Given the statutory requirement that all Community Change Grants must be completed within three years, applicants must describe their approach for initiating grant performance upon award, or generally within 120 days after award, in compliance with the requirements in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500, 40 CFR Part 33 that apply to all EPA grants so they can successfully complete the grant within the three-year period.

This includes addressing the readiness considerations listed below, and any others, that are applicable to the projects and how they will be met. If any of the below considerations are not applicable, the application should explain why not.

• Government Approvals: If government approval at any level (e.g., construction permits) is necessary to implement or perform a project, the applicant must demonstrate that they have obtained such approval. If such approval has not been obtained, then the applicant must demonstrate how they will obtain it immediately after award, so it does not impede grant implementation.
• Federal Requirements for Construction Projects: Applicants must demonstrate that they have systems in place, or a plan to have such systems in place immediately after the grant award, to comply with CAA § 314 and the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts prevailing wage requirement, the Build America Buy America domestic preference requirement, and other cross-cutting statutory and Executive Order requirements that apply to Federally funded construction projects.
• Alignment with Existing Plans: Applicants must demonstrate that the project(s) in the Project Area as defined in Appendix A are consistent with any community development, climate resilience, or hazard mitigation plans, or other comparable government land use restrictions.
• Site Control: Applicants must demonstrate that they own or control the site where a project will be performed or that they will have legally binding access or permission to the site so they can perform the project(s).
• Operations and Maintenance: Applicants must describe their operations and maintenance plan and financing approach for their project’s infrastructure investments, if relevant, which may include long-term service costs, fee structures, detailed indebtedness for all properties, and other relevant information demonstrating how operations and maintenance of the investment will be assured during and after the grant award.