Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS CO 13 01
Apply for USDA NRCS CO 13 01
- The Colorado State Office in the agriculture environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NRCS CO State Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) FY13" 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 Mar 21, 2013 and posted on Mar 19, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 19, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $750,000.00 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 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Special district governments Small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education County governments For profit organizations other than small businesses 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) State governments Individuals Private institutions of higher education City or township governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NRCS Colorado State Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) FY13 opportunity is a competitive, discretionary grant program designed to speed up real-world adoption of innovative conservation practices in agriculture. The central goal is to leverage federal investment to improve environmental quality while supporting agricultural production, with a strong emphasis on approaches that can be scaled and transferred into NRCS policy and technical resources (such as manuals, guides, and references) or taken up broadly by the private sector. A key point in this announcement is that CIG is not a research program. Projects built around testing hypotheses or conducting basic research are not eligible. Instead, the program is meant for applying, demonstrating, or piloting technologies and approaches that have already been proven enough to be ready for on-the-ground use, field demonstration, and broader adoption.
For fiscal year 2013 in Colorado, NRCS focused the CIG competition on three priority categories that align with state needs and requirements: air quality, water quality, and soil health. Applicants were invited to submit pre-proposals for either single-year or multi-year projects, with a maximum project length of three years. The pre-proposal format signals a two-step process: NRCS first screens and evaluates brief initial submissions, then invites a smaller number of applicants to submit full proposals that best match the program goals and the state-specific emphasis areas. This structure is intended to reduce unnecessary burden on applicants while concentrating full proposal development on the most competitive and relevant project concepts.
The specific FY13 Colorado emphasis topics were clearly defined and applicants needed to address at least one of them using innovative technologies and/or approaches. Under water quality, NRCS sought projects demonstrating the effectiveness and efficiency of innovative practices that remove or reduce selenium and other contaminants in runoff or drainage water. Under air quality, one topic targeted nutrient deposition concerns near Rocky Mountain National Park, seeking demonstrations that quantify optimal combinations of nutrient source, application rate, placement, and timing to reduce deposition. Another air quality topic focused on the human and operational side of conservation adoption: identifying barriers that prevent producers from implementing core nutrient reduction practices (described as avoiding, controlling, and trapping nutrients, including nutrient management), and then demonstrating practical solutions that improve adoption, especially among producers who traditionally participate at low rates or not at all in high-risk areas. Under soil health, NRCS prioritized cover crop-related innovations, including developing optimal cover crop species mixes, seeding rates, and seeding methods to improve establishment and survival and to build soil organic matter. A second soil health topic emphasized measurement and quantification across diverse conditions: demonstrating how cover crop presence, species mix, and management decisions (including termination growth stage and tillage practice) influence soil water content and subsequent cash crop yields across different climates and cropping systems.
The program anticipated making about 15 awards statewide, supported by an estimated total funding pool of $750,000. Individual awards could be as large as $75,000, with no stated minimum award amount (award floor of $0). A cost-sharing or matching contribution was required, meaning applicants needed to bring non-federal and/or partner resources to help complete the work, consistent with CIGs broader goal of leveraging federal dollars to accelerate implementation and adoption.
Eligibility was broad and included many types of organizations and individuals. Eligible applicants included federally recognized Tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations, state and local governments (including counties, cities, townships, and special districts), public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, small businesses, other for-profit entities (including those that are not small businesses), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and individuals. This wide eligibility reflects the programs emphasis on practical demonstration and technology transfer, which can come from producers, conservation districts, universities, nonprofits, private companies, or collaborative partnerships.
The review and selection process followed a structured sequence. First, NRCS screened applications for completeness and compliance; incomplete submissions were eliminated and applicants were notified by mail. Complete applications received by the deadline were evaluated by a technical peer review panel using evaluation criteria referenced in the application instructions. Those reviews, along with the applications, were then forwarded to a Grants Review Board, which made recommendations to the NRCS Colorado State Conservationist. The State Conservationist made the final funding selections. The announcement itself was explicitly for pre-proposals, and only the applicants whose concepts best aligned with Colorado priorities and available funding would be invited to submit full proposals.
Administrative details in the listing include the Funding Opportunity Number USDA NRCS CO 13 01, with the opportunity categorized under Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources and tied to CFDA 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program). The opportunity was posted March 19, 2013, with an application closing date of April 19, 2013, and an archive date of May 19, 2013. The administering office was the USDA NRCS Colorado State Office. For access or questions, the contact listed was Melanie Guinan, Grants and Agreements Specialist, at 720-544-2867, and applicants were directed to the Colorado NRCS CIG website for additional information.
FAQs - NRCS Colorado State Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) FY13
What is the NRCS Colorado State Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) FY13?
