Community Partnerships Grant Program –
Southern Lake Michigan
FAQs

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, tribal governments, educational institutions, and other entities engaged in environmental protection and restoration within the Great Lakes Basin.

Most funded projects take place on public land or waters. Projects on private land may be considered where there is a clear public benefit and the applicant can demonstrate lasting impact, as demonstrated by both achievement of GLRI Measures of Progress (environmental outcomes) and a long-term agreement with the private landowner preserving the restoration, such as a conservation easement, deed restriction, or operation and maintenance agreement.

Applications may not supplement a current, active GLRI-funded project on the same acreage. Adding scope (such as restoring additional acres or stream miles) may be allowable, but requests to cover cost overruns, replace match funding, or repair previously funded work are not eligible.

No. Federal funds may not be used as match or leverage for CPGP awards. This prohibition applies to all federal funding sources, including other GLRI grants, EPA assistance agreements, and federal grants administered through other agencies. Applicants should ensure that any match or cost-sharing contributions identified in their proposals are drawn from non-federal sources.

The focus of this grant program is funding the 90% design and permit readiness work — all the pre-implementation work needed prior to breaking ground on an eligible GLRI project. Generally, this involves finalizing nearly all technical drawings, specifications, and regulatory compliance packages. Which activities and outcomes you include depends heavily on the GLRI Measure of Progress your project is designed to achieve.

Examples (not exhaustive):

• Completing near-100% construction drawings, technical specifications, and accurate material/cost estimates
• Site surveys
• EIS, NEPA
• Securing land agreement
• Compiling near-final specifications and cost estimates
• Resolving utility crossings, structural wall limits, underdrain layouts, and overflow connection details
• Planting and landscaping schedules
• Hydrologic and geomorphic modeling
• Preparing jurisdictional delineations, biological assessments, and long-term monitoring or revegetation plans
• Submitting complete permit application packages and holding final pre-application or interagency reviews
• Incorporating comments from previous milestones (e.g., 60% or 30% reviews) and preparing code-compliant permit application packages
• Establishing long-term effectiveness monitoring guidelines, success criteria, and adaptive management blueprints required by regulators
• Drafting long-term maintenance protocols and schedules 

In most cases, capacity-building and engagement activities like this would be considered community benefit outcomes and would fall within the 25% cap. If there are other costs paid to experts that are necessary to the design itself but don’t fit that definition, and are needed to achieve the required GLRI Measures of Progress, the Alliance may allow those costs outside the 25% cap. In that case, both the applicant and the Alliance must document: (1) a clear, detailed rationale for why the costs are necessary to both completing the design and achieving GLRI MOPs, and (2) a narrative explaining how the activity falls outside the described optional community benefit outcomes and measures of progress. See EPA’s guidance on participant support costs for related cost guidance.

Stage 1: Letter of Intent (LOI) 
All applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent through the portal. 

Stage 2: Full Proposal (By Invitation Only) 
Organizations selected after the LOI review will be invited to submit a full proposal. Only invited applicants may submit a full proposal. 

Submission of an LOI does not guarantee an invitation to submit a full proposal. 

*Applications submitted by email, mail, or outside the portal will not be accepted. 

LOIs must be submitted through the Alliance for the Great Lakes grant portal, powered by Good Grants: allianceforthegreatlakes.grantplatform.com 

You will need to create a free account to access the LOI form. 

*Applications submitted by email, mail, or outside the portal will not be accepted. 

All LOI submitters will receive a decision notification by email on October 2, 2026. Organizations invited to submit a full proposal will receive instructions through the grant portal. Organizations not selected will also be notified. Feedback on LOIs is generally not provided at this stage but may be available upon request after final decisions are made.

Yes. Organizations may submit multiple LOIs, provided each submission addresses a distinct project and is submitted separately through the portal: https://allianceforthegreatlakes.grantplatform.com

Unless otherwise stated in the RFA, uploaded documents must be submitted in: 
PDF
Word
Excel
JPEG

File size limits are noted in the portal. 

Eligible direct cost categories include:

• Salaries and fringe benefits for project staff
• Contractual support and consultant fees (subject to procurement requirements, see below)
• Tools, equipment, and supplies
• Conference registration and travel directly related to the project
• Indirect costs (subject to your organization’s negotiated rate or the de minimis rate)

All costs must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable as defined under the federal Uniform Grants Guidance. Key EPA resources on cost allowability:

• EPA Budget Development Guidance for Applicants and Recipients (PDF) 
• 2 CFR Part 200 — Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements 
• What’s New in the 2024 Revision to 2 CFR Part 200 (EPA) 

Yes. Common ineligible costs include:

• Land acquisition 
• Construction or major renovation of buildings (unless specifically authorized in the RFA) 
• Entertainment, alcohol, or promotional items 
• Lobbying or political activities 
• Costs incurred outside the approved project period

If you are uncertain about a specific cost, contact program staff before incurring the expense. EPA’s Guidance on Selected Items of Cost provides detailed guidance on common cost questions.

