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

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA I OP OEJ 22 02

The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program (EJ TCTAC) is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discretionary funding opportunity designed to strengthen environmental justice outcomes by helping communities that have been disproportionately harmed by pollution and related health risks. The program reflects EPA's broader mission to protect human health and the environment for everyone, while putting particular emphasis on supporting underserved and overburdened communities facing environmental, climate, and public health challenges. Backed by major federal investments, including funding associated with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the goal is to make sure these investments translate into real on-the-ground benefits by improving how communities engage with environmental programs and how effectively they can access and manage federal resources.

At the center of the opportunity is EPA's plan to fund the creation and operation of Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers. These centers are intended to function as practical, community-facing hubs that provide technical assistance, training, and other allowable forms of support to "program participants," particularly those who may lack the staffing, experience, or administrative capacity to compete for federal grants or manage them successfully once awarded. The emphasis is on removing barriers that often prevent underserved communities from benefiting from available funding and programs, such as limited grant-writing capacity, limited knowledge of federal funding pathways, challenges navigating compliance and reporting requirements, and gaps in outreach and engagement infrastructure.

The opportunity highlights several areas where EPA is looking for new and innovative strategies. These include improving community engagement and participation in environmental programs, promoting equitable distribution of financial resources, expanding capacity-building and outreach efforts, and delivering technical assistance and training that helps communities both apply for financial assistance and implement projects with strong grants management and measurable performance. In practice, an EJ TCTAC would be expected to 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. The overall intent is not only to increase the number of communities that successfully obtain resources, but also to improve the quality and durability of funded work by ensuring communities have the support needed to plan well, implement effectively, and sustain results.

This grant is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect a more active partnership with EPA than in a traditional grant structure, with ongoing coordination and involvement consistent with cooperative agreement rules. The funding opportunity number is EPA I OP OEJ 22 02, and it is cataloged under CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) number 66.309. The opportunity was created on August 5, 2022, with an original application closing date of October 4, 2022. EPA anticipated making around 10 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $6,000,000 per award. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, indicating that a range of entity types may be able to apply depending on the specific criteria provided in the official notice.

Overall, EJ TCTAC is best understood as an effort to build lasting technical support infrastructure for environmental justice work, so that communities facing long-standing environmental burdens are better positioned to shape solutions, secure funding, manage projects effectively, and ultimately achieve improved health, equity, resilience, and environmental conditions.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment, infrastructure investment and jobs act (iija) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program (EJ TCTAC)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.309.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 05, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 04, 2022. (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 $6,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for EPA I OP OEJ 22 02

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