EPA Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Grants
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Up to $1,000,000
Community environmental problem-solving grants for frontline communities
EPA's Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving grants fund community-based organizations, tribes, and local governments to address environmental and public health issues disproportionately affecting low-income, minority, and tribal communities. Grants support community-led collaborative processes: stakeholder engagement, technical assistance, and implementation of local environmental solutions. EJCPS does not fund large infrastructure or cleanup — it funds the process of building community capacity to solve environmental problems, often involving local small businesses as partners.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $100,000 – $1,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Typical EJCPS awards are $500,000–$1,000,000 over 3 years (~$167,000–$333,000/year). The program is funded through annua…
- Deadline
- Program closed — EPA has been terminating Environmental Justice grants en masse since May 2025. No FY2026 NOFO issued. Status uncertain pending litigation.
- Status
- closed
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- Eligible applicants: nonprofit organizations (including faith-based), federally recognized Indian tribes, and state, local, or tribal government entities
- For-profit businesses are NOT eligible to apply as prime applicants
- Community must be an Environmental Justice community — disproportionately burdened by environmental or public health hazards due to income, race, ethnicity, or indigeneity
- Proposed project must use a collaborative, stakeholder-driven approach to identify and address a specific environmental or public health problem
- Applicant must demonstrate existing relationships with the affected community and capacity to manage a federal grant
- No minimum revenue or employee threshold for nonprofit applicants
- Active SAM.gov registration with valid UEI required
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Funds intermediaries, not businesses directly
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Staff salaries and fringe for project coordinators and community organizers
- Community meetings, workshops, and stakeholder engagement activities
- Technical consultants and subject-matter experts to support the collaborative process
- Translation and interpretation services for non-English-speaking community members
- Community education and outreach materials
- Environmental monitoring and data collection to document the problem
- Small-scale pilot activities to demonstrate solutions (not large construction)
Ineligible expenses
- Large-scale infrastructure construction or cleanup (see EPA Brownfields for cleanup)
- Direct payments to community members
- Lobbying or political activity
- Equipment or supplies not directly tied to project activities
- Research that is primarily academic with no direct community benefit
How to apply
-
1
Confirm community EJ status and identify the environmental problem
Use EPA's EJScreen mapping tool (ejscreen.epa.gov) to confirm your community ranks high on EJ indices. Clearly articulate the specific environmental or public health problem — air quality, contaminated water, toxic exposure, etc. — disproportionately affecting the community.
~4 hrs
-
2
Build a collaborative partnership structure
EJCPS requires a genuine collaborative process, not a top-down approach. Identify community partners, government agencies, academic institutions, and businesses to be involved. Document existing relationships. A shallow coalition assembled just for the application is a common rejection reason.
~10 hrs
-
3
Develop the project narrative and logic model
Write the project narrative articulating: the environmental problem, the collaborative approach, specific goals and activities, expected outcomes, and evaluation metrics. Include a logic model. Narrative is typically 25–35 pages and is the primary evaluation basis.
~30 hrs
-
4
Complete budget and submit via grants.gov
Prepare a detailed budget justification. Complete SF-424 and submit via grants.gov under CFDA 66.309. Check the current NOFO for required attachments. Submit 48+ hours early for technical troubleshooting.
~10 hrs
Authenticity of the collaborative process is EPA's primary review focus. A shallow coalition assembled just for the application is a common rejection reason. Existing community trust matters more than proposal polish.
Deadline & timing
Starting in May 2025, EPA began mass terminations of EJ grants including EJCPS awards, citing policy misalignment. By fall 2025, hundreds of EJ grants had been terminated. No FY2026 EJCPS NOFO has been issued as of May 2026. Multiple lawsuits are pending. Organizations that depended on this program should check grants.gov CFDA 66.309 for any revival and consult legal counsel regarding termination notices.
Programs that stack well
Related programs
Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.