Inside this Issue:
Important upcoming dates
FY23 Clean Water Fund Competitive RFP
Updates to the Grants Administration Manual
Tip of the Quarter
FY23 State Cost Share
FY23 Biennial Grant Agreement payments
Important upcoming dates
Aug 22: Deadline to apply for FY23 Clean Water Fund competitive grants
Oct 25-27: BWSR Academy - Cragun's, Brainerd, MN
FY23 Clean Water Fund Competitive RFP
The FY23 CWF RFP is set to open on Monday, June 27th, pending BWSR Board approval, and will close at 4:30 pm on Monday, August 22nd. The RFP, policy, FAQs, and other supporting documents will be posted on the Apply for Grants page. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the RFP and policy documents to avoid issues of eligibility.
Applications must be submitted via eLINK, BWSR’s grant management system. Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the application process early so that they can request help if they need it. Eligible applicants without a current eLINK user account must submit an account request no later than seven days prior to the application deadline.
The FY23 CWF Competitive RFP will also include the CWF Soil Health grant programs.
FY23 Clean Water Fund Timeline:
- June 27, 2022: Application period begins
- August 22, 2022: Application deadline at 4:30 p.m. (no late applications accepted)
- December 15, 2022: BWSR Board authorizes grant awards (proposed)
- February 2023: BWSR grant agreements sent to recipients (proposed)
- March 18, 2023: Work plan submittal deadline
- April 8, 2023: Grant execution deadline
- December 31, 2025: Grant expiration date (grant must be completed)
FY23 Competitive Clean Water Grant Programs:
|
Program Name |
Description |
Match Requirement | |
| BWSR CWF Soil Health | Provides funds for farmers [via local government units] who own or rent land to enhance the adoption of cover crops and other soil health practices in areas where there are direct benefits to public water supplies. |
10% | |
|
BWSR Projects and Practices |
Funds are to be used to protect, enhance and restore water quality in lakes, rivers and streams and to protect groundwater and drinking water. Eligible activities include structural and vegetative practices to reduce runoff and retain water on the land, livestock water quality projects, Subsurface Sewage Treatment System (SSTS) abatement grants for low income individuals, and stream bank, stream channel and shoreline protection projects. |
25% | |
|
Projects and Practices - Drinking Water subprogram |
This grant makes an investment in land treatment projects and practices that will protect or improve drinking water sources. Surface water (streams, rivers, and lakes) and groundwater (aquifers) can both serve as sources of drinking water. |
25% | |
|
BWSR Multipurpose Drainage Management |
This program funds multipurpose drainage management practices, targeting critical pollution source areas to reduce erosion and sedimentation, reduce peak flows and flooding, and improve water quality, while protecting drainage system efficiency and reducing drainage system maintenance for priority Chapter 103E drainage systems. |
25% | |
|
MDA AgBMP Loans1 |
MN Department of Agriculture offers low interest loans to farmers, rural landowners, and agriculture supply businesses support agricultural Best Management Practices that prevent or reduce runoff from feedlots, farm fields and other pollution problems identified by the county in local water plans. Any LGU may apply, but awards will be coordinated through existing contract holders. |
Not required | |
|
MPCA Clean Water Partnership Loans1 |
MN Pollution Control Agency’s Clean Water Partnership (CWP) program offers zero-interest loans to local units of government for addressing nonpoint-source pollution to improve water quality. |
Not required | |
1Indicate interest in loan dollars as part of a Projects and Practices or Projects and Practices Drinking Water application.
FY23 Updates to the Grants Administration Manual
The Grants Administration establishes administrative and programmatic requirements for all grants administered by BWSR. Several updates have been made to the manual for fiscal year (FY) 2023.
As Optional and Example Forms may be updated throughout the year, we recommend always accessing them directly from the website to ensure you are using the current form.
| Chapter Name | Section | Summary of Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Allowable and Unallowable Costs | Administrative requirements & policies | Clarified eligibility of loans using BWSR grant funds. |
| Project and Practice Assurances | Administrative requirements & policies | Information on Tennessen warning notices was added under the Contracts section. |
| Frequently Asked Questions | Administrative requirements & policies | Added a FAQ regarding splitting staff time between more than one program and a FAQ regarding using grant funds as loans. |
| Implementing Contracts with Land Occupiers | Implementing practices | Applicant’s name was removed as a meeting minute requirement to better comply with Tennessen warning notice requirements. |
Tip of the quarter
Q. Does BWSR’s billing rate policy and guidance apply to Clean Water Fund grants or to all grants including NRBG, State Cost Share, etc.?
A. The BWSR Grants Administration Manual applies to all grants unless specifically exempted through program policy.
FY23 State Cost Share
As of FY22-23, Cost-Share grants require a work plan in eLINK, which will fulfill the statutory requirement of the annual plan. The FY23 work plans were completed as a condition of the grant agreement, and payment will be made on or after July 1, 2022.
For additional information and background on the SWCD Annual Work Plan Transition, please visit State Cost Share: Annual Grant Request Guidance.
FY23 Biennial Grant Agreement Payments
In June of 2021, the BWSR Board approved provisional allocations for a number of FY23 grants, which were included on the FY22-23 biennial grant agreements. This included Natural Resource Block Grants and SWCD Program and Operations grants. Payments for these FY23 grants will be processed after July 1, 2022.