USDA-NRCS Louisiana: Conservation Innovation Grants for Innovative Approaches

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2022 – LOUISIANA

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-LA-CIG-22-NOFO0001208

Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the Assistance Listings on SAM.gov under 10.912, Environmental Quality Incentives Program

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 

NRCS is announcing the availability of CIG funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications are accepted from eligible entities for projects carried out in the state of Louisiana. A total of up to $300,000 is available for the Louisiana CIG competition in FY 2022. All non-federal entities (NFE) and individuals are invited to apply, with the sole exception of federal agencies. Projects may be between one and three years in duration. The maximum award amount for a single award in FY 2022 is $150,000.

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 May 27, 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. 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.

Applicants are encouraged to visit the Louisiana State CIG website to learn more about the CIG program: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/la/programs/financial/cig/

Questions about this announcement can be directed to Dr. Craig Smith, NRCS Louisiana State Conservation Agronomist, at (318) 473-7805, craig.smith2@usda.gov since these applications are related to cropland.

The agency anticipates making selections by June 30, 2022 and expects to execute awards by September 15, 2022. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts 

The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $100,000, and the estimated funding ceiling is $150,000. 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).