FY25 Exchange Network Applicant FAQs
Please find below a comprehensive list of the Exchange Network Grant Program’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from applicants, which have been organized into categories and hyperlinked for user convenience. This webpage represents a combined version of the prior ‘General FAQs’ and ‘Tribal FAQs’ webpages, which were merged in 2025. Please note that Tribal-specific questions are included in this new FAQ, within a section marked ‘FAQs for Tribal Grantees’.
- General Topics
- Eligibility
- Project Planning
- SN/Applicant Requirements/Scoring
- General Budget Planning
- Funding/Cost Restrictions
- Indirect Costs
- Contractor/Procurement
- EN Partnership Applications
- Technical Planning and Understanding
- Reuse and IT Component Registration
- Past EN Projects
- Performance Partnership Grants (PPGs) and Consolidated Grants (CGs)
- FAQs for Tribal Grantees
- Post-Award/Terms and Conditions
General Topics
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What is the Exchange Network (EN)?
The Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) is a partner-inspired, developed, implemented, and governed information network for environmental data sharing among EPA, states, Tribes, and territories. The EN: Facilitates the sharing of environmental data, especially through shared and reusable services; Streamlines data collection and exchanges to improve timeliness for decision making…
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When are the FY25 Exchange Network grant applications due?
Applicants for the FY25 Exchange Network Grant program must submit a full application package to EPA through the Grants.gov website (or by an alternative method for those applicants with an approved Grants.gov Exception) on or before Monday, March 24th, at 11:59 PM Eastern.
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Does EPA offer this grant every year?
Funding for the Exchange Network Grant Program is based on the year’s appropriation but has been continuously funded each year since 2002.
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How many proposals are typically received annually?
Anywhere between 30 and 80 proposals. In recent years, the EN grant program has averaged between 40-45 applications annually.
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How much funding can I apply for under the Exchange Network Grant Program?
Applicants applying under an individual opportunity may request up to $400,000 in funding. Applicants applying under a partnership opportunity may request funds up to $500,000, if the partnership eligibility criteria outlined in Section III-D of the Solicitation Notice are met. An eligible applicant applying under the Individual Capacity Building with…
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Does the EN Grant Program issue partial awards?
Partial funding is possible through the EN grant program and reflects when a project goal, project output and/or requested cost is unallowable, is duplicative of prior work, or has been flagged by our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) as inappropriate for the proposed project. In rare cases, an applicant may also…
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Is there a maximum amount of funds that the EN Grant Program will award per state?
There is no annual or continuous maximum funding threshold per state. However, when making the final funding decisions, the EPA Selection Official may consider geographic distribution of awards, which may limit the number of grants approved per state in a grant cycle. All projects must align with current funding thresholds.
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If awarded an EN assistance agreement, what is the anticipated timeframe for the funding?
Our anticipated award date for FY24 EN assistance agreements is October 1st; however, this has been delayed in recent years due to late releases of annual Solicitation Notices. Selected applicants can always reach out to the EN Grant Program at [email protected] to request a status update on their award, if…
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How long is the period of performance for EN assistance agreements?
The period of performance for EN grants is standardized at 3 years. The start date for each new EN awards is October 1st of that year, and the end date would be three years later as we have a standard three-year period-of-performance. Grantees can finish their projects early within this…
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Are EN grants issued as a one-time award and are the funds expected to be split over the period of performance of three years?
Yes, EN grants are issued as onetime awards and should be spent within the three-year period of performance. Costs need not be split evenly over three years.
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Where can I find a copy of the annual applicant webinar presentations?
In each open application period, a PDF file version of the applicant webinar presentation will be made available on the EN website under "Resources." While we would ideally like to provide this as a recording, EPA requirements for external (public) recordings require significant time for approval. Often, it is not…
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How do I apply for an EN grant?
Those interested in applying for an EN grant should download the Solicitation Notice (SN) from the grants.gov listing (see the SN section of the EN website for link). The SN identifies EPA's grant funding areas and the types of assistance agreements that are available, provides application instructions, optional templates, and…
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When and how is this grant advertised to interested parties?
The Solicitation Notice is posted annual to grants.gov and grant cycle updates are regularly posted to the Exchange Network website , so that is an excellent resource for updates on the EN grant program. Exchange Network Alerts are also sent out to registered participants about important EN news throughout the…
Eligibility
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Who is eligible to apply for a FY24 Exchange Network grant?
Eligible applicants for the Exchange Network Grant Program include states, U.S. Territories (i.e., American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, Guam, Palau, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands), federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages and inter-Tribal consortia of federally recognized Tribes (e.g…
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Can a for-profit organization apply for an EN grant?
No, for-profit organizations do not meet eligibility criteria for the Exchange Network grant program as a lead applicant. In rare cases, for-profit organizations may be eligible to participate in a project as an EN partner and receive subaward funding; however, this is dependent on EPA approval which is rarely provided…
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What do I do if my agency or organization is not eligible?
