Opportunity Information: Apply for F14AS00194

  • The Fish and Wildlife Service in the agriculture arts (see cultural affairs in cfda) business and commerce community development education employment, labor and training environment humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing the Conserving the Future Vision in 2014" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.649 Service Training and Technical Assistance (Generic Training).
  • This funding opportunity was created on May 22, 2014 and posted on May 22, 2014.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 20, 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 $400,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Special district governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments County governments.
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Opportunity Summary:

The federal grant opportunity titled "Advancing the Conserving the Future Vision in 2014" (Funding Opportunity Number F14AS00194) was issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement. Its focus was on strengthening on-the-ground and organizational capacity connected to the National Wildlife Refuge System, with particular emphasis on three related priorities: supporting Refuge Friends groups, advancing the Urban Refuges initiative, and helping implement Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC). In practical terms, the opportunity was designed to fund work that improves partnerships, volunteer and community engagement, and conservation planning and delivery, especially where refuges intersect with growing and diverse urban communities and where habitat work can be planned and measured in a more strategic, science-based way.

The program anticipated making a single award, with an estimated total funding amount of $400,000. The stated award ceiling was $400,000 and the award floor was listed as $0, which generally signals flexibility in the size of a potential award but, in this case, still within a one-award structure. Because the instrument was a cooperative agreement, applicants should have expected substantial involvement by the Fish and Wildlife Service during the project period, such as collaboration on work planning, coordination with refuge staff and regional program leads, shared development of deliverables, and ongoing technical input. The CFDA number associated with the opportunity was 15.649 (Service Training and Technical Assistance, Generic Training), which aligns with the capacity-building and training/technical assistance nature of the work rather than direct construction or land acquisition.

A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning the selected recipient would have been expected to contribute non-federal resources to the project. While the summary information provided does not specify the required match ratio, applicants would typically plan for a documented combination of cash and/or allowable in-kind contributions (for example, volunteer time, donated services, partner support, or non-federal funds) consistent with federal assistance rules and the specific terms in the full announcement.

Eligibility was broad and covered a wide range of organizational types, reflecting the partnership-driven approach of refuge and landscape conservation work. Eligible applicants included nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) entities), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, public and private institutions of higher education, city/township and county governments, special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations (including federally recognized tribal governments as well as other tribal organizations). This wide eligibility suggests the opportunity aimed to attract proposals from established national or regional partners, academic institutions with training capacity, local governments engaged in urban conservation and outreach, and tribal entities with conservation and community engagement priorities connected to refuges and broader habitat goals.

The funding activity categories listed for the opportunity spanned environment and natural resources as the core, but also included community development, education, employment/labor and training, and even arts and humanities categories. That mix signals that projects could have legitimately included community-facing programming, workforce development or volunteer coordination models, training curricula, outreach and interpretation strategies, and cross-sector partnership structures, as long as they supported refuge system priorities and the Conserving the Future vision. The title and description emphasize "building capacity," which typically means creating tools, training, networks, frameworks, or scalable models that help others do effective work, not only delivering one-off events. For example, strong proposals under this kind of opportunity often involve developing technical assistance programs for Friends groups, creating shared training resources to improve governance and fundraising capacity, expanding urban engagement strategies and partnerships that bring new audiences to refuges, or strengthening how conservation actions are prioritized, tracked, and evaluated under SHC.

Key administrative details were straightforward. The opportunity was posted and created on May 22, 2014, with an original and final closing date of June 20, 2014. It was later archived on June 21, 2016. The official point of access for the full announcement was Grants.gov (the additional information link provided points there), and the listed contact for assistance with accessing the announcement was Gerri Watkins at 703-358-1854, with the email address shown as noahkahn@fws.gov. Taken together, this opportunity reads as a one-time, relatively large cooperative agreement intended to accelerate the Fish and Wildlife Service's Conserving the Future agenda by investing in partner capacity, urban refuge relevance and reach, and more strategic, measurable habitat conservation implementation.

FAQs: Advancing the Conserving the Future Vision in 2014 (F14AS00194)

What is the title and funding opportunity number for this grant?

The opportunity is titled "Advancing the Conserving the Future Vision in 2014" and the Funding Opportunity Number is F14AS00194.

Which federal agency issued this funding opportunity?

This opportunity was issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

What type of federal funding instrument is being used?

