USDA NRCS Louisiana Conservation Delivery Technical Assistance Grant

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

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: Louisiana Conservation Delivery Technical Assistance, FY22

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-LA-MULTI-22-NOFO0001151

Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the Assistance Listings on Sam.gov under

CFDA 10.902 – Soil and Water Conservation (CTA): Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, Public Law 74-76, 16 U.S.C 590 a-f.

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, an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is seeking support from natural resource conservation partners to provide outreach promoting NRCS programs that enhance conservation delivery in Louisiana. The overall intent of this announcement is to solicit partnerships to help enhance the implementation of key conservation objectives and priorities outlined further in this document.

Proposals will be accepted from entities delivering conservation programs and services in Louisiana for projects between one and five years in duration. NRCS anticipates the amount of funding available for this announcement will be up to approximately $700,000.00 awarded to multiple FY2022 recipients. All awards are subject to the availability of funds appropriated by Congress at the time of award. Proposals are requested from:

·      City or township governments

·      County governments

·      State Governments

·      Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

·      Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education)

·      Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education)

·      Private institutions of higher education

·      Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education

·      Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

All applicant categories must be capable of providing support in the State of Louisiana.

This notice identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions. Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete and/or noncompliant applications may be eliminated from competition and notification of elimination will be sent to the applicant. The Louisiana State Conservationist reserves the right not to fund any or all applications, or to only partially fund a proposal if the NRCS objectives can be reached with a reduced scope. NRCS will accept applications under this notice for single or multiyear applications submitted by eligible entities.

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 31, 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 15, 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 $100,000.00, and the estimated funding ceiling is $700,000.00. 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).