Ineligible entities are encouraged to partner with eligible entities, if they themselves are not eligible under the EN Grant Program. Please note that the partnership eligibility criteria as defined in SN Section 4C must be met. Most importantly, the partnering entity cannot be from the same state agency, government, or…
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As a local agency, we are required to provide a letter from the Attorney General to show that we have status as an instrumentality. Is there anything you are looking for specifically in the letter?
The letter must be signed by the Attorney General on organizational letterhead and must confirm your organization's status as an instrumentality of the state. Instrumentalities of a Tribe must provide a certification and supporting documentation from the Tribal council or other appropriate Tribal government official certifying this status. Please note…
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What is the maximum number of projects that an applicant can submit?
According to 2A(i) Other Eligibility Requirements, item 7, an applicant may submit more than one application in a single grant cycle (fiscal year); however, applicants are not eligible to receive more than one award under this Solicitation. This restriction applies both to single applicants and, in the case of a…
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Can an organization who is participating as a partner in another EN grant application submit their own application for consideration in the same fiscal year?
We cannot award a partnership project in the same year that an individual project is being awarded. So, if, for example, Organization A applies both as an individual applicant and as part of the partnership application with Organization B, and both of these applications score high enough to be awarded…
Project Planning
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What projects are eligible for an EN grant?
Section 3A of the Solicitation Notice presents EPA's annual assistance activities, current EN funding areas (which must be supported in a proposed project), and a list of project write-ups known as EN ‘project opportunities’. These EN project opportunities are listed in Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, and provide potential…
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I have an idea for an EN grant project, can I send you that idea to confirm if the project is a good fit for your program?
Basically, as long as projects fall under one or more of the current EN Funding Areas and the requirements as outlined within our FY25 Solicitation Notice are met, we consider a wide variety of project types in our annual grant competition. Due to this being a competitive grant program, specific…
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If an applicant defined their own project opportunity rather than choosing one listed in Appendices A-C, should we seek pre-approval from epa prior to submitting?
As Exchange Network grants are competitive, we are unable to review any projects or provide project-specific advice prior. Applicants can propose projects that do not fall under one of the EN Project Opportunities as listed in Appendices A-C, so long as they are able to clearly describe how this project…
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Can work from a previously funded grant be expanded or improved upon?
Applications must not request funds for activities or deliverables for which the applicant has previously received funds. If a proposed goal and/or objective is similar to one(s) that have previously been funded, the application must thoroughly describe: How the proposed activities differ from those previously funded; How the current application…
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How do the project activities as listed in the EN project opportunities in Appendices A-C relate to the funding thresholds?
The funding thresholds are set by the application type – it is a limit of $400,000 for anyone applying as an individual applicant and, for eligible EN partnerships (coalition projects) that meet all the requirements in our SN, that funding threshold is increased to $600,000. (Note: we also have one…
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Our agency is considering applying for two projects within one grant application; is it better to submit them as two separate applications?
If an organization is combining two projects within a single application, all relevant details for both projects must be included within the 10-page project narrative. As such, application reviewers will score on the project as a whole (including both parts). This might impact the application's score if the 10-pages is…
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Can I set up a call with EN grant program staff to address questions while writing my EN grant application?
Applicants with questions about general information and/or eligibility can contact EN Grant Program Manager Erin McGown ( [email protected] ). As this is a competitive grant program, EPA staff are unable to meet with potential applicants during the open application period (the time between the publication of the SN and the…
SN/Applicant Requirements/Scoring
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Does the EN Grant Program have any training requirements?
First time grant recipients or grantees who have not received an EPA assistance agreement since October 1, 2014 are required to complete two courses, the EPA Grants Management Training for Applicants and Recipients and the How to Develop a Budget .
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We are not sure if our project will take a full three years; can we plan our project to finish early?
The 3-year period of performance is a strict requirement for Exchange Network assistance agreements. If an application lists a period of performance shorter than three years, then this would have to be corrected prior to award if selected. Applicants are encouraged to include realistic and generous scheduled completion dates which…
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Can states or instrumentalities of the state apply under Funding Area 3?
The opportunities found within Funding Area 3 are only available to U.S. Territories, federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Villages, instrumentalities of the Tribe, and inter-Tribal consortia of federally recognized Tribes (e.g., the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission). Neither states nor instrumentalities of the state may apply under Funding Area 3…
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Does it affect credibility/scoring of our application if this is the first time we are applying for the grant?
No, the credibility of first-time applicants is not affected by this; we have many new grantees each fiscal year. Please be sure to state you have never received a prior EN grant in the Past Performance section of your Project Narrative (Section 8). Please note, however, that there is an…
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Are scoring benefits given to a partnership (coalition) application over an individual application?
