Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2023 – South Dakota | USDA NRCS SD CIG 23 NOFO0001308

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS SD CIG 23 NOFO0001308

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program funding for federal fiscal year 2023 in South Dakota. This opportunity is designed to encourage the development, testing, and wider adoption of new or improved conservation approaches and technologies, particularly those that can be put into practice through on-the-ground projects carried out within the state. The program sits at the intersection of agriculture, environment, and natural resources and is listed under CFDA 10.912. In practical terms, NRCS is looking to fund projects that move conservation beyond standard practices by piloting innovative ideas and helping them become usable and scalable.

For this South Dakota competition, NRCS indicates up to $150,000 total funding is available. The award ceiling for any single grant is also $150,000, meaning one project could theoretically receive the full amount if selected, although the notice also lists an expectation of about four awards. Projects can run from one to three years, giving applicants flexibility to propose shorter demonstrations or longer pilots that may require multiple seasons or phases to show results. The funding instrument is a discretionary grant, and the opportunity is identified as USDA NRCS SD CIG 23 NOFO0001308.

Eligibility is broad. NRCS invites applications from non-federal entities and individuals, with the only explicit exclusion being federal agencies. The listing describes eligibility as "unrestricted" subject to any additional clarifications in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO), specifically in the section addressing eligibility. Applicants should still review the NFO closely to confirm any conditions or documentation requirements that apply to their specific organization type, partnerships, or project design.

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, and the deadline is June 23, 2023, by 11:59 pm Eastern Time. NRCS flags a common issue for first-time applicants: setting up and completing the required Grants.gov registrations and steps can take significant time, so applicants are encouraged to start early rather than waiting until the final days. If technical problems come up with Grants.gov itself, applicants are directed to Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov, and NRCS staff will not be able to troubleshoot account or platform issues.

For questions about the contents of the NFO, applicants are instructed to contact the federal awarding agency point of contact listed in Section G of the NFO. The agency also notes that questions should be limited to clarifying the published requirements (for example, confirming dates, where something is located in the document, or resolving discrepancies). They will not respond to questions that ask them to judge eligibility in a hypothetical scenario or to comment on the strength or merit of a particular project idea before submission. Applicants are also encouraged to review the National CIG website for broader program context and background.

NRCS expects to make project selections by July 31, 2023, and anticipates executing awards by September 1, 2023, with the reminder that these timing estimates may shift. The opportunity was created on May 24, 2023, and the original closing date is listed as June 23, 2023.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2023 – South Dakota" 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 May 24, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 23, 2023 Applications 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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for USDA NRCS SD CIG 23 NOFO0001308

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