[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 76 (Monday, April 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19525-19528]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9744]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7485-9]


Mobile Source Outreach Assistance Competition Fiscal Years 2003/
2004: Solicitation Notice

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Today's notice announces the availability of funding and 
solicits proposals from State, local, and tribal air pollution control 
agencies for mobile source-related public education and outreach 
projects. The funding will be allocated by EPA's Office of 
Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) to the EPA regions for award 
through the competitive process described in this notice. In order for 
EPA to streamline its internal processing of selected proposals, this 
competition will select proposals for both Fiscal Year 2003 and Fiscal 
Year 2004.

DATES: The deadline for Final Proposals is Monday, July 7, 2003. To 
allow for efficient management of the competitive process, OTAQ is 
requesting agencies to submit an informal ``Intent to Apply'' by 
Monday, May 26, 2003. (Instructions for submitting final proposals and 
informal ``Intents to Apply'' are found in section X. below.)

ADDRESSES: Addresses for submitting final proposals can be found in 
section X. below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Bullard, Director of Outreach, 
USEPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., (mail code 6406J), Washington, DC, 20460. 
Telephone (202) 564-9856; Fax (202) 565-2085. Or e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Contents by Section

I. Overview and Deadlines
II. Eligible Organizations
III. Funding Issues
IV. Program Emphasis
V. Selection Criteria
VI. Proposal Evaluation and Selection
VII. Proposals
VIII. OTAQ/Section 105 Funded Outreach Projects
IX. Other Items of Interest
X. How to Apply
XI. EPA Regional Section 105 Grant Coordinators
XII. OTAQ Program Contact

    This solicitation can also be found on the following EPA Web pages: 
www.epa.gov/otaq/rfp or www.epa.gov/air/grants_funding.html.


[[Page 19526]]


Deadline for informal ``Intent to Apply''--Monday, May 26, 2003.
Deadline for Receipt of Final Proposal--Monday, July 7, 2003.

Mobile Source Outreach Assistance: Competition 2003/2004: Request for 
Proposals

Section I. Overview and Deadlines

    A. Overview: Over the past six years, EPA's Office of 
Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) and EPA's Regional offices have 
entered into agreements and established partnerships with a number of 
organizations to (1) provide national support for community-based 
mobile source public education efforts supporting implementation of the 
Clean Air Act and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, 
(2) encourage responsible choices for organizational and individual 
actions through public education. OTAQ/Section 105-Funded Outreach 
Projects are listed on the OTAQ Web site www.epa.gov/otaq/rfp.htm and 
emphasize transportation choices to reduce vehicle miles traveled; 
education of vehicle owners and drivers of the future; particulate 
matter related to mobile sources; alternative fuels; car care and the 
role of the automotive technician; outreach to ethnic populations; 
environmental justice; and, related projects such as ozone mapping and 
small engines. EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality receives 
set-aside funds from the State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) 
account to provide support to community-based mobile source-related 
outreach projects. This notice solicits proposals for public education 
and outreach projects which directly support State, local and tribal 
air management organizations in their efforts to improve air quality 
from mobile sources. Proposals will be accepted from State, local, and 
tribal air management agencies which are identified as such under 
section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act. (See definition in section II 
below.) Interested persons can also obtain copies of this solicitation 
at no charge by accessing the OTAQ Web site at www.epa.gov/OTAQ/rfp.htm 
or www.epa.gov/air/grants_funding.html.
    B. What are the deadlines for this competition? In order to 
efficiently manage the selection process, the Office of Transportation 
and Air Quality requests that an informal ``Intent to Apply'' be 
submitted by Monday, May 26, 2003. (Please provide project title or 
subject and e-mail address for project contact.) An ``Intent to Apply'' 
simply states in the form of e-mail, phone, or fax that your 
organization intends to submit a proposal to be received by the 
deadline. Submitting an ``Intent to Apply'' does not commit an 
organization to submit a final proposal. Those not submitting an 
``Intent to Apply'' may still apply by the deadline. The deadline for 
final proposals (original and six copies) is midnight on Monday, July 
7, 2003. The Office of Transportation and Air Quality intends to 
complete the Evaluation/Selection process in September 2003.

