FY 2014 Exchange Network Grant Solicitation

The FY 2014 Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice is now available to interested applicants.  The Exchange Network Grant Program provides funding to states, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes to support the development of the National Environmental Information Exchange Network.  The primary outcome expected from the Exchange Network assistance agreements is improved access to, and exchange of, high-quality environmental data from public and private sector sources.  With this outcome in mind, applications should demonstrate support for and results toward the Exchange Network program priorities.  This year, the focus is on “Phase 2” priorities, which go beyond direct reporting to EPA, and emphasize making data available through Web services and application programming interfaces (APIs); inter-partner data sharing; and reporting to new national priority systems.

In FY 2014, EPA expects to award an estimated $10,000,000 for 40 to 50 grants of up to $500,000 each.  The exact number of grants will depend on the final amount of EPA’s appropriation for the grant program, the number of applications submitted to EPA by the application deadline, the amounts of proposed budgets, and the outcome of application reviews.

Applications are due to EPA by November 8, 2013.  EPA will accept project proposals for Exchange Network grants in one of two ways: 1) a hardcopy mailed or delivered application, including one original and two copies; or 2) a proposal submitted electronically through the grants.gov website.  To assist applicants, EPA will be hosting a webinar at 1 pm (ET) on September 18, 24, 25 and October 1, 2013.  Further details will be posted on the web page and provided through Exchange Network alerts.  For complete information on the Grant Program and specifics about this year’s grant solicitation, please see the Exchange Network Grants page.