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Unsewered Communities Construction Grant Program


**The most recent application period for acceptance of the UCCGP is CLOSED, but a new round of Grant Funding is anticipated to open within the FY24 (Fiscal Year).  A Notice of Funding Opportunity will be posted at that time.  Please keep watching the Unsewered website for future updates.

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The Unsewered Communities Construction Grant Program (UCCGP) utilizes funds distributed by the State of Illinois generated under the Build Illinois Bond Fund and Anti-Pollution Bond Fund. Over the next five years, IEPA expects to award a total of $20,000,000 annually and anticipates distributing this amount across four (4) to ten (10) awards annually. Funding will be limited to a maximum of $5,000,000 per project.

CONSTRUCTION GRANT APPLICATION RELATED MATERIALS

CONSTRUCTION GRANT RECIPIENT RELATED MATERIALS

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is seeking proposals for projects which will provide wastewater collection and/or treatment facility for areas where there are currently no wastewater collection and/or treatment facility. 

Applicants must be Local Government Units that have pre-qualified through the GATA Grantee Portal.  For areas where wastewater collection and/or treatment facilities are currently nonexistent, grant funding for design engineering, construction engineering, and construction related activities will be provided.  The application acceptance period is currently closed, but it is anticipated to open back up within the FY24.  All completed UCCGP applications shall undergo a comprehensive review and be scored to determine priority. Successful applicants will be notified within 21 days of the application deadline.  Grant awards will be given in the range of $500,000 - $5,000,000 per project.

Funding Information

  • An individual grant will be for a maximum percentage of the construction costs based upon the Median Household Income (MHI) of the applicant's service population as a percentage of the state average MHI as shown below:

    ​​Applicant MHI vs. State Average MHI ​​% of Construction Cost
    ​Below the state average
    		 ​​100%
    ​​100-109.99% of state average MHI
    		 ​​90%
    ​​110-119.99% of state average MHI
    		 ​​80%
    ​120-129.99% of state average MHI
    		 ​​70%
    ​130-139.99% of state average MHI
    		 ​​60%
    ​​140-149.99% of state average MHI
    		 ​​50%
    ​Above 150% of state average MHI
    		 NOT ELIGIBLE FOR GRANT FUNDING
  • The UCCGP is a reimbursement program. The grantee must perform the work, pay project costs, and submit an invoice with supporting documentation before IEPA will reimburse the grantee for any approved eligible costs. IEPA shall only make reimbursements to the grantee and shall reimburse no more frequently than monthly.
     

Eligible Funding Costs

  • Funding will be provided for design engineering, construction engineering, and construction related activities only.  If a portion of the project includes the abandonment of old septic systems, the applicant may include those associated costs within construction.  
  • Costs of reporting efforts related to any reporting requirements of the U-IGA can be included in the third-party contract and are considered an eligible grant cost.

Ineligible Activies, Tasks, and/or Components

  • Examples of ineligible activities, tasks, and components that shall not be funded through the UCCGP are provided below. The list is not all-inclusive: 
    • Land acquisition Costs
    • Project Planning Costs
    • Rehabilitation of existing wastewater collection and/or treatment facilities
    • Future growth or development projects
  • NOTE: Costs incurred prior to the executed contract date of the grant agreement or after the grant agreement term ends are ineligible for reimbursement. 
     

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

  • Applicants must be in good standing with the Secretary of the State.  Eligible proposals will come from a local government unit within the State of Illinois, as defined in Title 35 of the Illinois Administrative Code Part 365 as follows:
    • Local Government Unit − A county, municipality, township, municipal or county sewerage or utility authority, sanitary district, public water district, improvement authority or any other political subdivision whose primary purpose is to construct, operate and maintain wastewater treatment facilities, including storm water treatment systems, or public water supply facilities or both. [415 ILCS 5/19.2(g)]

NOTE:  An entity MAY NOT apply for a grant until the entity has registered and pre-qualified through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, www.grants.illinois.gov/portal   

Registration and pre-qualification are required annually.  During GATA pre-qualification, verifications are performed including a check of the federal Debarred and Suspended list and status on the Illinois Stop Payment List.  An automated email notification from the GATA Portal to the entity alerts them of 'qualified' status or informs how to remediate a negative verification (e.g., inactive UEI, not in good standing with the Secretary of State).  A federal Debarred and Suspended status cannot be remediated.

 

  • UCCGP applicants must have the financial ability to initiate the project, pay expenses, and then request reimbursement from the IEPA, while continuing to finance their normal operating expenses.  UCCGP applicants must have the authority and ability to implement the proposed project or propose to subcontract portions of the project to the appropriate entities for implementation.
     

Project Match

  • The UCCGP does not require a match, but additional funds may be necessary to complete the project as UCCGP amounts may not be sufficient to complete the project. See Section B of the NOFO.
     

Indirect Cost Rate

  • The grant will not compensate for the indirect costs, overhead, or administrative expenses directly incurred by the applicant associated with applying for this funding opportunity or the completion of the project.

Application

  • Applicant shall not apply for UCCGP until the applicant has pre-qualified through the GATA Grantee Portal, https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/.
  • A complete UCCGP application must include the following:
  • Applications can be submitted when the next application period opens. Submissions can be made via the following methods:
    • By email to EPA.LoanMgmt@illinois.gov. Include the phrase "Unsewered Communities Construction Grant Application", project title and applicant name in the email subject line.  Contact the Infrastructure Financial Assistance Section at 217-782-2027 regarding potential firewall issues.
    • By mailing or delivering the application directly to:
      • U.S. Postal Service Mailing Address:
        Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
        Bureau of Water, #15
        P.O. Box 9276
        Springfield, Illinois  62794-9276
        Attn:  Lanina Clark
      • Delivery Address:
        Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
        Bureau of Water, #15
        1021 North Grand Avenue East
        Springfield, Illinois 62702
        Attn:  Lanina Clark
         
  • Please see the Application and Submission Information Section when the next application period opens for specific instruction and submission requirements.
     

AGENCY CONTACTS

Any questions regarding the UCCGP, the UCCGP NOFO, or the UCCGP Application can be directed to the following Illinois EPA's Infrastructure Financial Assistance Section Staff: