Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS COSO 15 01
Apply for USDA NRCS COSO 15 01
- The Colorado State Office in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Announcement for Program Funding Colorado" 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 Apr 13, 2015 and posted on Apr 13, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 10, 2015. (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 $75,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: County governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Individuals Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Please see full PDF announcement
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Opportunity Summary:
The Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) Fiscal Year 2015 funding announcement for Colorado was issued by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Colorado State Office to encourage new, creative, and practical conservation solutions. The purpose of this opportunity is to stimulate the development, testing, and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies that can improve natural resource outcomes. While CIG is connected to NRCS conservation priorities, it is specifically geared toward ideas that go beyond standard practices, helping move promising tools and approaches from concept or pilot stage toward broader use.
This is a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA NRCS COSO 15 01) listed under CFDA 10.912, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. For FY 2015, NRCS expected up to $300,000 total to be available for Colorado projects, with an award ceiling of $75,000 per grant. Projects were expected to run between 1 and 3 years, which typically supports both short-term pilots and multi-season demonstrations where results can be measured and shared. Because the goal is adoption and impact, applicants generally need to show how their work will produce usable outcomes, such as field-ready methods, decision tools, demonstration results, or scalable implementation strategies that others can replicate.
The program includes a cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants must plan to contribute non-federal resources to help complete the project. The exact match structure and what counts as an eligible contribution are detailed in the full announcement PDF, but the key takeaway is that proposals were not intended to be fully funded by the federal award alone. Applicants needed to build a realistic project budget that combines the requested grant funds with their own cash and/or in-kind contributions, and they needed to explain how those contributions would be tracked and documented.
Eligibility was broad and designed to allow participation from both public and private sectors. Eligible applicants included county governments; city or township governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; individuals; and nonprofit organizations (including those with 501(c)(3) status and those without 501(c)(3) status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education). The announcement also lists an "Others" category with additional eligibility details referenced in the full PDF, so applicants who did not neatly fit into the listed categories were expected to consult that section to confirm eligibility. Overall, the intent was to open competition to organizations and partners capable of delivering innovative conservation work in Colorado.
Key administrative details include the posting date of April 13, 2015, and an application closing date of May 10, 2015 (the same for both the original and current closing date). The opportunity was archived on June 9, 2015. Anyone who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically was directed to contact Laura Gonzalez, Program Analyst, at 720-544-2819, using the federal email address provided in the original listing.
In practical terms, this funding opportunity supported Colorado-based proposals that could demonstrate new conservation ideas, measure results, and help accelerate real-world adoption. With modest per-award funding (up to $75,000) and a required match, it was structured to promote focused, partner-supported projects that could show clear conservation benefits within a 1-to-3-year timeframe and generate lessons or products that could be used more widely across the state.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - USDA NRCS Colorado Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) FY 2015
What is the Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) opportunity for Colorado (FY 2015)?
The Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) FY 2015 funding announcement for Colorado was issued by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Colorado State Office. It was designed to encourage new, creative, and practical conservation solutions that improve natural resource outcomes in Colorado.
What is the purpose of this grant program?
The purpose is to stimulate the development, testing, and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. The focus is on moving promising tools and ideas beyond concept or early pilot stages toward broader real-world use and adoption.
How is CIG different from standard NRCS conservation practices?
While CIG is connected to NRCS conservation priorities, it is specifically geared toward ideas that go beyond standard practices. The emphasis is on innovation and on producing outcomes that can be adopted more widely after the project.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA NRCS COSO 15 01.
What CFDA program is this opportunity associated with?
This opportunity is listed under CFDA 10.912, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
Is this a discretionary grant?
Yes. The announcement describes this as a discretionary grant opportunity.
How much total funding was expected to be available in Colorado for FY 2015?
NRCS expected up to $300,000 total to be available for Colorado projects in FY 2015.
What was the maximum award amount per grant?
The award ceiling was $75,000 per grant.
How long were projects expected to last?
Projects were expected to run between 1 and 3 years. This timeframe supports short-term pilots as well as multi-season demonstrations where results can be measured and shared.
What kinds of results or deliverables were applicants expected to produce?
Because the goal is adoption and impact, applicants were generally expected to show how their work would produce usable outcomes. Examples mentioned include field-ready methods, decision tools, demonstration results, or scalable implementation strategies that other users could replicate.
Does this grant require a cost share or match?
Yes. The program includes a cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants needed to contribute non-federal resources to help complete the project.
Can a project be fully funded by the federal award?
No. The key takeaway is that proposals were not intended to be fully funded by the federal award alone. Applicants needed to combine requested grant funds with their own cash and/or in-kind contributions.
What counts as an eligible match contribution?
The announcement notes that the exact match structure and what counts as an eligible contribution are detailed in the full announcement PDF. Applicants were expected to rely on the PDF for specifics.
How should applicants plan to handle match tracking and documentation?
