Small and Accessible Sustainability Grant

The District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) has released the Small and Accessible Sustainability Grant (SAS Grant Program), RFA-FY25-SE-863, to reduce waste and support urban agriculture in the District. The program will fund one eligible organization to design and administer a subgrant program aligned with DOEE’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Donation and Reuse Program (Reuse DC). The SAS grantee will be responsible for issuing small subgrants and providing capacity-building support so that small, new, and historically-excluded entities can better compete for and manage grants. The Request for Applications (RFA) was published on March 28, 2025, and applications were due by May 30, 2025, with submission through DOEE’s Grants Management System (GMS) by 11:59 p.m. on the deadline date. The total funding available for the three-year project period (Year 1 through Year 3) is $190,000. DOEE anticipates selecting a single grantee to implement the SAS Grant Program. DOEE has budgeted $20,000 for Year 1 (primarily for pre-award activities), $150,000 for Year 2 (for subgrants and implementation), and $20,000 for Year 3 (for project close-out activities). Subgrants to community entities are expected to range from $5,000 to $20,000. The project period runs from award through September 30, 2027, and may be extended for up to two additional one-year periods (Years 4 and 5) at DOEE’s discretion, contingent upon performance, need, and available funds. Funds are typically provided on a reimbursement basis, though advances may be permitted under limited conditions; the RFA also describes an advance payment option specifically to cover subgrants (not administrative costs) once DOEE has approved those subgrants. Eligibility for the prime SAS grant includes nonprofit organizations (including those with IRS 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) determinations), faith-based organizations, government agencies, universities/educational institutions, and private enterprises. The selected grantee will then issue subgrants in two program areas: Urban Agriculture Infrastructure and Operations, and Donation and Reuse. Urban agriculture subgrants (approximately $75,000 in total) should produce outcomes that address at least two goals, such as increasing food crop production, improving access to fresh foods, constructing facilities for agricultural education, accelerating capacity for socially disadvantaged farmers, or advancing sustainable agricultural efforts for public benefit. Donation and reuse subgrants (approximately $75,000 in total) should support waste reduction through efforts like repair, mending, food rescue or preservation, building material reuse, donation programs, and single-use plastic avoidance; these subgrants are not intended for traditional composting or recycling projects. Applicants must submit through DOEE’s GMS. New organizations must request access using a single shared organizational email and allow up to two business days for GMS invitation. Required application contents include a project summary and narrative (goals and objectives, target audience and location, activities with outputs and outcomes), a numeric budget rounded to the nearest $10 with a detailed budget narrative, and a proposed work plan and timeline. The budget must clearly explain reimbursements versus any requested advances, allowable versus non-allowable costs, and any indirect cost methodology. Required documents include a current DC Certificate of Good Standing, a validated DC Certificate of Clean Hands, signed Promises/Certifications/Assertions/Assurances (PCA), a current IRS W-9, nonprofit tax-exemption evidence where applicable, the applicant’s current fiscal year budget and financial statements, a separation of duties policy, SAM.gov registration evidence, and, if claiming more than a 10% indirect cost rate, the appropriate supporting documentation. Applications are competitively reviewed by a panel. Scoring emphasizes grants administration experience (including experience serving historically excluded populations), present capacity, capacity-building plans for subgrantees, subgrant management and support approach, a feasible timeline across the three-year period, a reasonable and well-justified budget, and a plan for data collection and reporting. DOEE reserves the right to partially fund discrete portions of an application. The grantee’s deliverables include subgrant RFAs and documentation, subgrant awards, evaluations, implementation materials, quarterly progress reports, and a final report. During the grant, the grantee must submit quarterly status reports due April 15, July 15, October 15, and January 15 summarizing activities, outputs, and financials; DOEE may withhold up to 10 percent of funds pending completion of all activities and receipt of the final report. A pre-application meeting for this RFA was held on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., with WebEx and dial-in options provided. Questions were directed to 2025SAS.grants@dc.gov using “RE: RFA-FY25-SE-863” in the subject line, with a Q&A cutoff one week prior to the application deadline; DOEE posts updates and Q&A on its website and maintains an email distribution list for notices. Award announcements are expected within six to twelve weeks after the due date. DOEE’s main office is located at 1200 First Street NE, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20002, and the main phone number is (202) 535-2600. Grant administration policies include reimbursement as the standard method of payment; advances are exceptions subject to justification and DOEE approval. For the SAS program, DOEE may advance approved subgrant funds up to a cumulative 90 percent of the grant budget per fiscal year, withholding the final 10 percent until successful completion and final reporting. The grantee is responsible for ensuring subgrants comply with DOEE rules and that activities are completed within the grant period; if a subgrantee fails to complete activities, the grantee must either repay DOEE or, with DOEE approval, reissue funds through another subgrant to achieve the intended outcomes.