Who is an eligible applicant for WIIA and IMG grants?
WIIA and IMG grants are available only to the following municipal entities: county, city, town, village, district corporation, county or town improvement district, school district, Indian nation or tribe recognized by the State or the United States with a reservation wholly or partly within the boundaries of New York State, any public benefit corporation or public authority established pursuant to the laws of New York, or any agency of the State that is empowered to construct and operate a water quality infrastructure project.
How do I apply for WIIA and IMG grants?
EFC is using a web-based application for WIIA and IMG grants. Specific requirements and application procedures for each offering of WIIA and IMG grants are posted on EFC’s website.
Can I save my application and go back to it at a later date?
Yes. The web-based application allows an applicant to save the form and go back to it at a later date and time.
Can I work on multiple applications at one time?
Yes. The web-based application allows an applicant to work on multiple applications at one time.
If a municipality applied in the previous round but was not awarded, what do they need to submit this year?
All applicants must submit a new WIIA/IMG grant application to reapply in the current round. You can indicate on your application whether any required documents have already been submitted to EFC during a prior round of the program. Ensure that the most current versions of these documents are resubmitted to EFC if any have been updated since the last time they were submitted to EFC.
Are the WIIA and IMG grant programs associated with the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA)?
No.
Can municipalities apply for WIIA and IMG grants for both clean water and drinking water projects?
Yes. Municipalities may submit an application for both clean water and drinking water projects. Clean water projects and drinking water projects have separate applications and instructions.
Can you get an IMG and a WIIA grant for the same project?
No.
Is an engineering agreement required to apply for the WIIA and IMG grant programs?
No. Municipalities are not required to submit an engineering agreement at the time of their WIIA and/or IMG grant application but is encouraged if available.
Are planning and design costs eligible for a WIIA or IMG grant?
Yes. WIIA and IMG grants can be used for project planning and design costs as long as those costs result in a completed water infrastructure improvement project under the same financing agreement. Please note that all contracts entered into that are to be paid for with WIIA funds, IMG funds, or SRF financial assistance must demonstrate compliance with EFC’s terms and conditions and must include the required contractual language from the applicable EFC Terms and Conditions. Any contracts that do not include the required contractual language, including those executed prior to grant application, will be disqualified from funding.
Is there a cap on the total Drinking Water or Clean Water WIIA Grant one municipality can receive over multiple years?
No. If the applicant was awarded a grant in a prior round but has a new project they’d like to apply for, they are eligible to apply in the current round of grant funding.
Is SHPO's online receipt and consultation sufficient to satisfy the SHPO Project Review Determination Letter requirement?
No. The applicant must obtain a letter from SHPO indicating that the project will have no effect upon cultural resources in, or eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic Places. Under some circumstances, SHPO may issue a conditional letter allowing the project to proceed, which is acceptable.
If a project does not fall under a Type II SEQR action, is a full coordinated review required?
Applicants seeking SRF financial assistance must complete a Full Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) and coordinated review if determined to be a Type I or Unlisted action. If the municipality is seeking grant without SRF financial assistance, a Short Form EAF Unlisted action, with or without a coordinated review, is acceptable. See application instructions for more detail.
When is a board resolution required versus a bond resolution?
If debt will finance any portion of the project, a bond resolution must be adopted establishing the applicant's legal authority to issue debt for the project, as well as establishing a plan of finance for the total cost of the project. If no debt is being used to finance any portion of the project, a board resolution is necessary that authorizes the undertaking of the project and the obligation of funds for the project. If the applicant is issuing debt for the project and has adopted a bond resolution, a separate board resolution may not be necessary. Please consult with your local counsel to assist in determining what resolutions are required for your specific project.
The Grant Summary states that eligible projects include municipally-owned sewage treatment works. How is this defined?
"Sewage treatment works" is defined as a "facility for the purpose of treating, neutralizing or stabilizing sewage, including treatment or disposal plants, the necessary intercepting, outfall and outlet sewers, pumping station integral to such plants or sewers, equipment and furnishings thereof and their appurtenances".
Are stormwater projects eligible for Clean Water WIIA or IMG?
No. While strictly stormwater projects are not eligible, projects that include both sanitary and stormwater components are eligible (e.g. stormwater/sanitary sewer separation, combined sewer overflow (CSO), etc).
Is spillway or dam reconstruction eligible for Drinking Water WIIA or IMG?
No.