Section II. Eligible Organizations

    Who is eligible to submit proposals? According to funding policies 
associated with the State and Tribal Assistance Grants regulations 
(STAG funds), proposals can be accepted only from air pollution control 
agencies as defined under section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act, (for 
projects to be undertaken which will have replicability to other 
communities nationally). OTAQ has no discretion over this requirement. 
Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act defines ``air pollution control 
agencies'' as any of the following:
    (1) A single State agency designated by the Governor of that State 
as the single air pollution control agency for purposes of the Act.
    (2) An agency established by two or more States and having 
substantial powers or duties pertaining to the prevention and control 
of air pollution.
    (3) A city, county, or other local government health authority, or, 
in the case of any city, county or other local government in which 
there is an agency other than the health authority charged with 
responsibility for enforcing ordinances or laws relating to the 
prevention and control of air pollution.
    (4) An agency of two or more municipalities located in the same 
State or in different States and having substantial powers or duties 
pertaining to the prevention and control of air pollution.
    (5) An agency of an Indian tribe.
    As Project Managers for these cooperative agreements, EPA's 
Regional Offices are responsible for confirming that a submitting 
agency is eligible under the legal definition. Interested air 
management, non-governmental or related organizations which are not air 
pollution control agencies as defined under section 302(b) of the Clean 
Air Act are encouraged to create partnerships with eligible 
organizations. In that situation, the eligible organization would be 
required to submit the final proposal and serve as the funding 
recipient if selected.

Section III. Funding Issues

    A. What is the amount of available funding? A minimum of $550K. 
Total funding available will reflect STAG set-aside funds for both FY03 
($550K) and FY 04 (amount to be determined prior to competition 
selection).
    B. How will funds be allocated? The competition process will be 
managed by OTAQ and selected cooperative agreements will be awarded and 
managed by EPA's Regional offices and funded through section 105 
authority (State and local air pollution control agencies). OTAQ has no 
discretion over this requirement.
    C. Is there a maximum amount for award? Funding from this 
competition may not exceed $100,000 for the entire project period of 
the selected proposal. (This amount does not include any match which 
may be required or generated by the eligible organization.)
    D. Are matching funds required? Possibly. The Clean Air Act's 
section 105 grant program contains a cost-sharing requirement for a 
minimum 40 percent match for the recipient's overall approved section 
105 work program costs. If an applicant to this competition is selected 
to receive an outreach grant, the Federal funds to be awarded should be 
added to the Federal share of the applicant's existing section 105 
grant. If addition of these funds increases the Federal percentage of 
the new overall section 105 grant amount to greater than 60 percent, 
then the applicant, in order to receive the outreach assistance, must 
increase its non-Federal contribution in order to restore the required 
40 percent non-Federal minimum contribution. If addition of the 
outreach funds does not increase the Federal share above 60 percent, 
then an additional non-Federal match is not required. An air pollution 
control agency which submits a proposal must include a statement in 
their proposal indicating that the match could and would be met if 
their proposal is selected and such a match is required. Organizations 
unable to meet a required match must be considered ineligible. 
Organizations unclear as to their matching status are recommended to 
contact their EPA Regional Grant Coordinator (see section XII below).
    E. Can funding be used to acquire services or fund partnerships? 
Yes--subgrants and other procurement services are allowed, provided the 
recipient follows applicable procurement and sub-grant procedures. 
Please note that EPA will not be a party to these transactions. 
Approval of a funding proposal does not relieve recipients of their 
obligations to compete service contracts, conduct cost and price 
analyses, and use subgrants only for financial assistance purposes in 
accordance with subpart B, section .210

[[Page 19527]]

of OMB Circular A-133. Please indicate any intent to enter into such 
agreements in the proposal.

Section IV. Program Emphasis

    This program is designed to provide seed money to initiate new 
projects or advance existing projects that are new in some way (e.g. 
new audiences, new locations, new approaches) rather than grow ongoing 
projects.
Program Emphasis
--Voluntary measures.
--Particulate matter projects related to mobile sources.
--Commuter choice/best workplaces for commuters initiatives.
--Transportation choices.
--Environmental justice.
--Car care (testing, repair, maintenance).
--On Board Diagnostics (OBD).
--Alternative fuels.
--Involving youth in mobile source issues/environmental education.
--Other mobile source issues (including but not limited to: diesel, 
heavy duty engines; nonroad engines; air quality index).

