USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering this grant to enhance technical services and outreach for natural resource conservation in Alabama.

SUMMARY INFORMATION

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

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: NRCS Technical Assistance and Outreach for FY2022

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-AL-CTA-22-NOFO0001182

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

10.902 Soil and Water Conservation (CTA): 16 U.S.C. 590a-f, 590q.

10.904 Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, 16 U.S.C. 1001-1009, 1012.

10.912 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): 16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.

10.924 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP): 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-21 et seq.

10.931 Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP): 16 U.S.C. 3865 et seq.

 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.

The NRCS, an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is seeking support from and opportunities to partner with likeminded natural resource conservation partners. The overall intent of this solicitation is to solicit partnerships to help enhance the implementation of key technical services and outreach projects for Fiscal Year 2022.

Proposals will be accepted for projects performed in Alabama. NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2022 will be up to $600,000.

 Agreements awarded in pursuant to this NFO may be 1-5 years in duration.

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 Alabama State Conservationist reserves the right not to fund any or all applications. 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 applying via Grants.gov.

Key Dates

Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 6, 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 6, 2022 and expects to execute awards by July 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 $7,500.00 and the estimated funding ceiling is $60,000.00. 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).