Conservation Collaboration Grants or Agreements Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Announcement for Program Funding - KANSAS | USDA NRCS KS CCGA 21 NOFO0001040

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS KS CCGA 21 NOFO0001040

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced a Kansas-specific Conservation Collaboration Grants or Agreements funding opportunity for FY 2021 designed to bring partners together around locally driven conservation needs. The main purpose is to leverage NRCS resources by supporting projects that tackle priority natural resource concerns in Kansas, strengthen collaboration among conservation partners, and build conservation leadership at both the state and community levels. The funding is intended to help partners work alongside NRCS to develop and deliver conservation activities that are responsive to local conditions and priorities, as described in Section A of the full announcement materials.

For FY 2021, NRCS set aside up to $7 million total for this Kansas opportunity, with an award ceiling of $2.5 million per project and an anticipated total of about 15 awards. Projects were expected to run between 1 and 3 years, which signals that the agency was looking for efforts that can show measurable progress in the near term while still allowing enough time for meaningful on-the-ground implementation, outreach, planning, or coordination work. The assistance mechanism listed is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial involvement by the federal agency during project performance (for example, coordination, technical input, or shared implementation roles), rather than a hands-off grant relationship.

Eligibility was broad but focused on public, nonprofit, and educational entities with the capacity to carry out conservation work and partnerships. Eligible applicants included federally recognized Native American tribal governments, state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) status (excluding universities when categorized separately). The overall intent was to attract proposals from organizations that can convene local partners, deliver conservation services, and address resource issues that matter at the watershed, community, or regional level within Kansas.

The opportunity was classified under the Agriculture and Natural Resources funding activity category and carried the CFDA listing 10.902. The official opportunity identification was USDA NRCS KS CCGA 21 NOFO0001040, posted on January 6, 2021, with a closing date of March 8, 2021. Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on March 8, 2021, and applicants experiencing technical problems with Grants.gov were directed to Grants.gov Applicant Support rather than NRCS staff, since agency personnel cannot troubleshoot applicant account or system issues.

The timeline also included a formal question period for applicants. Questions about the notice of funding opportunity could be submitted until February 5, 2021, with NRCS planning to post responses on Grants.gov about two weeks before the application deadline. After submission, proposals received by Kansas NRCS were to be scored as they arrived and, if they met eligibility requirements, placed onto a ranking list for funding consideration. Final funding decisions rested with the State Conservationist. NRCS indicated it anticipated making selections by May 1, 2021, with awards expected to be executed by September 15, 2021, giving applicants a clear sense of when decisions and agreements would likely be finalized.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Collaboration Grants or Agreements Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Announcement for Program Funding - KANSAS" 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 Jan 06, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 08, 2021. (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 $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 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), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for USDA NRCS KS CCGA 21 NOFO0001040

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