Geographic Programs – Chesapeake Bay Program
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
Program Objective
The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and unique as North America's largest and most biologically diverse estuary. The objective of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s competitive assistance agreements is to fund activities that support achievement of the goals and outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. Funding priorities include, but are not limited to, implementation projects that support water quality improvement and environmental stewardship, coordination of the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership, monitoring and modeling of the Chesapeake Bay and its ecosystem, and advancement of data science that helps inform decision-making. EPA supports advancement of these priorities by funding cooperative agreements, which support the partnership in carrying out the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and fulfilling the statutory requirements of the Chesapeake Bay Program Office under Clean Water Act Section 117. Additionally, EPA funds cooperative agreements to intermediary organizations for the purposes of carrying out the Small Watershed Grants (SWG) grants program, which supports protection and improvement of local waterways while building citizen-based resource stewardship; and the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) grants program, which supports regional innovative solutions to reduce or eliminate nutrient and sediment pollution. More information regarding the Chesapeake Bay Program can be found at https://www.chesapeakebay.net .
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Other
- U.S. State Government
- Interstate Organization
- State
- Local Government Consortium
- Federally Recognized Tribal Government
- Local
How to Apply
Award Procedure
For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the NOFO. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 60 to 90 days
Approximately 90 days after deadline for application submission.
Program details & compliance
Description
The Chesapeake Bay Program’s funded projects help achieve the goals and outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and strengthen cooperative efforts to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay.
Mission Categories
Primary: Water Pollution Control
Other categories:
Water ConservationLand and Forest Conservation
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
The Chesapeake Bay Program funds cooperative agreements to implement the goals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and carry out the statutory requirements of the Chesapeake Bay Program Office. This includes coordination support for the partnership; advancement of science, modeling, monitoring, and data analysis activities; development and publication of environmental information and partnership communications; and outreach programs to foster stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay resources. This funding also supports the implementation of subgrant programs designed to support local and regional efforts to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay. All funded activities, including activities funded through cost-share, must directly support the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Applicants applying for funding under this program must commit to a cost-share of 5-50%, as determined at the discretion of EPA and as described in competitive funding announcements. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial). This program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis. A discretionary award means an award in which the Federal awarding agency, in keeping with specific statutory authority that enables the agency to exercise judgement (“discretion”), selects the recipient and/or the amount of Federal funding awarded through a competitive process or based on merit of proposals. A discretionary award may be selected on a non-competitive basis, as appropriate. For further information, please contact the Headquarters or regional office points of contact listed under Contact Information.
Restrictions
Applicants must adhere to the requirement in the Clean Water Act, Section 117 - Administrative Costs, which requires a 10 percent cap for administrative costs. The term “administrative costs” means the cost of salaries and fringe benefits incurred in administering a grant, which includes but is not limited to, preparation and submission of grant applications, fiscal tracking of grants funds, maintaining project files, and collection and submission of deliverables.
Matching Requirements
All applicants applying for technical and general assistance grants under Section 117(d), must commit to a cost share ranging from 5 percent to 50 percent as determined at the sole discretion of EPA. Applicants should refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information regarding cost share requirements. Applicants applying under the Small Watershed Grants Program under Section 117(g)(2) must commit to a cost share of 25 percent of the total project cost. Projects funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) may receive a waiver of the cost matching requirements, subject to the approval of the EPA Regional Administrator.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements