Interested in Applying for Brownfields Job Training Funding?

If you would like to view this as a PDF, please see the Brownfields Job Training Grants Tip Sheet (pdf) (302.13 KB, March, 2025)

EPA Brownfields Job Training Grants: Interested in Applying for Funding?

Here’s some tips...

• Review helpful information 
• Share draft applications with your regional Technical Assistance to Brownfields TAB provider for review and comment
• Make sure your organization is registered in Sam.gov and Grants.gov
• Review best practices and sample applications
• Develop partnerships, research and collect data

Review Helpful Information

• Visit and bookmark EPA’s Brownfields Job Training (JT) Grants website to learn about the program and locate helpful resources.
  • For the most recent Brownfields Job Training Grant Guidelines, please visit the solicitation page.
• Review recent FAQs.
• Learn how to submit an application via www.grants.gov. All applications must be submitted via www.grants.gov. Be sure to register your organization in both government systems, www.sam.gov and www.grants.gov. See below for more for more details.
  • Your organization must be registered to apply for federal grants.
  • The registration process can take several weeks.
  • For training, visit EPA’s How to Register to Apply for Grants website.

Share draft applications with your regional Technical Assistance to Brownfields TAB provider for review and comment

TAB is available at no cost to communities. EPA funds regionally based expert organizations to support communities in each of its 10 regions. TAB providers serve as independent resources, offering valuable services such as reviewing and commenting on draft JT applications.

Region	TAB Provider	Point of Contact
Region 1 (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT)	University of Connecticut	Randi Mendes randi.mendes@uconn.edu
Region 2 (NJ, NY, PR, and VI)	New Jersey Institute of Technology	Sean Vroom svroom@njit.edu
Region 3 (DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, and WV)	West Virginia University	Carrie Staton carrie.staton@wvu.edu
Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN)	New Jersey Institute of Technology	Sean Vroom svroom@njit.edu
Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI)	Kansas State University	Roxanne Anderson roxanderson@ksu.edu
Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, and TX)	Kansas State University	Scott Nightingale scottnight@ksu.edu
Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, and NE)	Kansas State University	Maggie Belanger maggiejessie@ksu.edu
Region 8 (UT, MT, WY, CO, ND and SD)	Kansas State University	Maggie Belanger maggiejessie@ksu.edu
Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, and GU)	Center for Creative Land Recycling	Claire Weston claire.weston@cclr.org
Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, and WA)	Center for Creative Land Recycling	Claire Weston claire.weston@cclr.org

Make Sure Your Organization is Registered in SAM.gov and Grants.gov

In order to apply for EPA grants, organizations must be registered in two required government systems: www.SAM.gov and www.Grants.gov.

The registration process can take several weeks, so be sure to complete these 4 steps ASAP to be ready to apply by the deadline:

1. Register in www.SAM.gov or ensure your account is active.
2. Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) generated in www.SAM.gov.
   • On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across the federal government changed from the DUNS Number to the UEI (generated by SAM.gov). See the www.SAM.gov website for details.
3. Register in www.Grants.gov or ensure your account is active.
4. Have the E-Business Point of Contact designate an Authorized Organization Representative AOR in www.Grants.gov.
   • Only person(s) with the AOR role can submit applications in www.grants.gov.

Review Best Practices and Sample Applications

• Review the JT Best Practices Guide.
• Review successful applications on the Applicants Selected for FY 2025 Brownfields Job Training Grants webpage.
• View the slides and recording from the Tips on Writing a Competitive EPA Job Training Proposal webinar that was held on June 12, 2024 (note: this recording includes specific information for the FY25 Brownfields Job Training Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity NOFO, which closed on August 15, 2024; however, it contains helpful grant writing strategies overall).

Develop Partnerships, Research and Collect Data

• Establish key partnerships. Determine whether your community should apply as an individual or a coalition. If you are applying as a coalition, identify who will be part of the coalition, who will be the lead coalition member and manage the cooperative agreement, and who will be members. Discuss what each coalition member’s role will be in the program. Once all of that is determined, document your agreement through a memorandum of understanding/agreement.
• Collaborate and develop partnerships with training providers, employers, and community-based organizations.
  • See EPA’s Current and Past Grantees Map for potential job training providers you can collaborate with.
• Build additional relationships with organizations that provide in valuable services not supported by the grant, including life skills training, internships, and student support services.
• Recruit a project leader responsible to establish project milestones and coordinate the grant writing process.
  • Assemble a grant writing team and consider delegating grant writing sections based on grant writing strengths.
  • Begin writing the grant application early because unintended delays, draft reviews, and revisions can be expected as the application due date approaches.
• Consider developing an Advisory Committee early in the process to help guide the development of the job training program (i.e., curriculum development). The Advisory Committee could include local employers, training providers, community-based organizations, Department of Labor Workforce Centers (American Job Centers), etc. Send out calendar invites for regular meet ups to keep your application on track for submission by the deadline. 
• Request partner letters to attach to the application.

Identify the "Target Area"

• Identify the “Target Area”  that has an unemployed/underemployed population impacted by the presence of at least one brownfield sites that requires environmental training to meet the "Target Area's" labor market demands. Refer to the current NOFO for the definition of “Target Area.”
  • Visit Cleanups in My Community Map for more information on where there are brownfield sites that have been addressed using EPA’s resources.
  • Visit the Brownfields Grant Fact Sheet Search tool, which provides information on current and past Brownfields grantees. 
• Conduct community and labor market assessments to determine whether prospective participants, community residents, and governmental organizations are willing to support a job training program, and whether there is sufficient employer interest in considering graduates for employment.

Plan and Strategize

• Develop a training program and budget consistent with EPA’s training priorities.
• Establish a strategy to market, recruit, screen, support, retain, and track participants for training and future employment.
  • Use input from potential employers, the labor market assessment, and advisory board members.
• Develop the training program and budget. Establish a strategy to market, recruit, screen, support, retain, and track participants for training and future employment.
• Request partner letters to attach to the application.
• Begin writing the grant application early, unintended delays, draft reviews, and revisions can be expected as the application due date approaches.