Section V. Selection Criteria

A. Primary Project Criteria
--Clearly addresses environmental goals of improved air quality from 
mobile sources.
--Indicates some level of funding for replication and transfer to other 
communities.
--Links air quality, public health and calls to action.
--Demonstrates effectiveness of delivery mechanism to reach targeted 
audience.
--Exhibits clearly-stated and appropriate levels of funding.
--Highlights effectiveness of collaborative activities and partnerships 
with other stakeholders needed to effectively develop or implement the 
project.
--Demonstrates national or regional applicability/transferability.
--Indicates how success will be measured and benefits will be 
demonstrated.
--Reflects potential for sustainability.
B. Other Factors to be Considered
--Innovation.
--Integration with existing/ongoing programs.
--Willingness to coordinate with other OTAQ-funded outreach activities.
--Demonstrated capability of candidate organization to accomplish the 
goals presented.
C. Proposal Presentation Criteria
--Fully addresses each of the components outlined in section VII (A).
--Action-oriented.
--Clearly-states goals and objectives.
--Reflects reasonable time frames and budget.

Section VI. Proposal Evaluation and Selection

    The Evaluation Team is chosen to represent a full range of mobile 
source and EPA program expertise. In addition, each EPA Regional office 
is given the opportunity to review those proposals generated by 
eligible organizations within that Region. The Evaluation Team will 
base its evaluation solely on the criteria referenced in this notice. 
Completed evaluations will be forwarded for further consideration to a 
Selection Committee representing OTAQ senior managers and Regional 
representatives who are responsible for final selection. To ensure 
equity and objectivity throughout the process, the OTAQ Program Contact 
(listed below) and staff who facilitate the process and participate in 
pre-application assistance, do not serve as members of either the 
Evaluation Team or the Selection Committee.

Section VII. Proposals

    A. What must be included in the proposal? Proposals should be 
approximately 5-7 pages in length, not including the cover letter 
(please do not include binders or spiral binding) and must include the 
following. (It is recommended that the proposal conform to the outline 
below to ensure that all components are addressed.) A copy of the cover 
letter should be attached to each copy to be submitted.
    (1) Project contact(s) (must provide name, organization, phone, 
fax, and e-mail) An e-mail address is essential in order to ensure 
OTAQ's ability to quickly reach all applicants with important and 
timely information.
    (2) Clear and accurate statement of amount being requested. (No 
project will receive funding from this competition in an amount to 
exceed $100,000.)
    (3) Brief statement that the candidate organization is defined as 
an air pollution control agency under section 302(b) of the Clean Air 
Act.
    (4) Statement that any required match will be met.
    (5) Statement of project background/objectives highlighting 
relationship to improving air quality from mobile sources.
    (6) Detailed project summary--description of specific actions to be 
undertaken.
    (7) Projected time frame for project from initiation through 
completion.
    (8) Associated deliverables to be developed and funded through the 
agreement.
    (9) Explanation of project benefits.
    (10) Detailed explanation of how project outcomes will be designed 
and funded for replication in other communities.
    (11) Description of collaborative activities and partnerships with 
other stakeholders.
    (12) Description of measures of program/project success.
    (13) Detailed budget estimate. (Clearly explain how funds will be 
used, including estimated cost for each primary task. It is helpful if 
the requested amount is presented in round numbers.) Budget estimates 
must reflect funding for participation in the annual Communities in 
Motion Workshop.
    B. Will 2-year proposals be considered? Yes. If a proposal with a 
2-year project period is submitted, OTAQ requires that the budget and 
cost estimate be designed to indicate what will be accomplished in each 
of the first and second years. The total for the funding from this 
competition is not to exceed a total of $100,000, even if the project 
will be undertaken over a 2-year period.
    C. May an eligible organization submit more than one proposal? An 
organization may submit more than one proposal only if the proposals 
are for different projects.
    D. May an eligible organization resubmit a proposal which was 
previously submitted to the Mobile Source Outreach Assistance 
Competition, but was not selected? Yes. The proposals received by OTAQ 
in previous competitions were generally of very high quality. Clearly, 
all proposals of merit could not be selected due to limited resources 
available.
    E. May an eligible organization submit a proposal for this fiscal 
year, even if it were previously awarded funding under this program? 
Yes. Applicants awarded funding in previous competitions may submit new 
proposals to fund a different project. This program is intended to 
provide seed money to initiate new projects or advance existing 
projects that are new in some way (e.g., new audiences, new locations, 
new approaches).
    F. Does this funding expire? No. State and Tribal Assistance Grants 
(STAG) for environmental programs remain available until expended 
(``no-year money'').

[[Page 19528]]

    G. Ineligible proposals. Proposals will be determined to be 
ineligible if:
    (1) The candidate organization is not currently defined as an air 
pollution control agency under section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act; (2) 
a required match could not be met; (3) the proposal is incomplete 
(proposals must address each and every component outlined in section 
VII (N); or (4) the proposal is received after the deadline.

