Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS TN MULTI 21 NOFO0001085
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering competitive cooperative agreement funding in Tennessee under its FY 2021 Conservation Agreements announcement. The purpose is to leverage NRCS resources by building partnerships that can strengthen conservation delivery on the ground and/or develop tools, data, or other supports that improve NRCS capacity to plan, target, and implement conservation. In practical terms, NRCS is looking for collaborators who can help advance the key conservation priorities and objectives identified in the Tennessee-specific announcement, whether that means providing technical assistance, expanding outreach and coordination, improving decision-support resources, or helping deliver strategic conservation work in priority areas.
This opportunity is a discretionary funding program using the cooperative agreement instrument (rather than a standard grant), which typically implies active involvement by the federal agency during project implementation. Projects must be located in Tennessee, and NRCS is seeking proposals for project periods ranging from one to five years, allowing applicants to propose either shorter, targeted efforts or longer, multi-year initiatives that build capacity and results over time. The funding activity aligns with agriculture, environment, and natural resources goals under CFDA 10.902.
NRCS expects to award a total of about $400,000 across Tennessee projects in federal fiscal year 2021. The announcement indicates an expected number of awards around 10, with an award ceiling of $100,000 per agreement. While the ceiling sets the maximum NRCS anticipates for a single award under this notice, the combination of total available funding and expected award count suggests many awards may fall below the ceiling, depending on the strength, scope, and cost of proposals received.
Eligible applicants include a broad range of government, nonprofit, tribal, and higher education entities. Specifically eligible types include state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education); and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (also excluding institutions of higher education). This wide eligibility is designed to encourage cross-sector partnerships, such as collaborations among local governments, conservation districts, universities, and nonprofit organizations with relevant technical expertise or community reach.
Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov, with a deadline of 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 4, 2021. NRCS emphasized that Grants.gov account or submission troubleshooting must go through Grants.gov Applicant Support (1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov), since awarding agency staff do not provide support for Grants.gov technical/account issues. Questions about the notice itself could be submitted until May 5, 2021, and NRCS planned to post responses to submitted questions on Grants.gov about two weeks before the application deadline to ensure all applicants had access to the same clarifications.
For planning purposes, NRCS anticipated making selection decisions by June 30, 2021, and expected to execute awards by September 15, 2021. The official opportunity identifiers associated with this announcement include Funding Opportunity Number USDA NRCS TN MULTI 21 NOFO0001085, with the posting/creation date of April 5, 2021.Apply for USDA NRCS TN MULTI 21 NOFO0001085
- The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Agreements Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Announcement for Program Funding – TENNESSEE" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.902.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 05, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 04, 2021 Application must be received by 1159 pm Eastern Time.. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is this funding opportunity?
This is a competitive funding opportunity from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Tennessee under the FY 2021 Conservation Agreements announcement. Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement to support conservation partnerships and related capacity-building work in Tennessee.
2. What is the main purpose of the program?
The purpose is to leverage NRCS resources by building partnerships that strengthen conservation delivery on the ground and/or develop tools, data, or other supports that improve NRCS capacity to plan, target, and implement conservation.
3. What kinds of projects is NRCS looking for?
NRCS is looking for collaborators who can help advance the key conservation priorities and objectives identified in the Tennessee-specific announcement. Examples mentioned in the notice include providing technical assistance, expanding outreach and coordination, improving decision-support resources, and helping deliver strategic conservation work in priority areas.
4. Is this a standard grant?
No. This is a discretionary funding program that uses a cooperative agreement instrument rather than a standard grant. The announcement notes that this typically implies active involvement by the federal agency during project implementation.
5. Where must projects be located?
Projects must be located in Tennessee.
6. How long can the project period be?
NRCS is seeking proposals with project periods ranging from one to five years. Applicants can propose shorter, targeted efforts or longer, multi-year initiatives that build capacity and results over time.
7. What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The funding activity aligns under CFDA 10.902.
8. How much total funding does NRCS expect to award?
NRCS expects to award a total of about $400,000 across Tennessee projects in federal fiscal year 2021.
9. How many awards are expected?
The announcement indicates an expected number of awards around 10.
10. What is the maximum (ceiling) amount per award?
The award ceiling is $100,000 per cooperative agreement under this notice.
11. Will every award be $100,000?
Not necessarily. While $100,000 is the ceiling, the announcement notes that the combination of total available funding (about $400,000) and an expected ~10 awards suggests many awards may fall below the ceiling depending on proposal strength, scope, and costs.
12. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include a broad range of government, nonprofit, tribal, and higher education entities, including:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Other Native American tribal organizations
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education)
13. Why is eligibility so broad?
The announcement indicates the wide eligibility is intended to encourage cross-sector partnerships, such as collaborations among local governments, conservation districts, universities, and nonprofit organizations with relevant technical expertise or community reach.
14. How were applications submitted?
Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov.
15. What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 4, 2021.
16. Who should applicants contact for Grants.gov technical or account issues?
NRCS emphasized that Grants.gov account or submission troubleshooting must go through Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. The awarding agency staff do not provide support for Grants.gov technical or account issues.
