Zender HEHC Grant Application

Request for Project Proposals Announcement

The Zender Environmental Health & Research Community Assistance Program (ZCAP) is accepting applications to support environmental health projects benefitting small, rural Alaska communities through the Healthy Environment Healthy Community (HEHC) program. Awards will be provided as direct funding to the applicant, direct project purchasing by Zender on behalf of the applicant, or a combination of the two. Award recipients will partner with ZCAP staff to complete their project. The 25-26 HEHC funding is made possible through generous funding by the Denali Commission Unmet Waste Needs Award.

Supported Requests: $3,000 to $120,000
Anticipated Average Award: $50,000-$60,000
Period of Performance: 6/1/2026 – 09/30/2027
Type of Application: Competitive
Match Requirement: None

Timeline

Proposal Due Date: Applications will be received on the 1st day through the last day of each month.
Pre-award Notification: Anticipated within 4 - 6 weeks of monthly submittal deadline.

All non-selected applications will be automatically considered for award in subsequent proposal reviews until all funding is exhausted. Applicants will have an opportunity to edit and resubmit if desired.

A proposal scoring matrix is provided. Priority will be given to health and environmental improvement projects that:

• Describe an imminent and substantial risk to human health, wellness, and/or safety and how the project will reduce or eliminate it.
• Have a clear, defined, and reasonable start and end date. The project end should be definite, such as wiring a waste storage shed, procuring a used oil burner, receiving training and conducting sampling and analysis.
• Have a clear way to determine if the project is successful.
• Make use of existing resources to the extent possible such as other funding or agency and service entity assistance.
• Clearly describe any ZCAP or Backhaul Alaska assistance needed.
• Build capacity which the community identifies as needed to better serve residents in the future.
• Use elder knowledge, culture, and/or other community strengths to help solve a problem.
• Provide data or a template to follow that will be useful to other communities.
• Have a positive impact expected to last for a minimum of 5 years.
• While the total cost of a project will not count towards a score, the value to cost will be considered. Projects that are most competitive will be those that address serious and exigent risks, regardless of request level or address any significant risk for a request under $10k.
• Requests for over $45,000 should be careful to detail and document the risk(s) they are addressing, such as whether it is occurring now or in the future, how many people approximately are being affected, how they know it is a serious risk (e.g. have they done a survey, or have data from the clinic, or pictures to show the issue?). Requests over $80,000 will only be granted if the project has extraordinary merit and the health risk presented is clear, documented, and serious.

Proposals will be considered ineligible unless all of the following requirements are met.

• The applicant is a tribe, local government, local government community association, community non-profit, tribal consortium or group of tribes. Community groups without non-profit status may be eligible via fiscal sponsorship and should contact the POC provided at the end of this page to discuss whether this option can apply to their project.

• The Project Cover Letter that provides primary and backup contact information, summarizes the project and the need for it using less than 10 lines of text, and that is signed by an individual authorized to sign on behalf of the organization.

• Projects must be performed in the community that is requesting the funding, and/or include all or part of the community’s traditional subsistence areas/sites. Regional applications on behalf of the community will not be accepted. However, a community can choose to partner with a regional entity and/or use assistance in completing the application.

• If the Applicant is on the Debarred or Suspended list, they must check the appropriate box.

• Applicant must demonstrate that their project will benefit their community, or group of communities if collaborating together.

• Projects should include a plan for sharing information, results, or photos via created documents and/or live conference presentation.

• Applicants must demonstrate that the project will either directly reduce 1) human or environmental exposure to toxics, injury risk, food insecurity, or other realized or potential harm OR 2) demonstrate that the project will build needed capacity to address a reasonably foreseeable harm in the future OR 3) demonstrate that the project will result in reduced household or applicant costs in maintaining essential utilities (i.e. energy, water, wastewater, solid waste).

• Projects must be completed in the allotted timeframe and be designed as one-time-only projects. Projects must have a definitive beginning and end.

• Proposals must follow the template outlined in this RFP.

• Proposals will need to submit a budget and budget narrative using the instructions provided in this RFP.

• When applying, please submit all contact information, including all Names, Titles, Emails, Phone numbers, and Mailing addresses for each Point of Contact.

• Finally, project budgets should clearly explain each line item by describing what it is, how much it costs, why it is needed for the project, how the cost was calculated, and the source of the cost estimate (such as a vendor quote, past experience, or a comparable project). Applicants may provide additional information as well.

Proposals should be easy to read. Font size should be similar size to 12 pt Times Roman. Handwritten applications are allowed and will not be penalized. However, the writing must be readable without undue effort.

