Conservation Collaboration Grants or Agreements Fiscal Year | USDA NRCS NHQ CCG 20 GEN0010619

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ CCG 20 GEN0010619

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Collaboration Grants or Agreements opportunity for FY 2020 is a nationwide funding program designed to strengthen conservation outcomes by teaming NRCS with external partners. The overall goal is to leverage NRCS and partner resources to tackle local and strategic natural resource concerns while building conservation leadership at the state and community level, especially in communities connected to historically underserved agricultural producers. Projects can be proposed anywhere in the United States and its covered areas, including all 50 states, Washington, DC, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). NRCS indicated up to $35 million total funding availability for FY 2020 across projects described in the full announcement, with an award ceiling of $2,000,000 per award and an anticipated total of about 35 awards.

A key structural requirement is that proposals must involve outreach work in multiple states. In practice, that means applicants need to design projects that cross state lines rather than focusing on a single-state footprint. In addition, proposals that include on-the-ground work must identify the specific counties in each state where activities will occur. Another major compliance item is coordination with NRCS leadership in each target state: proposals must include a letter of support from each relevant NRCS State Conservationist for every state where work is proposed, and failure to secure these letters may disqualify the application from competition.

The program emphasizes helping farmers and ranchers improve, restore, or maintain natural resources in ways that deliver practical environmental and agricultural benefits. Priority outcomes include improving soil health, improving water quality, providing habitat for local wildlife species of concern, and improving the environmental and economic performance of working agricultural lands. The opportunity also recognizes the role of conservation in community well-being by supporting work that helps communities and groups build and strengthen local food projects that provide healthy food and create economic opportunities.

NRCS is particularly interested in projects that expand technical capacity and extend the reach of Farm Bill conservation programs. This includes building the technical capacity needed to implement Farm Bill conservation programs effectively, strengthening the technical capacity of NRCS and partner field conservation staff, and improving the capacity of local partner organizations to design and carry out effective conservation projects. Proposals that bring significant non-federal and non-government resources to the table are encouraged, since leveraging outside resources is framed as an important way to achieve stronger conservation outcomes.

Applicants must choose one of two funding categories. Category I focuses on outreach and assistance for historically underserved groups. Projects in this category are expected to increase the delivery of conservation assistance to historically underserved farmers and ranchers by combining program outreach with technical help related to natural resource management. A central expectation is that the project will guide participants through the full process of engaging with NRCS programs, including helping them understand how to apply and how to navigate participation requirements. Category II centers on collaboration around strategic natural resource issues, with an emphasis on environmental protection and stewardship through responsible natural resource management and strong partnerships. Eligible activities may include providing technical assistance to producers, transferring technology, and developing tools and information to address resource concerns across soil, water, air, plants, and animals. If the Category II project includes technical assistance to farmers and ranchers, it must also meet the multi-state outreach and county identification requirements, along with the required State Conservationist support letters.

Eligibility is limited to specific types of applicants: Native American tribal governments (federally recognized or non-federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in that nonprofit category), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and individuals. The announcement also highlights the option for applicants to request consideration as historically underserved (including limited resource, beginning, or veteran farmers or ranchers) under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 definitions. If an applicant is self-certifying as historically underserved, they must state that in the proposal and may later be asked to provide records verifying the claim.

There are also restrictions aimed at avoiding duplication with ongoing NRCS-funded work. Applicants with a current NRCS grant or agreement that ends later than 06/30/2020 are not eligible to submit a new proposal for the same purpose or the same communities. If an organization has an NRCS grant or agreement ending before that date, NRCS expects the applicant to show documented excellent progress on current deliverables and to explain clearly how the new funding would leverage, continue, or expand the existing work if applying again for the same purpose or communities.

The deadline for submission for this cycle was February 7, 2020, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time through Grants.gov. NRCS planned to score proposals as they were received and place eligible proposals onto a ranking list for funding consideration. Funding recommendations were to be made by the NRCS Director of Outreach and Partnership and then forwarded to the NRCS Deputy Management and Strategy for final selection decisions.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Collaboration Grants or Agreements Fiscal Year" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.902.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 09, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 07, 2020 Proposals must be received via Grants.gov by 1159 pm Eastern Standard Time on February 07, 2020.. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 35 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals.

Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ CCG 20 GEN0010619

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