants (each funded up to $1,000,000 over five years), and Brownfields Cleanup Grants (each funded up to $200,000 over three years).  http://www2.epa.gov/brownfields/apply-brownfields-grant-funding

• Kansas State University, Technical Assistance to Brownfields Grantee

K-State TAB has many free resources and tools on their website-- www.ksutab.org/resources 

TAB-EZ is a program that will guide you through the Assessment and Cleanup Grant application process.

BIT is a tool that will assist you in building a Brownfields Inventory.

If you haven’t spent some time on their site, now is the time to explore: https://www.ksutab.org   They have uploaded the presentations from many Workshops, Webinars, as well as a great Fact Sheet from the DOL, which will help you connect to your Workforce Boards/Commissions. Be sure to check it out…

• EPA FY 2016 Brownfields Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grant Guidelines

The proposal submission deadline is January 14, 2016

These grants are provided to eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to develop environmental programs that recruit, train, and place unemployed and under-employed residents of communities affected by brownfields and other environmental contaminants with the skills needed to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field and in assessment and cleanup work taking place in their communities. Each Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) grant may be funded up to $200,000 over a three year period.  All proposals must be submitted through grants.gov. http://www2.epa.gov/brownfields/apply-brownfields-grant-funding

• Webinars to Assist in Preparing FY16 EWDJT Proposals

December 2, 2015 at 11:00 am (CST) and December 10, 2015 at 1:00 pm (CST).

EPA will provide two webinars for prospective grant applicants. The purpose of these training webinars is to assist applicants with understanding the Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) application guidelines and will provide an opportunity for applicants to pose questions to the EPA. Join the webinar at http://epawebconferencing.acms.com/fy16ewdjt/ and/ or via conference call (dial-in number: 1-866-299-3188/ access code: 202-566-1564).

• Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program – 2016 Request for Proposals is Open!

This RFP closes February 3, 2016

On November 3, 2015 the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced an RFP for this public-private partnership, funded in part by EPA’s Wetlands and Urban Waters Programs and the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and in conjunction with the Urban Waters Federal Partnership.

Approximately $2.1 million in combined total funding will be available to support projects such as stormwater management, addressing water scarcity, source water protection as well as wetlands, riparian, forest and water quality protection and restoration projects in local communities especially underserved communities across the country. In 2016, the Urban Waters Federal Partnership will give special consideration to projects which directly advance priorities of the 19 Urban Water Federal Partnership designated locations. For more information the priorities of the 19 designated locations, go to: http://www2.epa.gov/urbanwaterspartners/news-about-urban-waters#projectbackgrounds.  The geographic boundaries of the designated locations can be found in the RFP on the NFWF website.

NFWF will host a webinar for potential applicants on November 18, 2015.

For more information go to www.nfwf.org/fivestar

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Urban Waters Small Grants program is currently requesting proposals

Proposals must be submitted by November 20, 2015.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants for projects that will advance EPA’s water quality and environmental justice goals.  Proposed projects will address urban runoff pollution through diverse partnerships that produce multiple community benefits, with emphasis on underserved communities.  Visit our Urban Waters Small Grants website for details on the Request for Proposals (RFP) including eligibility criteria. 

EPA’s Urban Waters Program focuses on helping local residents and their organizations, particularly those in underserved communities, restore their urban waters in ways that also benefit community and economic revitalization. One of the ways the Urban Waters Program accomplishes this mission is through the Urban Waters Small Grants Program. This program recognizes that healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance educational, recreational, social, and employment opportunities in nearby communities. To learn more about the Urban Waters Small Grants program and how past recipients are having an impact in their communities and waters visit the website at http://www2.epa.gov/urbanwaters/urban-waters-small-grants.

• 2016 U.S. Forest Service National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program Request for Pre-Proposals (RFP)

Proposals are due November 23, 2015

The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council seeks innovative (new, cutting-edge or builds upon existing studies) grant proposals for program development, study, and collaboration that will address strategies in the Ten Year Action Plan. This Request for Proposals is to address the following priority issues:

1. Analysis and Solutions for Development and Redevelopment Impacts on Urban and Community Forests
2. Building Human Health Through Urban and Community Forestry
3. Climate Change and Its Impact on Trees and Water

Additional information is available at http://www.fs.fed.us/ucf/nucfac.shtml. 

