The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published on January 13th its FY25 Solicitation Notice for its Exchange Network Grant Program (“Grant Program”).
EPA initiated the Exchange Network Grant Program in 2002. Its stated intent is to be an inter-governmental, collaborative partnership of the agency, states, territories, and Tribes to:
…foster better environmental management and decision-making through increased access to timely, high quality environmental information.
The stated method to achieve such a goal has been a standards-based approach to facilitate environmental data sharing among the previously referenced organizations. The framework is stated to allow such organizations to exchange data over the internet regardless of the specific information technology utilized.
EPA’s Exchange Network Grant Program solicits project applications annually to support the Exchange Network to:
- Facilitate sharing of environmental data, especially through shared and reusable services.
- Reduce burden and avoid costs for co-regulators and the regulated community.
- Streamline data collection and exchanges to improve its timeliness for decision making.
- Increase the quality and access to environmental data through discovery, publishing, outbound and analytical services so it is more useful to environmental managers.
- Increase data and IT management capabilities needed to fully participate in the EN.
Between FY2002 and FY2024, EPA has awarded approximately $280,000,000.00 for state, Tribal, and territorial awards and associated program support. The federal agency further states that it anticipates up to 35 awards will be made under the FY2025 announcement expected to be in the $200,000.00 to $600,000.00 range (depending on agency funding levels, quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations.
EPA notes in its Solicitation Notice that there has been some reorganization of the document.
Applications are due by March 24th.
Whether or not the Trump Administration’s funding freeze would affect this program is not clear.
A copy of the Solicitation Notice can be downloaded here.