There are no scoring benefits or priorities given to an individual EN assistance agreement verses an eligible EN partnership assistance agreement; there are simply different funding thresholds available and some additional information required in the application attachments (see Solicitation Notice Appendix E for more details on this). Each application is…
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What are ‘business and/or administrative Needs’?
In the context of the EN Grant Program, this phrase indicates statements that define organizational requirement(s) that must be met in order to get an organization from where they currently are to where that organization would like to be. This could be improvements to or the implementation of programmatic workflows…
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Can you provide more information on ‘enhancing data sharing and availability for other organizations on the Exchange Network’?
Specific examples cannot be given for this, as it relates directly to our scored evaluation criteria. However, we do ask applicants to provide details on how the proposed work could enhance data sharing/availability for (1) immediate stakeholders (your organization and any formal EN partners, if applicable) and (2) organizations outside…
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Is the cost per project output breakout mandatory? Can we choose to leave this out or only provide costs per goal?
Costs per project output are scored under our evaluation criteria and therefore should be included. We also recognize that not everything is known at the time of proposal development; please just do the best you can in estimating costs and scheduled completion dates over the three-year period of performance (as…
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Do I need to list out prior EN assistance agreements in project narrative section 8?
In the Past Performance section of the project narrative, please clearly indicate the number of prior Exchange Network assistance agreement(s) or put zero (0) if the organization has never received an EN assistance agreement since 2002. Applicants that have received prior Exchange Network assistance agreements must provide an additional attachment…
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For Additional Attachment E: List of Prior Exchange Network Assistance Agreements, is this for EN grants or all EPA assistance agreements?
The EN Grant Program is only asking applicants to list past Exchange Network grants in the attachment ‘List of Prior EN Assistance Agreements’. Applicants should include a bulleted list of prior EN awards, with the grant number, fiscal year in which they were awarded, and, if available, the original project…
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When listing prior EN grants under Additional Attachment E, do we list these agreements at the agency level or at the program office?
We ask that you list EN agreements received by your agency at large, not your specific division or program office. This is because applicants are identified by the UEI number assigned to their organization on SAM.gov. If you are not fully aware of the number of EN grants received by…
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The optional templates have tables that request similar information; is it okay to reference another table rather than repeat whole paragraphs or to not use these tables?
Though you are free to edit the optional tables as you see fit, please note that they relate directly to elements that are scored under our evaluation criteria. While the use of these tables does not guarantee a high score, they can help applicants to provide all the information that…
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Both project narrative sections 1 and 2 request information related to ‘business and/or administrative needs’; how does the requested information in these sections differ?
The first section of the project narrative asks for a list of some general business needs and administrative needs of the applicant organization that will be met through the proposed project. Then, in section two, it asks that those general needs be linked to the proposed goals. So, for each…
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For the Project Manager requirement -- we usually have someone in the Environmental Dept as the project manager and someone else in the Finance Dept deal with the financial end. Can we put two people down for this "Project Manager" requirement?
One person should be listed as the project manager within the project narrative and should match the contact as listed in the mandatory ‘key contact form’ attachment. When asked about project manager experience in section 3 of the project narrative, the applicant should include any relevant experience to budget and…
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What's New in the FY25 Solicitation Notice?
Potential applicants are encouraged to review the new FY25 Solicitation Notice (SN) in full, as significant updates have been made throughout the document. Please see the EN website’s SN Section for an overview of changes in the FY25 SN.
General Budget Planning
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Does the EN Grant Program have a cost match requirement?
There is no match requirement for Exchange Network grants; nonfederal funds should not be included on application attachment forms (such as the SF 424 and SF 424a forms).
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Does this grant cover personnel costs, including the hiring of a staff member?
EN grant funds may be used for personnel costs, including the hiring of staff to support the grant project, the hiring of an individual consultant, or the use of a contractor. Applicants should review Appendix E for more information on what to include in the application when a portion of…
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What are fringe costs?
These costs are allowances and services that you provide to your employees as compensation in addition to regular salaries and wages. Examples of fringe costs include employee leave, employee insurance, pensions and unemployment, and holiday benefits. Information on calculating fringe benefit costs is available in Appendix D of the FY24…
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Is the purchase of equipment allowed for this grant program?
Yes, the purchase of equipment is allowed. Equipment is tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a cost that equals or exceeds $10,000 per unit. Necessary items that are less than $10,000 per unit should be categorized in the project…
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In how much detail should travel plans be budgeted for and can these costs be updated if plans change after the grant is awarded?
Applicants should provide details on proposed travel in your application to the best of their abilities, based on anticipated travel plans (location, duration, etc.) Changes that alter the cost of travel more than 10% of the original budgeted costs, will require a workplan update. To make this change, grantees can…
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Can an applicant use grant funds to purchase software?
Yes, a grantee may use grant funds to purchase software if appropriate for the proposed project.
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Can you tell us how we might budget for IT costs provided by another office within our own agency that is a separate branch of the same government, as is required by our state/Tribal law?
