Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) | USDA NRCS CA CIG 23 NOFO0001297

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS CA CIG 23 NOFO0001297

The Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) for FY 2023 in California is a competitive grant program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The main purpose of this funding is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. In plain terms, NRCS is looking to support projects that test, demonstrate, or help scale new conservation practices that can improve how natural resources are managed, particularly in agricultural and working-lands settings. This opportunity is tied to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) under Assistance Listing 10.912 (authorized at 16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.), which is one of the major USDA conservation program authorities.

This specific NFO is for projects that will be carried out in the state of California, and the total amount available for the California state competition in FY 2023 is up to $500,000. Individual awards are expected to be made as grants, with project periods allowed to run from one to three years. The estimated minimum (floor) for a federal share award is $25,000, and the maximum (ceiling) is $150,000 per award. The NFO indicates an expectation of around five awards, which suggests a relatively competitive process given the limited pool of total funding.

Eligibility is broad for non-federal applicants. All non-federal entities and individuals may apply, with the one clear exclusion being federal agencies. The notice points applicants to the eligibility section of the NFO (Section C) for the formal definitions and any additional conditions, but the overall message is that the program is open to a wide range of potential partners such as private organizations, nonprofits, academic institutions, tribal entities, state or local governments, and individuals, so long as they are not federal agencies. The focus is not simply on routine implementation of established practices, but on innovation: proposals are expected to push new ideas forward and help prove their value in real-world conditions.

Applications had to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, with a firm deadline of 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 19, 2023. The notice emphasizes a practical point that often trips applicants up: registration and setup for Grants.gov and related federal systems can take substantial time, so applicants were advised to plan ahead and not wait until the last minute. If technical issues occur within Grants.gov, applicants are directed to Grants.gov Applicant Support (1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov), and the NFO is explicit that NRCS staff cannot troubleshoot Grants.gov account problems. For questions about the NFO itself, applicants are instructed to contact the federal awarding agency contact listed in Section G, but those questions are supposed to be limited to clarifying the published requirements (for example, dates, page references, or resolving inconsistencies). The agency states that it will not respond to questions about whether a particular applicant is eligible or whether a specific project idea is likely to be competitive.

NRCS also offered applicant support in the form of an informational webinar scheduled to be made available on May 12, 2023, with participation details posted on the California NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants webpage. Applicants were encouraged to review that state CIG webpage to understand the program context and any California-specific guidance or priorities that may shape what NRCS considers responsive and high value.

Finally, the NFO lays out an estimated timeline for decisions and awards. NRCS anticipated making selections by June 30, 2023 and expected to execute awards by September 30, 2023, while noting that these dates were estimates and could change. The notice also flags that this funding is considered federal financial assistance and points applicants to free Grants 101 training hosted at https://www.cfo.gov/grants-training/. That training covers core topics that often matter for successful grant management and compliance, including laws and regulations, federal assistance mechanisms, Uniform Guidance administrative requirements, cost principles, and risk management and single audit considerations. This is essentially NRCS signaling that applicants, especially those newer to federal grants, should be prepared not only to propose a strong project but also to manage federal funds correctly once an award is made.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 05, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 19, 2023 Applications must be received by 1159 pm Eastern Time.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for USDA NRCS CA CIG 23 NOFO0001297

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