MARC FY2024 is here and bigger than ever!
EPA Multipurpose, Assessment, RLF and Cleanup (MARC) grants are awarded each year to address contaminated (or thought to be contaminated) sites. CCLR is EPA’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) provider for EPA Regions 9 and 10: AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA and the Pacific Islands. The EPA FY24 Brownfields Grants will include Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Grants (MAC). In FY2024, EPA anticipates awarding $235 million in brownfield grants.
CCLR provides annual review of EPA brownfield grants at no cost to you. In 2023, 87% of the applicants we supported through review services and technical assistance were successful in receiving grants – a total of over $35 million in funding! With 25 years of grant-review experience, we can help you overcome challenges that may have stymied you in the past.
EPA Brownfield Grants in Action! A former sawmill in Crescent Mills, CA has been remediated and rebuilt with the help of $2.1 million in EPA brownfields funding. The once idle site is now providing locally-sourced lumber logged for fire-prevention to help rebuild the community of Greenville, which was destroyed in the 2021 Dixie Fire. Read More
We [were] excited to have been selected and know that we couldn’t have done it without [CCLR’s] feedback and guidance. It was a pleasure working with you all. I learned so much through the process of working with CCLR and have been able to apply my learning to other grant applications as well! Thank you for your “tough love” and constructive feedback!
-2023 Grant Applicant
This page will be routinely updated throughout the application period to reflect new information. Some content is based on FY2023 grants and may change during this new application round. Once guidance for FY24 is released this information will be updated. All FY2023-based information will be identified with an asterisk (*).
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Important dates
| Sept 2023 | MARC Guidelines are released |
| Sept 2023 | Solicitation Open |
| Nov 13 2023 | Solicitations Close |
| May 2024* | Awards to be announced |
Webinars and Grant Application Review
“Return of the MAC: Elevating Your Brownfields Grant Application”
This webinar covers updated guidelines, application basics, CCLR’s grant review services, tips for crafting a compelling application and more! Originally presented October 10, 2023 by Joelle Greenland and Ignacio Dayrit. Find slides from the webinar here, or follow the link below to watch the full presentation.
The EPA also hosted a series of webinars on non-competitive grants, competitive grants, and the FY24 Terms and Conditions. You can find past webinars at this link.
Eligibility Changes for FY2024 EPA Grants:
| FY24 Eligibility Chart for Existing Grant Recipients | FY24 Eligibility Chart for Multiple Applications |
Submit Your Grant for Review
After you have reviewed the Grant Application Checklist below, send your draft grant in Word format to [email protected] with the Subject line following the convention: APPLICANT NAME_STATE_GRANT TYPE_Review Request. Exp. City of Whoville_OR_Cleanup_Review Request.
Consultants: If you are sending CCLR an application on behalf of an applicant you must include the applicant’s contact information and cc the applicant in your email.
We aim to turn around reviews within 10 business days but turnaround time will depend on when the application is received, the number of grants being reviewed, and CCLR workload. All applications will be reviewed on a first come, first serve basis. Submit your application as soon as possible to ensure it is reviewed.
Tips for a Successful MARC Grant Application:
- Get Started Early!
- EPA has tips on getting started early on your application. Review these tips to get started on the right foot.
- Familiarize yourself with www.grants.gov
- All applications must be submitted via www.grants.gov.
- Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier Number (UEI)
- All applicants must use a UEI number instead of a DUNS. The process to obtain a UEI number takes several weeks — apply NOW. Find more information here.
- Review General MARC Grant Information and specific FY2024 EPA Brownfields 2024 Application Information
- Confirm that your Organization and Sites Meet Application Eligibility Requirements
- All applications have Threshold Criteria that applicants are required to meet in order to apply. EPA also has requirements for existing EPA grantees and those that are submitting multiple applications. Verify that your organization and coalition partners, as applicable, are eligible. All applications require the identification of “priority site(s).” Verify that these priority sites are eligible. Before you start writing your application, contact your Regional EPA Office regarding applicant and/or site eligibility.
- If you are a past or current Grantee make sure ACRES is up to date
- Your ACRES should be current. If your grant experience narrative includes grants before ACRES was instituted, review your property profile forms and other reporting.
- Engage Your State Agency
- Request a letter indicating that your state knows about your plan to apply. This letter will be part of your application submission.*
- For Cleanup grants: ensure that you are aware of the new requirements with respect to letters from state agencies, which require more than the letter of support.*
- Prevent Procurement Blunders
- Do not accept draft RFP/RFQ’s from any consultant.
- If a consultant is writing your grant, ensure that you have proof that they were procured using a selection process that complies with the CFRs.
- Rewatch CCLR MARC Webinars
- Other Tips for Successful Grant Writing
Grant Application Checklist
- How does your plan/program/initiative support reuse?
- Have you already conducted community engagement?
- If yes, describe how
- If no, how will you conduct community engagement in the future? What type and with who?
- Make location and community need known early in the narrative
- Budget
- Double check all math/budget numbers
- Confirm consistency between tasks and budgets
- Maximum of 5% administrative costs
- Include data (i.e., demographics, percentages) and the sources to back it up
- Do not repeat information, instead reference where the information is. i.e., “Section 1”
- Spell out acronyms
- Font size 12
- Run a spell check
- Confirm specific grant
- Confirm Page limits
- Economy of Words: say it clearly and concisely
- Watch you usage of adjectives and adverbs: statements must be proven with data
- Watch your usage of the following expressions: “plan to…; intends to…; in the future…; we hope…; we expect…”
- Have someone unfamiliar with brownfields read your grant
After you have reviewed the checklist send your draft grant in Word format to [email protected] with the Subject line following the convention: APPLICANT NAME_STATE_GRANT TYPE_Review Request. Exp. City of Whoville_OR_Cleanup_Review Request.
EPA Brownfield Grant Resources
the Center for Creative Land Recycling has found that those who get started early have a greater chance of success. Read our Top Tips for getting started on your application now!
Learn how to write a more competitive and compelling EPA Brownfields grant and increase your chances of winning one in the next grant solicitation round, expected to open in the fall of 2022.
Learn how to write a compelling grant by reviewing past successful EPA grants
Our Impact
Featured Expert
Joelle Greenland, AICP is an accomplished rural, urban and regional planning with moer than 15 years of experience managing complex brownfields redevelopment projects. Her projects have earned local, regional and national recognition including a Region 8 Phoenix Award. As the former Community Development and Long Range Planning Manager for Adams County, Colorado, she spearheaded its first Brownfields Program, created its 2018 Balanced Housing Plan and oversaw numerous community development programs including the creation of over 400 affordable housing units.
At CCLR, Joelle focuses on assisting communitites within EPA Region 10. Shehas created much of CCLR’s education cirriculum including the Brownfields FUNdamentals conference workshop and Be ReMARCable webinar series on increasing your chances of securing a MARC grant.