The costs should be categorized under the cost category of ‘other’, but not as a subaward. This would truly be an ‘other’ cost, with a unique category: ‘central IT service’ or something similar to that. Then, if it is a lump sum cost, it should be included as one line…
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How should we amend our budget if we anticipate the project will take less than the standard period of performance of 3 years?
Our program recommends, in cases where you predict the work will be completed faster than 3 years, estimating your total personnel cost over the project and then distributing that amount over 3 years (and then applying the fringe rate/costs). See the ‘ We are not sure if our project will…
Funding/Cost Restrictions
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Can you expand on the funding restriction around ‘operations and maintenance (O&M)’?
During O&M an asset is in operation and produces the same product or provides a repetitive service. Maintenance is the activities necessary to keep an IT asset functioning as designed. This includes operating system upgrades, technology refreshes, and security patch implementations. Maintenance excludes activities that expand the capacity of an…
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Can you expand on the funding restriction ‘development and deployment of physical nodes’?
In data communication, a physical node is a node (an electronic device which creates, receives, and/or transmits information) which can be physically touched. General examples of a physical node include a modem, hub, bridge, switch, or data terminal equipment (DTE) such as a digital telephone handset or printer. In the…
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What is the definition of ‘management fees’, as listed as an unallowable cost?
‘Management fees’ are expenses which exceed the direct costs and allowable indirect costs (per their indirect cost rate agreement). These costs are used to accommodate ongoing business expenses, unforeseen liabilities, and other similar expenses. These costs fall outside the scope of the proposed project and/or are unforeseeable. Management fee costs…
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Can you explain more about the unallowable costs related to conferences and workshops and clarify if this includes travel to such events?
The restrictions around the funding of conferences and workshops fall into two categories: (1) the EN does not fund workshops or conferences that do not primarily benefit the applicant/any formal partners and (2) the EN does not fund workshops or conferences that primarily benefit the EPA. Costs related to hosting…
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Is the funding restriction on duplicative work in regard to EN grants or all received EPA grants?
During our annual application review process, we have application review panels score applications against the evaluation criteria as well as subject matter experts who conduct a separate technical review. These subject matter experts (SMEs) are from the applicable EPA National Program Office (e.g., the Office of Air and Radiation) and…
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What costs are restricted under the EN Grant Program?
The following costs are not allowable under the EN Grant program: Construction costs; Operations and maintenance of (1) previously developed or implemented EN projects and (2) flows, including minor schema updates for existing flows; Workshops and Conferences not initiated, advertised, and conducted for the benefit of the recipient and other…
Indirect Costs
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Is an Indirect Cost Rate required to apply?
An Indirect Cost Rate is not required to apply for a grant unless your budget includes indirect costs.
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What documents are required to charge an indirect cost?
If you wish to include indirect costs in your proposed budget when applying for a grant or cooperative agreement, you must (1) Provide a copy of your current approved indirect cost rate agreement valid until at least September 30th of the current year, or (2) Provide a copy of documentation…
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How do I request a regulatory exception to use an expired ‘fixed rate with carry-forward’ IDC agreement?
For rates that have expired, EPA may approve a regulatory exception to allow a recipient with a fixed rate with carry-forward to continue to use the fixed rate for up to four additional fiscal years after the rate's expiration date. Please note you must submit a regulatory exception to continue…
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What if my agency does not have an approved indirect cost rate agreement or our rate is expired?
If you have not submitted a proposal for an indirect cost rate (IDC) agreement you may choose one of the following options for including indirect costs in your proposed budget: (1) Select the EPA 15% Default Indirect Cost Rate for the life of the agreement, or (2) choose not to…
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If our Indirect Cost Rate is applied by state fiscal year which runs from July to June, must submit the following year's rate?
Yes, we require that the indirect cost rate submitted with your application be valid until September 30th of the calendar year of the application cycle. So, if you rate expires in June, you will need to provide next year's rate. If you are a Tribal applicant, please see FAQ titled…
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If a sub-awardee (EN partner) has indirect costs as well, do they also need a Negotiated Indirect Cost Agreement in place?
Both organizations (lead applicant and the partner(s)) can charge indirect costs, but each organization must adhere to its own rate agreement (and allowable costs under the base). Additionally, these costs would be captured in separate cost categories: In the proposed project’s budget, the lead organization’s indirect costs would be captured…
Contractor/Procurement
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How should contractual costs be captured and estimated?
The following details should be included in project narrative Section 3: Identifying Key Personnel and Associated Roles, Responsibilities, and Qualifications, if a proposed project includes a contractor or individual consultant: anticipated project roles and responsibilities, the planned method of acquisition, and the planned method of vetting to ensure the selected…
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Can the entirety of a proposed project’s budget just be contractor costs? Are there any additional requirements?
In the case that 100% of requested funds will be distributed as a contract or subaward, applicants must explain how these transactions will be managed in compliance with applicable Federal requirements without project funding for personnel costs. In other words, how will the applicant pay for management of the contract…
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Contractors often provide estimates based on milestones e.g., data migration. Is it okay to provide that, rather than the hourly rate that the budget narrative requests that we use?
Our standard format for how contractual costs can be captured is hourly rate times the number of hours. If you are able to do so, please just work this table backwards to fit our standard rate. So, if the total amount is $30,000, you could put in an estimated [standard]…
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Can an applicant propose grant funds for inclusion on a known EN contract through in-kind funding?
In-kind grant support via an EPA contract is allowable; however, the availability of this option varies from EPA program to EPA program and is contingent upon there being an available EPA contract. EN Project Opportunities include a section on available in-kind funding; if this section is missing from the opportunity…
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Can you give more direction on the non-competitive procurement?
EPA approves noncompetitive or sole-source procurement only under very specific circumstances according to 2 CFR 320(c) : The aggregate amount of the procurement transaction does not exceed the micro-purchase threshold (see paragraph (a)(1) of 2 CRF 200.320(c)); The procurement transaction can only be fulfilled by a single source; The public…
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Can you give an example of an allowable use of non-competitive procurement?
An existing relationship or a history of prior work completed by a contractor or vendor does not justify the use of non-competitive procurement. Similarly, proximity of a contracting firm to an applicant’s organization is not sufficient reasoning. One example of a potential valid use of non-competitive procurement may be: “After…
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Is use of the contractor, Enfotech, and their products allowable for our project? Their product isn't freely shared, but other states that have purchased it will benefit from what we build. It will become part of the "off the shelf" system that others can use.
This is allowable, assuming the requirements for procuring a contractor as detailed within the SN are met; see SN Section 4B ‘Applicants Using Contractors’.
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In a EN partnership agreement, can a partner procure their own contractor? If so, how should these cost be captured in the Budget Narrative and any other applicable attachments?
A partnering organization can procure their own contractor as long as the applicable procurement standards are followed. See Section 4B for more information on procuring contractors. Note that contractual costs solicited by a project partner should be included as part of the total ‘subaward’ cost under the budget category ‘Other’…
EN Partnership Applications
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Are there any restrictions regarding the partnership with other agencies or entities?
There are multiple requirements as related to EN Partnerships that must be met to be considered for award. For example, eligible partners must be separate units of government; EPA will not consider partnerships formed from within a single state, territorial, or Tribal government as eligible. Please carefully read the eligibility…
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Could two federally recognized Tribes in the same geographic region comprise an eligible partnership?
Yes, two different federally recognized Tribes in the same geographic region may apply for funding as an EN partnership, as these are two distinct governments. Additionally, a noneligible Tribe (e.g., one that is not federally recognized) may partner with an eligible one in the same geographic region, if the eligible…
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If we partner with another state, would we have the opportunity to apply for this grant on our own in future years? Can we apply again next year and if not, when would we be eligible to apply again?
In a partnership agreement, there is a lead applicant and the partner or partnering organization(s). The lead applicant cannot have more than four active Exchange Network assistance agreements as of December 31 of the prior calendar year (so 12/31/24 for FY25 grants). Therefore, you can apply in subsequent years as…
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What sections of the SN should I familiarize myself with, if I am interested in applying as an EN partnership?
Applicants interested in applying as a formal EN partnership should review the following sections of the SN: Section 3A: Purpose, Priorities, and Activities, to see any EN Project Opportunity and/or activity restrictions for partnership awards; Section 3D: Funding Type, for information on subawards; and Section 4C: Coalition (EN Partnership) Applications…
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What are the reporting requirements for a partnership agreement?
Per the Exchange Network Terms and Conditions, partnering organizations must report on their sub-awardee activities in both the semi-annual reports and final reports. This includes: Summaries of results of reviews of financial and programmatic reports. Summaries of findings from site visits and/or desk reviews to ensure effective subrecipient performance. Environmental…
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Can you clarify who is confirming partner participation in ‘Additional Attachment C: Formal Project Partners?
For each participating partnering organization, there should be a letter provided by the partnering agency that confirms that organization’s participation in the project. That letter can be addressed to either the lead applicant or EPA, and the content is standardized. We just need to see something on that organization’s/agency’s letterhead…
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What constitutes "an overview" of subaward budget as requested in Additional Attachment C: Formal Project Partners?
A spreadsheet with line items is fine – basically, if money is going to be passed to the partnering organization via a subaward, that subaward amount should be explained. So, if $100K is going to be given to the partner as a subaward, what will that money be used for…
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Do the restrictions on non-competitive procurement for contractors also apply to sub-awardees (EN partners)?
Contractual procurement restrictions do not apply to partnering organizations receiving funds from the lead applicant in the form of a subaward under the Exchange Network grant program. If you are working with another organization as part of a EN partnership assistance agreement, you are required to submit 'Additional Attachment C…
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For a partnership grant, is it okay to have part of the work be for the partnership and the rest for one of the participating organizations only?
The goals and outputs for the proposed project may include work for just one of the organizations, in addition to goals and outputs that encompass both organizations. The EN Grant Program would just caution that the work must be in alignment with the requirements of the EN Grant Program (supporting…
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Is a separate SF 424 form for the partnering organization needed in addition to the SF 424 for the lead applicant? Are any other forms needed?
Applicants applying as an EN partnership must include details in the project narrative; please review the guidance in Appendix E ‘Project Narrative Overview’ to see exactly where details on your partnering organization/partner contacts are required. Though additional forms are needed for partnership applications (see ‘ What sections of the SN…
Technical Planning and Understanding
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What is a node?
A Node or Network Node is a server running specialized software that initiates and responds to requests for environmental information from Exchange Network partners. The requests and responses use common formats expressed in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and conform to the Exchange Network protocol and specifications. A Node can initiate…
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What is a node client?
A node client is a software application that allows a user to send data to Exchange Network nodes using Exchange Network services but cannot listen to requests or other messages coming from nodes. It allows for human-to-machine communication as opposed to machine-to machine communication. Node clients are easy to install…
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What is the E-Enterprise Digital Strategy (EEDS), its three principles, and how is it scored?
The E-Enterprise Digital Strategy (EEDS) is a shared vision to unlock the power of digital information, better coordinate IT systems and services, and deliver more responsive environmental protection. The three principles of this strategy are, the 'Information Centric Approach', the 'Shared Platform Approach', and the 'Customer Centric Approach'. An applicant’s…
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Does the removal of VES as a stand-alone EN Project Opportunity in the Solicitation Notice’s Appendix A mean that EPA will no longer fund projects which involve VES?
Beginning in FY24, Virtual Exchange Services (VES) is no longer an EN project opportunity within Appendix A. VES provides foundational EN capabilities for exchanging data, comparable to physical nodes. VES continues to be a supported capability that can be leveraged to deliver on many of the data exchange opportunities outlined…
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Are there limitations on who can implement VES?
Certain technical requirements are necessary for successful implementation of VES. Technical Requirements are a Machine Windows 64-bit Internet connected computer with a modern web browser, a Database SQL Server Express Edition, an SQL Server, an Oracle Connectivity Internet Service Bus (ISB) Technical Skill Database processing to move data from source(s)…
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Can I choose to build my own node and not use VES or open data services?
Yes. EPA, however, no longer provides grant funding to build and deploy physical nodes. Furthermore, the agency does not provide funding for node operation and maintenance.
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If I have a traditional node, can I continue to use it and receive grant funding under the EN Grant Program? If not, how do I transition to a virtual node and virtual services?
EN Partners that have their own nodes can apply for grant funding to deploy new data exchanges or for data publishing projects that use their own node.
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For developing software, how detailed does each proposal need to be as far as scope? Can it generally explain what it's supposed to do?
It is important to provide as much detail as possible, so that reviewers and EPA can understand what is being proposed and assess the applicant’s ability to carry out the proposed work. Additional information, in terms of how project narrative details are scored, can be found in the Solicitation Notice’s…
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If EPA has requested that we fix something within an implemented system, and we are applying for a grant to do so, would it be beneficial for us to include that information?
Yes; this information should be included in the project description section of your project narrative (section 1), where we ask for background information and details about why the proposed project is necessary. As the EN grant program has an express restriction on both duplicative funding and Operations and Maintenance (O&M)…
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We are applying as a partnership; do we need to decide which organization will host our dataset, or is this something that we can determine after consulting with stakeholders?
This is dependent on the project and the expected outputs/outcomes and should be decided by the participating organizations (with a goal to best meet the business needs of all). And it is fair that there might be some specifics of the project that aren’t figured out yet, and will be…
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What are Virtual Exchange Services (VES)?
Virtual Exchange Services are EPA cloud-based services that support all the functions of a Network Node. VES can host any number of state, Tribal, and territory partner data exchange activities and provide all the same services as a traditional Exchange Network node for the data flows listed in Table 1…
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How does the VES approach assist with development and maintenance of data exchanges?
The VES approach simplifies development and maintenance of data exchanges using inheritance features and plug-in support. It eliminates software licensing costs, server costs and much of the administration costs for partners, while providing a simplified development model and greater economies of scale. State, Tribal or territorial administrators retain complete control…
Reuse and IT Component Registration
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As relates to the reuse of IT Components, are only components as developed by prior Exchange Network grantees allowable or are IT Components that are internal to the applicant’s agency/organization applicable too?
