Vermont NRCS FY24 Conservation Solutions Through Strategic Partnerships Announcement for Funding | USDA NRCS VT CSC 24 NOFO0001405

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS VT CSC 24 NOFO0001405

The Vermont NRCS FY24 Conservation Solutions Through Strategic Partnerships Announcement for Funding is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Vermont that is designed to build partnerships with organizations that can help deliver on-the-ground conservation assistance. The core purpose is to bring in conservation partners that can provide technical services connected to conservation delivery assistance activities described in the full announcement (referenced as Section A). In practical terms, NRCS is looking for capable partner organizations to help plan, coordinate, and carry out conservation support work that aligns with NRCS priorities in agriculture, environmental stewardship, and natural resources.

Funding is expected to be available in fiscal year 2025 at a total level of up to $1,200,000, but the notice makes clear that it is being released before final federal appropriations or apportionment decisions are complete. That means the final amount available could change depending on continuing resolutions or a final appropriations act. Awards under this opportunity will be made as cooperative agreements, which typically implies substantial involvement by the federal agency during implementation. NRCS anticipates making about five awards, and projects can be proposed as either single-year or multi-year efforts, with agreement periods ranging from 1 to 5 years.

Eligibility is broad and limited to domestic applicants. Eligible applicant types include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education); and other domestic entities that fit the announcement's eligibility scope. The program is cataloged under CFDA (Assistance Listing) 10.902, and it falls under the agriculture, environment, and natural resources activity category.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov, and applicants are responsible for ensuring their Grants.gov registrations and submissions are in order. The stated deadline in the notice summary is 11:59 pm Eastern Time on September 30, 2024, although the source data also lists an original closing date of October 12, 2024, so applicants should verify the controlling deadline in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity and the Grants.gov posting to avoid missing the submission window. Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with the notice requirements, and the Vermont State Conservationist explicitly reserves the right to fund all, some, or none of the applications received.

For support, technical issues with Grants.gov must be handled through Grants.gov Applicant Support (1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov), and NRCS staff will not help troubleshoot Grants.gov accounts. Questions to the federal awarding agency are limited to clarifying specific items in the NFO (for example, dates, page references, or discrepancies) and will not cover proposal strategy, eligibility edge cases, or the merits of a particular project concept. NRCS expects to make selection decisions by December 31, 2024, and to execute awards by April 1, 2025, with the caveat that these dates are estimates and may shift.

• The Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Vermont NRCS FY24 Conservation Solutions Through Strategic Partnerships Announcement for Funding" 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 2024-08-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-12. (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 $1,200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 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, Others.

Apply for USDA NRCS VT CSC 24 NOFO0001405

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