If a single municipality owns and operates a treatment plant and has an IMA in place with a neighboring municipality to treat wastewater or to provide drinking water, is that project eligible for an IMG grant?
No. An eligible IMG project must be a shared infrastructure project where one or more municipality is undertaking a single capital improvement project, such as the consolidation of intermunicipal facilities, interconnection of water systems, or shared services.
Do construction contracts executed prior to application have to include the required language from the EFC Terms and Conditions?
Yes, construction contracts executed prior to applying for EFC funding must include the required terms and conditions and must demonstrate compliance with all applicable programmatic requirements (such as AIS, MWBE, and Davis Bacon). If such contracts do not include and cannot be amended to include the required contractual language, then those contracts will not be eligible for EFC funding.
EFC Terms and Conditions are available at https://efc.ny.gov/terms-conditions.
Are projects that have closed a long term SRF financing eligible for a WIIA or IMG grant?
No.
Does a municipality need to be at or below a certain average or median income level to be considered for the grant programs?
No.
If a project is below the subsidy line in the IUP, is it still eligible for either a WIIA or IMG grant?
Yes.
If our project is not listed on the IUP, can we apply for a WIIA or IMG grant?
Yes. You do not need to be listed on the IUP to apply for a WIIA or IMG grant and are not required to obtain SRF financing if you are awarded a grant. However, if you are interested in SRF financing for your project, in order to be listed on the Annual List in the IUP and to be eligible for financing, the applicant must have submitted a listing form, acceptable Engineering Report, and smart growth form by the project listing deadline. If you do not submit this information by the deadline, the project will not be listed until the following year's IUP.
What types of financing are available for municipalities who wish to use financing?
For projects awarded a WIIA or IMG grant, subsidized financial assistance may be available if the project scores above the IUP subsidy line. Market-rate financing may be available to projects below the subsidy line.
Is a project that has received either a loan or a grant through another funding agency eligible for a WIIA or IMG grant?
Yes. However, if you are awarded a WIIA or IMG grant, you should consult the other funding agency to see if there may be an impact on the funding it has provided to the project.
Will the award of a grant or loan financing from another funding agency affect the award of a WIIA or IMG grant?
Grant awards are calculated based on the "net total eligible project costs" which means the total project costs less any awarded grants from other funding sources and any ineligible costs. Grant funds from another funding agency may impact the net project costs on which WIIA and IMG grant award amounts are calculated. If you are awarded a WIIA or IMG grant, and subsequently receive another grant for the same project, your WIIA or IMG grant may be recalculated to factor in any new co-funding (e.g. WQIP, CDBG). For clean water projects, any grants administered through EFC will not be used to calculate net eligible project costs. For drinking water projects, excluding emerging contaminant projects, net project cost will be calculated. Loan financing from another funding agency would not affect the award amount of a WIIA or IMG grant.
My project was awarded a grant in a prior round but now costs have gone up. Can I reapply for the cost increase?
No. A project that has received a WIIA or IMG grant in a prior round of funding is not eligible for an additional WIIA grant, even if project costs have increased. However, the applicant is eligible to apply for a grant for a new project.
What portion of the project does the MWBE participation goal apply to?
The MWBE goal applies to the portion of the project for which EFC provides financial assistance. If EFC provides a combination of SRF financing and WIIA or IMG grant for the entire project, the MWBE goals are applied to the entire project. If EFC provides a WIIA or IMG grant, and the remainder of the project cost is not financed with an SRF loan, the MWBE goal will be applied only to the portion of the project costs paid for by the grant funds.
Are the MWBE goals the same for both Professional Services and Construction Services?
Yes.
What are the WIIA/IMG MWBE goals for those awarded projects that are already under construction?
All contracts entered into by recipients that are to be paid for with WIIA funds, IMG funds, or SRF financial assistance must demonstrate compliance with EFC's program requirements and must include the required terms and conditions from the applicable EFC Terms and Conditions. Any contracts that do not include the required contractual language, including those executed prior to grant application, will be disqualified from funding.
What is SDVOB?
Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB). The goal of the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act is to encourage and support eligible SDVOBs to play a greater role in the state's economy by increasing their participation in New York State's contracting opportunities. There is a 6% SDVOB participation goal for projects awarded a WIIA or IMG grant that are not seeking SRF financing. Projects using both WIIA or IMG grant and SRF financing are not required to participate, but it is encouraged.
Is there anything else I should know?
Please make sure that you have read any grant overview or program summary information as well as the grant application guidance materials carefully.