If there are internal IT Components that your proposed project will incorporate/reuse, this should be detailed in the ‘Technical Understanding’ section of your project narrative, as described in Appendix E. If the (re)use of these internal technologies means that no additional items, as developed by current and prior grantees in…
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How can I find IT Component Resources that are available for reuse in my EN grant project application?
Searchable IT Component and Project Registration Forms : This web area, created in FY23, provides a table of prior EN assistance agreements which met the EN term and condition to complete an ‘IT Component and Project Registration Form’ at the time of grant close-out (see Section 4D). These forms help…
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Is it expected that we would have fully analyzed reused components before applying?
As outlined in the Solicitation Notice and reflected in our evaluation criteria (Section 6B), applicants must research and consider available technologies and IT components prior to submitting a project proposal. Applicants must then either: (1) explicitly identify which EN data and technology management resources as developed by prior EN grantees…
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In the context of the EN’s Commitment to Reuse, does something like the use of the EPA WQX Web Services API for flowing data count?
Yes, the reuse of EPA services such as the EPA WQX Web Services API counts in the context of the EN’s commitment to reuse existing resources. Applicants are encouraged to review the Solicitation Notice’s Evaluation Criteria (see Solicitation Notice Section 6B) and the overview of the project narrative in Appendix…
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As relates to the requirement to register the development and reuse of IT components, will my application lose past performance points because our grant is still open, and we haven’t yet registered components?
No; the registration requirement is only scored as part of the Past Performance Evaluation for grants awarded since 2011 that are fully closed-out . Please note that grantees can submit the IT Component and Project Registration Form at any time, using the form template available: . Please complete and return…
Past EN Projects
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Where can I find information on past Exchange Network grant projects?
Please visit the Previous Exchange Network Grant Projects page for an overview of previously awarded Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) grant projects, including recipient name, project description, award amount, and award date. Appendix D of the Solicitation Notice also provides an overview of resources which applicants may find useful for…
Performance Partnership Grants (PPGs) and Consolidated Grants (CGs)
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Can EN grant funds be added to a PPG or CG?
Funds for a grant awarded under this opportunity may be included in a PPG or CG; see SN Section 2B(1) for more information.
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Is it possible to add our awarded EN grant funds to a current PPG that has a shorter period of performance than the EN’s three years?
Here is the EN Grant Program’s suggestion in this scenario: (1) Please be sure that your project narrative, workplan, and associated documents should reflect the three-year standard period of performance, as this is a requirement of our program. (2) Clearly state in both your cover letter and the project narrative…
FAQs for Tribal Grantees
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How does the EN support Tribal environmental management?
The EN can help Tribal partners to: Increase capacity to collect, analyze, manage, and share data. Increase access to environmental and health related information to assist the Tribe with planning, decision-making, and addressing environmental issues more broadly. Improve ability to characterize environmental conditions on Tribal land and identify resources needed…
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How have Tribes used EN Grants in the past?
Tribes use EN grants to develop the Information Technology (IT), Information Management (IM), and sharing capabilities needed by their Tribe to support and improve environmental decision-making. Find out more about the types of activities in which states, Tribes and territories are involved by reviewing Previous Exchange Network Grant Projects that…
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What are Intertribal Consortia?
An intertribal consortium is a coalition of two or more separate federally recognized Indian Tribes that join for the purpose of applying for a grant. An intertribal consortium is eligible to receive a grant or Cooperative Agreement from EPA only if the intertribal consortium demonstrates that all members of the…
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Are Tribes limited to a percentage of EN grants funding annually?
No. However, for Fiscal Year 2025, EPA remains committed to awarding at least 20% of the appropriated funds being used to award EN grants to Tribes. The amount awarded to Tribes may be greater than this, depending on the final appropriated amount for grant programs, the number of applicants, proposed…
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How many EN grants have Tribes received?
Since 2002 EPA has awarded 261 Exchange Network grants to Tribes for a total of approximately $56.9 million.
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A requirement of the ‘Individual Capacity Building with Mentorship’ opportunity is that the applicant cannot be a former EN grantee - what if your Tribe has received previous EN grants, but not you or your current group of employees?
If your Tribe has received a previous EN grant award, your organization is not eligible to apply under the Individual Capacity Building with Mentorship opportunity. However, prior grantees should visit the Tribal Exchange Network Group (TXG) website supported by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) to request free technical…
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Is there a list or resources available for Tribes to find suitable mentors?
For assistance in finding an appropriate mentor, applicants should consider contacting the: Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) Lydia Scheer, Manager, at [email protected] . The Tribal Exchange Network Group (TXG), [email protected] or at PO Box 15004, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5004 Environmental Council of the States (ECOS). For suggestions on potential state…
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What types of entities qualify as Mentors? What types of support can a mentor provide?
Mentors should be a Tribe, state, or territory that has successfully completed an EN grant and that currently reports or publishes data for one or more environmental programs using an EN node, Virtual Exchange Services (VES), or APIs. Mentoring activities may take place by phone, over web conferencing, or in…
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Is there a way to have a mentor without a subaward?
