EPA Healthy Communities Grant Program 2024

Date Posted: Monday, July 22, 2024
Posted In: Communications & Advocacy

EPA New England is pleased to announce that the Healthy Communities Grant Program is now accepting applications for projects that will benefit one or more New England communities. EPA plans to award approximately 15 cooperative agreements for amounts up to $40,000. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, November 1, 11:59 p.m.

Project Eligibility
The Healthy Communities Grant Program will identify and fund projects that:

Target resources to benefit communities at risk (environmental justice areas of potential concern and/or sensitive populations [e.g., children, elderly, tribes, urban and rural residents, and others at increased risk]).
Assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks.
Increase collaboration through partnerships and community-based projects.
Build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems.
Achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits.

Eligible applicants include state and local governments, public nonprofit institutions or organizations, private nonprofit institutions or organizations, quasi-public nonprofit institutions or organizations, federally recognized Tribal governments, K-12 schools or school districts, and nonprofit organizations (e.g., grassroots and/or community-based organizations). Eligible projects under this program must be located in and/or directly benefit one or more of the Target Investment Areas and identify how the proposed project will achieve measurable environmental and/or public health results in one or more of the Target Program Areas. More detailed descriptions of the target areas can be found in the 2024 Request for Applications.

In 2024, Target Investment Areas include:

Areas near New England Ports that are being Redeveloped to Support Offshore Wind and Related Industries;
Environmental Justice Areas of Potential Concern;
Geographic Priority Areas or Sectors in Northern & Southern New England; and
Sensitive Populations

Target Program Areas include:

Capacity Building on Environmental and/or Public Health Issues;
Clean, Green and Healthy Schools;
Energy Efficiency;
Healthy Indoor Environments;
Healthy Outdoor Environments
Pollution Prevention; and
Sustainable Materials Management.

Program Changes in 2024
For those who have applied to previous Healthy Communities solicitations, please take note of two substantial changes to the award timeline for the 2024 competition:

The opportunity will be open for an extended period of approximately 110 days to allow applicants more time to attend information sessions and prepare application materials.
The program intends to make an initial round of selections using Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 funding, then make a second round of selections for additional projects to be funded under FY 2025 appropriations.

Information Sessions
To provide an overview of the application process and address questions from prospective applicants, the Healthy Communities Grant Program will host four virtual information sessions before the application deadline. Sessions will take place at the following times:

July 16, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
August 14, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET
September 10, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET
October 2, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET

Please visit the Healthy Communities webpage to register for a session.