Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ RCPP 16 01
Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ RCPP 16 01
- The Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Regional Conservation Partnership Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.932 Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 13, 2015 and posted on May 11, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 8, 2015 THIS ANNOUNCEMENT REPLACES USDA NRCS NHQ RCPP 15 01CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF PRE PROPOSALS ONLY. SELECTED APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED TO SUBMIT FULL PROPOSALS.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $225,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 170 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments Special district governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments State governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- OTHER PLEASE SEE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ADDITIONAL ELIGIBLE ENTITIES NOT LISTED ABOVE.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) funding opportunity designed to speed up and expand conservation work by pairing federal resources with investments and on-the-ground capacity from partner organizations. NRCS, as USDA's conservation agency, works directly with farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners to meet natural resource goals while keeping operations viable. RCPP is the vehicle NRCS uses to co-invest with partners in practical, cost-effective conservation approaches that improve soil health, water quality and quantity, wildlife habitat, and broader watershed and landscape conditions, while also supporting local economies and rural communities.
Under this program, partner organizations take the lead in building a project proposal for a defined geographic area such as a watershed or other priority region. The partner role is not passive: partners are expected to help design the project, recruit and engage participating producers and landowners, coordinate implementation, and evaluate outcomes. In other words, RCPP is structured around collaborative, place-based projects where NRCS provides the federal assistance and technical backbone, while partners bring additional funding or in-kind contributions, local relationships, and strategies tailored to the resource concerns in that area.
The application process is competitive and happens in two phases. First, applicants submit a pre-proposal. NRCS reviews pre-proposals and selects a subset to advance. Only those invited forward can submit a full proposal. NRCS evaluates applications using four stated criteria: solutions (how well the project addresses resource problems with workable approaches), contributions (the partner match and other leveraged resources brought to the table), innovation (new or improved methods, tools, or partnerships that can increase effectiveness), and participation (the ability to enroll landowners and producers and achieve broad adoption). A key administrative detail is that submitted applications become NRCS property for program administration and are not returned.
Funding is delivered through existing NRCS conservation authorities rather than as a stand-alone grant in the usual sense. Specifically, RCPP awards are implemented using program tools from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP). In certain areas, the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention program may also be used. Practically, that means conservation is implemented by working with agricultural producers and owners of agricultural and forest land, using the types of financial and technical assistance those programs already provide (for example, cost-share for conservation practices, stewardship enhancements, easements, or forest restoration actions), but coordinated under a partner-driven RCPP project framework.
For this specific notice, NRCS announced the availability of Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funding for RCPP, with an anticipated total of about $225 million available (and an estimate of about $235 million if sequestration were not in effect, as referenced in the President's FY 2016 budget proposal). NRCS also clarifies that the prior year (FY 2015) offered up to $394 million because it reflected two years of funding combined (FY 2014 and FY 2015), not because annual funding increased. The opportunity anticipated approximately 170 awards, with an award ceiling of $10,000,000 and no stated minimum award floor. A cost sharing or matching requirement applies, reinforcing the program's co-investment model.
Eligibility is broad and geared toward organizations capable of coordinating multi-party conservation projects. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, federally recognized tribal governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, along with additional eligible entity types referenced in the full announcement. Projects can be proposed from anywhere in the United States and certain U.S. jurisdictions, including all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Pacific territories such as Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Administratively, the funding opportunity number is USDA NRCS NHQ RCPP 16 01, categorized as discretionary, with the instrument type listed as "Other," defined here as partnership agreements. The posted date was May 11, 2015, and the closing date for submitting pre-proposals was July 8, 2015, with selected applicants later notified to submit full proposals. For more information, the notice points applicants to the NRCS RCPP homepage and provides an NRCS grants and agreements specialist contact for access issues.
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) - FAQs
1) What is the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)?
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) funding opportunity intended to accelerate and expand conservation work by combining federal resources with partner investments and on-the-ground capacity. RCPP supports practical, cost-effective conservation approaches that improve soil health, water quality and quantity, wildlife habitat, and broader watershed and landscape conditions, while also supporting local economies and rural communities.
2) Which federal agency administers RCPP?
RCPP is administered by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA's conservation agency that works directly with farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners to meet natural resource goals while keeping operations viable.
3) Is RCPP a traditional grant program?
No. Funding is delivered through existing NRCS conservation authorities rather than as a stand-alone grant in the usual sense. The instrument type is listed as "Other," defined here as partnership agreements.
4) How does RCPP funding get implemented on the ground?
RCPP awards are implemented using tools from existing NRCS programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP). In certain areas, the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention program may also be used.
