Environmental Regulatory Enhancement | HHS 2024 ACF ANA NR 0061

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2024 ACF ANA NR 0061

The Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (ERE) grant is a Fiscal Year 2024 discretionary funding opportunity from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration for Native Americans (ANA). Its purpose is to support community-based projects that strengthen the ability of tribal governing bodies to regulate and protect environmental quality. In practical terms, the program is meant to help tribes and eligible Native communities build, improve, or carry out environmental regulatory programs that align with federal environmental requirements and tribal environmental laws, so that local governments have stronger systems, clearer rules, and better capacity to manage environmental issues affecting their lands and communities.

The notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) was modified specifically to change the application due date because of changes to the Grants.gov maintenance schedule. The listed original closing date is May 22, 2024, and applicants should pay close attention to the updated deadline language in the amended NOFO materials to avoid missing the final submission window.

Funding is provided as a grant, and awards can be as high as $300,000 per project. ANA expects to make about three awards under this announcement, indicating a competitive process with a limited number of funded projects. The opportunity is categorized under Income Security and Social Services and is associated with CFDA number 93.581.

Eligibility is focused on tribal and Native community entities. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian tribes (as recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs), incorporated non-federally recognized tribes, and incorporated state-recognized Indian tribes. It also includes Alaska Native entities, such as non-profit Alaska Native community organizations or tribal governing bodies (including Indian Reorganization Act governments or traditional councils recognized by BIA), Alaska Native villages as defined by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and non-profit village consortia. In addition, non-profit Alaska Native regional associations or corporations may apply when proposing village-specific projects. The program also allows other tribal or village organizations and consortia of Indian tribes or tribal governing bodies recognized by BIA.

The announcement makes clear that individuals, including sole proprietorships, are not eligible, and foreign entities are also not eligible; applications from these ineligible applicants will be disqualified before merit review. Faith-based and community organizations may apply as long as they meet the eligibility requirements, and the NOFO emphasizes nondiscrimination in selection based on religious character, affiliation, or exercise, consistent with applicable federal protections and regulations.

Overall, ERE funding is intended to cover the costs of planning, developing, and implementing environmental regulatory capacity within eligible tribal governments and Native communities. A competitive applicant would typically frame a project around building durable regulatory capability, such as creating or strengthening environmental codes and compliance approaches, improving governance procedures for environmental oversight, training and staffing for environmental regulation, and establishing systems that help a tribal government more effectively carry out responsibilities under federal and tribal environmental laws.

• The Administration for Children and Families - ANA in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Environmental Regulatory Enhancement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.581.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for HHS 2024 ACF ANA NR 0061

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