Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS OH CIG 20 GEN0010762
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), working with the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), released an Ohio-specific Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) funding opportunity for federal fiscal year 2020. This announcement (Funding Opportunity Number USDA-NRCS-OH-CIG-20-GEN0010762) is tied to CFDA 10.912, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. The overall intent is to encourage practical, innovative conservation methods that can be used alongside agricultural production, with an emphasis on ideas that can be tested in real-world conditions and then shared broadly.
For Ohio in FY 2020, NRCS set aside up to $300,000 total for this state competition and anticipated making about six awards. Individual awards could be as large as $150,000, and projects were expected to run between one and three years. The program is designed to move promising conservation concepts beyond theory by supporting pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. In this context, on-farm conservation research means applied research that answers a clearly defined conservation question using a statistically sound approach while using farm-scale equipment on actual farms, ranches, or private forest lands.
Eligibility was broad and aimed at encouraging participation from outside the federal government. All non-federal entities and individuals were invited to apply, with federal agencies being the only category explicitly excluded. In practical terms, that framing typically opens the door to a wide range of applicants such as nonprofits, universities, conservation districts, producer groups, tribes and tribal organizations (when non-federal), and private sector partners, as long as the proposed work is carried out within Ohio and aligns with the program purpose.
NRCS emphasized that CIG projects should do more than produce a one-off result; they are expected to generate outcomes that can be transferred and adopted. That includes transferring conservation technologies, management systems, and other innovative approaches (including market-based systems) to agricultural producers, integrating findings into NRCS technical references such as manuals and guides, or helping innovations reach the private sector for wider use. In other words, the state CIG competition is meant to serve as a bridge between experimentation and widespread implementation, using demonstration and field-scale validation to support adoption.
The application deadline for this opportunity was 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 15, 2020. Applicants were required to submit their application electronically through Grants.gov, and they also had to email a PDF copy of the complete application to cheryl.rice@usda.gov, creating a dual-submission requirement that applicants needed to plan for ahead of the deadline.
To help applicants prepare, NRCS scheduled an informational webinar for Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, with participation details to be posted on the Ohio State CIG website. Prospective applicants were encouraged to check that website for program guidance and updates. For direct questions about the announcement, NRCS provided a point of contact: Cheryl Rice at cheryl.rice@usda.gov or 614-255-2565.Apply for USDA NRCS OH CIG 20 GEN0010762
- The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 – OHIO" 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 Mar 18, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 15, 2020 Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 15, 2020.. (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 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Ohio Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) (FY 2020)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This is an Ohio-specific Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) funding opportunity released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in partnership with the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), for federal fiscal year (FY) 2020. It supports pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research that advance practical, innovative conservation approaches that can be used alongside agricultural production.
2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA-NRCS-OH-CIG-20-GEN0010762.
3) What CFDA program is this tied to?
This opportunity is tied to CFDA 10.912, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
4) What is the main purpose of Ohio CIG?
The intent is to encourage practical, innovative conservation methods that can be tested in real-world conditions and then shared broadly. NRCS is looking for ideas that move beyond theory into field-scale validation and demonstration, with outcomes that can be transferred and adopted by others.
5) How much total funding was available for Ohio in FY 2020?
NRCS set aside up to $300,000 total for the Ohio state competition.
6) How many awards did NRCS expect to make?
NRCS anticipated making about six awards.
7) What was the maximum award size?
Individual awards could be as large as $150,000.
8) How long could projects run?
Projects were expected to run between one and three years.
9) What types of projects does this program fund?
The program supports pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research designed to test and validate innovative conservation approaches under real working conditions (for example, on actual farms, ranches, or private forest lands in Ohio).
10) What does NRCS mean by "on-farm conservation research" in this announcement?
In this context, on-farm conservation research means applied research that answers a clearly defined conservation question using a statistically sound approach, while using farm-scale equipment on actual farms, ranches, or private forest lands.
11) Who was eligible to apply?
All non-federal entities and individuals were invited to apply. Federal agencies were explicitly excluded. The announcement frames eligibility broadly to encourage participation from outside the federal government.
12) Are federal agencies eligible?
No. Federal agencies were the only category explicitly excluded from eligibility.
13) Does the project need to take place in Ohio?
Yes. This is an Ohio-specific state competition, and the proposed work was expected to be carried out within Ohio and align with the program purpose described in the announcement.
14) What kinds of applicants does "non-federal entities and individuals" typically include?
Based on how the eligibility is described, it typically opens the door to a wide range of applicants such as nonprofits, universities, conservation districts, producer groups, tribes and tribal organizations (when non-federal), and private sector partners, as long as they are not federal agencies and the work is in Ohio.
15) What kinds of outcomes is NRCS looking for?
NRCS emphasized that CIG projects should generate outcomes that can be transferred and adopted rather than producing a one-off result. Examples of desired outcomes include:
- Transferring conservation technologies, management systems, or other innovative approaches to agricultural producers
- Integrating findings into NRCS technical references such as manuals and guides
- Helping innovations reach the private sector for wider use
- Including market-based systems as part of innovative approaches
16) How does this program help move innovations toward adoption?
The Ohio CIG competition is described as a bridge between experimentation and widespread implementation. It supports demonstration and field-scale validation so innovations can be proven under real conditions and then shared broadly for adoption.
17) What was the application deadline?
The deadline was 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on May 15, 2020.
18) How were applications required to be submitted?
Applicants were required to submit their application electronically through Grants.gov.
19) Was there any additional submission requirement beyond Grants.gov?
Yes. Applicants also had to email a PDF copy of the complete application to cheryl.rice@usda.gov. This created a dual-submission requirement (Grants.gov submission plus emailed PDF) that applicants needed to plan for ahead of the deadline.
20) Who was the point of contact for questions?
NRCS listed Cheryl Rice as the point of contact. Email: cheryl.rice@usda.gov. Phone: 614-255-2565.
21) Was there an informational webinar for applicants?
Yes. NRCS scheduled an informational webinar for Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
22) Where were the webinar participation details supposed to be posted?
Participation details were to be posted on the Ohio State CIG website, and prospective applicants were encouraged to check that website for program guidance and updates.
23) What should applicants do to stay current on guidance and updates?
Applicants were encouraged to check the Ohio State CIG website for program guidance and updates, including the webinar participation details.
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