Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS NE 14 01
Apply for USDA NRCS NE 14 01
- The Nebraska State Office in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANT" 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 May 6, 2014 and posted on Apr 11, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 13, 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 $150,000.00 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 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Special district governments Small businesses For profit organizations other than small businesses City or township governments Private institutions of higher education Individuals State governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant program designed to speed up real-world use of innovative conservation practices and technologies in agriculture. The core idea is to leverage federal conservation investments to improve environmental protection and natural resource outcomes alongside productive farming. Projects funded under CIG are expected to move proven conservation approaches closer to broad adoption, either by being incorporated into NRCS policy and technical guidance (such as manuals and field guides) or by being transferred into the private sector for wider use. A key point is that this program is not meant for basic or academic research: proposals focused on testing hypotheses or conducting research for its own sake do not qualify. Instead, CIG supports applying, demonstrating, and validating technologies or systems that have already been studied enough to show a strong likelihood of success.
In Nebraska, this particular opportunity is the Nebraska “state component†of CIG for FY 2014, administered by the NRCS Nebraska State Office. Applications are accepted for single-year or multi-year projects lasting up to three years, with an anticipated project start date of September 1, 2014. Projects must take place in Nebraska, and multi-state projects will not be considered. The program emphasizes on-the-ground conservation work such as pilot projects and field demonstrations, with a strong focus on practicality: the technology or approach being demonstrated should be field-ready, verifiable, and usable by producers and conservation professionals. CIG also emphasizes collaboration and knowledge-sharing so that conservation advances and tools are accessible beyond a narrow group of specialists.
Eligible applicants are broadly defined and include federally recognized Native American tribal governments, state governments, counties, cities/townships, special district governments, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) organizations), individuals, small businesses, other for-profit organizations, and public or private institutions of higher education. In other words, both public and private entities can apply, as long as the proposed work fits the program’s purpose and is carried out within Nebraska.
The selection process starts with an initial screening to make sure applications are complete and compliant with the notice requirements; incomplete applications are removed from consideration and applicants are notified by mail. Complete applications are then scored by a technical peer review panel using the evaluation criteria described in the application instructions (referenced as Section V.B of the notice). After technical review, applications move to the Nebraska Review Committee (which may include members of the State Technical Committee). That committee makes recommendations to the NRCS State Conservationist, who makes the final funding selections.
To qualify as an “innovative conservation project or activity†under CIG, a proposal must cover the full arc of development through implementation, including demonstration, evaluation, implementation, and monitoring. The work must focus on at least one of the following: conservation adoption approaches or incentive systems; promising conservation technologies, practices, systems, procedures, or approaches; and environmentally sound solutions that protect and enhance natural resources. Priority is given to projects that comply with all federal, state, and local regulations for the entire project period and that clearly demonstrate the field effectiveness, usefulness, affordability, and usability of the conservation technology or approach. Competitive proposals generally show how an approach can be adapted to improve performance and encourage adoption, introduce a conservation approach from another region or agricultural sector, and/or demonstrate that the knowledge and results can be transferred and scaled.
For FY 2014 in Nebraska, NRCS identified Soil Health as the main focus area, and proposals are expected to align with at least one listed soil-health priority topic. These priorities largely center on cover crops and management systems tied to soil function and resilience. Priority topics include statewide advanced soil health training for NRCS staff and producers (at least four sessions to achieve statewide coverage, covering cover crop benefits, seed mixes tailored to resource concerns, soil microbiology, and the economics of cover crops). Other priorities include demonstrations of how cover crops affect soil organic matter and bulk density (compaction); how cover crops influence available soil moisture in non-irrigated commodity rotations; and how cover crops impact soil erosion, including sheet/rill and ephemeral erosion, especially as structural erosion-control practices become less common. Additional topics include demonstrating the impacts of grazing management on cover crop mixes (looking at soil chemical, physical, and biological properties and water quality); comparing long-term no-till with cover crops versus systems using tillage or rotational tillage (focusing on nutrient dynamics and plant-available water holding capacity); and quantifying the amount of available nitrogen after a legume cover crop.
Funding for this Nebraska opportunity is anticipated to total $150,000 for FY 2014, with up to about 10 awards expected. The maximum award (ceiling) for a single project is $75,000. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning applicants should be prepared to contribute matching funds or in-kind support as required by the program rules. The funding opportunity is listed as discretionary and uses a grant instrument under CFDA 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program).
Key dates from the announcement include an original closing date of May 16, 2014, later extended to a current closing date of June 13, 2014, with the opportunity posted April 11, 2014. For access issues or questions about the announcement, the listed contact is Timothy Bottoms, Contract Specialist, at 402-437-4092, and applicants are directed to the Nebraska CIG web page for additional information.
Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) - Nebraska (FY 2014) FAQs
1) What is the Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program?
The Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant program intended to speed up real-world adoption of innovative conservation practices and technologies in agriculture. The goal is to use federal conservation investments to improve environmental protection and natural resource outcomes while supporting productive farming.
2) What is the purpose of the Nebraska CIG "state component" opportunity?
This opportunity is Nebraska's state component of CIG for FY 2014, administered by the NRCS Nebraska State Office. It funds practical, field-ready conservation pilot projects and demonstrations that can move proven approaches closer to broad adoption in Nebraska.
3) Is this grant intended for basic research or academic hypothesis testing?