The opportunity was offered as a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement generally indicates substantial involvement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during the project period. Based on the information provided, applicants should have expected collaboration on work planning, coordination with refuge staff and regional program leads, shared development of deliverables, and ongoing technical input from the Service.

What is the overall focus of this grant opportunity?

The focus was on strengthening on-the-ground and organizational capacity connected to the National Wildlife Refuge System, with an emphasis on partnerships, volunteer and community engagement, and conservation planning and delivery.

What are the main priority areas funded under this opportunity?

The opportunity emphasized three related priorities: (1) supporting Refuge Friends groups, (2) advancing the Urban Refuges initiative, and (3) helping implement Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC).

How does this opportunity relate to urban communities?

It was designed to support work where refuges intersect with growing and diverse urban communities, including efforts that improve community engagement, partnerships, and relevance/reach of refuges in urban settings.

How does Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC) fit into the grant?

The opportunity sought to strengthen how habitat work is planned, delivered, and measured in a more strategic, science-based way, consistent with SHC concepts such as prioritization, planning, and evaluation of conservation actions.

How many awards did the program anticipate making?

The program anticipated making a single award.

What is the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount was $400,000.

What are the award ceiling and award floor?

The stated award ceiling was $400,000. The award floor was listed as $0, indicating flexibility in award size, though the opportunity still anticipated only one award.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

Yes. A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning the selected recipient would have been expected to contribute non-federal resources to the project.

Is the required match ratio specified in the provided summary?

No. The information provided indicates that a match was required, but it does not specify the match ratio.

What types of contributions could be used for the match?

The summary suggests applicants would typically plan for a documented combination of cash and/or allowable in-kind contributions, such as volunteer time, donated services, partner support, or other non-federal funds, consistent with federal assistance rules and the terms in the full announcement.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity, and what does it suggest?

The CFDA number was 15.649 (Service Training and Technical Assistance, Generic Training). This aligns with capacity-building and training/technical assistance work rather than direct construction or land acquisition.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad and included nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) entities), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, public and private institutions of higher education, city/township governments, county governments, special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations (including federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations).

Are small businesses eligible?

The eligibility list explicitly includes for-profit organizations other than small businesses, which indicates small businesses were not included in the eligible for-profit category in the provided summary.

What kinds of projects would be a good fit for this opportunity?

Projects that build capacity connected to the National Wildlife Refuge System and align with the three priorities (Refuge Friends support, Urban Refuges, and SHC) would fit. The description points toward efforts that improve partnerships, volunteer/community engagement, and strategic, measurable conservation planning and delivery.

Does the opportunity emphasize one-time events or scalable capacity-building?

The description emphasizes "building capacity," which typically means creating tools, training, networks, frameworks, or scalable models that help others do effective work, rather than only delivering one-off events.

What are examples of project activities suggested by the opportunity description?

Examples implied by the description include developing technical assistance programs for Friends groups, creating shared training resources to improve governance and fundraising capacity, expanding urban engagement strategies and partnerships that bring new audiences to refuges, and strengthening how conservation actions are prioritized, tracked, and evaluated under SHC.

What funding activity categories are associated with this opportunity?

The listed funding activity categories included environment and natural resources (core), as well as community development, education, employment/labor and training, and arts and humanities. This mix suggests community-facing programming, workforce development or volunteer coordination models, training curricula, outreach/interpretation strategies, and cross-sector partnership structures could be relevant if tied to the refuge system priorities and Conserving the Future vision.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was created and posted on May 22, 2014. The original and final closing date was June 20, 2014.

When was the opportunity archived?

The opportunity was archived on June 21, 2016.

Where could applicants find the full announcement?

The official point of access for the full announcement was Grants.gov.

Who was listed as the contact for assistance with accessing the announcement?

The contact listed for assistance was Gerri Watkins at 703-358-1854, and the email address shown was noahkahn@fws.gov.

What was the intent behind making this award?

Based on the description provided, it was intended as a one-time, relatively large cooperative agreement to accelerate the Conserving the Future agenda by investing in partner capacity, expanding urban refuge relevance and reach, and strengthening strategic, measurable habitat conservation implementation.

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Fish and Wildlife Service

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Agriculture Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Business and Commerce Community Development Education Employment, Labor and Training Environment Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Natural Resou

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