FY24 GUIDELINES FOR BROWNFIELD ASSESSMENT GRANTS (ASSESSMENT COALITION GRANTS) | EPA OLEM OBLR 23 13

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA OLEM OBLR 23 13

The FY24 Guidelines for Brownfield Assessment Grants (Assessment Coalition Grants) is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding opportunity that supports communities working together to address brownfield sites, which are properties where redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of contamination. The opportunity is rooted in federal brownfields law under CERCLA (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act). In 2002, Congress amended CERCLA through the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act to add Section 104(k), creating federal financial assistance authorities for brownfields revitalization, including assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund grants. Later, the 2018 BUILD Act reauthorized the EPA Brownfields Program and made additional updates that affect EPA's grant authorities and certain ownership and liability provisions. Taken together, these authorities are meant to help communities move stalled or underused properties back into productive use by funding the early-stage work needed to understand environmental conditions and plan next steps.

This particular solicitation focuses on Assessment Coalition Grants, which are designed for coalitions of eligible entities that want to coordinate assessment activities across multiple sites and, often, across multiple jurisdictions. The core purpose is to provide funding that helps states, Tribal Nations, communities, and nonprofit organizations prevent, inventory, assess, and position brownfield sites for cleanup and reuse. Assessment work generally includes activities such as site inventorying and prioritization, environmental site assessments, sampling and analysis, and related planning efforts that help clarify contamination concerns and reduce uncertainty for redevelopment. By emphasizing coalitions, the program supports collaboration, shared capacity, and coordinated strategies that can create a broader regional or multi-community impact than a single applicant working alone.

The opportunity is issued as a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning awards are competitive and the EPA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period compared to a standard grant. The program falls under the environment funding activity category and is listed under CFDA (now commonly referred to through Assistance Listings) number 66.818. The funding opportunity number is EPA OLEM OBLR 23 13, reflecting administration through EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management, specifically the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization. The agency anticipated making around 26 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $1,500,000 per award, indicating that coalition projects can be comparatively large and intended to support meaningful assessment pipelines.

Applicants are not limited to a single standard category in the summary data and are listed as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," which signals that eligibility depends on the detailed program guidance in the full announcement. In practice, EPA brownfields assessment funding typically targets public-sector and community-based entities, and this notice highlights the program's intent to empower states, Tribal Nations, communities, and nonprofit organizations. The application window for this FY24 solicitation opened with a creation date of September 21, 2023, and had an original closing date of November 13, 2023, which indicates the cycle for submissions and the timeframe EPA used for competition.

Overall, the grant opportunity is a structured pathway for coalition-led brownfields assessment efforts, using federal authority under CERCLA as amended to help communities identify and evaluate contaminated or potentially contaminated properties, reduce redevelopment barriers, and lay the groundwork for cleanup and reuse. The guidance referenced in the opportunity is meant to explain how to apply, what activities are fundable, and how EPA will administer and oversee projects under the cooperative agreement model.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 GUIDELINES FOR BROWNFIELD ASSESSMENT GRANTS (ASSESSMENT COALITION GRANTS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.818.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 21, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 13, 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 $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 26 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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