Checklist (EPA Solar for All) 8/18/23

	A	B	C	D	E
1	EPA Solar for All Checklist
2	Completed?	Process	Staff Lead	Internal Deadline	NOTES AND LINKS

3	STEP 1: Review EPA Resources and Submit your Notice of Intent (NOI) (deadlines, listed below, are determined by applicant type: July 31, August 14, August 28)
4
5		Carefully read the EPA Solar for All Summary.
6		Read the entire Request for Applications.
7		Double check the Solar for All Eligibility.
8		Watch the Webinar (not posted yet)
9		Read the Solar for All FAQs.
10		Use EPN's NOI guidance to submit the required letter of support and questions to be answered for every planned application.			Please note that to be eligible to participate in the Solar for All competition, applicants must submit a Notice of Intent by the following deadlines: - For states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico: July 31, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET - For territories (specifically, The Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), municipalities, and eligible nonprofit recipients: August 14, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET - For Tribal governments and Intertribal Consortia: August 28, 2023 at 11:59 ET
11		As time permits, schedule a time to speak with your partners and brainstorm about ideas.
12		Reach out to the appropriate authorities to obtain the required letter(s) of support
13		Submit NOI and Letter by the required deadline via email to GGRF@epa.gov.
14
15	STEP 2: Register for SAM.gov and Grants.gov - by Monday, August 28
16
17	Completed?	Document	Staff Lead	Internal Deadline
18
19		Register with SAM.gov, including obtaining your Unique Entity Identification (UEID)			Recommend that this step be completed 6 weeks prior to application deadline. sam.gov registration process To register on SAM.gov, go here. For help, access the registration checklist and EPN’s SAM.gov registration webinar. To check your SAM.gov registration status, go here.
20		Register with Grants.gov (platform for application submission)			Recommend that this step be completed 6 weeks prior to application deadline. grants.gov registration process To register at Grants.gov, go here. For help, use the registration checklist and watch this video. Also, please review the Intro to Grants.gov-Understanding User Roles and Learning Workspace – User Roles and Workspace Actions to assist with application submission. To check your grants.gov registration status, go here.
21
22	STEP 3: Solidify Partners & Envision - by Friday, September 8
23	Completed?	Document	Staff Lead	Internal Deadline
24		Solidify your partners and collectively envision your proposal.
25		Schedule a time to speak with your partners and brainstorm about your proposal.
26		Confirm the projects eligible funding amount with EPA if needed.			Applicants may confirm the funding amount they are eligible to apply for with EPA prior to the dealine by answering the following questions and emailing ggrf@ipa.gov. Please note that EPA will have limited ability to confirm the funding amount applicants are eligible to apply for after September 29, 2023. 1) Describe the geography you intend to serve. 2) State the total population of disadvantaged census tracts identified by Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) in the geography described in question 1. 3) Specify the amount of funding you are requesting from EPA.
27		Divvy up sections of the project Workplan and Mandatory and Optional Documents.
28
29	STEP 4: Write the Application Project Narrative - by Friday, September 29
30	Project Narrative: Use the Project Narrative Template to help create these items
31	Completed?	Document	Staff Lead	Internal Deadline
32		Complete Summary Project Cover Sheet			This will become Attachment A. All applicants should state clearly in the Summary Program Cover Sheet of their application the geography the proposed program will cover and the total population of the census tracts identified as disadvantaged by CEJST in such geography.
33		Complete full Project Narrative (See the Sample Project Narrative and Project Narrative Template created by Anese & Associates)			The Project Narrative will need to be built in parallel with the Mandatory Documents and EPA requested attachments. Applicants must submit proposals requesting funding amounts that do not exceed the funding amounts for the program size they are eligible to apply for. Requested funding amounts must be based on the geography the applicant proposes to serve and the total population of census tracts identified by CEJST as disadvantaged within the geography the applicant proposes to serve.
34		Review Project Narrative to ensure everything is consistent and complementary (See Project Narrative Template)
35		Review Project Narrative again using the Solar for All Evaluation Criteria to ensure that all possible points should be awarded.			This step is critical! EPA makes its decisions based on the number of points awarded per application.
