Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS SC 13 01
Apply for USDA NRCS SC 13 01
- The South Carolina State Office in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Innovation Grants Fiscal Year 2013 Announcement for Federal Funding" 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 15, 2013 and posted on Apr 4, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 21, 2013. (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.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Applications will be accepted from all South Carolina conservation partners, county conservation districts, and individuals. Applications are requested from eligible governmental or non governmental organizations or individuals for competitive consideration of grant awards for projects between 1 and 3 years in duration. Funds will be awarded through a one phase statewide competitive grants process that will include a full proposal process. This notice indentifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions for CIG projects. Incomplete applications will be eliminated from competition, and notification of elimination will be mailed to the applicant. Applications for the proposal must be received by NRCS before 400 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Monday, May 13, 2013. South Carolina NRCS anticipates announcing selected proposal applications by August 15, 2013.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Fiscal Year 2013 announcement is a competitive federal grant opportunity run through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in South Carolina. CIG is authorized under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and ultimately supported through Commodity Credit Corporation authorities. The program is designed to push conservation forward in practical, real-world agricultural settings by helping partners demonstrate and expand the use of conservation approaches and technologies that are already proven or far enough along to have a strong likelihood of success. The central goal is to accelerate adoption by producers and land managers while generating results and lessons that can be incorporated into NRCS policy tools such as technical manuals, guidance documents, and conservation practice references, or transferred into broader private-sector use.
A key point in this announcement is what CIG is and is not meant to fund. It is not a research grant program, and proposals framed as research or hypothesis-testing are not eligible. Instead, CIG supports application, demonstration, evaluation, implementation, and monitoring of conservation innovations that have already been studied sufficiently to justify field deployment. In practice, that means pilot projects and field demonstrations that show how a promising approach works on the ground, what it costs, how usable it is for landowners, and what environmental benefits it delivers. The intent is to reduce barriers to adoption by proving performance in realistic conditions and packaging the results so others can replicate them.
For South Carolina in FY 2013, NRCS is accepting proposals for projects located within the state, and projects may be single-year or multi-year as long as they do not exceed three years. Eligible applicants are broad and include federally recognized Indian tribes, state and local units of government, non-governmental organizations, and individuals. The announcement explicitly invites participation from South Carolina conservation partners and county conservation districts, along with local government and other non-government entities, reflecting the program emphasis on collaboration and the sharing of skills, knowledge, and resources across institutions.
The competitive process described is structured and multi-step. Applications are first screened for completeness and compliance with the notice requirements; incomplete submissions are removed from consideration, and applicants are notified by mail if their proposal is eliminated at this stage. Complete applications move to a technical peer review panel, which evaluates proposals using the published application evaluation criteria referenced in the instructions. Following technical review, proposals and reviews are forwarded to a Review Board, which makes recommendations to the NRCS State Conservationist. The State Conservationist makes the final funding decisions.
To receive priority consideration, proposed projects must remain compliant with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations for the full project duration and should align with the program’s definition of innovation in an applied, adoptable sense. Priority characteristics include using a proven technology (or one sufficiently studied to indicate a high probability of success), demonstrating and verifying environmental effectiveness across resource concerns such as soil, water, air, plants, energy, and animals, and showing practical utility, affordability, and usability in the field. Projects are also encouraged to adapt or improve conservation technologies and management systems to boost performance and adoption, introduce effective conservation systems from other regions or agricultural sectors, and clearly demonstrate that the knowledge and methods are transferable so others can implement them beyond the original demonstration site.
For FY 2013 in South Carolina, NRCS indicates it will consider proposals that use innovative technologies and/or approaches addressing at least one of eight focus areas: nutrient management, energy conservation, soil health, wildlife, water management, Farm Bill program outreach, air quality, and silvopasture. These categories signal the state’s interest in projects that can improve environmental outcomes while staying grounded in workable farm and land management decisions, including efforts that help producers understand and access conservation programs.
The funding details in the source data describe this as a discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program). NRCS anticipated making about three awards. Individual project budgets could range from an award floor of $1,000 up to an award ceiling of $75,000. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning recipients should expect to provide non-federal contributions consistent with the program rules. The solicitation was posted April 4, 2013, with a closing date that was extended from May 13, 2013 to May 21, 2013, and the state office anticipated announcing selected proposals by about August 15, 2013.
Applicants needing help accessing the full announcement were directed to contact Dorothea Martinez, Contracting Officer, at 803-253-3899.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) FY 2013 (South Carolina)
What is the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) opportunity described here?
The Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Fiscal Year 2013 opportunity is a competitive federal grant run through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in South Carolina. It is authorized under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and supported through Commodity Credit Corporation authorities.
What is the main purpose of CIG?
The program is intended to push conservation forward in practical, real-world agricultural settings. It funds partners to demonstrate and expand conservation approaches and technologies that are already proven, or far enough along that they have a strong likelihood of success, so adoption by producers and land managers can be accelerated.
Is CIG a research grant program?
No. The announcement explicitly states that CIG is not a research grant program. Proposals framed as research or hypothesis-testing are not eligible under this opportunity.
What kinds of activities does CIG support instead of research?
CIG supports application, demonstration, evaluation, implementation, and monitoring of conservation innovations that have already been studied sufficiently to justify field deployment. Typical projects include pilot efforts and field demonstrations that show how an approach works on the ground, what it costs, how usable it is for landowners, and what environmental benefits it delivers.
Where must projects be located for this South Carolina FY 2013 announcement?
Projects must be located within the state of South Carolina to be considered under this announcement.
How long can a CIG project last under this announcement?
Projects may be single-year or multi-year, but they cannot exceed three years in duration.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian tribes, state and local units of government, non-governmental organizations, and individuals.
Are partnerships encouraged?
Yes. The announcement explicitly invites participation from South Carolina conservation partners and county conservation districts, along with local government and other non-government entities, reflecting an emphasis on collaboration and sharing skills, knowledge, and resources.
What does NRCS mean by “innovation†in this program?
In this program, “innovation†is described in an applied, adoptable sense. Priority is given to projects using a proven technology (or one sufficiently studied to indicate a high probability of success) and focused on real-world demonstration and adoption rather than experimental hypothesis testing.
What resource concerns can projects address?
The announcement references environmental effectiveness across resource concerns such as soil, water, air, plants, energy, and animals.
What kinds of project characteristics receive priority consideration?
Priority characteristics include demonstrating and verifying environmental effectiveness; showing practical utility, affordability, and usability in the field; adapting or improving conservation technologies and management systems to boost performance and adoption; introducing effective conservation systems from other regions or agricultural sectors; and demonstrating that the knowledge and methods are transferable so others can implement them beyond the original site.
What focus areas will NRCS consider for FY 2013 in South Carolina?
NRCS indicates it will consider proposals that address at least one of these eight focus areas: nutrient management, energy conservation, soil health, wildlife, water management, Farm Bill program outreach, air quality, and silvopasture.
Does a proposal have to fit within one of the listed focus areas?
For FY 2013 in South Carolina, NRCS indicates it will consider proposals that use innovative technologies and/or approaches addressing at least one of the eight focus areas listed in the announcement.
How competitive is this funding opportunity?
It is a competitive grant opportunity. NRCS anticipated making about three awards under this FY 2013 South Carolina announcement.
What is the funding range for individual awards?
Individual project budgets could range from a floor of $1,000 up to a ceiling of $75,000.
Is there a cost-share or matching requirement?
Yes. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies. Recipients should expect to provide non-federal contributions consistent with program rules.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The announcement identifies this as a discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program).
How does the application review process work?
The process is multi-step. Applications are first screened for completeness and compliance with the notice requirements. Incomplete submissions are removed from consideration and applicants are notified by mail. Complete applications go to a technical peer review panel for evaluation using the published criteria referenced in the instructions. Proposals and reviews are then forwarded to a Review Board, which makes recommendations to the NRCS State Conservationist. The State Conservationist makes the final funding decisions.
What happens if an application is incomplete?
Incomplete submissions are removed from consideration during the initial screening stage, and applicants are notified by mail if their proposal is eliminated at that point.
Who makes the final award decisions?
The NRCS State Conservationist makes the final funding decisions after receiving recommendations through the review process.
Do projects need to follow regulations throughout the project?
Yes. To receive priority consideration, projects must remain compliant with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations for the full duration of the project.
When was the solicitation posted and when did it close?
The solicitation was posted on April 4, 2013. The closing date was extended from May 13, 2013 to May 21, 2013.
When were selected proposals expected to be announced?
The state office anticipated announcing selected proposals by about August 15, 2013.
Who can be contacted for help accessing the full announcement?
Applicants needing help accessing the full announcement were directed to contact Dorothea Martinez, Contracting Officer, at 803-253-3899.
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