Any Non-Federal cost-share requirement otherwise applicable to projects carried out under this section may be waived at the discretion of the Secretary. Match may be waived for proposals that deliver 100 percent of the funding/program benefits to disadvantaged communities.
Applications seeking match waiver must clearly describe the scope of work to be performed in applicable disadvantaged communities, and identify online vulnerability and environmental justice equity data tools referenced to support a disadvantaged community designation, (e.g., White House Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), EPA Environmental Justice and Screening Mapping Tool (EJScreen), EPA EnviroAtlas Interactive Map, Opportunity Zones), or other government sponsored vulnerability tools which inform metrics applicable to the scope of work. Multiple tools may be used. All work must be tracked at the level that designates disadvantaged communities. Applicants receiving match waiver approval that pass-through funding (sub-award) for work in disadvantaged communities must pass the match waiver to sub-awardees performing the work.
While the pace of federal expenditures and cost sharing/matching may vary throughout the award period, the agency will actively monitor expenditure rates and cost sharing/matching levels as it receives payment requests to ensure the total cost sharing/matching requirement is met by the award period of performance end date. Additional details about cost sharing or matching funds/contributions are located at 2 CFR 200.306.
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirements
All federal grant funds are to be matched at least equally (dollar for dollar) with non-federal match which may include allowable and allocable in-kind contributions (i.e., personnel salary, fringe, and indirect costs; services, materials, supplies, equipment donations; and volunteer assistance), and private and public (non- federal) monetary contributions.
Cash match is from the applicant’s budget, such as personnel salary, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, and supplies, or cash provided by another party. The source of the cash match cannot be derived from another Federal award or grant.
In-kind match is a non-cash contribution of value. A non-Federal entity’s in-kind match must meet the following criteria:
- Verifiable from the non-Federal entity's records
- Not included as contributions for any other Federal award.
- Necessary and reasonable for accomplishment of project or program objectives.
- Allowable under subpart E of 2 CFR 200.
- Not paid by the Federal Government under another Federal award, except where the Federal statute authorizing a program specifically provides that Federal funds made available for such program can be applied to matching or cost sharing requirements of other Federal programs.
- Provided for in the approved budget when required by the Federal awarding agency; and
- Conform to other provisions of 2 CFR 200, as applicable.
Matching funds must be derived entirely from non-Federal sources (unless expressly authorized in law by the other federal program.
Questions & Answers:
(Q) Can the State ask for a match waiver?
(A) Yes. Match waiver requests will be prioritized for projects that focus on disadvantaged communities. The match waiver must be passed on to sub-grant recipients
(Q) If a match waiver is not requested or eligible, do we presume 1:1 required non-federal match per standard UCF program guidelines?
(A) Yes
(Q) Is the only way to get a match waiver is if nearly the entire grant is focused on disadvantaged communities?
(A) Yes
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