Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA G2020 P3 Q4

The 17th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA G2020 P3 Q4; CFDA 66.516) that supports student-led, technology-based design projects aimed at solving real-world environmental and community challenges. The competition sits within EPA's People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Award Program and is built around the idea that strong solutions should be practical, grounded in science and engineering, and intentionally designed to deliver multiple benefits at the same time rather than treating social, economic, and environmental outcomes separately.

At its core, the program funds proposals to research, develop, design, and demonstrate innovative solutions that embody the "P3 approach." That means a project should credibly show how it can simultaneously (1) improve quality of life for people, (2) create or support economic benefits and prosperity, and (3) protect the environment. The emphasis is on integrated outcomes: a compelling application is not just an environmental fix, and not just a business idea, but a design that ties together measurable human benefits, economic feasibility or value, and environmental protection in a coherent, testable way.

A notable priority of the competition is relevance to communities across the United States, including groups that often face higher barriers to environmental and economic resilience. EPA explicitly calls out the needs of people in small, rural, tribal, and/or disadvantaged communities, signaling that projects that are scalable, affordable, culturally appropriate, and workable in under-resourced settings are especially aligned with the program's intent. In practice, this points applicants toward designs that can be deployed where infrastructure may be limited, where costs must be kept low, and where solutions must fit local conditions and community priorities.

The funding instrument is a grant, with an award ceiling of $25,000 per award and an expected 20 awards. The original posting timeline indicates a creation date of October 1, 2019, with an original closing date of November 19, 2019 (with direction to review the announcement's Section IV for specific submission instructions and requirements). Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with clarification directed to the announcement's eligibility section, which is common for student design competitions where the applicant organization is often a college, university, or other eligible institution submitting on behalf of a student team and faculty advisor.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a competitive student design grant program that helps teams move beyond ideas into early demonstration. The EPA is looking for projects that apply scientific principles to produce tangible, innovative, technology-centered solutions that can be tested or proven in a real-world context, while clearly delivering the triple bottom line of people, prosperity, and the planet.

  • The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "17TH ANNUAL P3 AWARDS: A NATIONAL STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION FOCUSING ON PEOPLE, PROSPERITY AND THE PLANET" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.516.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Oct 01, 2019.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 19, 2019 Please see Section IV of the announcement for additional submission information. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $25,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
Apply for EPA G2020 P3 Q4

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the 17th Annual P3 Awards competition?

The 17th Annual P3 Awards is a national student design competition run as an EPA discretionary grant opportunity. It supports student-led, technology-based design projects that aim to solve real-world environmental and community challenges using the EPA "People, Prosperity and the Planet" (P3) approach.

Which agency is offering this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under its P3 Award Program.

What is the official funding opportunity number (FON) and CFDA number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is EPA G2020 P3 Q4, and the CFDA number is 66.516.

What kinds of projects does the P3 program fund?

The program funds proposals to research, develop, design, and demonstrate innovative, technology-centered solutions. Projects should be practical, grounded in science and engineering, and designed for real-world testing or early demonstration.

What does the "P3 approach" mean in this competition?

The P3 approach means a project should credibly and coherently deliver three outcomes at the same time: (1) improve quality of life for people, (2) create or support economic benefits and prosperity, and (3) protect the environment. The EPA emphasizes integrated results rather than treating social, economic, and environmental outcomes as separate goals.

Does a project need to address all three "People, Prosperity, and the Planet" elements?

Yes. A strong proposal is expected to show how it can simultaneously improve human outcomes, support economic value or feasibility, and provide environmental protection in a measurable, testable way.

Is this opportunity only for environmental projects?

No. While environmental protection is central, the competition is not looking for an environmental fix alone. The intent is a design that also delivers clear benefits for people and includes a credible prosperity or economic component.

What does EPA mean by "technology-based design projects"?

Based on the announcement description, the emphasis is on solutions that apply scientific principles and engineering/design methods to produce tangible outcomes that can be tested or demonstrated in a real-world context.

Who is the competition intended to serve or benefit?

The competition is oriented toward solutions that are relevant to communities across the United States, especially including groups that face higher barriers to environmental and economic resilience.

Are projects focused on small, rural, tribal, or disadvantaged communities encouraged?

Yes. EPA explicitly calls out the needs of small, rural, tribal, and/or disadvantaged communities. Projects that are scalable, affordable, culturally appropriate, and workable in under-resourced settings are especially aligned with the program's intent.

What characteristics make a project well-aligned with under-resourced settings?

The announcement highlights solutions that can be deployed with limited infrastructure, keep costs low, fit local conditions, and reflect community priorities. Scalability and cultural appropriateness are also emphasized.

What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a grant.

How much funding is available per award?

The award ceiling is $25,000 per award.

How many awards does EPA expect to make?

The opportunity indicates an expected 20 awards.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close (based on the original timeline)?

The original posting timeline lists a creation date of October 1, 2019, and an original closing date of November 19, 2019.

Where do applicants find the specific submission instructions?

The announcement directs applicants to review Section IV for specific submission instructions and requirements.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with further clarification directed to the eligibility section of the announcement. This is common for student design competitions where an eligible organization (often a college or university) may apply on behalf of a student team and a faculty advisor.

Is the applicant typically an individual student or an institution?

The description suggests that, in practice, the applicant organization is often a college, university, or other eligible institution submitting on behalf of a student team and faculty advisor. The definitive eligibility rules are in the announcement's eligibility section.

What stage of work is EPA trying to support (idea vs. demonstration)?

This opportunity is positioned to help teams move beyond ideas into early demonstration. EPA is looking for designs that can be tested or proven in a real-world context.

What makes a proposal compelling under this program?

Based on the description, compelling proposals are practical, grounded in science and engineering, innovative, and structured to show integrated, measurable benefits for people, prosperity, and the planet. Designs that can work in a variety of U.S. communities, including under-resourced settings, appear especially aligned with program priorities.

Is the goal to separate social, economic, and environmental impacts or combine them?

The program explicitly emphasizes combined, integrated outcomes. EPA is looking for a coherent design that connects human benefits, economic feasibility/value, and environmental protection together, rather than addressing them independently.

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