• EPA Announces New Funding Opportunity: EJ Collaborative Problem Solving Grants

Proposals Due: February 12, 2016 

EPA is seeking applicants for a total of $1.2 million in Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) cooperative agreements to be awarded in 2016. Cooperative agreements will be awarded to local community-based organizations seeking to address environmental and/or public health concerns in their communities through collaboration with other stakeholders, such as state and local governments, industry, academia and non-governmental organizations. Organizations are encouraged to have a connection between the proposed project activities and applicable neighborhood, local, city, or regional land use planning efforts.

One award will be made per region in amounts of up to $120,000 per award for a two-year project period. Pre-Assistance calls have been schedule to assist applicants.  Projects must use the Collaborative Problem Solving model, comprised of seven elements of a successful collaborative partnership, to address local environmental and/or public health issues.  Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. These awards represent EPA's commitment to promoting localized, community-based actions to address environmental justice issues.

More information about EPA's Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement Program: http://www3.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-cps-grants.html  Read more about how to apply at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=EPA-OECA-OEJ-16-01

• The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design™ 2016-2017 Request for Proposals

Application deadline is January 12, 2016

The National Endowment for the Arts has been supporting the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design program since 1991. It is a wonderful opportunity for communities to receive technical assistance and guidance in hosting a 2-3 day rural design workshop. More details are included in the blurb below and at http://www.rural-design.org/

The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design™ 2016-2017 Request for Proposals is now open for rural communities facing design challenges, from main street revitalization to art-based community development. CIRD will select up to six communities, with populations 50,000 or less, to host a two-and-a-half-day workshop aimed at solving local design challenges and planning for the future. Selected communities receive a CIRD stipend of $10,000 dollars and in-kind professional assistance to organize the workshop and follow up activities.  The workshops are interdisciplinary and feature a wide range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, bringing together local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government agencies to develop actionable solutions to a community’s pressing design challenges.  To apply and learn more, click here http://www.rural-design.org/ . The application deadline is January 12, 2016.

We’re also hosting upcoming webinars for interested communities to help prepare you to submit a competitive 2016-2017 CIRD proposal. We encourage you to join us for this free informational event about the program and the application process. Registration is required.

• Thursday, December 10, 2015 from 3-4pm EST

CIRD Program Information: Secrets to Crafting an Outstanding CIRD Application – advice on crafting an outstanding application including tips for articulating a design challenge, establishing project partners, and anticipating workshop outcomes.

• Orton Family Foundation—Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design RFP

The deadline for submitting a proposal is Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 at 11 p.m. EST.

The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design™ (CIRD) has issued a request for proposals to rural communities interested in applying for funding to host a community design workshop in either 2016 or 2017. CIRD is a National Endowment for the Arts leadership initiative in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Project for Public Spaces, Inc., along with the Orton Family Foundation. CIRD provides communities access to the resources they need to convert their own good ideas into reality.

CIRD offers annual competitive funding to six small towns or rural communities to host a two-and-a-half day community development and design workshop. With assistance from a wide range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, the workshops are intended to bring together local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government agencies to develop actionable solutions to the communities’ pressing development challenges. The communities will receive additional support through webinars, conference calls, and web-based resources on www.rural-design.org.

Successful applicants will receive a $10,000 stipend (that must be matched one-to-one) in addition to in-kind professional design expertise and technical assistance valued at $35,000. The Request for Proposals is posted on the CIRD website: www.rural-design.org/request-for-proposals. Selected communities will be announced in March of 2016 and workshops will be held during the fall of 2016 through spring of 2017.

CIRD staff will also offer a pre-application assistance webinar to answer questions and guide interested applicants in assembling their proposals. It will take place on Thursday, Dec. 10. The call will begin at 3 p.m. EST and last approximately one hour. Participation in the call is free but registration is required. To register visit: www.rural-design.org/application-assistance.