Region 8 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program (EJ TCTAC) | EPA I R8 EJE 23 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA I R8 EJE 23 01

The Region 8 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program (EJ TCTAC) is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discretionary grant opportunity to fund the creation and operation of a dedicated technical assistance center serving EPA Region 8. The purpose is to strengthen environmental justice outcomes by giving communities and other local actors practical support to navigate federal funding, plan and implement projects, and build long-term capacity to address environmental and public health challenges. This opportunity exists because a Region 8-specific center was not funded under the earlier national EJ TCTAC competition (EPA-I-OP-EOJ-22-02), and EPA determined that having a Region 8-focused center is necessary for effectiveness and for meeting the needs of communities across this large, diverse geography.

This grant is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the EPA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back. The selected recipient will be responsible for establishing and operating the Region 8 EJ TCTAC and delivering what the solicitation describes as “Eligible Services,” which broadly include technical assistance, training, resources, and other forms of support designed to help participants successfully develop, compete for, and manage environmental justice-related work. While the notice emphasizes environmental justice funding, it also signals that additional resources could be layered in, including potential Department of Energy (DOE) funding via an interagency agreement, as well as other funding streams if available and appropriate. The program is framed as directly aligned with major Administration priorities and federal equity and environmental justice directives reflected in Executive Orders 13985, 14008, 14091, and 14096.

Geographically, the center’s service area is EPA Region 8, which includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The intent is to ensure that communities and organizations across these states, including rural, remote, and historically underserved areas, have access to hands-on guidance that is often a barrier to participation in federal programs. The “program participants” the center is expected to serve are intentionally broad and include, but are not limited to, nonprofit organizations; community-based and grassroots groups; philanthropic and civic organizations; underserved communities and the organizations that represent them; rural and remote communities; faith-based organizations and churches; educational institutions (including schools, colleges, universities, and Minority Serving Institutions); individuals from underserved communities; disadvantaged businesses; local, tribal, and state governmental units; U.S. territories (as applicable to the program’s scope); utility providers; and health care providers and clinics. In practice, this breadth signals that EPA wants the center to function as a regional hub that can meet people where they are, whether they are a small community group trying to understand grant requirements or a local government or tribe preparing a larger implementation effort.

In terms of funding and scale, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $10,000,000 with one expected award, indicating EPA anticipates selecting a single lead entity (potentially with partners, depending on the application design) to run the Region 8 center. The assistance listing is under CFDA (now commonly referenced as Assistance Listing) 66.309, and the funding activity category is Environment. The opportunity was posted July 13, 2023, with an original closing date of September 11, 2023. Eligibility is described as “Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification),” which typically indicates the solicitation defines eligible entity types and any constraints in the full Section III eligibility language rather than limiting applicants to a standard category.

Overall, this grant is meant to fill a regional gap by funding a high-capacity, Region 8-focused technical assistance center that can help communities and institutions overcome common obstacles such as limited grant-writing capacity, unfamiliarity with federal compliance rules, lack of technical expertise, and difficulty coordinating multi-stakeholder projects. The center’s job is not simply to provide information, but to deliver ongoing support that increases successful participation in environmental justice programs and accelerates tangible environmental and public health improvements across the six-state Region 8 footprint.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Region 8 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program (EJ TCTAC)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.309.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 13, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 11, 2023. (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 $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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