National Outreach and Communications Grant Program

FY 2010-2012 Notice of Availability of Grants and Requests for Applications

Program Overview Information

Federal Agency Name:

U.S. Department of Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)

Division of Program and Partnership Support (DPPS)

Funding Opportunity Title:

National Outreach and Communications Program Request for Proposals

Announcement Type:

Announcement of availability of funding for a cooperative agreement for fiscal years 2010 – 2012.

Funding Opportunity Number:

FWS- NOCP-2010-1

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

15.653

Dates:

Final applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or before February 25, 2010. Please note: Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be rejected. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.

The announcement of awards will be in March 2010.

Additional Information:

The National Outreach and Communication Program was established by the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-178) and its funding has been reauthorized by Congress in subsequent years. The purpose of the program is to improve communications with anglers, boaters, and the general public regarding angling and boating opportunities, to reduce barriers to participation in angling and boating, to advance the adoption of sound angling and boating practices, to promote conservation and the responsible use of the nation’s aquatic resources, and to further safety in angling and boating. Since its inception in 1999, the program has funded more than $100 million in awards.

Funding Opportunity Description:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking proposals from applicants to implement the National Outreach and Communication Program. This program was established by the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-178) and has been reauthorized by Congress in subsequent years. This request for proposals is being made in anticipation of this program’s pending reauthorization by Congress. Accordingly, funding for future years is contingent upon reauthorization of this program. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will enter into a cooperative agreement with successful applicant(s) for a length of time ranging up to three years.

Proposals must seek to implement strategies identified in the National Outreach and Communication Program’s strategic plan. Specifically, proposals must implement strategies to address the following purposes of the National Outreach and Communication Program:

  • Improve communications with anglers, boaters, and the general public regarding angling and boating opportunities;
  • Reduce barriers to participation in angling and boating;
  • Advance the adoption of sound angling and boating practices in the U.S.;
  • Promote conservation and the responsible use of the nation’s aquatic resources, and;
  • Further safety in angling and boating.

Applications are ranked by an independent panel based on the experience and ability of the applicant to successfully implement programs that address these strategies.

II. Award Information:

The Fish and Wildlife Service expects that approximately $12.8 -$14 million will be available annually for the National Outreach and Communication Program in fiscal years 2010-2012, pending its reauthorization. The Fish and Wildlife Service will enter into a cooperative agreement with the successful applicant(s) for a period of one to three fiscal years dependent upon the program’s future funding and reauthorization.

III. Eligibility Information:

A. Eligible applicants

To date, the eligible applicants have been nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) IRS designation. Applications from all entities with national experience in addressing strategies identified in the National Outreach and Communication Program’s strategic plan are encouraged to apply.

B. Cost-Sharing or Matching

There is no cost-share requirement for the National Outreach and Communication Program. Applicants are encouraged to identify other potential non-federal funding sources to leverage or enhance the ability of the applicant to implement strategies associated with the program’s strategic plan.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request/Submit Application Package

Application forms are available through the Grants.gov website or by contacting:

Brian Bohnsack, PhD

Recreational Boating and Fishing Liaison

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Division of Program and Partnership Support

Mailstop AEA-3103

4401 Fairfax Drive

Arlington, VA 22203

703-358-2435

B. Content and Form of Application

Applications submitted from funding from the National Outreach and Communication Program must include:

  1. Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) It is encouraged that you list the project area Congressional district(s) in box 16 of areas potentially affected by proposed efforts.
  2. Budget Information, i.e., estimated coasts to attain the project objectives (applicants can use Standard Form 424C or present the information in a similar table). The various activities or components of each project should be broken down by cost and by funding source.
  3. Statement of Assurances of Compliance with Applicable Federal Laws, Regulations and Policies (Standard Form 424D).
  4. A project statement written as a concise statement to identify and describe:
  5. The need for the proposed project
  6. Discrete, quantifiable and verifiable objectives to be accomplished during a specific time period;
  7. Expected results or benefits in terms of project activities focused on implementing the focus areas identified in the National Outreach and Communication Program’s strategic plan.
  8. The approaches planned to be used in meeting the objectives, including specific procedures, proposed schedules for these procedures, key personnel and cooperators;
  9. A description, with appropriate documentation (if applicable) of how the proposed project addresses each of the planned actions associated with each strategy.

In general, application packages should be arranged in the following order:

  1. SF 424
  2. SF 424C (or budget table)
  3. SF 424D
  4. Project Statement
  5. Ranking Criteria Information

Applications should be on 8.5” x 11” paper, with 1” margins at the top, bottom and sides and page numbers at the bottom of the page (starting with the Project Statement). Fonts should be legible, i.e., preferably 12 point Arial, Times New Roman, or other commonly used fonts.

In accepting Federal funds, applicants must comply with all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies. Evidence of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and other Federal laws will be need to be provided if selected for award.

  1. Submission Dates and Times

Final applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or before February 25, 2010. Please note: Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be rejected. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.

  1. Intergovernmental Review

The National Outreach and Communication Program is subject to Executive Order 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs”. Governmental organizations that apply for this program should alert their Single Point of Contacts (SPOCs) that they have submitted a proposal for funding from this program. If you, as an applicant, are required to submit materials to a SPOC, indicate the date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form 424.

