Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Competition

NMFS will only accept three full proposals from the same entity or applicant. If more than three full proposals are submitted from the same entity or applicant NMFS will accept the first three in the order they are received. Multiple proposals submitted must clearly identify different projects, and must be successful in the competitive review process.

This year's solicitation consisted of two separate submission processes. All interested applicants must submit a two-page Pre-Proposal to the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Applicants interested in submitting a full application after the pre-proposal review process must submit the full application through www.grants.gov.

Please note that under this one Notice of Funding Opportunity there are two competition links. Be sure to submit your pre-proposals to the “PRE PROPOSALS FY24 Saltonstall-Kennedy” link within the dates specified (closes July 24, 2023). Please be sure to submit your full proposals to the “Full Proposals FY24 Saltonstall-Kennedy” link prior to the date specified (closes November 21, 2023). Be sure to read the Notice of Funding Opportunity and follow the directions closely.

The objective of the S-K Research and Development Program, referred to throughout this document as the S-K Program, is to promote U.S. fisheries by assisting the fishing community to address marketing and research needs.

Three Priorities of the FY24 Solicitation

The FY24 solicitation seeks applications that fall into one of three priorities:

1) Promotion and Marketing

Projects sought should:

• Increase market demand and value of U.S. fisheries and/or;
• Develop or improve regional, national or global public relations and marketing opportunities to increase domestic production and/or demand for domestic products, and/or;
• Include marketing strategies which involve participation of the seafood industry locally, regionally, or nationally, and/or;
• Conduct domestic market research focused on stimulating demand for U.S. fisheries.

2) Development, Infrastructure, and Capacity Building

Projects sought should:

• Develop new or underutilized U.S. fisheries; and/or
• Improve the capacity of fishery sectors, including but not limited to indigenous, artisanal, recreational and other sectors to participate in scientific initiatives, cooperative management, fishery management regulatory processes, or developing and/or marketing of new sustainable fishing opportunities; and/or
• Encourage greater or more effective participation by fishing communities in a targeted area of the U.S. fishery supply chain; and/or
• Demonstrate that any proposed new infrastructure or infrastructure improvement is needed and provides a broad benefit for the fishing community (see Section IV, F. Funding Restrictions, in the NOFO).

3) Science or Technology that Enhances Sustainable U.S. Fisheries

Projects sought should:

• Directly impact U.S. fisheries through science and technology based projects that strengthen existing fisheries, or create new market opportunities for U.S. fishing communities; and/or
• Demonstrate a direct need or benefit to the fishing community and connect with one or more segments of the U.S. fisheries supply chain; and/or
• Include, within the scope of the project, participation of the fishing community.

Step 1: Pre-proposal

NOTE: The Pre-proposal period ends July 24, 2023. If you do not submit a pre-proposal by 11:59 p.m. EST on July 24, 2023, you will be ineligible to submit a full proposal. 

For this solicitation, all applicants are required to submit a pre-proposal in advance of a full proposal submission.  The pre-proposal process is intended to provide an indication to potential applicants of the technical merit and the relevancy of the proposed project to the S-K competition before preparing a full proposal.  When drafting a pre-proposal, applicants should clearly convey the impact and applicability of their proposed research for the priority area to which they are applying. Late or incomplete pre-proposals, as well as those that deviate from content or format requirements, will not be reviewed by NOAA.  

To apply, go to Grants.gov and click “Apply” to the “PRE PROPOSALS FY24 Saltonstall-Kennedy.”

The SF-424 form will serve as a cover page to the pre-proposal. Each pre-proposal may not exceed two pages, single-spaced in at least 12 point font and must provide:

• Title of project
• Background section that sets the stage for the work and identifies which singular priority found in Section I.B that the pre-proposal addresses directly
• Rationale of why the work should be conducted and how it is relevant to the Saltonstall-Kennedy Program
• Clear statement of objectives and general methodology to be used
• Identification of required permits (i.e. ESA, MMPA) and permit numbers, if applicable
• Estimated budget amount

Pre-proposals must be received at grants.gov under the competition link named “PRE PROPOSALS FY24 Saltonstall-Kennedy,” postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 11:59 p.m. EST, July 24, 2023, 60 days after the posting date of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Reviewers will assign scores to pre-proposals ranging from 0–40 points based on the four evaluation criteria below. Scoring will be determined by subject matter experts in a process similar to that used at the full proposal stage, providing scores for:

• How well the pre-proposal addresses the needs of the fishing community/communities.
• Approach and methodology (realistic objectives and design).
• Involvement/collaboration with the fishing community, industry, or other stakeholders.
• Does the project demonstrate direct benefits to U.S. fisheries?

NOAA will inform applicants within 60 days of the pre-proposal due date if the S-K Program encourages or discourages submission of a full proposal

Step 2: Full Proposal

Full proposals will not be reviewed or evaluated if a pre-proposal was not received and ranked. Full proposals must be received by http://www.Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 11:59 p.m. EST, November 21, 2023. We strongly encourage you to submit your full application through Grants.gov.

To submit your full proposal, go to the Grants.gov announcement and click “Apply” to the “FULL PROPOSALS FY24 Saltonstall Kennedy.”

Please note applicants must be registered with Grants.gov in order to apply for funding electronically. The registration process can take up to one month, so we recommend that applicants start this process as early as possible.

Detailed guidance on how to prepare proposals is provided in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. This document should be read carefully to ensure that proposals meet eligibility requirements and are complete upon submission. Complete instructions for preparing and submitting proposals are available through Grants.gov; however, here are some important requirements for your full proposal:

• The applicant should describe in detail in the detailed Project Narrative (also known as the “Statement of Work”) the nature and degree of participation of any NOAA entity in the project
• In the section of your proposal for “data sharing plan” describe the data you will be collecting and what you plan to do with them
• You are required to provide detailed information on your program activities to help proposal reviewers understand the potential environmental effects of your project

Funding

The total federal amount requested can be no less than $25,000 and no greater than $500,000, for up to a 2-year period, including direct and indirect costs. Project applications that request funding outside of this range will not be accepted or reviewed.

The program will not consider expenses associated with:

• Fees
• Fund-raising activities
• Travel for activities not directly related to project implementation
• Travel or salaries for federal employees
• Profit as allowable costs in the proposed budget

The total costs of a project consist of all allowable costs incurred in accomplishing project activities during the project period. Project costs can only include support for activities conducted between the effective start date and end date of the award, and cannot include activities undertaken either before or after the agreed upon dates. Applicants will not be reimbursed for time expended or costs incurred in developing a project or in preparing an application, or in any discussions or negotiations with the agency prior to the award.

More details about budget information can be found in the FAQ and in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.