Opportunity ID: 353379
General Information
| Document Type: | Grants Notice |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354 |
| Funding Opportunity Title: | Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 |
| Opportunity Category: | Discretionary |
| Opportunity Category Explanation: | – |
| Funding Instrument Type: | Other |
| Category of Funding Activity: | Agriculture Environment Natural Resources |
| Category Explanation: | – |
| Expected Number of Awards: | – |
| Assistance Listings: | 10.932 — Regional Conservation Partnership Program |
| Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: | Yes |
| Version: | Synopsis 3 |
| Posted Date: | Apr 03, 2024 |
| Last Updated Date: | Jul 02, 2024 |
| Original Closing Date for Applications: | Jul 02, 2024 NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 2, 2024. |
| Current Closing Date for Applications: | Jul 02, 2024 NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 02, 2024. |
| Archive Date: | Aug 01, 2024 |
| Estimated Total Program Funding: | $1,500,000,000 |
| Award Ceiling: | $25,000,000 |
| Award Floor: | $250,000 |
Eligibility
| Eligible Applicants: | Special district governments Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) State governments Independent school districts Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities City or township governments County governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education |
| Additional Information on Eligibility: | Entities that are classified as one of the following organizational types can serve as an eligible RCPP partner:a. an agricultural or silvicultural producer association or other group of producers;b. a state or unit of local government;c. an Indian tribe;d. a farmer cooperative;e. a water district, irrigation district, acequia, rural water district or association, or other organization with specific water delivery authority to agricultural producers;f. a municipal water or wastewater treatment entity;g. an institution of higher education;h. an organization, business, or entity with an established history of working cooperatively with producers (as determined by NRCS) to address:• local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, or nonindustrial private forest land management; or• critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource issues;i. an entity, such as an Indian tribe, state government, local government, or a non-governmental organization, that has a farmland or grassland protection program that purchases agricultural land easements, as defined in 7 CFR § 1468.3; j. a conservation district. |
Additional Information
| Agency Name: | Natural Resources Conservation Service |
| Description: |
Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Funding Opportunity Title: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354 Assistance Listing: 10.932, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Due Date: NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 2, 2024. Note: The RCPP Classic and Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) FY 2024 notices of funding opportunity (NFO) will run concurrently. For information on AFA proposals please see Funding Opportunity Number USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPAFA-24-NOFO0001355. The RCPP promotes the coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through the RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that provide solutions to conservation challenges thereby measurably improving the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP promotes collaboration with partners, stakeholders, and various communities, which is paramount to achieving equity in NRCS programs and services. Using guidance contained in this notice, partners propose projects that generate conservation benefits by addressing specific natural resource concerns in a state or multistate area by addressing one or more priority resource concerns within an NRCS-designated critical conservation area (CCA). NRCS and partners collaborate to design, promote, and implement RCPP projects on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest land. Through RCPP, NRCS may provide both financial assistance (FA) and technical assistance (TA) funds to project partners and agricultural producers for implementing projects. RCPP proposals are evaluated through a competitive proposal process based on three criteria: impact, partner contributions, and partnership and management. Up to $1.5 billion is available for RCPP projects through this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement, which includes $300 million of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) funding and $1.2 billion of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. Proposals are accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and U.S. territories in the Pacific Island Areas (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). NRCS will prioritize using IRA funds for projects that will implement climate-smart agriculture and forestry conservation activities as described in section F.(3)a. of this announcement. Up to $100 million is being made available specifically for NRCS to enter into programmatic partnership agreements with Indian tribes. This set aside will be shared by this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement. Any unused funds may be available for other partnership agreements. Submissions: Proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal. See section E of this announcement for information on using the RCPP portal to submit proposals. Access to the RCPP portal requires a level 2 eAuthentication credential or a Login.gov credential. Obtaining a new Login.gov credential involves multiple steps and can take several days to complete. Instructions are posted on the How to Apply to RCPP web page listed below. For More Information: Applicants are expected to contact the appropriate State Conservationists and state RCPP coordinators prior to submitting a proposal. NRCS will use a state conservation questionnaire to record the results of this conversation. Proposals without a completed questionnaire may have their score and ranking reduced. A list of state RCPP coordinators (as of the date of this announcement’s posting) is on the NRCS How to Apply to RCPP web page. Applicants can also email the RCPP inbox (rcpp@usda.gov) with any questions about the announcement. The RCPP website is also a great source of current information about the program. Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in one or more of the webinars below to learn about the program and how to apply. 2024 RCPP NFO Applicant Outreach Webinar This webinar will provide general information for applicants submitting proposals for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The same material will be covered at both webinars followed by a question-and-answer section. Please refer to the RCPP website for more information. Regional Conservation Partnership Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)
NRCS will schedule additional webinars on RCPP easements and providing outreach to tribal applicants. Information on all webinars will be posted to the RCPP how to apply page. |
| Link to Additional Information: | – |
| Grantor Contact Information: | If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
Partners with proposal related questions are encouraged to contact the appropriate NRCS state RCPP coordinator. The RCPP How to Apply web page maintains a list of NRCS state RCPP coordinators, which is updated for each funding opportunity.