Section VIII. OTAQ/Section 105 Funded Outreach Projects

    Since this competition is designed to fund new projects (rather 
than duplicating or growing existing programs), potential candidate 
organizations are recommended to visit the OTAQ web site to identify 
representative projects already being funded. The item, entitled 
``OTAQ/Section 105 Funded Outreach Projects,'' can be found at 
www.epa.gov/otaq/. Click on ``Recent Additions'' to find a brief sketch 
of representative projects funded to date through the Office of 
Transportation and Air Quality, either with section 105 funding 
(indicated by year of funding) or projects that are intended to be 
national in scope, supported by OTAQ program funding (indicated by an 
asterisk ``*'').

    Note: Some Web sites listed by funded organizations provide 
helpful information on a variety of air quality efforts being 
undertaken by the funded organization.

Section IX. Other Items of Interest

    Is there other information I should have before applying? Yes.

--Submission of an Intent to Apply or a final proposal does not 
guarantee funding.
--Supplementary information, including letters of recommendation, will 
be retained in the files, but will not be reviewed by the evaluators.
--Only those organizations selected will be required to submit a 
complete ``Application for Federal Assistance and Budget Information'' 
(SF 424 and SF 424A) to the appropriate EPA Regional office.

Section X. How To Apply

    How do I apply?
    Informal ``Intents to Apply'' may take the form of e-mail, fax or 
phone call to the EPA Program Contact listed below. Include 
organization, contact, phone, e-mail and project title/subject (if 
known at time of Intent). Please submit informal ``Intents To Apply'' 
by Monday, May 26, 2003.
    To be considered eligible, completed original proposals must be 
date-stamped (postmarked or dated by overnight express) on or before 
midnight, Monday, July 7, 2003. (Original + 6, including cover letters 
on copies--no binders, spiral binding or supplemental materials 
please!)
    Please pay special attention to the distinction in addresses for 
regular mail and overnight or in-person delivery.
    Via regular mail to: Susan Bullard, Director of Outreach, U.S. EPA 
Office of Transportation and Air Quality, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Mail Code 6406J, Washington, DC 20460.

(Please note that, in the face of circumstances beyond the agency's 
control in Washington, DC, it may take significantly longer than 
expected for regular mail to reach the Office of Transportation and Air 
Quality.)

    Express mail which is to be delivered in-person (FedEx, UPS, 
Airborne, etc.) must leave the sender and be dated by no later than 
midnight on Monday, July 7, 2003, and should be delivered to the 
following address: Susan Bullard, Director of Outreach, U.S. EPA Office 
of Transportation and Air Quality, 501 Third Street, NW., Room 5304D, 
Washington, DC 20001, (202) 564-9856, (202) 564-8991 (backup number for 
expressed proposals only).

    Note: Proposals e-mailed or faxed will serve only as a 
placeholder, and must be followed by a hard copy original and 6 
copies postmarked/date stamped no later than the deadline. If no 
original is received which meets the deadline, the proposal will not 
be considered.

Deadline for Completed Final Proposals

    Date stamped (postmarked or express mail dated) no later than 
midnight on Monday, July 7, 2003.

         Section XI. EPA Regional Section 105 Grant Coordinators
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Region 1 (Boston)................  Paul Bryan..........     617-918-1673
Region 2 (New York)..............  Marlon Gonzales.....     212-637-3769
Region 3 (Philadelphia)..........  Russ Bowen..........     215-814-2057
Region 4 (Atlanta)...............  Todd Rinck..........     404-562-9062
Region 5 (Chicago)...............  Robert Miller.......     312-353-0396
                                   Diane Nelson........     312-886-2929
Region 6 (Dallas)................  Rexene Hanes........     214-665-2726
Region 7 (Kansas City)...........  Mark Smith..........     913-551-7876
Region 8 (Denver)................  Marisa Mcphilliamy..     303-312-6965
Region 9 (San Francisco).........  Valerie Cooper......     415-947-4103
Region 10 (Seattle)..............  David Debruyn.......     206-553-4218
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Section XII. OTAQ Program Contact

    Susan Bullard, Director of Outreach, EPA Office of Transportation 
and Air Quality (OTAQ), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., (Mail Code 
6406J), Washington, DC 20460, (Phone) 202/564-9856, (Fax) 202/565-2085, 
[email protected].

Margo Tsirigotis Oge,
Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality.
[FR Doc. 03-9744 Filed 4-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P