Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ 10 01
Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ 10 01
- The Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "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 Apr 7, 2010 and posted on Apr 7, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 26, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $25,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 60 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses Special district governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education City or township governments Small businesses County governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State governments Individuals.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, run by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is a competitive grant opportunity designed to speed up the use of innovative conservation practices and technologies that work in real agricultural settings. The core idea is to improve environmental protection and resource stewardship while supporting agricultural production, using federal dollars as a catalyst and pairing them with partner investment through required cost-sharing or matching. Rather than funding basic research, CIG focuses on taking approaches that are already proven or sufficiently tested and pushing them into wider, practical adoption, especially through on-the-ground implementation.
CIG is aimed at projects that can realistically be transferred into NRCS systems or broadly adopted by the private sector. In practice, that means funded projects should be positioned to influence NRCS policy and guidance, such as technical manuals, handbooks, tools, and reference materials, or to become commercially or operationally viable outside of NRCS. The program explicitly does not support research intended to develop or test new hypotheses. Projects built around early-stage experimentation, exploratory studies, or purely academic research questions are not a fit. Instead, applicants are expected to apply technologies, management systems, or innovative approaches that have already demonstrated success and now need a structured push to scale, replicate, or become institutionalized.
A major emphasis of the program is technology transfer and practical demonstration. CIG supports field-level innovation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations, where producers and partners can see conservation systems working in conditions that mirror real-world operations. The program also encourages collaboration and the sharing of skills, knowledge, facilities, and tools among communities, governments, and institutions so that conservation advancements are not confined to a small group of specialists. It can include innovative approaches such as market-based systems, as long as the work is grounded in demonstrated methods and is aimed at adoption and implementation.
For the 2010 opportunity referenced (Funding Opportunity Number USDA NRCS NHQ 10 01), NRCS anticipated making around 60 awards from an estimated total funding pool of $25,000,000. Individual awards could be as high as $1,000,000, and the published award floor was $0, reflecting that award sizes could vary widely depending on the project and available funding. This opportunity fell under CFDA 10.912, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and it required cost-sharing or matching, meaning applicants needed to bring non-federal resources or partner contributions to the table.
Eligibility for the program was broad and included state and local governments (including county, city or township, and special district governments), federally recognized Native American tribal governments, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education under that nonprofit category), public and private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and individuals. The posting and closing dates for this archived opportunity were April 7, 2010 and April 26, 2010, respectively, with the archive date listed as May 17, 2010.
NRCS served as the sponsoring agency, and the announcement listed a national program contact for access issues and questions: Gregorio Cruz, National CIG Program Manager, USDA NRCS, based in Washington, DC, with telephone and fax numbers provided in the notice. The overall takeaway is that CIG is best understood as an implementation and adoption program for conservation innovation: it funds practical, field-ready demonstrations and deployments of proven conservation solutions, with the expectation that successful projects will be replicated, mainstreamed, and incorporated into NRCS guidance or broader private-sector use.
Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) - FAQs (USDA NRCS)
What is the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program?
The Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program is a competitive grant program run by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It is designed to speed up the adoption and use of innovative conservation practices and technologies that work in real agricultural settings, improving environmental protection and resource stewardship while supporting agricultural production.
What is the main purpose of CIG funding?
CIG funding is intended to move proven or sufficiently tested conservation approaches into wider, practical adoption. The program uses federal funding as a catalyst and requires partner investment through cost-sharing or matching to help scale, replicate, or institutionalize conservation innovations through on-the-ground implementation.
Is CIG intended to fund basic research?
No. CIG is not intended to fund basic research or research designed to develop or test new hypotheses. Projects centered on early-stage experimentation, exploratory studies, or purely academic research questions are not considered a fit for CIG based on the program description provided.
What kinds of projects are a good fit for CIG?
Projects that apply technologies, management systems, or innovative approaches that have already demonstrated success and now need support to scale, replicate, or become broadly adopted are a strong fit. The emphasis is on practical demonstration, technology transfer, and real-world implementation in agricultural conditions.
What does "technology transfer" mean in the context of CIG?
In this context, technology transfer refers to moving field-proven conservation innovations into broader use by producers, partners, NRCS systems, or the private sector. CIG supports efforts where others can observe, learn, and adopt working conservation systems under conditions that mirror real operations.
Does CIG support pilot projects and field demonstrations?
Yes. A major emphasis of CIG is practical demonstration and field-level innovation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations where conservation systems can be shown to work under real-world conditions.
