Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program (EJ TCTAC) | EPA I OP OEJ 22 02

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program (EJ TCTAC)?

EJ TCTAC is an EPA discretionary funding opportunity intended to strengthen environmental justice outcomes. It focuses on helping communities that have been disproportionately harmed by pollution and related health risks by building technical assistance capacity and improving access to environmental programs and federal resources.

What problem is this opportunity trying to solve?

The opportunity is designed to reduce common barriers that keep underserved and overburdened communities from benefiting from federal programs and funding. Those barriers can include limited grant-writing capacity, limited familiarity with federal funding pathways, difficulty navigating compliance and reporting requirements, and gaps in outreach and community engagement infrastructure.

What does EPA plan to fund under EJ TCTAC?

EPA plans to fund the creation and operation of Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers. These centers are meant to operate as community-facing hubs that deliver technical assistance, training, and other allowable support to program participants.

What is an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center?

An EJ TCTAC is intended to be a practical, community-facing hub that helps communities engage with environmental programs and access and manage federal resources more effectively. The center would provide hands-on assistance and capacity-building support so communities can better plan, apply for funding, manage awards, and track results.

Who are the intended beneficiaries or “program participants”?

The intended beneficiaries are communities, particularly underserved and overburdened communities, that may lack staffing, experience, or administrative capacity to compete for federal grants or to manage those grants successfully after receiving an award.

What types of support are the centers expected to provide?

Based on the description, expected support includes technical assistance and training that help communities understand funding opportunities, prepare competitive applications, build partnerships, develop project plans, strengthen administrative systems, and improve the ability to track outcomes and meet federal reporting expectations.

Does this program focus only on getting communities to apply for grants?

No. The intent goes beyond increasing the number of communities that apply for and win funding. EPA emphasizes improving the quality and durability of funded work by ensuring communities have the support needed to plan effectively, implement projects well, manage grants properly, and sustain results.

What outcomes is EPA trying to improve through EJ TCTAC?

The program is framed as an effort to improve health, equity, resilience, and environmental conditions in communities facing long-standing environmental burdens. It also aims to improve how communities engage with environmental programs and how effectively they can access and manage federal resources.

How does EJ TCTAC relate to broader federal investments like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)?

The opportunity is backed by major federal investments, including funding associated with the IIJA. A stated goal is to help ensure those investments translate into real, on-the-ground benefits by strengthening community engagement and increasing community capacity to access and manage federal resources.

What kinds of strategies is EPA looking for in applications?

The opportunity highlights interest in new and innovative strategies, including improving community engagement and participation in environmental programs, promoting equitable distribution of financial resources, expanding capacity-building and outreach efforts, and delivering training and technical assistance that strengthens grant application success and implementation performance.

What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?

This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement. That typically means EPA anticipates a more active partnership with recipients than under a traditional grant, including ongoing coordination and involvement consistent with cooperative agreement requirements.

What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?

It means recipients should expect an active relationship with EPA during the project period, with ongoing coordination and involvement rather than a hands-off funding relationship. The description indicates this is more collaborative than a standard grant structure.

What is the funding opportunity number for EJ TCTAC?

The funding opportunity number is EPA I OP OEJ 22 02.

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

The program is listed under CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) number 66.309.

When was the opportunity created and what was the original closing date?

The opportunity was created on August 5, 2022, and the original application closing date was October 4, 2022.

How many awards did EPA anticipate making?

EPA anticipated making around 10 awards.

What is the maximum award size?

The award ceiling was up to $6,000,000 per award.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed broadly as “Others,” and the description notes that additional eligibility details are referenced in the full announcement. This suggests multiple entity types may be eligible depending on the specific criteria in the official notice.

Is EJ TCTAC mainly about building projects, or building capacity?

The program is best understood as building lasting technical support infrastructure for environmental justice work. While it supports communities in applying for and implementing projects, the central theme is capacity-building and removing barriers that prevent communities from effectively accessing and managing resources.

What kinds of capacity gaps is the program specifically trying to address?

The opportunity specifically points to gaps like limited grant-writing capacity, limited knowledge of federal funding pathways, difficulty with compliance and reporting requirements, and limited outreach and engagement infrastructure that can prevent communities from benefiting from available funding and programs.

How would an EJ TCTAC help communities after they receive funding?

The description indicates that centers would help communities implement projects with strong grants management and measurable performance, including improving the ability to track outcomes and meet federal reporting expectations.