  1. Other Submission Requirements:

If an applicant submits a hard copy application, it must be sent to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Liaison at the address listed previously.

If an applicant submits an electronic application, it must be submitted through Grants.gov. It is recommended that applicants verify that their version of Adobe Reader is compatible with Grant.gov to avoid problems in submitting and/or downloading applications forms. The Grants.gov homepage has a link that allows users to verify compatibility of Adobe Reader.

For further information or questions on hard copy or electronic submission, please contact the Recreational Boating and Fishing Liaison at the address listed previously.

  1. Application Review Information
  1. Criteria

Applications will be reviewed and ranked according to the applicant’s abilities to address programs/actions that address the National Outreach and Communication Program’s strategic plan and additionally their ability to encompass the following areas:

  • Provide for public/private and public/public partnerships. Will the project be completed with partners contributing to the overall project?
  • Use of innovative techniques. Does the project use innovative techniques?
  • Project cost share percentage. Does the project include private, local or other sources of funds that reduce the overall federal percentage participation in the project?
  1. Review and Selection Process

Project selection is a three-step process: application acceptance, application ranking, and applications selection.

  • Application acceptance- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will review proposals to determine if the all of the required information is submitted. Applicants will be asked to provide additional clarifying statements and/or documents if needed.
  • Application ranking- A panel of experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will review all applications and evaluate the applicant’s ability to implement strategies/issues identified in the National Outreach and Communication Program’s strategic plan.
  • Application selection: The review panel will make a funding recommendation to the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The final selection of award recipients is determined by the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  1. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

Successful applicant(s) will receive a letter informing them that their application was selected for funding and the remaining process needed to complete the cooperative agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

When a proposal is selected for funding, compliance with all applicable Federal laws, such as the Endangered Species Act, and applicable Executive Orders must be satisfied before the Service can approve the award and make funding available through a cooperative agreement with the applicant.

All organizations must obtain a Data Universal Number (DUNS), a unique identifying number, before applying for federal assistance. On June 27, 2003, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a Federal Register notice (68 FR 38402) that announced its final policy on the use of a universal identifier by financial assistance applicants. The policy requires applicants applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements to obtain a DUNS. Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling a DUNS number request line at 1-866-706-5711 or on-line at

All financial assistance awards are subject to Federal financial administration requirements. The Division of Program and Partnership Support will work with successful applicants to ensure that all financial arrangements comply with these requirements.

Several resources are available to find out more about the Federal rules and regulations, including administrative requirements and cost principles, you may review. An excellent source is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Toolkit ( The rules that apply to different recipients are detailed here:

Table 1. Federal Financial Administrative Guidance

Categories of Recipients / Specific Rules and Guidance
Individuals, private firms, and non-profits excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-122 / Federal Acquisition Subpart 21.2
43CFR 18 (New Restrictions on Lobbying)
48 CFR 31 (Contracts with Commercial Organizations)
Non-profit organizations covered under OMB Circular No. A-122 / 43 CFR 18 (New Restrictions on lobbying)
2 CFR 230 (Cost Principles)
2 CFR 215 (Administrative Requirements for Grants)
OMB Circular No. A-133 (Audits)
Educational Institutions (even if part of a State or local government) / 43 CFR 18 (New Restrictions on lobbying)
2 CFR 220 (Cost Principles)
2 CFR 215 (Administrative Requirements for Grants)
OMB Circular No. A-133 (Audits)
States, local government and Tribes / 43 CFR 12 (Administrative and Audit Requirements and Cost Principles for Assistance Programs)
43 CFR 18 (New Restrictions on Lobbying)
2 CFR 225 (Cost Principles)
OMB Circular No. A-102 (Grants and Cooperative Agreements)
OMB Circular No. A-133 (Audits)
  1. Reporting

Reporting requirements include retention and access requirements that are specified in 43 CFR 12.82. Additional details regarding new requirements, guidance, consequences, etc. are available in the document “Interim Guidance for Financial and Performance Reporting” located at

  1. Agency Contacts

The National Outreach and Communication Program is administered by the Division of Program and Partnership Support. Information can be obtained by contacting:

Brian Bohnsack, PhD

Recreational Boating and Fishing Liaison

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Division of Program and Partnership Support

Mailstop AEA-3103

4401 Fairfax Drive

Arlington, VA 22203

703-358-2435

  1. Other Information

The Federal government is not bound to financially support any project until an authorized Service financial officer has approved the award. Further, funding for this program is contingent upon its reauthorization by Congress.

OMB Control Number 1018-0109

PAPERWORK REDUCTION STATEMENT: The Paperwork Reduction Act requires us to tell you why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether or not you have to respond. We will use the information that we collect to evaluate the applications submitted to acquire funding for the National Outreach and Communication Program. Your response is required to receive funding. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. We estimate that it will take an average of 50 hours to complete this application. The average estimated annual burden associated with writing and submitting required performance reports is 6 hours. You may send comments regarding the burden estimates or any aspect of this information to the Information Collection Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 222 ARLSQ, 4401 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA22203.