Applicants applying as coalitions must name a lead community on Attachment A of the application; that lead community will be the contracting party and the point of contact during awards, a grant administrator said during an Oct. 5 Q&A. "On the actual application, on Attachment A, very much identify who is the lead community, because that is going to be the community that we contract with and who the contact person is," Courtney Sterling said.

Sterling said the program uses reimbursement-based grants, so the lead community typically submits invoices to the agency and reimburses other coalition partners after they submit invoices to the lead. "Typically, because our grants work on a reimbursement basis, you'll be submitting, for those who are successfully awarded. That's why we say we have a lead community ... that community is basically the one who is, in charge of reimbursing anybody else associated with the grant after they submit invoices to us," Sterling said.

Why it matters: Applicants should plan for the financial and administrative role that the lead community will play, including cash-flow management for reimbursement-based awards. Sterling also encouraged applicants to identify the lead community in advance to speed contracting once awards are selected.

Additional logistics: Sterling told participants that the RFR and past project lists are posted on the same application page and that applicants should check the RFR for attachment locations and deadlines. Several regional planning and watershed groups on the call said they routinely serve as lead or fiscal agents for coalition applications.

Discussion vs. decision: The session provided procedural guidance; naming a lead community is an application requirement described in the RFR rather than a new policy change announced at the meeting.

Ending: Prospective coalitions should use Attachment A to name a lead community, confirm which entity will handle reimbursement, and ensure that contracts and invoicing workflows are feasible before submitting an application.