5) What types of conservation assistance might participants receive under an RCPP project?
Because implementation occurs through existing NRCS program authorities, assistance may take the form of the financial and technical assistance those programs already provide, such as cost-share for conservation practices, stewardship enhancements, easements, or forest restoration actions, coordinated under a partner-driven RCPP framework.
6) Who leads an RCPP project?
Partner organizations take the lead in building a project proposal for a defined geographic area such as a watershed or other priority region. NRCS provides federal assistance and technical support, while partners provide additional funding or in-kind contributions, local relationships, and place-based strategies.
7) What is expected of partner organizations in RCPP?
Partners are expected to do more than submit an application. They are expected to help design the project, recruit and engage participating producers and landowners, coordinate implementation, and evaluate outcomes.
8) What is the geographic scope for RCPP projects?
Projects are place-based and proposed for a defined geographic area such as a watershed or other priority region. Projects can be proposed from anywhere in the United States and certain U.S. jurisdictions listed in the notice.
9) Where are projects eligible to be proposed?
Projects can be proposed in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Pacific territories including Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
10) What organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, along with additional eligible entity types referenced in the full announcement.
11) Do individual farmers, ranchers, or private forest landowners apply directly as the main applicant?
The notice describes eligible applicants as organizations (government entities, tribal governments, higher education institutions, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits, among others) that can coordinate multi-party conservation projects. It also states NRCS works directly with farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners to implement conservation through the program tools used under RCPP.
12) Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
Yes. A cost sharing or matching requirement applies, consistent with the program's co-investment model where federal resources are paired with partner investments and capacity.
13) How competitive is the application process?
The application process is competitive and occurs in two phases: a pre-proposal phase followed by a full proposal phase for those invited to advance.
14) What are the phases of the RCPP application process?
Applicants first submit a pre-proposal. NRCS reviews pre-proposals and selects a subset to advance. Only those selected are invited to submit a full proposal.
15) What criteria does NRCS use to evaluate RCPP applications?
NRCS evaluates applications using four stated criteria: solutions (how well the project addresses resource problems with workable approaches), contributions (the partner match and other leveraged resources), innovation (new or improved methods, tools, or partnerships), and participation (the ability to enroll landowners and producers and achieve broad adoption).
16) What does the "solutions" evaluation criterion mean in this notice?
"Solutions" refers to how well the proposed project addresses identified resource problems using workable conservation approaches.
17) What does the "contributions" evaluation criterion mean in this notice?
"Contributions" refers to the partner match and other leveraged resources that partners bring to the project as part of the co-investment model.
18) What does the "innovation" evaluation criterion mean in this notice?
"Innovation" refers to new or improved methods, tools, or partnerships that can increase conservation effectiveness.
19) What does the "participation" evaluation criterion mean in this notice?
"Participation" refers to the ability to enroll landowners and producers and achieve broad adoption of the conservation approaches promoted through the project.
20) What happens to submitted applications after they are sent to NRCS?
A key administrative detail in the notice is that submitted applications become NRCS property for program administration and are not returned.
21) What funding source is referenced for this RCPP notice?
NRCS announced the availability of Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funding for RCPP under this notice.
22) How much total funding is anticipated under this notice?
The notice anticipates a total of about $225 million available. It also references an estimate of about $235 million if sequestration were not in effect (as referenced in the President's FY 2016 budget proposal).
23) Why was the prior year (FY 2015) funding amount higher than this notice?
NRCS explains that FY 2015 offered up to $394 million because it reflected two years of funding combined (FY 2014 and FY 2015), not because annual funding increased.
24) How many awards are anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated approximately 170 awards.
25) What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $10,000,000.
26) Is there a minimum award amount?
No stated minimum award floor is provided in the notice.
27) What is the funding opportunity number for this notice?
The funding opportunity number is USDA NRCS NHQ RCPP 16 01.
28) How is this opportunity categorized (discretionary vs. mandatory)?
The notice categorizes the opportunity as discretionary.
29) What is the listed instrument type for this opportunity?
The instrument type is listed as "Other," defined in the notice as partnership agreements.
30) When was this notice posted?
The posted date was May 11, 2015.
31) What was the deadline to submit pre-proposals?
The closing date for submitting pre-proposals was July 8, 2015.
32) When are full proposals submitted?
Full proposals are submitted only after NRCS reviews pre-proposals and notifies selected applicants that they are invited to advance.
33) Where can applicants find more information about RCPP?
The notice points applicants to the NRCS RCPP homepage for additional information.
34) Who is the contact listed for access issues?
The notice provides an NRCS grants and agreements specialist contact for access issues.
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