There are no page limits. However, we recommend that the Overview Section be ½ to 2 pages maximum, excluding pictures. In addition, a ½ to 1-page Key Steps/Tasks is anticipated but can be longer, and a 1-page Budget and justification is anticipated but can be longer. One page of pictures is also anticipated but not required. Including the Cover letter and any pictures, we expect many applications will be 4 to 6 pages total with some pages not full. Other applications may be 10 – as many as 15 pages if several picture pages are included.

While not required, we strongly encourage the use of pictures to show your problem or risk(s), as well as your solution (if applicable). The number of pictures therefore is not limited. However, please include only pictures that add to the description of the problem or solution.

Finally, support letters are accepted but not required. Support letters can be used to help document a problem or solutions. Support letters committing resources such as service organizations, schools, local governments, and community groups are useful to document their awareness of your plan to use them. If you are financially contributing to the project, we may require proof of leveraging prior to final award.

Risk Definition Used for this Program

The priority for HEHC award selection is a substantial reduction of serious health and environmental risks that communities face now, or in the near future if the project is not supported. To qualify as a health or safety risk for the purpose of this proposal, two things are needed: Exposure and Danger/Harm.

• The people, plants, or animals must be exposed, or potentially exposed, to a chemical, germ, or safety concern, AND
• The chemical, germ or safety concern must be dangerous or harmful.

You can be exposed through contacting/touching, eating/drinking, breathing/smelling. In the case of safety risk, someone must be in danger or in potential, and the danger will cause serious harm.

Risk is higher when you are exposed to more of the chemical, germ, or safety concern, And/or when the chemical, germ, or safety concern is more dangerous. Risk can also be higher if the people exposed are elderly, children or infants, or those with serious medical conditions.

• Please fill out the requested information.

• You must provide a secondary contact to be eligible.

• If we are unable to contact the applicant through the information provided, the application will be passed over until the next round of application reviews.

• The purpose of the Cover Letter is to provide a brief summary of the project. If your project is primarily the purchase of a supply or equipment, two sentences may be adequate. More complex projects might require more description. But do not use more than 10 lines of text for your summary.

• The Overview must clearly define the problem the community is facing.

• The Overview should make it clear why and how the project will fully or partially address the problem.

• The Overview must describe the project in sufficient detail. We highly recommend asking someone outside the community to read the Overview and tell you whether you clearly describe problem, what the proposed solution is, and why the solution makes sense.

 

• Proposals will be evaluated against all Eligibility Criteria. Only proposals that meet all Eligibility Criteria will be evaluated.

• A Review Panel will score each eligible proposal using the matrix included with this application. Proposals will be ranked according to numerical scores and any relevant Review Panel recommendations or notes.

• Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Please submit all required attachments.

• The applicant is responsible for promptly responding to all ZCAP emails during the review and award process in a timely manner. Failure to respond can result in the application being removed from the award process and the next eligible community will be awarded.

• All non-selected applications will be automatically considered for award in subsequent proposal reviews until all funding is exhausted. Applicants will have an opportunity to edit and resubmit if desired.

• Successful applicants will be notified via written E-mail. The notification will advise that the proposed project has been successfully evaluated and recommended for funding. Successful applicants must enter a Subaward Agreement before being authorized to begin their project. Unsuccessful applicants will receive an email notification of their results. If requested, ZCAP staff will consult with unsuccessful applicants.

HEHC Selection Criteria & Ranking Matrix
 

The Matrix on the next page is the decision framework for HEHC support.  Projects are evaluated by how well they meet the criteria for several primary and secondary factors.  Because communities are complex, the factors are inter-dependent and not all possible factor considerations are listed.

In recognition of the high level of data resolution needed to assign valid numerical scores, communities will be scored for how well they fit each factor’s criteria (i.e. worst to best fit). Each factor is also weighted by its relative importance in serving the HEHC Grant’s intent of making progress in rural Alaska environmental health circumstances and outcomes.

Communities are prioritized based on the number of factors with best criteria fit and highest importance. Zender expects to fund multiple projects, supplies, equipment, stopgap and emergency response activities and programs on a rotating monthly basis.  Projects not funded will automatically be considered in the next round until funded or funds run out.

In the case where the above approach is not sufficient in separating out which projects to award, each factor will be slide-scored from 1 – 10 and weighted as listed below. Factors which are non-applicable to a community’s need are given a score of ‘zero’ and are not included in the final Scaled Score. Next, raw Category Scores are derived by summing the weighted factor scores and scaled to 100%. Scaled Category scores are added for the final project score. Other Indicators can modify these scores, by notating the justification.

