Purpose

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created the Environmental and Climate Justice Program (ECJP)—the largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history--to help disadvantaged communities address a wide range of environmental and climate justice issues.  The Community Change Grants will support comprehensive local and place-based approaches for healthier, safer, and more prosperous communities, with the following priorities:

1. Provide resources for communities facing disproportionate and adverse health, pollution, and environmental impacts, and suffering from generations of disinvestment.

2. Invest in strong cross-sectoral collaborations with partners who bring a robust commitment to working with and for communities with environmental and climate justice concerns.

3. Unlock additional resources to advance these goals from across the federal government and other sources.

4. Strengthen community participation in government decision-making processes.

Eligible Entities

Eligible applicants for the Community Change Grants include a partnership ("Statutory Partnerships") between

a.  Two community-based non-profit organizations (CBOs), or

b.  A CBO and a local government (including a school district), institution of higher education, or Federally recognized Tribe.

To qualify as a CBO for eligibility purposes, an organization must demonstrate that they are a “nonprofit organization” as defined at 2 CFR 200.1, which “means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization.”

The following units of government within a state, as defined by the regulations in 2 CFR 200.1, are eligible to enter a Statutory Partnership with a CBO: School Districts, Counties, Boroughs, Municipalities, Cities, Towns, Townships, and Others.

Other organizations and entities may participate in the Community Change Grants as Collaborating Entities through subawards.

Eligible Activities

Eligible projects engage in the following areas:

• Air and other pollution monitoring, prevention, and remediation, including efforts to improve indoor air quality;
• Low and zero-emission and resilient technologies and related infrastructure;
• Mobility and transportation options for preventing air pollution and improving public health;
• Energy-efficient housing and buildings;
• Microgrid installation;
• Community resilience hubs (public-serving spaces that provide shelter and essential services during an emergency or disaster);
• Brownfield redevelopment;
• Waste reduction and management to support a circular economy;
• Workforce development programs for occupations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants;
• Collaborative governance and decision-making during implementation; and
• Inclusive community based. economic development.

Awards

Awards for proposals submitted under the primary track for applications are expected to be $10-20 million each and cannot exceed $20 million.  The EPA expects to award approximately 150 such grants.

Important Dates

Application Deadline:  November 21, 2024

Project Duration:  maximum of 3 years

EPA will allow applications to be submitted on a rolling basis over a 12-month period, through November 21, 2024.  Projects may be awarded funding prior to the final application deadline, and can begin implementation as early as June, 2024.  In addition, EPA will permit applicants to resubmit an unsuccessful application after a debriefing with the agency.

Next Steps

To view the full 96-page notice, download and open the zip file provided at Synopsis on Grants.gov.