Healthy Environmental Living Program Grant | EPA R6 HELP 2021

Healthy Environmental Living Program (HELP) Grant (EPA Region 6) - FAQs

1) What is the Healthy Environmental Living Program (HELP) Grant?

The Healthy Environmental Living Program (HELP) Grant is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 funding opportunity that supports community-focused projects designed to reduce environmental risks, protect public health, and improve quality of life through practical, on-the-ground work.

2) Which EPA office is offering this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is offered through the U.S. EPA, Region 6.

3) What is the main goal of HELP-funded projects?

The main goal is to fund projects that help communities assess, understand, and reduce environmental and health risks while strengthening long-term community and institutional capacity to address these problems.

4) What types of results does HELP expect from projects?

HELP emphasizes measurable environmental and/or human health outcomes. Applications are expected to describe specific actions, expected outputs, and concrete outcomes that can be documented and tracked, rather than focusing only on general education or awareness.

5) Is this a standard grant or something different?

Awards are made as cooperative agreements. This means recipients should expect ongoing involvement and a working relationship with EPA during the project period, rather than a simple pass-through award with minimal federal involvement.

6) What is meant by “cooperative agreement” in this program?

In this program, a cooperative agreement indicates EPA will likely be involved during implementation, and the recipient should plan for coordination and collaboration with EPA throughout the project period.

7) Who is this program intended to help?

The program is intended to support community-serving organizations and partners that can engage directly with communities and produce trackable improvements related to environmental and public health risks, particularly in Environmental Justice (EJ) contexts within EPA Region 6.

8) What are the two main eligibility conditions described for proposed projects?

Proposed projects must (1) address Environmental Justice (EJ) concerns in EPA Region 6, and (2) clearly explain how they will achieve measurable environmental and/or public health results in at least one target area: Pollution Prevention, Sustainable Materials Management, Lead-based Paint, and/or Integrated Pest Management.

9) What geographic area does EPA Region 6 cover for this opportunity?

EPA Region 6 includes the states, tribes, and territories within Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.

10) Do projects have to focus on Environmental Justice (EJ)?

Yes. Projects must address Environmental Justice (EJ) concerns in EPA Region 6 as one of the main conditions described for eligibility.

11) What target areas can a HELP project address?

Projects must demonstrate measurable results in at least one of the following target areas: Pollution Prevention, Sustainable Materials Management, Lead-based Paint, and/or Integrated Pest Management.

12) Can an application focus only on education or awareness activities?

The opportunity emphasizes that applications should go beyond general education or awareness goals. Applicants are expected to identify specific actions and measurable outcomes that can be documented.

13) Does the program emphasize pollution prevention or “source reduction”?

Yes. HELP highlights source reduction, meaning preventing pollution before it is created, along with efforts to reduce pollution and exposures.

14) Does HELP support emergency preparedness and resilience work?

Yes. The opportunity notes an interest in advancing emergency preparedness and resilience to help communities respond to and recover from environmental incidents and related disruptions.

15) What is the funding type for HELP?

The opportunity is described as discretionary funding through EPA.

16) What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this program?

The Assistance Listing (CFDA) number provided is 66.963.

17) How many awards are expected?

The opportunity indicates an expected total of about 10 awards.

18) What is the maximum award amount per project?

The award ceiling is $100,000 per project.

19) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described broadly as “Others,” and applicants are directed to consult the detailed eligibility language in the full announcement, particularly Section III, to confirm whether their organization type and proposed activities qualify.

20) Where should applicants look to confirm eligibility requirements?

Applicants are instructed to review the full announcement, especially Section III, for detailed eligibility language.

21) When was the opportunity posted and what was the original closing date?

The opportunity was originally posted on November 23, 2021, and the original closing date listed is January 28, 2022.

22) Where can applicants find the exact submission process and timing details?

The announcement directs applicants to review the full notice, including Section IV, for the exact submission process, methods, and any timing-related details.

23) What should an application include to show “measurable results”?

Based on the description provided, an application should explain specific actions to be taken, the outputs those actions will produce, and the concrete environmental and/or public health outcomes expected, with an emphasis on results that can be tracked and documented.

24) What is the overall focus of HELP projects?

HELP is structured to support projects that connect Environmental Justice priorities with practical, measurable improvements in pollution prevention, sustainable materials management, lead risk reduction (lead-based paint), and/or safer pest management (integrated pest management), while also strengthening community capacity and collaboration.