36
37	Step 5: Complete Mandatory and Optional Application Documents by Friday, September 29
38	The following Set of attachments should be completed directly in Grants.gov.
39	Completed?	Mandatory Documents
40		Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)
41		Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)
42		EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54
43		EPA Form 4700-4 Preaward Compliance Review Report
44		Grants.gov Lobbying Form
45		Program Narrative: Use “Project Narrative Attachment Form” to submit the file			This is a PDF of your project narrative document (40 page max).
46		Attachment A: Summary Program Cover Page
47		Attachment B: Copy of the submitted Notice of Intent
48		Attachment C: Eligibility evidence documents as noted in Section 3 of the RFA
49		Attachment D: Program Planning Timeline and Workplan
50		Attachment E: Budget Table
51		Attachment F: Programmatic Capability and Environmental Results Past Performance described in Section 3 of the Program Narrative
52		Attachment G (for coalition applications only): Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)			As evidence of coalitions and partnerships—both partners who will receive Solar for All grant funds and partners who will provide in-kind services count
53		Attachment H (for applications with proposed subgrants only): Organizational table, as described on page 40 of the RFA			Include all entities by name (if known) or by description/type (e.g., community-based organization, utility) and explain in two to three sentences or bullets what activities each entity will perform for the program
54
55	Completed?	Optional but Encouraged Documents
56		Other Attachments: Use “Other Attachments Form” to include I J K L			The following documentation is not required but is encouraged to be submitted and will not count toward the 40-page limit for the Program Narrative. Please limit the number of files for the attachment items by consolidating all attachment items into one document in the order presented below.
57		Attachment I: Letters of support from potential partnerships			Include community-based organizations, unions, industry associations, workforce development programs, worker centers, and other partners who are interested in helping the program execute the Section 1.2 Meaningful Benefits Plan as described in Section IV.C: Content of Application Submission.
58		Attachment J: Letters of support from public supporters			Consider public utility commissions, utilities, governor’s offices, lead sponsors on legislative text, or other evidence of support for the proposed scope of work in the Section 1.3 Distributed Solar Power Market Strategy of the Program Narrative, as described in Section IV.C: Content of Application Submission, that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from residential rooftop and residential-serving community solar and storage.
59		Attachment K: Letters of support from potential technical assistance partnerships related to labor and employment			Consider community-based organizations, nonprofits, unions, industry associations, worker centers, workforce development programs, and other partners who are interested in helping the program execute the Section 1.5 Project-Deployment Technical Assistance Plan as described in Section IV.C: Content of Application Submission.
60		Attachment L: Letters of support from potential partnerships related to workforce development, access, and meaningful involvement of communities			Consider community-based organizations, public housing authorities, utilities, rural electric utilities, affordable housing developers, unions, industry associations, workforce development programs, and other partners who are interested in helping the program execute the Section 1.6 Equitable Access and Meaningful Involvement Plan as described in Section IV.C: Content of Application Submission.
61
62	Step 6: Review and Submit - by Friday, October 6 (Applications are due by October 12, 2023 at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time)
63	Completed?	Submission	Staff Lead	Internal Deadline
64		Review your application using the Solar for All Evaluation Criteria to again ensure that all requirements have been met in each section and that all possible points should be awarded.			This step is critical! EPA makes its decisions based on the number of points awarded per application.
65		To begin the submission process, go to Grants.gov and click the red “Apply” button at the top of the “view grant opportunity” page associated with this opportunity.			The application submission must be made by a representative of your organization who is registered with Grants.gov and is authorized to sign applications for Federal financial assistance. If the submit button is grayed out, it may be because you do not have the appropriate role to submit in your organization. Contact your organization’s EBiz point of contact or contact Grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Please Note: applicants need to ensure that the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) who submits the application through Grants.gov and whose UEI is listed on the application is an AOR for the applicant listed on the application. Additionally, the UEI listed on the application must be registered to the applicant organization's SAM.gov account.
66		Upload your Project Narrative PDF in the appropriate attachment section.
67		Upload or directly enter all mandatory Documents and their required forms into Grants.gov.
68		Upload all non-mandatory documents in the "Other Attachments" section in grants.gov.
69		Submit and confirm that all verifications & confirmations from Grants.gov are received and saved.			Be sure to press "Check for Errors" in all forms directly entered in grants.gov.
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100