Conservation Innovation Grants State Program | USDA NRCS LA CIG 22 NOFO0001208

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS LA CIG 22 NOFO0001208

The Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program opportunity for Louisiana (FY 2022) is a competitive grant program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), with funding tied to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (Assistance Listing/CFDA 10.912). The central purpose of this funding is to stimulate the development, testing, and broader adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies, meaning projects should go beyond standard or already widely used practices and instead demonstrate new or improved methods that can be replicated and scaled across the state. This particular announcement is specific to projects carried out in Louisiana, and it is positioned as a state competition under the broader national CIG framework.

For FY 2022 in Louisiana, NRCS set aside up to $300,000 total for awards, with an expectation of roughly two awards based on the posted details. Individual awards are limited to a maximum federal share of $150,000, and the estimated minimum federal share per award (the funding floor) is $100,000. Projects can run from one to three years, allowing applicants to propose anything from a shorter pilot demonstration to a multi-year validation and adoption effort. While the notice emphasizes innovation and conservation outcomes, it also signals that proposals in this announcement relate to cropland, with a Louisiana NRCS conservation agronomist listed as the program contact for questions about the announcement itself.

Eligibility is broad and includes most non-federal entities and individuals, with federal agencies being the only explicit exclusion. Examples of eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); independent school districts; and individuals. In practice, this wide eligibility is meant to encourage participation from universities, conservation groups, producer-facing organizations, private companies developing conservation technologies, and collaborative partnerships that can test and demonstrate solutions in real-world Louisiana conditions.

Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 27, 2022. The notice also highlights a common administrative reality: technical problems with Grants.gov are handled by the Grants.gov support desk (phone and email provided), and NRCS staff do not troubleshoot applicant account or system issues. NRCS also limits Q and A support to clarifications about the notice itself (for example, deadlines or inconsistencies in the document) and does not provide feedback on whether a specific project idea is eligible or competitive. For additional program context, applicants are directed to the Louisiana State CIG webpage hosted by NRCS.

On timeline, NRCS estimated selections would be made by June 30, 2022, with awards executed by September 15, 2022, while noting these dates could shift. Finally, the announcement reminds applicants that this is federal financial assistance and points to the federal "Grants 101" training offered through CFO.gov. That training covers core compliance topics that typically matter after award, such as applicable laws and regulations, administrative requirements under Uniform Guidance, cost principles, risk management, and single audit considerations, all of which can be important for organizations that are newer to managing federal grant funds.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, disaster prevention and relief, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Innovation Grants State Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 27, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 27, 2022. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for USDA NRCS LA CIG 22 NOFO0001208

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