Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS MD CIG 14 01
Apply for USDA NRCS MD CIG 14 01
- The Maryland State Office in the agriculture environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2014 Conservation Innovation Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.912 Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 24, 2014 and posted on Jul 24, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 22, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $300,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $75,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: County governments Private institutions of higher education State governments Special district governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) For profit organizations other than small businesses Small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education City or township governments Individuals.
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Opportunity Summary:
The 2014 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) opportunity from USDA NRCS Maryland is a competitive grant program designed to speed up the real-world use of innovative conservation practices and technologies in agriculture. The core goal is to strengthen environmental protection and resource conservation while keeping agricultural production viable, using federal funds as a catalyst alongside other partners and investments. Projects supported under CIG are expected to produce practical, transferable results, meaning the outcomes should be positioned to move into NRCS policy and technical materials (such as manuals, guidance, and references) or be adopted broadly by the private sector.
A key point in this announcement is what CIG will not fund: it is not a research grant program. Proposals aimed at testing hypotheses or conducting early-stage research do not qualify. Instead, CIG is intended for applying, demonstrating, and scaling approaches that have already been studied enough to show a strong likelihood of success. In other words, the program is meant to take proven or near-proven conservation tools and put them to work in the field through pilot projects and demonstrations, showing how they perform on the ground and helping remove barriers to adoption. The program also emphasizes sharing knowledge, skills, technologies, and even facilities among communities, governments, and institutions so that conservation innovations are accessible to more users, not limited to a single organization or area.
This particular funding opportunity is administered through the Maryland State Office and focuses on projects located entirely within the State of Maryland. Even though applications may be submitted by eligible entities from any of the 50 states and certain U.S. territories (including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands), the project work itself must occur in Maryland. NRCS will consider both single-year and multi-year proposals, with a maximum project length of up to three years.
Funding is limited and competitive. The opportunity lists an estimated total funding amount of $300,000, with an expectation of making about two awards. The maximum award (ceiling) is $75,000, and the minimum award (floor) is listed as $0, which generally signals flexibility in award size up to the cap. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning recipients must contribute non-federal resources toward the project in addition to the grant funds. The grant is tied to CFDA 10.912, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which is commonly used as the umbrella authority for NRCS conservation assistance and related initiatives.
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private entities as well as individuals. Specifically, eligible applicants include federally recognized Native American tribal governments, state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and individuals. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity areas are categorized under agriculture, environment, and natural resources.
The application process is structured with several screening and review steps. NRCS will first screen submissions for completeness and compliance with the notice requirements; incomplete applications are removed from consideration, and applicants are notified by mail. Complete applications submitted by the deadline proceed to evaluation, where NRCS staff assess them based on the topic areas selected by the applicant (the notice references bulleted topics in section I.D.). After that, eligible and complete proposals are reviewed by a technical peer review panel using published evaluation criteria (referenced as section V.B. in the application instructions). The peer review panel provides recommendations to the Maryland State Conservationist, who makes the final funding selections.
Key dates and administrative details are also clearly stated. The opportunity was posted on July 24, 2014, with an application closing date of August 22, 2014, and an archive date of September 21, 2014. The funding opportunity number is USDA NRCS MD CIG 14 01, and the title is 2014 Conservation Innovation Grants. For access issues or administrative questions, the listed contact is Denise Brooks, Contracting Officer, at 443-482-2917. Additional program information is referenced through the NRCS Maryland homepage link.
FAQs: 2014 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) - USDA NRCS Maryland
What is the 2014 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) opportunity from USDA NRCS Maryland?
The 2014 CIG opportunity from USDA NRCS Maryland is a competitive grant program intended to speed up real-world adoption of innovative conservation practices and technologies in agriculture. It is designed to strengthen environmental protection and resource conservation while keeping agricultural production viable, using federal funds as a catalyst alongside other partners and investments.
What is the main purpose of CIG projects under this announcement?
CIG projects are expected to deliver practical, transferable results. Outcomes should be positioned to move into NRCS policy and technical materials (such as manuals, guidance, and references) or be adopted broadly by the private sector.
Is CIG a research grant program?
No. The announcement explicitly states that CIG is not a research grant program. Proposals focused on testing hypotheses or conducting early-stage research do not qualify for this opportunity.
What type of work does CIG fund if it is not research?
CIG is intended for applying, demonstrating, and scaling conservation approaches that have already been studied enough to show a strong likelihood of success. The program emphasizes field application, pilot projects, demonstrations, and efforts that help remove barriers to wider adoption.
Where must the project take place to be eligible under this Maryland opportunity?
The project work must occur entirely within the State of Maryland. The opportunity is administered through the Maryland State Office and focuses on projects located fully in Maryland.
Can applicants from outside Maryland apply?
Yes. Eligible entities from any of the 50 states and certain U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands) may submit applications, but the project itself must be conducted in Maryland.
How long can a CIG project last under this opportunity?
NRCS will consider both single-year and multi-year proposals, with a maximum project length of up to three years.
How much total funding is estimated to be available?
The opportunity lists an estimated total funding amount of $300,000.
About how many awards does NRCS expect to make?
The announcement indicates an expectation of making about two awards.
What is the maximum award amount (ceiling) for a single grant?
The maximum award (ceiling) listed is $75,000.
Is there a minimum award amount (floor)?
The minimum award (floor) is listed as $0, which generally indicates flexibility in award size up to the $75,000 cap.
Is cost-share or matching required?
Yes. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning recipients must contribute non-federal resources toward the project in addition to the grant funds.
What is the CFDA number associated with this grant?
The grant is tied to CFDA 10.912, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
What kinds of applicants are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private entities as well as individuals. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Native American tribal governments; state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); and individuals.
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What activity areas does this opportunity fall under?
The activity areas are categorized under agriculture, environment, and natural resources.
How does the application review process work?
The process includes multiple steps. NRCS first screens submissions for completeness and compliance with the notice requirements; incomplete applications are removed from consideration and applicants are notified by mail. Complete applications submitted by the deadline proceed to evaluation by NRCS staff based on the topic areas selected by the applicant (referenced as bulleted topics in section I.D.). Eligible and complete proposals then go to a technical peer review panel that uses published evaluation criteria (referenced as section V.B. in the application instructions). The panel makes recommendations to the Maryland State Conservationist, who makes the final funding selections.
What happens if an application is incomplete?
Incomplete applications are removed from consideration, and NRCS notifies applicants by mail.
Who makes the final funding decision?
The Maryland State Conservationist makes the final funding selections after considering recommendations from the technical peer review panel.
When was this funding opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on July 24, 2014, and the application closing date was August 22, 2014.
What is the archive date listed for the opportunity?
The archive date is September 21, 2014.
What is the funding opportunity number and title?
The funding opportunity number is USDA NRCS MD CIG 14 01, and the title is 2014 Conservation Innovation Grants.
Who is the contact for access issues or administrative questions?
The listed contact is Denise Brooks, Contracting Officer, at 443-482-2917.
Where is additional program information referenced?
Additional program information is referenced through the NRCS Maryland homepage link mentioned in the announcement.
Does the program encourage sharing information or resources beyond a single organization?
Yes. The announcement emphasizes sharing knowledge, skills, technologies, and even facilities among communities, governments, and institutions so conservation innovations are accessible to more users rather than limited to one organization or area.
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