Factor Weighting for Matrix Numeric Scale:

Highest = 2 x

Very High =1.5

High =1.4

High Medium = 1.3

Medium =1.2

Low Medium = 1.1

Ranking Matrix Is Also Published On The Grant Webpage: https://zendergroup.org/healthy-environment-healthy-community-grants/

Reporting Requirements:

ZCAP staff will provide technical assistance and support to the selected applicants, as needed, in carrying out project reporting. Depending on the project length and nature, Weekly to Monthly check-ins with ZCAP staff via Zoom/telephone are required. For projects between 5 months and 14 months, a mid-point progress report and financial report is also required, with projects over 14 months requiring a progress and financial report every 4 -6 months. All projects require a brief closeout report which may be in the form of a pictorial, video, or presentation. A MBE/WBE report will also be required. A full schedule of check-in meetings and report due dates will be provided during the Pre-award period.

Reimbursement Method:

The applicant may submit reimbursement requests at any time during the project. The final reimbursement request is due no later than two months after project closure date. All reimbursement requests must be submitted with invoices, receipts, pay stubs, or other backup documentation. The Reimbursement method may not be offered as an option to all awards. Some awards may be provided through the Direct Purchase Option. Example considerations include but are not limited to those described below.

Direct Purchase Method:

In most cases, a direct purchase option in which Zender purchases items on behalf of the applicant may be arranged. This method will relieve the applicant of financial reporting and presents an opportunity for brokered supplies, equipment, and shipping discounts to which Zender has access. In some cases, Zender may elect to require this option for an award to proceed. Zender will weigh the project nature, the purchasing and reporting experience of the primary contact, experience of the applicant’s bookkeeper, and applicant reporting record. Circumstances that may favor a direct purchase option are not counted against the applicant during project proposal review and selection.

Proposal Assistance and Communication

The ZCAP Program regularly works with communities to identify health and environmental risks and to develop and implement appropriate solutions. ZCAP staff also visit communities and train on-site for landfill operation, backhaul, water quality sampling, grant administration and writing, and more. This assistance is intended to be used by the community to build their capacity and best prioritize which projects are most important to the community. The work will continue to be offered to all small rural communities. If you are interested in assistance or training, please email info@zendergroup.org.

However, HEHC grant applicants are solely responsible for the contents of their proposal. The above ZCAP work is separate from the HEHC grant program. ZCAP staff cannot assist applicants in writing HEHC grant proposals, nor advise applicants on which project to propose. Zender staff cannot provide comments on proposal drafts. Zender can answer clarifying questions about this grant opportunity and application guidelines.

Zender will coordinate and provide technical training and technical assistance to all awarded projects as needed. This will include information on project administration, financial management, purchasing and shipping supplies, and environmental science. The capacity of applicant communities will not be a factor in selection. But applicants should describe the resources needed to carry out and complete the project and from where those resources will come. For example, some labor might come through contractors (e.g. mechanics, electricians), and some technical help might come through free-of-charge assistance by service organizations or agencies. Be specific about each resource. Name the organization or agency and provide contractor quotes when possible. Include the type of assistance that might be required from Zender.

Any questions, please contact:

Trisha Bower – Program Manager / Phone: 907-202-9222 Email: tbower@zendergroup.org
Zender Environmental Health and Research Group
Attn: Community Assistance Program, HEHC Grants
400 D St. Ste 300
Anchorage, AK 99501

Paper Applications can be submitted via email attbower@zendergroup.org

Applications must be received by 11:59pm on the last day of each month to be considered for the next month’s review.

Who Can Serve as a Certified Signer

For applications — the certified signer must be:

A current, active officer of the agency or organization.

The principal officer or designated administrative leader responsible for the agency’s operations.

Someone with the authority to bind the agency in legal and regulatory matters.

This section is where all Key Steps/Tasks needed to complete the project must be listed, in order, from first to last. It is better to write more steps than to write too few. After reading the Steps/Tasks, the reviewers must believe that you know exactly how to do this project.

For each task, please list who is responsible for carrying it out. The same person can be responsible for more than one task.

For each Key step/Task, specify the month the task will start, and the month that it will end.

The reviewers should be able to picture in their head each project step and the end project result.

2CFR 200.1

Equipment — Tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year AND a per-unit cost of $10,000 or more.

Supplies — Tangible personal property that does not meet the equipment definition — meaning anything with a per-unit cost of less than $10,000, regardless of how long it lasts.

2 CFR 200.320(a)(2)

Recipients may use small purchase procedures by obtaining price or rate quotations from an adequate number (3, if available) of qualified sources.

Applicants should obtain prices/quotes from at least 3 sources. Can be by email. Recipients must document their efforts:

• For professional services, the email soliciting prices/quotes may be used for documentation.

• For equipment, internet searches of price catalogues documented by “screen shots” are acceptable.

Certification