Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 193.09

Current through September 30, 2024
Section NR 193.09 - Applications
(1) APPLICATION SUBMISSION.
(a) An application may be submitted to the department at any time prior to the deadlines established by the department for each subprogram under this chapter.
(b) To be considered for grant funding, complete applications shall be post-marked no later than the application deadline for applications that are mailed, or shall be sent via email to the department no later than 11:59:59 p.m. on the application deadline.
(c) An applicant may request a pre-application meeting to review project eligibility and receive technical or project planning assistance at any time but no fewer than 30 days prior to the application deadline.
(d) The department may require a grantee to complete a pre-proposal or to participate in a pre-application meeting in advance of the application deadline for projects proposed for funding under this chapter.

Note: Application forms and guidance on deadlines are available from the Surface Water Grant Program website. Pre-application meetings should occur early in the project planning process, well in advance of the application deadline.

(e) The department may accept Aquatic Invasive Species Early Detection grant applications year round.
(2) APPLICATION ELIGIBILITY.
(a) The department will only score and rank complete applications. A complete application adheres to application instructions, provides all information requested on the application, and includes any other supporting documentation requested by the department. The department will review the application for completeness within 30 days of receipt and may request any additional information necessary to complete the application. The application is not considered complete until the additional information requested by the department has been received. If the application deadline has passed, the department may determine that an incomplete application is ineligible.
(b) The department will review complete applications for eligibility. If the department determines an application is ineligible, the department will supply an explanation for the determination in writing. A grantee may request an eligibility review from the department no fewer than 30 days prior to the application deadline by submitting a request in writing along with a complete application. Prior to the application deadline, a grantee may address the eligibility concerns and submit a revised application for reconsideration. If the application deadline has passed, a revised application will only be considered during the next annual grant cycle. An application may be considered ineligible for any of the following:
1. The application lacks information needed to evaluate and score the application.
2. The application lacks the clarity needed to understand the justification, activities or likely outcomes of the project.
3. The application proposes activities that are inconsistent or that would result in outcomes that are inconsistent with one or more of the goals and objectives for surface water planning and management as described in this chapter, its enabling statutes, or program guidance.
(3) FUNDING FLEXIBILITY. The department may determine if an application fits into more than one subprogram under this chapter. Each application may be scored against criteria for all applicable subprograms for which it qualifies.
(4) SCORING AND RANKING.
(a) Following review for completeness and eligibility, department staff may evaluate the strengths of each application in consideration of funding priorities established under s. NR 193.11. Applications may be scored according to criteria published by the department and ranked by subprogram, from highest to lowest project score.
(b) The department may establish a minimally acceptable score for applications submitted under each subprogram.

Note: The department's scoring criteria and minimally acceptable score are available on the Surface Water Grant Program website.

(5) APPLICANT NOTICE. The department will notify applicants of the status of their grant applications and the rank of their application when compared to all other applications. If the department is unable to provide the amount of grant funding requested by the applicant, the department may notify the applicant, in writing, of the basis for funding denial.
(6) PROJECT PRIORITY LIST.
(a) The department will prepare a new or update an existing project priority list following scoring and ranking of applications submitted to the department. The project priority list includes all applicants that will be offered grant funding, ranked in order of project score. Available funding will be offered to applications in the order they appear on the project priority list.

Note: The department will publish the project priority list on the Surface Water Grant Program website.

(b) The department may offer financial assistance to an applicant in an amount less than requested for the following reasons:
1. Available grant funding is insufficient to fully fund a project in that subprogram. In the event 2 or more applications have an identical score but the funding remaining is insufficient to fund both projects, the department shall offer the applicants an identical percentage of their projects' total request.

Note: Two projects with the same score request funding in the amounts of $200,000 and $10,000 but the available grant funding amounts to $20,000. Each of the projects shall be offered 9.52% of their total request, or $19,040 and $952 respectively.

$10,000x+$200,000x=$20,000 where x =9.52%

2. The department determines a proposed activity is not necessary to meet the goals of the Surface Water Grant Program.

Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 193.09

Adopted by, CR 19-078: cr. Register May 2020 No. 773, eff. 6-1-20; correction in (1) (d) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register May 2020 No. 773, eff. 6/1/2020