The Michigan Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate in the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) offers the Environmental Justice (EJ) Impact Grant program to reduce environmental health burdens and impacts in Michigan’s Environmental Justice communities.
The goal of the program is to positively impact residents in Environmental Justice communities by funding place-based and equity-focused projects.
These eligible applicants are listed on page one of the MI EJ Impact Grant Program Guide:
The following are examples of eligible applicants:
Examples of ineligible applicants:
Businesses that operate schools or licensed child-care facilities can apply for a Michigan Environmental Justice Impact Grant.
Applications for the Michigan Environmental Justice Impact Grant program must be submitted by email by 11:59 p.m. on July 15.
All applicants should attempt to use the budget template. If the budget template does not support an accurate reflection of your project’s budget, you may choose to use the alternative budget worksheet provided below. The only difference in the alternative budget worksheet is protections have been removed so applicants can edit as needed.
Email the required documents as attachments and any additional attachments to EGLE-CentralGrants@Michigan.gov.
Responses to answers to all relevant questions for Workplan Sections 1-5. See MI EJ Impact Grant Program Guide pages 6-10. There are no limits on length for the individual sections.
Yes.
However, any one applicant can only be awarded up to $500,000 in EJ Impact Grant funds.
EGLE does not require a resolution to be passed.
Any requirement to pass a resolution, and the stage in the process at which a resolution would be required, would be based on the applicant entity’s governance (charter, bylaws, etc.). Similar internal governance process requirements also may apply to non-profit applicants.
No match funding is required.
Yes. Letters of support should be attached and submitted with your application submission email.
Letters of support should be addressed to:
Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
*Please do not mail letters via postal service – mailed letters may not be received in time for consideration.
Download a new copy of the Application Form (EQP1130) (revised July 2024).
An updated version of the form ensures that applicants can include up to 250 words in Brief Project Summary field. The correct version has a revised date in the document footer of 7/2024.
Partners are not required for this grant, and there are no specific requirements for partnership structures.
EGLE is unable to support applicants in identifying partners or match-making.
Any eligible applicants can also be partners for your EJ Impact Grant project.
For purchases under $5,000, no bid process is required.
Purchases over $5,000 require at least three valid quotes, and purchases over $50,000 require a publicly-posted competitive bid or request for proposals (RFP) process.
Please apply! We encourage all applicants who understand their projects to align with the project categories and program purpose to apply, and in the project workplan to connect their project to expected category-aligned outcomes from project activities.
Purchase, installation, expansion, improvement, repair, or routine maintenance of:
Yes.
Be sure to answer all the questions in the MI EJ Impact Grants Program Guide under Workplan Section 3: Project Activities, Deliverables, and Target Dates for every category that applies to your project proposal.
For example, if your project work involves a community improvement project designed to improve public health and redevelopment of blighted sites, be sure to answer all questions for Category A and Category D.
It depends on how these activities are incorporated into the project being proposed. Application reviewers will look at how clearly the proposal describes the link between these activities and the expected outcomes, and how well those outcomes align with the goals of the project category.
For example, a hypothetical Category D project including outreach around the health impacts of contamination as a smaller component with most funds going toward contamination remediation costs would probably align fairly well.
In contrast, a hypothetical Category A project that is primarily designed to fund a general environmental education program that has potential to indirectly improve public health would probably align less well.
These grants are intended to fund projects in communities with Environmental Justice concerns, including those that self-identify as Environmental Justice communities.
Applicants should describe the Environmental Justice concerns in the community that the project is designed to impact. This description should include narrative responses to questions in Workplan Section 2: Linkage to Impacted Community (MI EJ Impact Grants Program Guide pages 6-7).
Data from MiEJScreen or other Environmental Justice screening tools can be used to support these descriptions. There is not a threshold qualifying MiEJScreen score.
We encourage applicants to budget for 10% indirect costs, even if the applicant has a federally negotiated indirect cost rate that is higher than 10%.
Per EGLE department policy for state-funded grants, indirect costs are allowable up to a maximum of 20% of the salary plus fringe costs, and EGLE maintains the right to ask for verification of how indirect rates are determined. Indirect cost rates higher than 10% used for proposed project budgets will be negotiated with EGLE on a case-by-case basis in the award agreement process.
