August 25, 2022
On August 10th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $15 million for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. This funding is in addition to the $25 million in funding that was previously announced for on-farm trials (a CIG sub-program established under the 2018 Farm Bill), and is separate from the new CIG funding through the Inflation Reduction Act. This funding announcement is the traditional CIG option that has been offered in the past and is referred to as “Classic CIG”.
The deadline to apply for fiscal year (FY) 2022 funding for Classic CIG is October 11, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET.
Part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the CIG program is administered by NRCS and provides grant funding for the development, application, and demonstration of innovative conservation technologies and approaches. Through CIG, public and private grantees develop the tools, technologies, and strategies to support pioneering conservation efforts on working lands, as well as develop market-based solutions to resource challenges.
CIG projects are a critical tool in the effort to transfer novel conservation management systems, approaches, and technologies to farmers and ranchers. CIGs also help to share conservation research, findings, and best practices with NRCS (for use in technical manuals and guides), as well as the private sector.
CIGs bring a wide range of partners to the table to support innovation. State, local, and tribal governments, non-governmental organizations, and individuals are all eligible to apply. Grantees must match 50 percent of the funds provided by the CIG award through non-federal contributions, which can be either in-kind or cash contributions. Grantees are also responsible for providing the necessary technical assistance; NRCS provides technical oversight for the project.
Successful applications must include conservation approaches or projects that directly involve EQIP-eligible farmers or ranchers. For this FY 2022 CIG application period, up to 10 percent of national funds are set aside for projects targeting Historically Underserved (HU) farmers or ranchers. HU applicants may also waive the 50 percent non-federal match requirement.
The Classic CIG program has two components – national and state. This latest announcement is for the national component; it is up to each state office to choose to administer its own CIG competition in FY 2022, using a portion of its state EQIP funds. Most states have already announced funding availability for this year.
Each year, NRCS identifies priority categories within CIG that can advance new or emerging high priority natural resource issues. This year’s announcement for Classic CIG included three priority areas: climate-smart agriculture with two subcategories; Combating Invasive Species; Conservation in Urban Agriculture Systems. Further details on each and subcategory descriptions are below.
The full funding announcement is available online through grants.gov and includes the details of each priority listed above.
Awards for national projects can range between $300,000 and $2 million and one and three years in duration. State, local, and tribal governments, non-governmental organizations, and individuals are all eligible to apply for CIGs. The 2018 Farm Bill expanded eligibility to allow community colleges carrying out demonstration projects on the college’s land to apply.
All grantees must match 50 percent of the funds provided by the CIG award through non-federal in-kind or cash contributions, excepting HU applicants, who may request to reduce their match requirement by half or to waive the match requirement entirely. To waive the entire match requirement, HU applicants must provide a justification in the narrative of their proposal. Grantees are also responsible for providing the necessary technical assistance; NRCS provides technical oversight for the project. All proposed conservation approaches or technologies of the CIG application must involve EQIP-eligible farmers or ranchers.
The application deadline for FY 2022 Classic CIG funds is October 11, 2022, 11:59 pm EST. The Agency expects to select between 15-20 applications for funding by January 30, 2023, and execute awards by May 1, 2023. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.
Applications must be submitted through www.grants.gov. Applicants will need to register for a gants.gov account, a System Award Management (SAM) account, and a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov.
The UEI is part of larger efforts to streamline federal grant making processes. Previously, applicants had to obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and separately maintain a SAM registration. The UEI is assigned by SAM as part of the registration process and replaces the DUNS number.
Follow these links to do your required registrations, or find this information in the full award package posted to grants.gov.
Recorded NRCS webinars for anyone interested in applying to the CIG program are posted here, check in the coming weeks for this year’s webinar. You can also learn about the CIG program through the NRCS website, and via NSAC’s Grassroots Guide.
Categories: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Grants and Programs