17. Could applicants ask questions about the funding notice?
Yes. Questions about the notice itself could be submitted until May 5, 2021.
18. How were answers to submitted questions shared?
NRCS planned to post responses to submitted questions on Grants.gov about two weeks before the application deadline so all applicants had access to the same clarifications.
19. When did NRCS expect to make selection decisions?
NRCS anticipated making selection decisions by June 30, 2021.
20. When did NRCS expect to execute awards?
NRCS expected to execute awards by September 15, 2021.
21. What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA NRCS TN MULTI 21 NOFO0001085.
22. When was this opportunity posted/created?
The posting/creation date listed for this announcement is April 5, 2021.
23. What state is this opportunity specific to?
This announcement is Tennessee-specific and applies to projects located in Tennessee.
24. What does NRCS mean by improving its capacity to plan, target, and implement conservation?
Based on the notice language, NRCS is interested in partnerships that help it plan, target, and implement conservation more effectively by developing tools, data, decision-support resources, and other supports that strengthen how conservation work is delivered.
25. What types of partnership roles are highlighted in the announcement?
The notice highlights partner roles such as technical assistance, outreach and coordination, development of tools/data/decision-support resources, and support for strategic conservation delivery in priority areas identified in the Tennessee-specific announcement.
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|---|
| Tennessee NRCS Urban Conservation Project Apply for USDA NRCS TN CTA 21 NOFO0001086 Funding Number: USDA NRCS TN CTA 21 NOFO0001086 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $10,000 |
| TN FY2021 Collaborative Outreach for Natural Resources Conservation Apply for USDA NRCS TN MULTI 21 NOFO0001087 Funding Number: USDA NRCS TN MULTI 21 NOFO0001087 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| Conservation Collaboration Grants Agreements FY 2021 Announcement for Program Funding – SOUTH DAKOTA Apply for USDA NRCS SD CCCA 21 NOFO0001098 Funding Number: USDA NRCS SD CCCA 21 NOFO0001098 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Conservation Collaboration Grants Agreements Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Announcement for Program Funding – SOUTH DAKOTA Apply for USDA NRCS SD CCG 21 NOFO0001099 Funding Number: USDA NRCS SD CCG 21 NOFO0001099 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Alabama NRCS Technical Outreach and Education for Fiscal Year 2021 Apply for USDA NRCS AL MULTI 21 NOFO0001093 Funding Number: USDA NRCS AL MULTI 21 NOFO0001093 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Alabama NRCS Technical Assistance for FY2021 Apply for USDA NRCS AL MULTI 21 NOFO0001092 Funding Number: USDA NRCS AL MULTI 21 NOFO0001092 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Mississippi Notice of Funding Opportunity for Cooperative Agreements for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Apply for USDA NRCS MS MULTI 21 NOFO0001088 Funding Number: USDA NRCS MS MULTI 21 NOFO0001088 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Engineering Design Services Apply for USDA NRCS NV ENG 21 NOFO00001038 Funding Number: USDA NRCS NV ENG 21 NOFO00001038 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $155,000 |
| NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 – Virginia Apply for USDA NRCS VA CIG 21 NOFO0001089 Funding Number: USDA NRCS VA CIG 21 NOFO0001089 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ CIG 21 NOFO0001094 Funding Number: USDA NRCS NHQ CIG 21 NOFO0001094 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 – MISSOURI Apply for USDA NRCS MO CIG 21 NOFO0001097 Funding Number: USDA NRCS MO CIG 21 NOFO0001097 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| NRCS OK Conservation Easement Operation and Maintenance Apply for USDA NRCS OK ACEP 21 NOFO0001108 Funding Number: USDA NRCS OK ACEP 21 NOFO0001108 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Cooperative Conservation Agreements Fiscal Year 2021 Announcement for Program Funding – Wisconsin Apply for USDA NRCS WI CCA 21 NOFO0001091 Funding Number: USDA NRCS WI CCA 21 NOFO0001091 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 – Maine Apply for USDA NRCS ME CIG 21 NOFO0001101 Funding Number: USDA NRCS ME CIG 21 NOFO0001101 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 – SOUTH DAKOTA Apply for USDA NRCS SD CIG 21 NOFO0001102 Funding Number: USDA NRCS SD CIG 21 NOFO0001102 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Conservation Innovation Grants FY 2021- Florida Apply for USDA NRCS FL CIG 21 NOFO0001109 Funding Number: USDA NRCS FL CIG 21 NOFO0001109 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 – Vermont Apply for USDA NRCS VT CIG 21 NOFO0001111 Funding Number: USDA NRCS VT CIG 21 NOFO0001111 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $175,000 |
| Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) Pilot Project Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ CCFWR 21 NOFO0001112 Funding Number: USDA NRCS NHQ CCFWR 21 NOFO0001112 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $90,000 |
| Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’s Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Classic Program for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ CIG 21 NOFO0001113 Funding Number: USDA NRCS NHQ CIG 21 NOFO0001113 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| California Conservation Agreements Apply for USDA NRCS CA 21 MULTI NOFO0001118 Funding Number: USDA NRCS CA 21 MULTI NOFO0001118 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
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