Yes. All applicants must use the CPGP budget template. Budgets must align with the sample budget and justification provided in the RFA appendices. A link to this template can be downloaded from the portal.

No. There is no matching funds requirement for this program.

Organizations with a federally negotiated indirect cost rate should apply that rate as documented. Organizations without a negotiated rate may use the de minimis rate. The de minimis rate is 15% of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) under the updated Uniform Grants Guidance. See: 2 CFR §200.414 

Note: Document your indirect cost rate and apply it consistently across all funding sources.  

Under the 2024 revision to 2 CFR Part 200, the equipment threshold, the per-unit cost at which an item must be tracked and managed as equipment, is $10,000. Items under this threshold are generally treated as supplies. See: 2 CFR §200.313–200.314 

All procurement of goods and services under this award must comply with federal procurement standards at 2 CFR §200.317–200.327. In general, recipients must use full and open competition, conduct cost/price analyses, maintain written procurement records, and avoid conflicts of interest. 

Key EPA procurement resources:

• EPA Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements 
• 2 CFR §200.317–200.327 — Procurement Standards 
• EPA Guidance on Competitively Procuring a Contractor (PDF) 

Per 2 CFR Part 200, the following thresholds (effective October 1, 2024):

• Micro-purchase threshold: $10,000 — purchases at or below this amount may be made without competitive bidding, provided the price is reasonable 
• Simplified acquisition threshold: $250,000 — purchases above this amount require formal competitive procurement (sealed bids or competitive proposals) 
• Purchases between $10,000 and $250,000 require price or rate quotations from an adequate number of qualified sources

Note: Your organization’s own procurement policies may set lower thresholds, in which case those apply. Always document your procurement process and rationale.

Existing contracts may be used if they were competitively procured within the past five years, including an “options” provision, and the price remains reasonable. Contracts older than five years are considered “stale” and require a new competitive process.

All grant payments are made on a reimbursement basis. Grantees must incur and pay expenses before submitting a reimbursement request. Requests must be submitted at least quarterly and no more frequently than monthly.

Yes. A working capital advance of up to three months may be available upon request for organizations that need upfront funds before incurring expenses. This option is authorized under 2 CFR §200.305(b)(4) when reimbursement would cause undue hardship. Contact program staff to discuss eligibility and the request process.

Recipients must maintain financial records, supporting documents, and other records sufficient to support all expenditures under the award for at least three years after the final financial report is submitted. This includes invoices, payroll records, procurement documentation, and time and effort records. See: 2 CFR §200.334 — Record Retention 

Yes. In-person applicant workshops will be held the week of July 20–24, 2026 (specific dates, locations, and registration links will be announced on our website). Office hours for LOI questions are open July 27 through August 28. After LOI decisions, office hours for invited full-proposal applicants are open from October 5 through November 2. Details will be shared via the grant portal and email.

For questions about eligibility, the application process, or the grant portal, contact the Alliance for the Great Lakes program team. For all inquiries related to this RFA, email Ashley Brummel, Grant Manager, at CommunityPartnershipsGrant@greatlakes.org.

Projects that collect or use environmental data may be required to prepare a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). The EPA will make this determination at the time of selection. Applicants may use Appendix 7 to assess whether their project is likely to require a QAPP and to plan accordingly, but they do not need to make this determination themselves prior to applying.

Subrecipients are generally not required to maintain their own Quality Management Plan (QMP) if operating under the Alliance’s approved QMP.

If required, QAPPs must be approved before any project data collection or data use begins.

Selected applicants will enter into a subaward agreement with the Alliance. The agreement will include approved scope, budget, reporting requirements, and compliance terms.

Subrecipients must submit quarterly progress reports and a final report using Alliance-provided templates and schedules.

Yes. Funded subrecipients will receive technical assistance, reporting guidance, and access to Alliance support throughout the grant period.

If you experience technical problems, contact Ashley Brummel, Grant Manager, at CommunityPartnershipsGrant@greatlakes.org.

Applicants are encouraged to submit early to allow time for troubleshooting.

Once submitted, applications cannot be edited through the portal. If corrections are needed, please contact us at CommunityPartnershipsGrant@greatlakes.org.

Applicants are responsible for reviewing the full RFA and all appendices before submitting an application. The FAQ is intended to provide administrative guidance and does not replace the official RFA.