USDA NRCS Offers Pacific Islands Area Conservation Innovation Grants

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) 2021 –Pacific Islands Area

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-PIA-CIG-21-NOFO0001065

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): This program is listed in the Assistance Listings under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 10.912, Environmental Quality Incentives Program

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 Pacific Islands Area. A total of up to $150,000 is available for CIG competition in FY 2021. 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 2021 is $150,000.

For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D.1. 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 April 26, 2021. 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. Questions regarding this notice of funding opportunity (NFO) may be submitted until April 7, 2021. Responses to questions posed will be posted on Grants.gov approximately two weeks before the application due date.

A webinar for CIG applicants is scheduled for March 10, 2021 at 1 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. Information on how to participate in the webinar will be posted to the Pacific Islands Area CIG website. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Pacific Islands Area CIG website to learn more about the CIG program. Questions about this announcement can be directed to Susan Kubo at susan.kubo@usda.gov or (808) 600-2921.

The agency anticipates making selections by May 21, 2021 and expects to execute awards by September 15, 2021.

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts

The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $10,000 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.