The following information indicates which entities are eligible to apply for an RLF Grant. Note, entities that currently have, or are a part of (i.e., a coalition member), an open cooperative agreement for a Brownfields RLF at the time of application are not eligible to apply for an RLF Grant in FY25.
• General Purpose Unit of Local Government. [For purposes of the EPA Brownfields Grant
Program, EPA uses the definition of Local government at 2 CFR § 200.1: Local government
means a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority (including any
public and Indian housing agency under the United States Housing Act of 1937), school
district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (whether or not
incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under state law), any other regional or interstate
government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government.]
• Land Clearance Authority or another quasi-governmental entity that operates under the
supervision and control of, or as an agent of, a General Purpose Unit of Local Government.
• Government Entity Created by State Legislature.
• Regional Council established under governmental authority or group of General Purpose
Units of Local Government established under Federal, state, or local law (e.g., councils of
governments) to function as a single legal entity with authority to enter into binding
agreements with the Federal Government.
• Redevelopment Agency that is chartered or otherwise sanctioned by a state.
• State
• Federally recognized Indian Tribe other than in Alaska. (The exclusion of Tribes from
Alaska, with the exception of the Metlakatla Indian Community as noted below, from
Brownfields Grant eligibility is statutory at CERCLA § 104(k)(1). Intertribal Consortia,
comprised of eligible Indian Tribes, are eligible for funding in accordance with EPA’s policy
for funding intertribal consortia published in the Federal Register on November 4, 2002, at
67 Fed. Reg. 67181. This policy also may be obtained from your Regional Brownfields
Contact listed in Section VII.)
• Alaska Native Regional Corporation, Alaska Native Village Corporation, and Metlakatla
Indian Community. (Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Alaska Native Village
Corporations are defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 and
following). For more information, please refer to the FY25 FAQs.)
• Nonprofit organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Limited liability corporation in which all managing members are 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organizations or limited liability corporations whose sole members are 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organizations.
• Limited partnership in which all general partners are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or
limited liability corporations whose sole members are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
• Qualified community development entity as defined in section 45D(c)(1) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986.
Revolving Loan Funds (RLF) are used to provide no-interest or low-interest loans for eligible brownfield cleanups, subgrants for cleanups, and other eligible programmatic costs necessary to manage the RLF. Applications will be evaluated based on the extent to which the applicant demonstrates: a vision for the cleanup, reuse and redevelopment of brownfield sites and a strategy for leveraging resources to help accomplish the vision; the environmental, social, health and economic needs and benefits of the target area(s); strong community engagement; reasonable costs, eligible tasks, and appropriate use of grant funding; the capacity for managing and successfully implementing the cooperative agreement; and other factors.
Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants provide funding to a grant recipient to capitalize an RLF
program. RLF programs provide loans and subgrants to eligible entities to carry out cleanup
activities at brownfield sites contaminated with hazardous substances and/or petroleum. Site eligibility will be determined by EPA after grant award and prior to expending grant funds at any site. Sites where hazardous substances and petroleum contamination are distinguishable must meet eligibility requirements for both contaminants.
Only eligible entities that do not have, or are not a part of (i.e., a coalition member), an open
cooperative agreement for a Brownfields RLF at the time of application may apply for funding under this solicitation. An “open” cooperative agreement is one in which the Period of performance, as defined in 2 CFR § 200.1, has not yet ended. The period of performance is specified in EPA’s initial or amended “Notice of Award.”
Note for grant recipients that do have an open cooperative agreement for a Brownfields RLF:
Grant recipients with an open cooperative agreement will be given the opportunity to request
additional funding to capitalize their RLF program through the Brownfields Program’s annual,
non-competitive, supplemental funding process. As of Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), instead of
extending the existing RLF cooperative agreement period of performance when providing
supplemental funding, EPA may choose to award a new RLF Grant. Additional information on the timing, requirements, and procedures for supplemental funding requests will be available on EPA’s Brownfields Program Website (www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-revolving-loanfund-rlf-grants).