The subaward is the mechanism to provide the available $15k to the mentoring organization, under the EN Project Opportunity ‘Individual Capacity Building with Mentorship’. Under this Opportunity, the applicant can budget up to $400K in project costs and up to $15K in mentorship support costs. If the subaward is unnecessary…
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Can you provide additional guidance on how to include the necessary information, including budgeting, for the inclusion of mentors in a submitted application?
Within the budget narrative attachment form, funds to the mentor should be included as a single line item, under the category of ‘subaward’. See example below: Category Name/Description Quantity Price Per Unit Est. Cost Light Food and Beverage Coffee (Gallon) 6 $16 $96 Participant Support Cost Community Member Training Fees…
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Could EPA direct the subaward directly to a Tribal nation to manage, so that our Tribe is not involved in tracking requirements that seem to be part of the post-award requirements with subawards?
The only option to pass funds to a mentoring organization is through a subaward, which does require the lead recipient (grantee) to both follow EPA’s subaward requirements and policies as outlined in the SN (see SN Sections 3D and 4C), and to provide the vehicle/mechanism for distributing the subaward to…
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If an employee under a Tribal Partnership Grant works full-time for one Tribe under the partnership grant and part-time for another Tribe under the same partnership grant, would it be acceptable to cover that employee's salary for each Tribe? Or should the employee's hours be covered under the costs for the lead Tribal nation?
You have the option to split your costs across the two organizations, if you choose, but like the response above on indirect costs – you need to ensure that you have costs in the right cost category. Therefore, in the proposed project’s budget, your costs as associated with the lead…
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As the EN Grants Program does not fund Operations & Maintenance related costs, is there any information to assist Tribes with planning for software investments and long-term costs to sustain the work developed under EN grant projects?
Yes. The resources listed below were developed to help Tribal professionals navigate and plan for recurring software costs. Addresses common issues or questions that Tribes experience when they are purchasing software. Provides definitions on common terminologies, suggestions on how to fund short- and long-term software needs through the grant process…
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How does the cybersecurity term and condition affect Tribal EN grant recipients?
This Term and Condition requires Tribes to follow applicable cybersecurity requirements. It does not, however, require Tribes to establish cybersecurity requirements, only to adhere to requirements that already exist. EPA, however, encourages Tribes that do not currently have such requirements to develop them. The second requirement, which concerns connections with…
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How can a Tribe get involved in the EN?
There are many ways for Tribes to get involved in the Exchange Network. Tribes in any stage of information management program maturity may apply for Exchange Network grants to build the Tribe's capacity to share environmental information with EPA, other EN partners, and the public. Tribes can apply for individual…
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Which Tribal entities are eligible to apply for EN grant funds?
Please see the eligibility FAQ " Who is eligible to apply for a FY24 Exchange Network grant? ".
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What is an 'instrumentality of a Tribe'?
An instrumentality is an organization created by or pursuant to state statute or Tribal laws and operated for public purposes. See eligibility FAQ titled “ Who is eligible to apply for a FY24 Exchange Network grant? ” for more information.
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Can Tribes request basic grants training from EPA? If so, what is the process for requesting training?
Office of Grants and Debarment (OGD) Training: EPA’s OGD offers training opportunities for Tribal grantees and potential applicants online throughout the year. Sessions include topics related to grants management, new regulations, EPA policies, and more. See the EPA Grants Management Training for Applicants and Recipients page. EN Grants Specific Training…
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If I am a Federally recognized Tribe, can I charge indirect costs?
To charge indirect costs, an indirect cost rate agreements must be included in accordance with 2 CFR 200.414 and must be valid until at least 9/30/2025. If you do not have a previously established indirect cost rate (IDC) agreement, you must prepare an indirect cost rate proposal in accordance with…
Post-Award/Terms and Conditions
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What is the Cybersecurity term and condition for EPA assistance agreements?
Cybersecurity includes policies, procedures and technologies that ensure data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. As part of EPA's cybersecurity efforts, the Agency wants to ensure that its partners are protecting their data and ensuring that network connections between partners and EPA are also secure. Consequently, EPA has added a Cybersecurity Term…
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If I am told my grant requires QA documentation, is there a site where we can access all Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs) approved by EPA to use as an example or template?
EPA does not currently publish approved QAPPs online. QAPPs are approved at the EPA regional level and there are not currently any repositories for these documents. To find out what resources are available in your region, we recommend reaching out to your Regional Exchange Network Coordinator (RENC) to be connected…
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Where can I learn more about post-award requirements and EN Terms and Conditions?
Grantees as part of their Notice of Award (NOA) will have access to the current EN Terms and Conditions (T&Cs), which must be followed as part of their assistance agreement. However, a general overview EN grantee requirements, as outlined in EN T&Cs, can be found on the Exchange Network Grant…