Technical Assistance

USDA Water & Waste Disposal Technical Assistance & Training Grants

This program helps qualified, private nonprofits provide technical assistance and training to identify and evaluate solutions to water and waste problems; helps applicants prepare applications for water and waste disposal loans/grants; and helps associations improve the operation and maintenance of water and waste facilities in eligible rural areas.

Eligible Recipients:
Nonprofits that have the proven ability, background, experience and capacity to provide technical assistance or training on a national, regional or state basis.

What is an eligible area? Rural areas and towns with populations of 10,000 or less — check eligible addresses. Tribal lands in rural areas.

Eligible Projects:

  • To identify and evaluate solutions to water problems related to source, storage, treatment, distribution, collection, treatment and disposal.
  • To provide technical assistance and training to improve management, operations and maintenance of water and waste disposal systems.
  • To prepare water and waste disposal loan and grant applications.

Funding Source:
United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development

Funding Amount:
This is a reimbursement grant. Grants are subject to the availability of funds.

Deadline:
Single-state applications are accepted annually through your local RD office from October 1 – December 31. Multi-state or national applications are accepted through the RD national office.

Contact:
Contact your local RD office
National Office contact: Lorrie Davis
(202) 720-1938
Lorrie.davis@usda.gov

More Information:
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-waste-disposal-technical-assistance-training-grants

Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) Program

The EPA’s Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program provides money to community groups so they can pay for technical advisors to interpret and explain technical reports, site conditions, and EPA’s proposed cleanup proposals and decisions.

Eligible Recipients:
Types of community groups that can apply for a TAG include, but are not limited to:

  • A community group or citizens’ association which was formed because of issues and concerns it had about
    the site.
  • A group that has been actively involved at the site and that includes all the affected individuals and groups who joined in applying for the TAG.
  • A group made up of several groups (like those described above) that came together to deal with community concerns about the site and its effects on the surrounding area.

Eligible Projects:
Here are some examples of what group might pay a technical advisor to do:

  • Review site-related documents from EPA or others.
  • Meet with group and other community members to explain site information.
  • Make site visits, when appropriate and necessary, to learn more about
    site activities.
  • Travel to meetings and hearings about the site.
  • Evaluate plans for reusing the site after it is cleaned up.
  • Interpret and explain health-related information.

Funding Source:
US Environmental Protection Agency

Funding Amount:
Up to $50,000

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
Arlene Chin
U.S. EPA Region 2
290 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
212-637-3408

More Information:
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/technical-assistance-grant-tag-program

Local Government Efficiency Grant Program

This program provides technical assistance and competitive grants to local governments for the development of projects that will achieve savings and improve municipal efficiency through shared services, cooperative agreements, mergers, consolidations, and dissolutions.

Eligible Recipients:
Municipalities, including BOCES, water & wastewater districts.

Eligible Projects:

  • Government reorganization
  • General government projects
  • Sanitation projects
  • Utility projects
  • Transportation projects
  • Public Safety projects
  • Education projects
  • Water projects

Funding Source:
NYS Department of State

Funding Amount:
Two Options:

  1. Project Implementation: Funding up to $1,000,000 with 10% match
  2. Project Planning: Funding up to $50,000 with 50% match

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
Kyle Wilber
NYS Department of State
Local Government Services
One Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12231
518-473-3355
LGEprogram@dos.state.ny.us

More Information:
www.dos.ny.gov/lg/lge/index.html

The DOS Local Government Efficiency Grant Program

The Local Government Efficiency (LGE) Grant Program was established to provide technical assistance and competitive grants to two or more units of local government for the development of projects that will achieve savings and improve municipal efficiency through shared services, cooperative agreements, mergers, consolidations, and dissolutions.

Eligible Recipients:

  • Municipalities, including BOCES, water & wastewater districts.
  • High Priority Planning Grants are for a maximum of $50,000
  • School Districts
  • Libraries
  • General Efficiency Planning Grants are for $25,000 for the first two municipalities with an additional $1,000 for every additional municipality up to a maximum of $35,000
  • Efficiency Implementation Grants not to exceed $200,000 per municipality involved in the application up to a maximum of $1,000,000.
  • 21st Century Demonstration Project Grants shall not exceed $400,000 per municipality involved in the application.

Eligible Projects:

  • Government reorganization
  • General government projects
  • Sanitation Projects
  • School district reorganization
  • Reuse plan for vacant school buildings
  • “Smart Growth” projects
  • Public Safety Projects
  • Transportation projects
  • Water projects
  • Education Projects

Funding Source:
NYS Department of State (DOS)

Funding Amount:
Up to $200,000 per project. Multiple grants may be awarded to the same municipality for different projects.

Deadline:
Recurring

Contact:
Kyle Wilber
Program Manager
(518) 473-3355
LGEprogram@ dos.state.ny.us
NYS DOS Division of Local Government Services, RFA #12-LGE-17
One Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Avenue, Suite 1015
Albany, NY 12231

More Information:
http://www.dos.ny.gov/lg/lge/grant.html

Fiscal Year 2019 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant

The Exchange Network Grant Program provides funding for projects that develop the Network and enable timely, on-demand access to environmental data through innovative technologies, improved support systems, and expanded collaboration using shared tools and services.

Eligible Recipients:
States, U.S. Territories, federally recognized Indian tribes and native Alaska villages, and inter-tribal consortia of federally recognized tribes. Other entities and some public universities may apply for assistance if they are agencies or instrumentalities of a state under applicable state laws.

Eligible Projects:

  • Facilitate sharing environmental data, especially through shared and reusable services.
  • Streamline data collection and exchanges to improve its timeliness for decision making.
  • Increase the quality of and access to environmental data through discovery, publishing, outbound, and analytical service.
  • Develop foundational Environmental Network shared services (e.g., network security or corporate portals) to reduce burden and avoid costs for co-regulators and the regulated community.
  • Exchange Network by placing a data flow, data publishing, web service, or other eligible projects into production.

Funding Source:
US EPA

Funding Amount:
$6,000,000 for 20-25 assistance agreements of up to $400,000 each

Contact:
Edward Mixon
Office of Information Management
Office of Environmental Information
(202) 566-0466
mixon.edward@epa.gov

More Information:
https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork