Current through August 26, 2024
(1) APPLICATION SUBMISSION.
(a) An application may be submitted to the
department at any time prior to the deadlines established by the department for
each subprogram under this chapter.
(b) To be considered for grant funding,
complete applications shall be post-marked no later than the application
deadline for applications that are mailed, or shall be sent via email to the
department no later than 11:59:59 p.m. on the application deadline.
(c) An applicant may request a
pre-application meeting to review project eligibility and receive technical or
project planning assistance at any time but no fewer than 30 days prior to the
application deadline.
(d) The
department may require a grantee to complete a pre-proposal or to participate
in a pre-application meeting in advance of the application deadline for
projects proposed for funding under this chapter.
Note: Application forms and guidance on
deadlines are available from the Surface Water Grant Program website.
Pre-application meetings should occur early in the project planning process,
well in advance of the application deadline.
(e) The department may accept Aquatic
Invasive Species Early Detection grant applications year
round.
(2) APPLICATION
ELIGIBILITY.
(a) The department will only
score and rank complete applications. A complete application adheres to
application instructions, provides all information requested on the
application, and includes any other supporting documentation requested by the
department. The department will review the application for completeness within
30 days of receipt and may request any additional information necessary to
complete the application. The application is not considered complete until the
additional information requested by the department has been received. If the
application deadline has passed, the department may determine that an
incomplete application is ineligible.
(b) The department will review complete
applications for eligibility. If the department determines an application is
ineligible, the department will supply an explanation for the determination in
writing. A grantee may request an eligibility review from the department no
fewer than 30 days prior to the application deadline by submitting a request in
writing along with a complete application. Prior to the application deadline, a
grantee may address the eligibility concerns and submit a revised application
for reconsideration. If the application deadline has passed, a revised
application will only be considered during the next annual grant cycle. An
application may be considered ineligible for any of the following:
1. The application lacks information needed
to evaluate and score the application.
2. The application lacks the clarity needed
to understand the justification, activities or likely outcomes of the
project.
3. The application
proposes activities that are inconsistent or that would result in outcomes that
are inconsistent with one or more of the goals and objectives for surface water
planning and management as described in this chapter, its enabling statutes, or
program guidance.
(3) FUNDING FLEXIBILITY. The department may
determine if an application fits into more than one subprogram under this
chapter. Each application may be scored against criteria for all applicable
subprograms for which it qualifies.
(4) SCORING AND RANKING.
(a) Following review for completeness and
eligibility, department staff may evaluate the strengths of each application in
consideration of funding priorities established under s. NR 193.11.
Applications may be scored according to criteria published by the department
and ranked by subprogram, from highest to lowest project score.
(b) The department may establish a minimally
acceptable score for applications submitted under each subprogram.
Note: The department's scoring criteria and
minimally acceptable score are available on the Surface Water Grant Program
website.
(5)
APPLICANT NOTICE. The department will notify applicants of the status of their
grant applications and the rank of their application when compared to all other
applications. If the department is unable to provide the amount of grant
funding requested by the applicant, the department may notify the applicant, in
writing, of the basis for funding denial.
(6) PROJECT PRIORITY LIST.
(a) The department will prepare a new or
update an existing project priority list following scoring and ranking of
applications submitted to the department. The project priority list includes
all applicants that will be offered grant funding, ranked in order of project
score. Available funding will be offered to applications in the order they
appear on the project priority list.
Note: The department will publish the project
priority list on the Surface Water Grant Program website.
(b) The department may offer financial
assistance to an applicant in an amount less than requested for the following
reasons:
1. Available grant funding is
insufficient to fully fund a project in that subprogram. In the event 2 or more
applications have an identical score but the funding remaining is insufficient
to fund both projects, the department shall offer the applicants an identical
percentage of their projects' total request.
Note: Two projects with the same score request
funding in the amounts of $200,000 and $10,000 but the available grant funding
amounts to $20,000. Each of the projects shall be offered 9.52% of their total
request, or $19,040 and $952 respectively.
$10,000x+$200,000x=$20,000 where x =9.52%
2. The department determines a proposed
activity is not necessary to meet the goals of the Surface Water Grant
Program.