No.
Only expenses for activities that occur after the start date of the grant agreement will be paid.
We encourage grantees to consider prevailing wages for contractors and subcontractors.
Federal Davis-Bacon Act requirements do not apply to this state-funded grant program.
Award amounts may differ from the amounts requested in the proposed budget.
Final amounts will be determined in the award agreement process.
No.
These grants are intended to fund projects making direct positive impacts for Environmental Justice communities.
All applicants should attempt to use the budget template. If the budget template does not support an accurate reflection of your project’s budget, you may choose to use the alternative budget worksheet provided below. The only difference in the alternative budget worksheet is protections have been removed so applicants can edit as needed.
The required MiEJScreen report will help application reviewers to understand the Environmental Justice context of the proposed project location. Points will not be awarded specifically based on MiEJScreen scores for the impacted community.
Applications will be scored according to the scoring table on page four of the MI EJ Impact Grant Program Guide.
Applications will be reviewed and scored by members of the Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate staff, as well as EGLE staff and staff from other State of Michigan departments with appropriate expertise in the four project categories.
We plan to announce awards in early September 2024.
The reporting requirements will be detailed in each grant award agreement.
An example reporting scheme could include submitting quarterly or semi-annual progress reports, financial status reports to claim reimbursements, and supporting documentation of eligible grant expenses. The specific timing of required reports will depend upon project needs and State year-end closing procedures.
Applications for Category A projects should define the improved public health outcomes that their project is designed to achieve and should adequately describe how the proposed community improvement project will lead to those outcomes.
Applications should adhere to the appropriate best practices for the type of project being proposed.
If your proposed project would typically warrant engineering plans or similar technical documents, please include those with your application.
We encourage those seeking funding for lead service line replacement to pursue the larger and more comprehensive resources for this type of project, such as the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
Yes.
Responses to the category-specific questions must detail the proposed methodology.
Awarded applicants will receive State of Michigan indoor air quality assessments for the facilities included in the project.
These assessments will be initiated by the Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate and fulfilled by state-contracted providers.
Further details will be determined in the grant award agreement process.
No.
Only licensed childcare or daycare providers can apply.
Yes.
The property owner – whether public or private property – needs to be included in the application.
Applications should include documentation of permission from the property owner to do any proposed work.
Yes.
Cleanup or redevelopment of private property affected by blight or contamination can be funded.
Previous cleanup work would not categorically affect site eligibility.
Potential considerations related to previous cleanup work will be reviewed according to the specifics of the proposed project.
Please apply! We encourage all applicants who understand their projects to align with the project categories and program purpose to apply. The project workplan should connect their project to expected category-aligned outcomes from project activities.
If you have specific questions not covered in the Program Guide or other application materials please email them to HutchensK1@Michigan.gov or EGLE-EnvironmentalJustice@Michigan.gov, or call Kate Hutchens, EJ Project Coordinator, at 517-599-3904.
The Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate staff is able to clarify eligibility and application processes, and not able to consult on competitiveness or fit of specific proposals.
Yes.
There are no requirements beyond standard intellectual property rights regarding who authors or submits the grant application materials. The application form must include an authorized signature from the applicant entity.
The Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate staff is able to clarify eligibility and application processes, and not able to consult on competitiveness or fit of specific proposals.
Appendix F of the MI EJ Impact Grant Program Guide includes a non-exhaustive list of TA providers and resources.
In addition to that list, please note these TA providers.
The EPN’s pro bono Capacity-Building Technical Assistance Program provides assistance to communities; NGOs; and state, local, and tribal agencies disproportionately impacted by environmental and health issues. The EPN’s network of volunteers assists organizations to more effectively and meaningfully participate in government decision-making by helping them navigate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, potential grants, regulatory processes, federal policies, and publicly available data to support their work.
EJ Impact Grants were funded through the State of Michigan 2024 fiscal year budget.
There are no federal funds connected to this program.
This is one-time funding included in the state budget.
There may possibly be a second round of awards if all funds are not awarded in this round.
