Cliffline Stabilization Naval Research Laboratory | N40080 21 2 0004

Opportunity Information: Apply for N40080 21 2 0004

The Cliffline Stabilization Naval Research Laboratory opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number N40080 21 2 0004) is a Department of Defense grant-like award administered by NAVFAC Washington, DC, using a cooperative agreement structure. The project is focused on a specific shoreline problem at the Chesapeake Bay Detachment, where erosion and slope instability along the eastern shoreline embankment have created a need for both structural repair and long-term erosion prevention. The overall aim is to stabilize roughly 4,250 linear feet of cliff line so the shoreline remains structurally sound while also improving environmental outcomes in and near the adjacent riparian zone.

At its core, the agreement is meant to fund the design and construction of slope stabilization measures that strengthen the cliffs and reduce ongoing erosion. The scope is broader than simply adding armoring or repairing a damaged area; it includes a package of coordinated actions intended to reduce erosion-driven sediment loss, limit nonpoint source (NPS) pollution reaching the Chesapeake Bay, and restore or enhance riparian habitat. Expected on-the-ground activities include installing cliff line erosion control systems, completing any required utility relocations that conflict with the stabilization footprint, demolishing structures as needed to support the work, and implementing native tree and shrub plantings as part of the stabilization and habitat restoration approach. The intent is to combine structural integrity and ecological function, rather than treating them as separate efforts.

A key responsibility placed on the cooperator is permitting and interagency coordination. The selected recipient must obtain necessary federal and state permits and work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), particularly to support the evaluation and implementation of innovative design options that still meet the shoreline integrity requirements. This suggests the sponsor may be open to nature-based, hybrid, or otherwise forward-leaning stabilization concepts, as long as they achieve the required protection and performance. Environmental compliance groundwork is also referenced: a Categorical Exclusion (CATEX) was completed in January 2011 for the proposed stabilization length, indicating prior environmental review has been conducted for this general action, though project execution would still need to align with current permitting and consultation needs.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary opportunity under the Natural Resources funding activity category, listed under CFDA 12.300. It was posted June 25, 2021, with an original closing date of August 5, 2021. The funding structure anticipates a single award, with an award ceiling of $5,000,000, meaning the government expected one partner to deliver the full project or a comprehensive, integrated solution. Eligibility is listed as "Others," with specifics deferred to the opportunitys eligibility clarification text, which typically points to particular partnership types or entities allowed to receive cooperative agreements for this kind of work.

In practical terms, the opportunity is best read as a design-build style shoreline stabilization and habitat restoration effort on a DoD-controlled site, where the recipient is expected to manage engineering design, construction execution, environmental permitting, and coordination with wildlife and regulatory stakeholders. The outcome the government is buying is a stabilized cliff line that reduces erosion and pollution impacts into the Bay while improving the riparian edge through native plantings and associated restoration measures.

• The Department of Defense, NAVFAC Washington DC in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cliffline Stabilization Naval Research Laboratory" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 25, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 05, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for N40080 21 2 0004

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