The NRCS Colorado State CIG FY13 is a competitive, discretionary grant program intended to speed up real-world adoption of innovative conservation practices in agriculture. It is designed to leverage federal investment to improve environmental quality while supporting agricultural production, with an emphasis on approaches that can be scaled and transferred into NRCS policy and technical resources (such as manuals, guides, and references) or adopted broadly by the private sector.
Is this grant program for research projects?
No. The announcement emphasizes that CIG is not a research program. Projects centered on testing hypotheses or conducting basic research are not eligible. The program is intended for applying, demonstrating, or piloting technologies and approaches that are sufficiently proven and ready for on-the-ground use, field demonstration, and broader adoption.
What kinds of projects does this program want to fund?
The opportunity focuses on practical, real-world implementation: field demonstrations, pilots, and applied efforts that show how innovative conservation technologies or approaches work in agricultural settings and can be scaled or transferred into NRCS technical resources and/or widely adopted by the private sector.
What are the FY13 Colorado priority categories?
For fiscal year 2013 in Colorado, the CIG competition is focused on three priority categories: air quality, water quality, and soil health.
Do applicants have to address a specific topic area?
Yes. Applicants needed to address at least one of the specifically defined FY13 Colorado emphasis topics using innovative technologies and/or approaches, within the broader priority categories of air quality, water quality, or soil health.
What are the water quality emphasis topics for FY13 Colorado?
Under water quality, NRCS sought projects that demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of innovative practices that remove or reduce selenium and other contaminants in runoff or drainage water.
What are the air quality emphasis topics for FY13 Colorado?
Two air quality topics were highlighted: (1) nutrient deposition concerns near Rocky Mountain National Park, with demonstrations that quantify optimal combinations of nutrient source, application rate, placement, and timing to reduce deposition; and (2) identifying barriers that prevent producers from implementing core nutrient reduction practices (avoiding, controlling, and trapping nutrients, including nutrient management) and demonstrating practical solutions that improve adoption, especially among producers who traditionally participate at low rates or not at all in high-risk areas.
What are the soil health emphasis topics for FY13 Colorado?
Soil health priorities focused on cover crop-related innovations in two areas: (1) developing optimal cover crop species mixes, seeding rates, and seeding methods to improve establishment and survival and to build soil organic matter; and (2) demonstrating how cover crop presence, species mix, and management decisions (including termination growth stage and tillage practice) influence soil water content and subsequent cash crop yields across different climates and cropping systems.
Is the application process a single step or multi-step?
It is a two-step process. This announcement is for pre-proposals. NRCS first screens and evaluates brief initial submissions, then invites a smaller number of applicants to submit full proposals that best match the program goals and Colorado-specific emphasis areas.
Can projects be single-year or multi-year?
Yes. Applicants were invited to submit pre-proposals for either single-year or multi-year projects.
What is the maximum project length?
The maximum project length is three years.
How many awards did NRCS anticipate making in Colorado for FY13?
The program anticipated making about 15 awards statewide.
How much total funding was estimated for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding pool was $750,000.
What is the maximum award amount for an individual grant?
Individual awards could be as large as $75,000.
Is there a minimum award amount?
No minimum award amount was stated. The listing indicates an award floor of $0.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
Yes. A cost-sharing or matching contribution was required, meaning applicants needed to bring non-federal and/or partner resources to help complete the work. This aligns with the programs goal of leveraging federal dollars to accelerate implementation and adoption.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes: federally recognized Tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations; state and local governments (including counties, cities, townships, and special districts); public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; small businesses; other for-profit entities (including those that are not small businesses); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and individuals.
Does NRCS review applications for completeness before scoring them?
Yes. NRCS first screened applications for completeness and compliance. Incomplete submissions were eliminated, and applicants were notified by mail.
How are complete applications evaluated?
Complete applications received by the deadline were evaluated by a technical peer review panel using evaluation criteria referenced in the application instructions.
Who makes the final funding decision?
After technical peer review, the applications and reviews were forwarded to a Grants Review Board, which made recommendations to the NRCS Colorado State Conservationist. The State Conservationist made the final funding selections.
If I submit a pre-proposal, am I guaranteed to submit a full proposal?
No. Only the applicants whose concepts best aligned with Colorado priorities and available funding would be invited to submit full proposals.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA NRCS CO 13 01.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is tied to CFDA 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program).
What program areas does this opportunity fall under?
The opportunity is categorized under Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources.
When was the opportunity posted and when was the application due?
The opportunity was posted on March 19, 2013, and the application closing date was April 19, 2013.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed is May 19, 2013.
Which office administers this opportunity?
The administering office is the USDA NRCS Colorado State Office.
Who is the contact person for questions?
The contact listed is Melanie Guinan, Grants and Agreements Specialist, at 720-544-2867. Applicants were also directed to the Colorado NRCS CIG website for additional information.
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