Potential applicants may also contact national RCPP staff by email at rcpp@usda.gov with any general program or policy questions. Email:rcpp@usda.gov |
Version History
| Version | Modification Description | Updated Date |
|---|---|---|
| Closing date changed back to 7/2/2024. | Jul 02, 2024 | |
| Closing date changed to 7/12/2024. | Apr 03, 2024 | |
| Apr 03, 2024 |
DISPLAYING: Synopsis 3
General Information
| Document Type: | Grants Notice |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354 |
| Funding Opportunity Title: | Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 |
| Opportunity Category: | Discretionary |
| Opportunity Category Explanation: | – |
| Funding Instrument Type: | Other |
| Category of Funding Activity: | Agriculture Environment Natural Resources |
| Category Explanation: | – |
| Expected Number of Awards: | – |
| Assistance Listings: | 10.932 — Regional Conservation Partnership Program |
| Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: | Yes |
| Version: | Synopsis 3 |
| Posted Date: | Apr 03, 2024 |
| Last Updated Date: | Jul 02, 2024 |
| Original Closing Date for Applications: | Jul 02, 2024 NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 2, 2024. |
| Current Closing Date for Applications: | Jul 02, 2024 NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 02, 2024. |
| Archive Date: | Aug 01, 2024 |
| Estimated Total Program Funding: | $1,500,000,000 |
| Award Ceiling: | $25,000,000 |
| Award Floor: | $250,000 |
Eligibility
| Eligible Applicants: | Special district governments Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) State governments Independent school districts Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities City or township governments County governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education |
| Additional Information on Eligibility: | Entities that are classified as one of the following organizational types can serve as an eligible RCPP partner:a. an agricultural or silvicultural producer association or other group of producers;b. a state or unit of local government;c. an Indian tribe;d. a farmer cooperative;e. a water district, irrigation district, acequia, rural water district or association, or other organization with specific water delivery authority to agricultural producers;f. a municipal water or wastewater treatment entity;g. an institution of higher education;h. an organization, business, or entity with an established history of working cooperatively with producers (as determined by NRCS) to address:• local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, or nonindustrial private forest land management; or• critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource issues;i. an entity, such as an Indian tribe, state government, local government, or a non-governmental organization, that has a farmland or grassland protection program that purchases agricultural land easements, as defined in 7 CFR § 1468.3; j. a conservation district. |
Additional Information
| Agency Name: | Natural Resources Conservation Service |
| Description: |
Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Funding Opportunity Title: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354 Assistance Listing: 10.932, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Due Date: NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 2, 2024. Note: The RCPP Classic and Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) FY 2024 notices of funding opportunity (NFO) will run concurrently. For information on AFA proposals please see Funding Opportunity Number USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPAFA-24-NOFO0001355. The RCPP promotes the coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through the RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that provide solutions to conservation challenges thereby measurably improving the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP promotes collaboration with partners, stakeholders, and various communities, which is paramount to achieving equity in NRCS programs and services. Using guidance contained in this notice, partners propose projects that generate conservation benefits by addressing specific natural resource concerns in a state or multistate area by addressing one or more priority resource concerns within an NRCS-designated critical conservation area (CCA). NRCS and partners collaborate to design, promote, and implement RCPP projects on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest land. Through RCPP, NRCS may provide both financial assistance (FA) and technical assistance (TA) funds to project partners and agricultural producers for implementing projects. RCPP proposals are evaluated through a competitive proposal process based on three criteria: impact, partner contributions, and partnership and management. Up to $1.5 billion is available for RCPP projects through this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement, which includes $300 million of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) funding and $1.2 billion of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. Proposals are accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and U.S. territories in the Pacific Island Areas (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). NRCS will prioritize using IRA funds for projects that will implement climate-smart agriculture and forestry conservation activities as described in section F.