Reduce Housing-Related Disparities in Childhood Lead Exposure Grant

The District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), through its Environmental Services Administration’s Lead-Safe and Healthy Housing Division, has issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for a competitive grant opportunity titled “Reducing Housing-Related Disparities in Childhood Lead Exposure.” This initiative, referred to as CLEA (Childhood Lead Exposure), aims to address persistent racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in lead exposure among children within high-risk geographic areas in the District of Columbia. The effort is backed by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emphasizing a strong public health foundation. The central purpose of the CLEA grant is twofold: first, to conduct strategic outreach and lead poisoning prevention activities targeting vulnerable populations—particularly racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, refugees, and low-income residents—and second, to develop sustainable capacity-building mechanisms with local partners. These partners will provide community-based training, education, technical assistance, and mobilization support to help residents identify lead sources, increase access to blood lead level (BLL) testing, and initiate appropriate follow-up and intervention efforts. The grant explicitly supports activities that increase educational engagement on lead poisoning and strengthen infrastructure for routine BLL screenings and prevention. A total of $105,581 is available under this grant, with funds to be disbursed on a reimbursement basis unless an advance is specifically requested and justified. DOEE notes that costs must be allowable and necessary for project execution. Acceptable expenses include salaries, outreach materials, travel, and blood testing resources. Applicants may include indirect costs using an eligible calculation method, such as a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement or a 10% de minimis rate. No matching contribution is required, though applicants may include non-DOEE match contributions in their budgets. The grant is open to a wide range of eligible applicants, including nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4)), faith-based organizations, educational institutions, private enterprises, and government agencies. Applicants must be in good standing with the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection and submit a Certificate of Clean Hands, IRS W-9, and evidence of nonprofit status if applicable. The application must also include a project narrative, a numeric and narrative budget, organizational information, résumés of key staff, a work plan, and documentation of financial responsibility and indirect cost rates where applicable. Applications must be submitted electronically through DOEE’s Grants Management System (GMS) by 11:59 p.m. on July 25, 2025. Hard copy, faxed, or emailed submissions will not be accepted unless there is a documented technical issue with the portal before 5:00 p.m. on the business day preceding the deadline. DOEE recommends setting up the necessary email address and GMS registration well in advance. The anticipated project start date is June 2025, with all work to be completed by September 30, 2025. The application will be evaluated by a review panel based on five scoring criteria, each worth 20 points: lead exposure expertise, capacity-building plans, cost-effectiveness of the budget, outreach and marketing experience, and the successful completion of similar past projects. Grantees are expected to participate in quarterly and final reporting, documenting outputs such as the number and demographics of BLL screenings, outreach events conducted, and follow-up screenings. DOEE will withhold up to 10% of the grant amount until all deliverables and reports have been submitted. For updates, applicants can subscribe to the RFA mailing list by contacting 2025clea.grants@dc.gov. Technical assistance questions should be sent to the same address, and the primary contact for this RFA is Eric Villanyi. All updates, including FAQs and training materials, are posted on the DOEE website. DOEE also offers a four-part training series for new grant applicants to strengthen the quality of their submissions.

Use DOEE's four-part training series on effective grant writing. Submit applications early and ensure registration in the DOEE GMS is completed in advance.