Conservation Innovation Grants

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or nongovernmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals.

CIG enables NRCS to work with other public and private entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches to address some of the Nation's most pressing natural resource concerns. CIG will benefit agricultural producers by providing more options for environmental enhancement and compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations. NRCS administers CIG.

The document below requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Integration Report (PDF, 15 MB)

This report examines the Conservation Innovation Grants program experience to date, looking at where and how grants were awarded, project results, and the process NRCS is putting in place to evaluate, replicate, and potentially adopt the technologies and practices for widespread use.

National Component

In fiscal year 2012, NRCS offered two CIG funding opportunities. The first one focused in the following areas: Nutrient Management, Energy Conservation, Soil Health, Wildlife, and CIG Projects Assessment. The deadline to submit pre-proposal applications was January 31, 2012. The second one focused on: Market analysis of supply and demand for water quality credits, Market Rules, and Infrastructure. The deadline to submit full proposal applications was March 2, 2012. Both application periods are now closed.

The documents below requires Adobe Acrobat Reader:

CIG FY 2012 Announcement for Program Funding (PDF, 178 KB)
CIG FY 2012 Announcement for Program Funding - Water Quality Markets (PDF, 147 KB)

Showcase

The documents below require Adobe Acrobat Reader:

CIG 5-Year Compendium (PDF, 1.9 MB)
2011 Conservation Innovation Grants Showcase (PDF, 211 KB)

Additional Information

The documents below require Adobe Acrobat Reader:

Conservation Innovation Grants: Fact Sheet (PDF, 42KB)
Conservation Innovation Grant Program: Key Points (PDF, 45KB)
Conservation Innovation Grant Program: Program Description (PDF, 42KB)
Conservation Innovation Grant Program: Questions and Answers (PDF, 87KB)

CIG Awards from Previous Years

Program Contact
Gregorio Cruz: (703) 235-8065

Last Modified: 05/22/2012