The Subrecipient (“Funding Program Administrator” or “FPA”) will oversee a Block Grant Program to support and invest in the capacity of Vermont clean water partners so they can deliver high quality, high priority clean water projects. The Clean Water Initiative Program (CWIP) will accept a Program Delivery budget of up to 20% of the total Block Grant/Award budget. 1. The FPA should proceed with this Block Grant Program in accordance with guidance provided in version 1 of the Clean Water Workforce Capacity Development Initiative (CWWCDI) Summary Document and associated addenda located here: https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/documents/Draft%20Capacity%20Direct%20Grants%2 0Structure_Update_11.2.23.pdf, subject to change. 2. The FPA will ensure adherence to both the applicable “Expectations for All Grant Recipients” and the applicable “Expectations for FPAs” as outlined in the current CWIP Funding Policy (State Fiscal Year 2023 Funding Policy, updated September 2023, available here: https://dec.vermont.gov/water-investment/cwi/grants, subject to change). Some expectations in the Funding Policy are specific to construction-type clean water projects, which are unlikely to occur under this CWWCDI Block Grant. 3. The FPA may use project completion funds encumbered through the block grant agreement to support their own capacity development needs, as long as their block grant initiative allows for fair competition and access to funds for all interested sub-subrecipient applicants, and the proposal prioritization and selection process avoids conflicts of interest. 4. The FPA is encouraged to creatively design proposal solicitation and oversight processes and timelines that maximize flexibility and accessibility and minimize administrative burdens for sub-subrecipients.
