Coastal Zone Management Projects of Special Merit Competition - FY2025
This funding opportunity provides financial support to state and territorial coastal management programs to develop innovative projects that address coastal hazards, ocean resources, and wetlands, with a focus on equity and inclusion for underserved communities.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management (OCM) has announced the Coastal Zone Management Projects of Special Merit (PSM) funding opportunity for Fiscal Year 2025. This competitive program is intended to enhance state or territory coastal management programs (CMPs) by encouraging projects that align with national coastal priorities under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), specifically focusing on Coastal Hazards, Ocean and Great Lakes Resources, and Wetlands. Eligible CMPs can use this funding to develop innovative projects that further their approved enhancement area strategies. The program does not fund construction projects, and the projects must be consistent with the CMP’s existing Section 309 Assessment and Strategy. The total anticipated funding for PSM in FY 2025 is approximately $1.5 million, with individual project awards ranging from $50,000 to $250,000. NOAA expects to fund 5 to 10 projects, depending on the availability of appropriations. The projects will be funded as cooperative agreements, which indicates NOAA's active involvement in managing the project activities. The award period is 18 months, starting in October 2025, with a potential extension of up to an additional 18 months if necessary. Eligible applicants include state and territorial CMPs that have been approved by NOAA under the Coastal Zone Management Act and have an approved Section 309 Assessment and Strategy covering the 2021-2025 period. The designated lead agency for each CMP is eligible to apply, but only two applications per applicant will be accepted for consideration. Local governments and nonprofits may participate as partners, although the focus must remain on enhancing the state’s CMP. NOAA strongly encourages proposals to incorporate the principles of equity and inclusion, with particular attention to underserved communities and vulnerable populations impacted by coastal hazards and environmental changes. Proposals must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by January 17, 2025. The application must include a comprehensive project description, project work plan, budget justification, and other necessary federal forms. Applications must follow specific formatting requirements and should be limited to a 10-page narrative for the project description, excluding other required elements like budget forms and appendices. Applicants must also register with SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons before applying, as the registration process can take 4 to 6 weeks. Failure to complete these registrations can disqualify an application. The review process will include an initial administrative review to ensure completeness, followed by a merit-based evaluation involving at least three independent peer reviewers. Proposals will be evaluated based on criteria such as alignment with NOAA’s program priorities, technical and scientific merit, the qualifications of applicants, and budget appropriateness. Special attention will be given to projects that demonstrate strong public engagement, address issues related to equity and inclusion, and provide clear benefits to the management of coastal resources. Award recipients are expected to submit performance and financial reports every six months, with a final report due 120 days after the project ends. They must also comply with data management requirements to ensure that environmental data collected during the project are accessible to the public, following NOAA's data sharing policies. Additionally, recipients must obtain all necessary federal, state, and local permits to carry out their proposed activities, and failure to do so may delay or prevent funding. For more information or specific questions, applicants are encouraged to contact the competition manager, Kate Swails, at the NOAA Office for Coastal Management.
Award Range
$50,000 - $250,000
Total Program Funding
$1,500,000
Number of Awards
10
Matching Requirement
No
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
To be eligible to apply or receive an award, applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations; SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. For each, the complete registration process can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants must begin this activity as soon as possible and well before the proposal due date. For more information on how to meet these registration and application submission requirements without errors, we advise all to carefully review relevant Applicant and Grantee Training modules: https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training. Additionally, we advise that all carefully read Additional Application Package Forms within the Full Proposal Required Elements section below. Any coastal State or Territorial CMP that has been approved by NOAA pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1455) is eligible under this announcement if the requirements established at 15 C.F.R. 923.121 are met. Specifically, applicants must have an approved Assessment and Strategy for the 2021-2025 assessment period that includes at least one strategy for one or more of the priority enhancement areas identified in Section I.B of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). In addition to strategies that were originally approved as part of a State or Territory's Assessment and Strategy, approved strategies also include strategies that were added or substantially modified and approved by NOAA's Office for Coastal Management prior to the closing date of the competition. See 15 C.F.R. 923.121 for all requirements. The designated lead agency for implementing each approved CMP is eligible to submit projects for funding under this competition. For the purposes of this competition, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is an eligible applicant. Eligible applicants may submit a proposal on behalf of State agency partners within the approved State CMP network, if applicable. Local governments and nonprofits may participate as partners on the proposed projects; however, projects should be focused upon enhancing the approved State CMP. Each applicant may submit no more than two applications for consideration under this competition. NOAA employees are not permitted to assist in the preparation of applications. NOAA Office for Coastal Management staff are available to provide general information on programmatic questions such as those relating to the CMPs 309 Assessment and Strategy. For proposals that involve collaboration with current NOAA projects or staff, NOAA employees may provide a limited statement verifying the nature and extent of the collaboration and confirming prior coordination activities. Letters of support from NOAA employees are not allowable and will not be included among the application materials considered by merit reviewers. Federal agencies and employees are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement, but may serve as collaborative project partners. In-kind services from federal agencies and employees cannot be considered as part of an applicants match on shared costs. If federal agencies are collaborators, applicants are expected to provide detail on the planned level of federal engagement in the application. Examples may include, but are not limited to, partnership services, serving in a review capacity, or participating in priority task teams, working groups, or leadership teams. DOC/NOAA supports cultural and gender diversity and encourages women and minority individuals and groups to participate in proposals submitted to this program. In addition, DOC/NOAA is strongly committed to broadening the participation of historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and institutions that work in underserved areas. While this program limits applicants to state and territorial CMPs, DOC/NOAA encourages applicants to include p
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
October 1, 2024
Application Closes
January 17, 2025
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