No. The program is not intended for basic or academic research. Proposals centered on testing hypotheses or conducting research for its own sake do not qualify. CIG supports applying, demonstrating, and validating conservation technologies or systems that are already studied enough to show a strong likelihood of success.
4) Where must the project take place?
Projects must take place in Nebraska. Multi-state projects will not be considered under this Nebraska state component opportunity.
5) How long can a project last?
Applications are accepted for single-year or multi-year projects lasting up to three years.
6) What is the anticipated project start date?
The anticipated project start date is September 1, 2014.
7) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are broadly defined and include: federally recognized Native American tribal governments, state governments, counties, cities/townships, special district governments, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) organizations), individuals, small businesses, other for-profit organizations, and public or private institutions of higher education.
8) Are both public and private entities allowed to apply?
Yes. Both public and private entities can apply, as long as the proposed work fits the program purpose and is carried out within Nebraska.
9) What types of projects does CIG want to fund?
The Nebraska CIG opportunity emphasizes on-the-ground conservation work such as pilot projects and field demonstrations. Projects should be practical and field-ready, with technologies or approaches that are verifiable and usable by producers and conservation professionals.
10) What does NRCS mean by an "innovative conservation project or activity" for CIG?
To qualify as an innovative conservation project or activity, a proposal must cover the full arc from development through implementation, including demonstration, evaluation, implementation, and monitoring.
11) What topic areas can a qualifying project focus on?
A CIG proposal must focus on at least one of the following: (1) conservation adoption approaches or incentive systems; (2) promising conservation technologies, practices, systems, procedures, or approaches; and/or (3) environmentally sound solutions that protect and enhance natural resources.
12) What makes a proposal more competitive under this opportunity?
Priority is given to projects that comply with all federal, state, and local regulations throughout the project period and that clearly demonstrate the field effectiveness, usefulness, affordability, and usability of the conservation technology or approach. Competitive proposals also tend to show how an approach can be adapted to improve performance and encourage adoption, bring a conservation approach from another region or agricultural sector, and/or demonstrate that results can be transferred and scaled.
13) What is the main focus area for Nebraska CIG FY 2014?
NRCS identified Soil Health as the main focus area for Nebraska in FY 2014. Proposals are expected to align with at least one of the listed soil-health priority topics.
14) What soil health priority topics are specifically listed?
Priority topics include: statewide advanced soil health training for NRCS staff and producers (at least four sessions to achieve statewide coverage) covering cover crop benefits, seed mixes tailored to resource concerns, soil microbiology, and the economics of cover crops; demonstrations of how cover crops affect soil organic matter and bulk density (compaction); how cover crops influence available soil moisture in non-irrigated commodity rotations; and how cover crops impact soil erosion (sheet/rill and ephemeral erosion), especially as structural erosion-control practices become less common.
15) Are there priority topics related to grazing and cover crop mixes?
Yes. One priority topic is demonstrating the impacts of grazing management on cover crop mixes, including effects on soil chemical, physical, and biological properties and water quality.
16) Are there priority topics related to no-till and rotational tillage comparisons?
Yes. A listed priority is comparing long-term no-till with cover crops versus systems using tillage or rotational tillage, focusing on nutrient dynamics and plant-available water holding capacity.
17) Are there priority topics related to nitrogen following a legume cover crop?
Yes. One priority is quantifying the amount of available nitrogen after a legume cover crop.
18) How much total funding is anticipated for this Nebraska opportunity?
Total funding anticipated for FY 2014 in Nebraska is $150,000.
19) How many awards does NRCS expect to make?
NRCS expects to make up to about 10 awards.
20) What is the maximum award amount per project?
The maximum award (ceiling) for a single project is $75,000.
21) Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, so applicants should be prepared to contribute matching funds or in-kind support as required by the program rules.
22) What is the CFDA number and what type of funding instrument is used?
This opportunity uses a grant instrument and is listed under CFDA 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program). The funding opportunity is described as discretionary.
23) What is the application timeline and closing date?
The opportunity was posted April 11, 2014. The original closing date was May 16, 2014, and it was extended to a current closing date of June 13, 2014.
24) What happens if an application is incomplete?
Applications go through an initial screening to confirm they are complete and comply with notice requirements. Incomplete applications are removed from consideration, and applicants are notified by mail.
25) How are complete applications evaluated?
Complete applications are scored by a technical peer review panel using evaluation criteria described in the application instructions (referenced as Section V.B of the notice). After technical review, applications go to the Nebraska Review Committee (which may include members of the State Technical Committee). The committee makes recommendations to the NRCS State Conservationist, who makes the final funding selections.
26) Where can applicants find the evaluation criteria?
The evaluation criteria are described in the application instructions referenced as Section V.B of the notice.
27) Who makes the final decision on funding?
The NRCS State Conservationist makes the final funding selections, after recommendations from the Nebraska Review Committee and technical peer review scoring.
28) What emphasis does CIG place on knowledge sharing and collaboration?
CIG emphasizes collaboration and knowledge-sharing so that conservation advances and tools are accessible beyond a narrow group of specialists and can be used more broadly by producers and conservation professionals.
29) What is the expectation for project outcomes beyond the funded sites?
CIG projects are expected to move proven conservation approaches closer to broad adoption, either by being incorporated into NRCS policy and technical guidance (such as manuals and field guides) or by being transferred into the private sector for wider use.
30) Who is the contact for access issues or questions about the announcement?
The listed contact is Timothy Bottoms, Contract Specialist, at 402-437-4092. Applicants are also directed to the Nebraska CIG web page for additional information.
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