NRCS Maine is offering a grant to support Certified Nutrient Management Planning for Farms

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)

SUMMARY INFORMATION

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

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: NRCS Maine Certified Nutrient Management Planner

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-ME-MULTI-22-NOFO0001192

Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the Assistance Listings on Sam.gov under 10.902 Soil and Water Conservation and 10.912 Environmental Quality Incentives Program at: https://www.sam.gov/.

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

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) is being released prior to appropriation and/or apportionment of funds for fiscal year 2022. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.

Maine NRCS seeks assistance with completing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs) for certain farming operations as arranged with Field Office and State Office NRCS employees. The total number of plans per year would be between 8 and 12. All steps of conservation planning must be followed to complete plans that meet the state of Maine’s nutrient planning guidelines and regulations, as well as NRCS standards and specifications. They must be completed by a person or entity that is a Level 3 Certified Conservation Planner and a Level 2 Certified Nutrient Management Planner in the state of Maine.

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 13, 2022.  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, 2022 and expects to execute awards by September 1, 2022. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts

The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $50,000, and the estimated funding ceiling is $90,000. 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).