USDA NRCS California is offering Conservation Contribution Agreements to advance climate-smart agriculture and resource conservation.

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: 2023 California Conservation Contribution Agreements

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-CA-MULTI-23-NOFO0001282

Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the Assistance Listings (previously referred to as the Catalog of Federal Financial Assistance) on Sam.gov under the assistance listings below which can be found at: https://www.sam.gov/.

10.902 Soil and Water Conservation (CTA): 16 U.S.C. 590a-f, 590q

10.912 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): 16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.

10.924 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP): 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-21 et seq.

10.931 Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP): 16 U.S.C. 3865 et seq.

10.069 Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): 16 U.S.C 3831-3835a

SAM is a web-based, government-wide application that collects, validates, stores, and disseminates business information about the federal government’s trading partners in support of the contract awards, grants, and electronic payment processes.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary

The amount of funding available for successful agreements will range between $25,000.00 and $150,000.00 per award. $1,000,000 is potentially available under this announcement. 

This announcement invites applications from the network of outreach and conservation organizations with a focus on California NRCS Conservation Program implementation. This notice is a solicitation for contribution agreement proposals to assist the Natural Resources Conservation Service in California in carrying out our mission. Note, Conservation Cooperative Agreements and Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) are advertised separately and should not be submitted in response to this notice of funding. 

Proposals should focus on the resiliency of California agriculture by addressing climate smart agriculture through targeted resource concerns. The target resource concerns include: address climate resiliency and drought, plant productivity and forest health, air quality, water quality, water quantity, soil health/soil quality, wildlife habitat, and outreach. The prioritization of these target resource concerns reflects the goals outlined in the NRCS California Strategic Plan. Emphasis will be given to projects that provide direct technical assistance to NRCS staff in the implementation of Farm Bill conservation programs, such a CSP. California NRCS will continue to prioritize a full spectrum of partnerships that includes Tribes, urban producers, and partners working on behalf of Historically Underserved sectors of our farming, ranching and forestry communities. We are continuously working to expand our conservation footprint in all communities in California. 

•         Additional emphasis may be given if the proposal will target increased utilization of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) in California.

Applications for funding are invited through 11:59 pm EST (8:59 pm PST) on June 4, 2023.  News Release found at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/california.

For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.

Key Dates

Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 4, 2023. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.

For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.

The agency anticipates making selections by June 30, 2023, and expects to execute awards by August 31, 2023. These dates are estimates and are subject to change. 

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts

The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $25,000.00, and the estimated funding ceiling is $150,000.00. The funding floor means the minimum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The ceiling is the maximum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not any specific budget period.

Federal Financial Assistance Training

The funding available through this NFO is Federal financial assistance. Grants 101 Training is highly recommended for those seeking knowledge about Federal financial assistance. The training is free and available to the public via https://www.cfo.gov/grants-training/. It consists of five modules covering each of the following topics: 1) laws, regulations, and guidance; 2) financial assistance mechanisms; 3) uniform guidance administrative requirements; 4) cost principles; and 5) risk management and single audit. FPAC agencies also apply Federal financial assistance regulations to certain non-assistance awards (e.g., non-assistance cooperative agreements).