OpportunityTitle: Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2022 &#8211; South Carolina
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: All U.S.-based non-Federal entities (NFE) and individuals, with the exception of Federal agencies, are eligible to apply for projects carried out in South Carolina. Any award made pursuant to this NFO will be made to a single entity. Applicants that apply as &#8220;partnerships&#8221; or other similar groupings must clearly describe the relationship between the applicant and the &#8220;partner&#8221; parties. In all but exceptional cases, it must be reflected in the award as an awardee/sub awardee relationship.Conservation Innovation Grants are Grant Agreements and  do not provide for substantial involvement between NRCS and the grantee in carrying out the activity contemplated by the federal award. The technical assistance required to carry out a project is the responsibility of the grantee. All CIG projects must involve EQIP-eligible producers that meet EQIP&#8217;s eligibility requirements listed in 7 CFR &#167; 1466.6(b)(1) through (3).
Description: Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) is being released prior to appropriation and/or apportionment of funds for fiscal year 2022. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program. NRCS is announcing the availability of CIG funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications are accepted from eligible entities for projects carried out in the State of South Carolina. A total of up to $500,000 is available for the South Carolina CIG competition in FY 2022. All non-federal entities (NFE) and individuals are invited to apply, with the sole exception of federal agencies. Projects may be between one and three years in duration. For a single award, the estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $50,000 and the estimated funding ceiling is $250,000. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not any specific budget period. Overview The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) to agricultural producers, into government technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches or private forest lands. For FY2022, NRCS accepts proposals that address one or more of the State priorities: Water Quality, Soil Health, Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry. Key Dates Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 25, 2022. A total of four webinars for CIG applicants have been scheduled: Two webinars on April 6th and two webinars on April 13th, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time each day. Information on how to participate in the webinars will be posted to the CIG South Carolina website at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/sc/programs/financial/cig/. Applicants are encouraged to visit the South Carolina State CIG website to learn more about the CIG program. A copy of the CIG webinar recording is available as a link in the Related Documents Tab in this NOFO as part of the 5-10-2022 Update document from the NRCS State Office. The agency anticipates making selections by June 8, 2022 and expects to execute awards by August 31, 2022. These dates are estimates and are subject to change. Projects may be between 1 and 3 years in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of September 30, 2022.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: For questions related to preparing application content.
GrantorContactText: Lyn Millhiser &lt;br/&gt;GMS
CloseDateExplanation: Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 25, 2022. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800- 518-4726 or support@grants.gov.  Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. in the Full Announcement for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.