Does CIG require cost-sharing or matching?
Yes. This opportunity required cost-sharing or matching, meaning applicants were expected to bring non-federal resources or partner contributions as part of the project.
Why does CIG require cost-sharing or matching?
Based on the program description, the intent is to pair federal dollars with partner investment so federal funding serves as a catalyst and projects have stronger momentum for adoption and implementation beyond the grant period.
What kinds of outcomes does NRCS expect from CIG projects?
CIG projects are expected to lead to innovations that can be replicated and mainstreamed. The program aims for successful projects to be transferable into NRCS systems (including policy and guidance) or broadly adopted by the private sector, including becoming commercially or operationally viable outside NRCS.
How might a CIG project influence NRCS programs or guidance?
Funded projects should be positioned to influence NRCS policy and guidance, including items like technical manuals, handbooks, tools, and reference materials, as described in the opportunity summary.
Are market-based approaches allowed under CIG?
The program description indicates CIG can include innovative approaches such as market-based systems, as long as the work is grounded in demonstrated methods and aimed at adoption and implementation.
Who was eligible to apply for this opportunity?
Eligibility was broad and included state and local governments (including county, city or township, and special district governments), federally recognized Native American tribal governments, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education under that nonprofit category), public and private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and individuals.
Which USDA agency sponsored this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency for this opportunity was the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for the referenced 2010 opportunity?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed for the referenced 2010 opportunity was USDA NRCS NHQ 10 01.
What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
This opportunity was listed under CFDA 10.912, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
How much total funding was anticipated for the 2010 opportunity?
NRCS anticipated a total funding pool of $25,000,000 for the referenced 2010 opportunity.
How many awards were anticipated for the 2010 opportunity?
NRCS anticipated making around 60 awards for the referenced 2010 opportunity.
What was the maximum award amount?
Individual awards could be as high as $1,000,000 for the referenced opportunity.
What does it mean that the award floor was listed as $0?
The published award floor of $0 indicates award sizes could vary widely depending on the project and available funding, rather than having a minimum set award amount stated in the summary provided.
What were the posting and closing dates for the archived 2010 opportunity?
The posting date was April 7, 2010, and the closing date was April 26, 2010.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed for this opportunity was May 17, 2010.
Who was the national program contact listed for this opportunity?
The announcement listed Gregorio Cruz, National CIG Program Manager, USDA NRCS (Washington, DC) as the national program contact for access issues and questions. Telephone and fax numbers were provided in the notice.
Does CIG focus on real agricultural settings?
Yes. CIG is specifically described as focused on innovative conservation practices and technologies that work in real agricultural settings, with on-the-ground implementation as a central feature.
Is collaboration encouraged in CIG projects?
Yes. The program encourages collaboration and the sharing of skills, knowledge, facilities, and tools among communities, governments, and institutions to help conservation advancements spread beyond a small group of specialists.
What is the overall takeaway of what CIG funds?
CIG is best understood as an implementation and adoption program for conservation innovation: it funds practical, field-ready demonstrations and deployments of proven conservation solutions, with an expectation that successful projects will be replicated, mainstreamed, and incorporated into NRCS guidance or broader private-sector use.
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| 2010 USDA NRCS Montana Conservation Innovation Grants Apply for USDA NRCS MT 10 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS MT 10 01 Agency: Montana State Office Category: Agriculture Environment Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
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| 2010 USDA NRCS NEW YORK CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANT Apply for USDA NRCS NY 10 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS NY 10 01 Agency: New York State Office Category: Agriculture Environment Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Georgia Conservation Innovation Grants Apply for USDA NRCS GA 10 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS GA 10 01 Agency: Georgia State Office Category: Agriculture Environment Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Agent to Manage Alternative Manure Technologies Earmark for NRCS in Vermont Apply for USDANRCSVT1002 Funding Number: USDANRCSVT1002 Agency: Vermont State Office Category: Agriculture Environment Natural Resources Funding Amount: $119,000 |
| INTERREGIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT #4 MINOR CROP PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 003377 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SRGP 003377 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Environment Natural Resources Funding Amount: $48,000,000 |
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| MAINE CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS Apply for USDANRCSME1101 Funding Number: USDANRCSME1101 Agency: Vermont State Office Category: Agriculture Environment Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| 2011 Michigan Conservation Innovation Grant Apply for USDA NRCS MI 11 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS MI 11 01 Agency: Michigan State Office Category: Agriculture Environment Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
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