Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2020 – Alaska | USDA NRCS AK CIG 20 GEN0010741

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS AK CIG 20 GEN0010741

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) opened the FY 2020 Alaska Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) competition to support new and creative conservation ideas tied directly to agricultural production in Alaska. This opportunity is a discretionary grant program (CFDA 10.912) designed to push conservation beyond standard practice by helping applicants develop, test, and move promising tools and approaches into real-world use. NRCS is looking for projects that do more than study concepts on paper; the expectation is that funded work will result in conservation technologies, management systems, or incentive approaches that can be adopted by producers, incorporated into NRCS technical guidance, or otherwise carried into the private sector for broader use.

Funding for the Alaska FY 2020 competition totals up to $445,000, and the maximum possible award for a single project is also $445,000. Projects can run from one to three years, which gives applicants room to design pilots, demonstrations, and applied research that can show measurable outcomes over at least one field season and, if needed, multiple seasons. While NRCS did not specify a set number of awards in the summary information provided, the ceiling indicates that one large project could be funded or the funding could be split across multiple smaller projects depending on proposal quality and program priorities.

Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive: all U.S.-based non-federal entities and individuals may apply, with federal agencies being the only category explicitly excluded. In practical terms, this means universities, nonprofits, Tribes and tribal organizations (as non-federal entities), local and state entities, producer groups, private businesses, and individual innovators can all compete, as long as the proposed work is carried out in Alaska and aligns with the program rules.

CIG is focused on innovation that can be demonstrated and verified in the field. Typical project types include pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. NRCS defines on-farm conservation research in a fairly specific way: it must answer an applied conservation question using a statistically valid design and use farm-scale equipment on working lands such as farms, ranches, or private forest lands. The program also supports the development, field testing, evaluation, and even implementation of both (1) conservation technologies, practices, and systems, and (2) approaches that motivate conservation adoption, including market-based mechanisms and conservation finance concepts. In other words, CIG is not limited to equipment or agronomic practices; it can also fund innovative incentive structures that make conservation easier or more attractive for producers to adopt.

Projects must meet several core expectations throughout the grant period. They must comply with all relevant federal, tribal, state, and local laws and regulations. They must be grounded in enough prior study to suggest a high probability of success, rather than being purely speculative. They also must demonstrate, evaluate, and verify effectiveness, usefulness, affordability, and usability under real conditions, with an emphasis on adapting and transferring what is learned so that adoption becomes realistic for producers and partners. Another eligible pathway is introducing proven conservation methods into a new Alaska geography or agricultural sector where they are not currently used, essentially bridging the gap between known solutions and underserved or novel applications.

A key restriction is aimed at preventing CIG from duplicating what is already routinely fundable through NRCS implementation programs. If a technology or approach is already eligible for funding in the project area through an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contract under an established conservation practice standard, it is generally not eligible for CIG. The major exception is when the applicant can clearly show that their use of that technology or approach is genuinely innovative, such as a new adaptation, integration, verification method, or transfer strategy that goes beyond standard EQIP practice.

NRCS also offered applicant support through an informational teleconference scheduled for March 26, 2020 at 10 a.m. Alaska Standard Time, with participation details posted to the Alaska NRCS CIG webpage. Applicants were encouraged to review the Alaska State CIG website and the full announcement materials (including the specific FY 2020 Alaska priorities) to tailor proposals to what NRCS wanted most for that funding cycle.

The application deadline for this competition was May 15, 2020, with complete applications required to be received by 5 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time. For full requirements, evaluation criteria, and the detailed list of Alaska-specific priorities for FY 2020, applicants were directed to the full announcement in the opportunity’s related documents and the Alaska NRCS CIG program webpages.

• The Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2020 – Alaska" 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 2020-03-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-05-15. (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 $445,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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