(3)a. of this announcement. Up to $100 million is being made available specifically for NRCS to enter into programmatic partnership agreements with Indian tribes. This set aside will be shared by this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement. Any unused funds may be available for other partnership agreements. Submissions: Proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal. See section E of this announcement for information on using the RCPP portal to submit proposals. Access to the RCPP portal requires a level 2 eAuthentication credential or a Login.gov credential. Obtaining a new Login.gov credential involves multiple steps and can take several days to complete. Instructions are posted on the How to Apply to RCPP web page listed below. For More Information: Applicants are expected to contact the appropriate State Conservationists and state RCPP coordinators prior to submitting a proposal. NRCS will use a state conservation questionnaire to record the results of this conversation. Proposals without a completed questionnaire may have their score and ranking reduced. A list of state RCPP coordinators (as of the date of this announcement’s posting) is on the NRCS How to Apply to RCPP web page. Applicants can also email the RCPP inbox (rcpp@usda.gov) with any questions about the announcement. The RCPP website is also a great source of current information about the program. Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in one or more of the webinars below to learn about the program and how to apply. 2024 RCPP NFO Applicant Outreach Webinar This webinar will provide general information for applicants submitting proposals for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The same material will be covered at both webinars followed by a question-and-answer section. Please refer to the RCPP website for more information. Regional Conservation Partnership Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)
NRCS will schedule additional webinars on RCPP easements and providing outreach to tribal applicants. Information on all webinars will be posted to the RCPP how to apply page. |
| Link to Additional Information: | – |
| Grantor Contact Information: | If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
Partners with proposal related questions are encouraged to contact the appropriate NRCS state RCPP coordinator. The RCPP How to Apply web page maintains a list of NRCS state RCPP coordinators, which is updated for each funding opportunity.
Potential applicants may also contact national RCPP staff by email at rcpp@usda.gov with any general program or policy questions. Email:rcpp@usda.gov |
DISPLAYING: Synopsis 2
General Information
| Document Type: | Grants Notice |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354 |
| Funding Opportunity Title: | Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 |
| Opportunity Category: | Discretionary |
| Opportunity Category Explanation: | – |
| Funding Instrument Type: | Other |
| Category of Funding Activity: | Agriculture Environment Natural Resources |
| Category Explanation: | – |
| Expected Number of Awards: | – |
| Assistance Listings: | 10.932 — Regional Conservation Partnership Program |
| Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: | Yes |
| Version: | Synopsis 2 |
| Posted Date: | Apr 03, 2024 |
| Last Updated Date: | Jul 01, 2024 |
| Original Closing Date for Applications: | – |
| Current Closing Date for Applications: | Jul 12, 2024 NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 12, 2024. |
| Archive Date: | Aug 01, 2024 |
| Estimated Total Program Funding: | $1,500,000,000 |
| Award Ceiling: | $25,000,000 |
| Award Floor: | $250,000 |
Eligibility
| Eligible Applicants: | City or township governments Private institutions of higher education State governments Independent school districts Small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) For profit organizations other than small businesses County governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments |
| Additional Information on Eligibility: | Entities that are classified as one of the following organizational types can serve as an eligible RCPP partner:a. an agricultural or silvicultural producer association or other group of producers;b. a state or unit of local government;c. an Indian tribe;d. a farmer cooperative;e. a water district, irrigation district, acequia, rural water district or association, or other organization with specific water delivery authority to agricultural producers;f. a municipal water or wastewater treatment entity;g. an institution of higher education;h. an organization, business, or entity with an established history of working cooperatively with producers (as determined by NRCS) to address:• local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, or nonindustrial private forest land management; or• critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource issues;i. an entity, such as an Indian tribe, state government, local government, or a non-governmental organization, that has a farmland or grassland protection program that purchases agricultural land easements, as defined in 7 CFR § 1468.3; j. a conservation district. |