Applicants needed to explain how match contributions would be tracked and documented. The funding description emphasizes building a realistic budget and clearly accounting for cash and/or in-kind contributions.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included county governments; city or township governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; individuals; and nonprofit organizations (including those with 501(c)(3) status and those without 501(c)(3) status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education).
Are nonprofits required to have 501(c)(3) status to apply?
No. The eligibility description includes nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and those without 501(c)(3) status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education.
Are institutions of higher education eligible under the nonprofit category?
No. The nonprofit category explicitly includes nonprofits that are not institutions of higher education.
What does the "Others" eligibility category mean?
The announcement lists an "Others" category and indicates that additional eligibility details are referenced in the full PDF. Applicants who did not fit neatly into the listed categories were expected to consult that section to confirm eligibility.
Was the opportunity limited to Colorado projects?
Yes. The announcement was issued by the NRCS Colorado State Office and described funding expected to be available for Colorado projects, supporting Colorado-based proposals.
When was the announcement posted?
The posting date was April 13, 2015.
What was the application deadline?
The application closing date was May 10, 2015. The listing states this was the same for both the original and current closing date.
When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was archived on June 9, 2015.
Who should someone contact if they could not access the full announcement electronically?
Anyone who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically was directed to contact Laura Gonzalez, Program Analyst, at 720-544-2819, using the federal email address provided in the original listing.
What types of projects did this funding opportunity aim to support?
In practical terms, the opportunity supported proposals that could demonstrate new conservation ideas, measure results, and help accelerate real-world adoption. It emphasized projects that could show clear conservation benefits within a 1-to-3-year timeframe and generate lessons or products that could be used more widely across the state.
How should applicants think about project scope given the $75,000 award ceiling?
The description characterizes the per-award funding as modest and indicates the structure was meant to promote focused, partner-supported projects. Applicants were expected to propose realistic, measurable work that could be completed within the project period and supported by required match resources.
What is the overall intent of the eligibility and program design?
The intent was to open competition to organizations and partners capable of delivering innovative conservation work in Colorado, while ensuring projects produce usable outputs that help move innovative approaches toward broader adoption.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA NRCS COSO 15 01) also looked into and applied for these:
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| Distance Education Grants (DEG) for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas Apply for USDA NIFA RIGP 005075 Funding Number: USDA NIFA RIGP 005075 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $85,000 |
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| IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY AND RESILIENCE THROUGH AGRICULTURAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION PROGRAMS IN GUATEMALA Apply for APS OFDA 15 000005 Funding Number: APS OFDA 15 000005 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| 1890 Facilities Grants Program (Renewals) Apply for USDA NIFA EF47 005096 Funding Number: USDA NIFA EF47 005096 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Special Research Grants Program Aquaculture Research Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 005095 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SRGP 005095 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Alfalfa and Forage Research Program (AFRP) Apply for USDA NIFA OP 005055 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 005055 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $210,000 |
| Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) Competitive Grant Program Apply for USDA NIFA FBMB 005115 Funding Number: USDA NIFA FBMB 005115 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| 2015 Conservation Innovation Grants Apply for USDA NRCS CIG AR 15 001 Funding Number: USDA NRCS CIG AR 15 001 Agency: NRCS Arkansas State Office Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields Program Apply for USDA NIFA WAMS 005116 Funding Number: USDA NIFA WAMS 005116 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| USAID s Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Activity Apply for USAID RDMA 486 15 000011 Funding Number: USAID RDMA 486 15 000011 Agency: Thailand USAID Bangkok Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $15,000,000 |
| Feed the Future (FTF) Nepal Seed and Fertilizer Sectors Development Project (SFDP) Apply for RFI 367 15 0003 Funding Number: RFI 367 15 0003 Agency: Nepal USAID Kathmandu Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Smith Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 005135 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 005135 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Renewable Resource Extension Act National Focus Fund Projects (RREA NFF) Apply for USDA NIFA OP 005136 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 005136 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| National Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Competitive Grants Program Regional Center Grants to Enhance Food Safety Apply for USDA NIFA FSMA 005056 Funding Number: USDA NIFA FSMA 005056 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,150,000 |
| Capacity Building Grants for Non Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) Program Apply for USDA NIFA NLGCA 005175 Funding Number: USDA NIFA NLGCA 005175 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Feed the Future Uganda Producer Organizations Activity Apply for RFA 617 15 00007 Funding Number: RFA 617 15 00007 Agency: Uganda USAID Kampala Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $3,300,000 |
| Soil health, Conservation Outreach, Cultural Resources, and Climate Change Apply for USDA NRCS EQIP CTA MO 15 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS EQIP CTA MO 15 01 Agency: Missouri State Office Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $50,000 |
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| Agriculture Risk Management Education Partnerships (ARME) Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA ARPA 005216 Funding Number: USDA NIFA ARPA 005216 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,082,736 |
| New Technologies for Ag Extension Apply for USDA NIFA OP 005255 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 005255 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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