Advisory Committee Coordination Support for the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Region 3 Chesapeake Bay Program Office, has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support the coordination and logistical needs of four advisory committees that are part of the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership. These committees—the Stakeholders’ Advisory Committee, the Local Government Advisory Committee, the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), and the Agricultural Advisory Committee—play a vital role in ensuring diverse perspectives inform the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay. The committees comprise volunteer experts and elected officials from various sectors, including scientific, local government, agricultural, and stakeholder communities. They provide impartial, independent advice to the CBP partnership and help shape strategies to meet the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement's goals. This funding opportunity, numbered EPA-R3-CBP-26-01, anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement of up to $2,450,000 over a five-year project period. The award supports two primary activities: (1) coordination and administrative support for the four advisory committees, and (2) logistical support for STAC's scientific research initiatives. Activity 1 will receive up to $2,175,000, and Activity 2 will receive up to $275,000 over five years. Annual funding levels are estimated but not guaranteed beyond year one, and the recipient must propose a 5% non-federal cost share. The EPA may also provide in-kind assistance in the form of workspace at the CBP Office in Annapolis, Maryland, though this is not to be included in the proposal budget. Eligible applicants include Indian tribes, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education. All applicants must propose projects that support the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed, which spans parts of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. Projects that omit any portion of the watershed or request funding in excess of the specified amounts will be deemed ineligible. Applicants are required to address both Activity 1 and Activity 2 in their proposals. The project activities must directly benefit non-federal partners and the broader public, even if collaboration with federal agencies occurs. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov no later than May 1, 2026, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. All applicants must be registered with SAM.gov and have an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Submission requires several components, including the SF-424 form, budget forms (SF-424A), a key contacts form, a preaward compliance report, and detailed project and budget narratives. The project narrative must follow a prescribed format with sections detailing the project scope, expected results, programmatic capability, budget strategy, and more. Supplementary documents such as maps, letters of support, and CVs must be integrated into the narrative file. Applications will undergo a responsiveness review to ensure they meet all eligibility and formatting requirements. Eligible applications will then be scored based on review criteria totaling 100 points, covering project design, collaboration, readiness to implement, measurable outputs and outcomes, transferability, past performance, staff expertise, budget rationale, and financial controls. The review panel’s recommendations will be forwarded to a selection official who will make the final funding decision based on rankings and alignment with EPA priorities. The anticipated timeline includes notification of selection in May 2026 and award issuance in July 2026. The grant is not subject to intergovernmental review and recipients must adhere to administrative cost limits, reporting requirements, and federal procurement and subaward policies. The grant supports EPA’s broader mission under the Clean Water Act and Administrator Zeldin’s strategic goals for clean air, land, and water; cross-agency partnerships; and regulatory efficiency.

Ensure project covers the entire watershed, both activities are addressed, and 5% cost share is met.