San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, Fiscal Year 2023

Background
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 (EPA) has administered the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF) competitive grant program since 2008 to fund projects that protect and restore San Francisco Bay. The program aims to support a broad array of project types that will protect and restore wetlands and waters in the San Francisco Bay region, addressing climate change impacts, environmental justice concerns, and landscape-scale watershed restoration.

Grant Details
EPA is soliciting applications to improve water quality and restore wetlands in San Francisco Bay and its watersheds. The solicitation seeks applications for a variety of project types, including multi-benefit shoreline projects, restoration projects incorporating indigenous knowledge, urban infrastructure improvements in frontline communities, beneficial reuse of dredged material, reduction of water quality impacts associated with homelessness, reduction of trash and microplastics in Bay waters, restoration of subtidal habitat, installation of green stormwater infrastructure features, and projects to reduce nutrient inputs into San Francisco Bay. EPA will evaluate the project design details of applications to ensure they are well-planned and technically sound.
Projects should address sea level rise, vulnerability to fires in urban-rural interfaces, changes in rainfall patterns, and other climate change stressors. EPA intends to fund up to ten quality applications that will benefit underserved communities.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include state and local government agencies, regional water pollution control agencies, State coastal zone management agencies, federally and non-federally recognized tribes, public and private universities and colleges, public or private non-governmental non-profit institutions. Matching funds of 50% of the total project cost are required under this competition based on the requirements of Section 320 of the Clean Water Act.

Period of Performance
Awards will range from approximately $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 to be budgeted over a typical project period of four years. EPA anticipates awarding 20 to 25 grants or cooperative agreements under this solicitation.
EPA also reserves the right to make additional awards if additional funding becomes available after the original selection decisions.

Grant Value
The total amount anticipated to be awarded under this announcement is approximately $30 million of fiscal year 2023 funds under the authority of Section 320 of the Clean Water Act.

Place of Performance
Projects must occur entirely within one or more of the nine Bay Area counties (Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco) that drain to San Francisco Bay.