Resources
EPA Community Grants Application Resources
SSDN’s EFC collaborates with EPA Region 4 to provide training and assistance to Community Grants recipients. The following resources have been compiled to guide the grant recipients, but are not exhaustive and do not constitute legal advice.e.
Basic Resources
General
The EPA Community Grants page offers a compilation of resources including training.
The Final Implementation Guidance is the go-to reference for Community Grants. The requirements slightly vary depending on the fiscal year the funds were approved. Note that the cost-share waiver criteria listed in the FY22 and FY23 guidance were consolidated in March 2024.
FY22-Community-Grants-Program-Guidance.pdf (epa.gov)
FY23-Community-Grants-Final Implementation-Guidance.pdf (epa.gov)
FY24-community-grants-final-implementation-guidance.pdf (epa.gov)
Various funding resources for water projects by state, compiled by the EFC Network.
Cost Share Waiver
The Cost Share Waiver Implementation Guidance provides the criteria for cost-share eligibility. Please contact us if you need assistance to determine your project eligibility.
Budgeting
Per Recipient/Applicant Information Notice RAIN-2024-G01, the Office of Grants and Debarment is requiring all new applicants/recipients to complete the following two trainings:
The EPA Grants Management Training for Applicants and Recipients webinar series of five 60-minute modules covers the process from finding, applying for, managing and closing out grants. Module 2 “[c]overs EPA’s requirements for demonstrating financial management system and internal controls capability”.
How to Develop a Budget is a self-paced course in four modules that covers every type of expenditures to consider in an EPA grant budget.
Cross-Cutting Regulations
Information on regulations from other federal agencies that apply to Community Grants can be found in Cross-Cutting Federal Authorities: A Handbook on their Application in the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Programs.
Sample Documents
The following documents are anonymized examples shared by a successful Community Grant applicant. Please note that requirements vary from one project to another.
Training Materials
The presentations and video recordings from the training series presented by the EFC are available below.
2025 Cohort
Session 1: Community Grants Basics | Slides Brian Held | Slides | Video
Session 2: Support Resources; Waiver Eligibility | Slides | Video
Session 3: Application Components | Slides | Video
Session 4: Entity Registration; Alternative Funding Sources | Slides | Video
Session 5: Cross-Cutting Regulations | Slides | Video
2024 Cohort
Session 1: Possibilities, Limitations & Requirements | Slides | Video |
Session 2: Project Scope; Waiver Eligibility | Slide | Video
Session 3: Entity Registration; Listening Session | Slides | Video
Session 4: Cross-Cutting Regulations | Slides | Video | NEPA Training Deck
Session 5: Budgeting & Procurement | Slides | Video | CGP Procurement & Subawards Training Deck
Session 6: Application Submittal | Slides | Video
Bonus Session: Other Water TA Providers | Slides | Video | CGP UNC-Chapel Hill EFC Deck | River Network Deck
Session 8: Grant Management & Reporting | Slides | Video
Session 9: Troubleshooting & Closing | Slides | Video
