66.608: Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program and Related Assistance

66.608

Active

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Sept. 14, 2022

Sept. 14, 2022

The National Environmental Information Exchange Network (EN) is an inter-governmental partnership to foster better environmental management and decision-making through increased access to timely and high quality environmental information. The EN, launched in 2002, uses a standards-based approach to facilitate environmental data sharing among EPA, states, tribes and territories. This framework allows organizations to exchange and share data over the Internet regardless of the specific information technology used. The EN is the foundation for the E-Enterprise Initiative, also a joint state, tribal, territory and EPA partnership, launched in 2013. Its goals include expanding access to environmental data, personalizing the access experience through customized portals and re-engineering and streamlining regulatory information collection and reporting processes to achieve burden reduction and cost avoidance. Phase 1 of EN implementation focused on transforming the regulatory reporting processes of eight national data flows, by moving them from out-of-date reporting methods to standardized electronic reporting approaches based on EN data standards and technology. Phase 2, which was initiated in 2013, focuses on providing the data management and technology approaches needed by EPA and its co-regulators to collaboratively modernize and improve the implementation of environmental programs. This includes creating and using shared services, data publishing and EPA outbound services to increase access to EPA data, innovative collection, monitoring and analytical methods, and electronic reporting to states by the regulated community. The Exchange Network Grant Program provides funding for projects that develop the Network and enable timely, on-demand access to environmental data through innovative technologies, improved support systems, and expanded collaboration using shared tools and services EPA encourages applicants to propose projects that align with the principles of E-Enterprise for the Environment. Funding Priorities - Fiscal Year 2021: There are three funding areas for the FY 2021 EPA Exchange Network Grant Program: Funding Area 1: Increased Data Access and Innovative Business Processes. The opportunities under this funding area are designed to help agencies adopt innovative business processes and modernize the critical data services that power their systems and workflows. Funding Area 2: Eliminate paper submittals and expand e-reporting. The opportunities under this funding area are designed by EPA National Program Offices to help their stakeholders submit and share programmatic data for fourteen EPA programs. Funding Area 3: Augment the Information Management Capacity of EN Partners. The opportunities under this funding area are designed to enable applicants to build the IT and data management capacity necessary to effectively manage their environmental programs and to identify the most valuable ways for their programs to participate in the EN.

B - Project Grants (Discretionary)

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 native Alaska villages, and inter-tribal consortia of federally recognized tribes (e.g., the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission). Other entities, such as regional air pollution control districts and some public universities may apply for assistance if they are agencies or instrumentalities of a state under applicable state laws. These entities, as well as other entities that submit applications asserting they are agencies or instrumentalities of a state, must provide with the application a letter from the appropriate state Attorney General certifying that the applicant is an agency or instrumentality of the state. EPA will not consider an application that does not contain the required documentation. EPA recognizes that the delegation for some programs extends to local governments, which are responsible for reporting data to EPA. Local governments that can demonstrate that they are instrumentalities of the state by providing the documentation described in the preceding paragraph are eligible to apply for Exchange Network Grants. However, most local governments that implement EPA programs are not agencies or instrumentalities of the state and therefore, are not eligible to apply. EPA encourages such entities to partner with a state applicant to allow for their data to be reported and shared through the Exchange Network. Interstate commissions and other interstate entities, likewise, are not eligible to apply and are encouraged to partner with a state applicant. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.

Eligible applicants for the EN Grant Program include states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), federally recognized Indian tribes, and intertribal consortia of federally recognized tribes.

https://sam.gov/fal/231463a2cfcc48e8a3f2342b584d7675/view