Additional Information
| Agency Name: | Natural Resources Conservation Service |
| Description: |
Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Funding Opportunity Title: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354 Assistance Listing: 10.932, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Due Date: NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 12, 2024. Note: The RCPP Classic and Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) FY 2024 notices of funding opportunity (NFO) will run concurrently. For information on AFA proposals please see Funding Opportunity Number USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPAFA-24-NOFO0001355. The RCPP promotes the coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through the RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that provide solutions to conservation challenges thereby measurably improving the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP promotes collaboration with partners, stakeholders, and various communities, which is paramount to achieving equity in NRCS programs and services. Using guidance contained in this notice, partners propose projects that generate conservation benefits by addressing specific natural resource concerns in a state or multistate area by addressing one or more priority resource concerns within an NRCS-designated critical conservation area (CCA). NRCS and partners collaborate to design, promote, and implement RCPP projects on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest land. Through RCPP, NRCS may provide both financial assistance (FA) and technical assistance (TA) funds to project partners and agricultural producers for implementing projects. RCPP proposals are evaluated through a competitive proposal process based on three criteria: impact, partner contributions, and partnership and management. Up to $1.5 billion is available for RCPP projects through this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement, which includes $300 million of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) funding and $1.2 billion of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. Proposals are accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and U.S. territories in the Pacific Island Areas (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). NRCS will prioritize using IRA funds for projects that will implement climate-smart agriculture and forestry conservation activities as described in section F.(3)a. of this announcement. Up to $100 million is being made available specifically for NRCS to enter into programmatic partnership agreements with Indian tribes. This set aside will be shared by this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement. Any unused funds may be available for other partnership agreements. Submissions: Proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal. See section E of this announcement for information on using the RCPP portal to submit proposals. Access to the RCPP portal requires a level 2 eAuthentication credential or a Login.gov credential. Obtaining a new Login.gov credential involves multiple steps and can take several days to complete. Instructions are posted on the How to Apply to RCPP web page listed below. For More Information: Applicants are expected to contact the appropriate State Conservationists and state RCPP coordinators prior to submitting a proposal. NRCS will use a state conservation questionnaire to record the results of this conversation. Proposals without a completed questionnaire may have their score and ranking reduced. A list of state RCPP coordinators (as of the date of this announcement’s posting) is on the NRCS How to Apply to RCPP web page. Applicants can also email the RCPP inbox (rcpp@usda.gov) with any questions about the announcement. The RCPP website is also a great source of current information about the program. Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in one or more of the webinars below to learn about the program and how to apply. 2024 RCPP NFO Applicant Outreach Webinar This webinar will provide general information for applicants submitting proposals for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The same material will be covered at both webinars followed by a question-and-answer section. Please refer to the RCPP website for more information. Regional Conservation Partnership Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)
NRCS will schedule additional webinars on RCPP easements and providing outreach to tribal applicants. Information on all webinars will be posted to the RCPP how to apply page. |
| Link to Additional Information: | – |
| Grantor Contact Information: | If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
Partners with proposal related questions are encouraged to contact the appropriate NRCS state RCPP coordinator. The RCPP How to Apply web page maintains a list of NRCS state RCPP coordinators, which is updated for each funding opportunity.
Potential applicants may also contact national RCPP staff by email at rcpp@usda.gov with any general program or policy questions. Email:rcpp@usda.gov |
DISPLAYING: Synopsis 1
General Information
| Document Type: | Grants Notice |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354 |
| Funding Opportunity Title: | Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 |
| Opportunity Category: | Discretionary |
| Opportunity Category Explanation: | – |
| Funding Instrument Type: | Other |
| Category of Funding Activity: | Agriculture Environment Natural Resources |
| Category Explanation: | – |
| Expected Number of Awards: | – |
| Assistance Listings: | 10.932 — Regional Conservation Partnership Program |
| Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: | Yes |
| Version: | Synopsis 1 |
| Posted Date: | Apr 03, 2024 |
| Last Updated Date: | Apr 03, 2024 |
| Original Closing Date for Applications: | – |
| Current Closing Date for Applications: | Jul 02, 2024 NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 2, 2024. |
| Archive Date: | Aug 01, 2024 |
| Estimated Total Program Funding: | $1,500,000,000 |
| Award Ceiling: | $25,000,000 |
| Award Floor: | $250,000 |
Eligibility
| Eligible Applicants: | City or township governments Private institutions of higher education Independent school districts State governments Small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) For profit organizations other than small businesses County governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments |
| Additional Information on Eligibility: | Entities that are classified as one of the following organizational types can serve as an eligible RCPP partner: a. an agricultural or silvicultural producer association or other group of producers; b. a state or unit of local government; c. an Indian tribe; d. a farmer cooperative; e. a water district, irrigation district, acequia, rural water district or association, or other organization with specific water delivery authority to agricultural producers; f. a municipal water or wastewater treatment entity; g. an institution of higher education; h. an organization, business, or entity with an established history of working cooperatively with producers (as determined by NRCS) to address: • local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, or nonindustrial private forest land management; or • critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource issues; i. an entity, such as an Indian tribe, state government, local government, or a non-governmental organization, that has a farmland or grassland protection program that purchases agricultural land easements, as defined in 7 CFR § 1468.3; j. a conservation district. |
Additional Information
| Agency Name: | Natural Resources Conservation Service |
| Description: |
Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Funding Opportunity Title: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354 Assistance Listing: 10.932, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Due Date: NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 2, 2024. Note: The RCPP Classic and Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) FY 2024 notices of funding opportunity (NFO) will run concurrently. For information on AFA proposals please see Funding Opportunity Number USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPAFA-24-NOFO0001355. The RCPP promotes the coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through the RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that provide solutions to conservation challenges thereby measurably improving the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP promotes collaboration with partners, stakeholders, and various communities, which is paramount to achieving equity in NRCS programs and services. Using guidance contained in this notice, partners propose projects that generate conservation benefits by addressing specific natural resource concerns in a state or multistate area by addressing one or more priority resource concerns within an NRCS-designated critical conservation area (CCA). NRCS and partners collaborate to design, promote, and implement RCPP projects on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest land. Through RCPP, NRCS may provide both financial assistance (FA) and technical assistance (TA) funds to project partners and agricultural producers for implementing projects. RCPP proposals are evaluated through a competitive proposal process based on three criteria: impact, partner contributions, and partnership and management. Up to $1.5 billion is available for RCPP projects through this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement, which includes $300 million of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) funding and $1.2 billion of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. Proposals are accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and U.S. territories in the Pacific Island Areas (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). NRCS will prioritize using IRA funds for projects that will implement climate-smart agriculture and forestry conservation activities as described in section F.(3)a. of this announcement. Up to $100 million is being made available specifically for NRCS to enter into programmatic partnership agreements with Indian tribes. This set aside will be shared by this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement. Any unused funds may be available for other partnership agreements. Submissions: Proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal. See section E of this announcement for information on using the RCPP portal to submit proposals. Access to the RCPP portal requires a level 2 eAuthentication credential or a Login.gov credential. Obtaining a new Login.gov credential involves multiple steps and can take several days to complete. Instructions are posted on the How to Apply to RCPP web page listed below. For More Information: Applicants are expected to contact the appropriate State Conservationists and state RCPP coordinators prior to submitting a proposal. NRCS will use a state conservation questionnaire to record the results of this conversation. Proposals without a completed questionnaire may have their score and ranking reduced. A list of state RCPP coordinators (as of the date of this announcement’s posting) is on the NRCS How to Apply to RCPP web page. Applicants can also email the RCPP inbox (rcpp@usda.gov) with any questions about the announcement. The RCPP website is also a great source of current information about the program. Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in one or more of the webinars below to learn about the program and how to apply. 2024 RCPP NFO Applicant Outreach Webinar This webinar will provide general information for applicants submitting proposals for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The same material will be covered at both webinars followed by a question-and-answer section. Please refer to the RCPP website for more information. Regional Conservation Partnership Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)
NRCS will schedule additional webinars on RCPP easements and providing outreach to tribal applicants. Information on all webinars will be posted to the RCPP how to apply page. |
| Link to Additional Information: | – |
| Grantor Contact Information: | If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
Partners with proposal related questions are encouraged to contact the appropriate NRCS state RCPP coordinator. The RCPP How to Apply web page maintains a list of NRCS state RCPP coordinators, which is updated for each funding opportunity.
Potential applicants may also contact national RCPP staff by email at rcpp@usda.gov with any general program or policy questions. Email:rcpp@usda.gov |
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