USDA-NRCS In Georgia Announces Conservation Innovation Grants Funding Opportunity

Release No.: 10.23

ATHENS, GA, March 28, 2023 - State Conservationist, Terrance O. Rudolph, for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia is announcing the availability of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches in technologies in Georgia. 

Applications are accepted from eligible entities and shown in section C of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Conservation Innovation Grants State Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) announcement of funding (USDA-NRCS-GA-CIG-23-NOFO0001264) on www.grants.gov for projects carried out in the state of Georgia. 

A total of up to $150,000 is available for the Georgia CIG competition in FY 2023.  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. The maximum award for a single award in FY 2023 is $75,000.

For new users of Grants.gov, see section D for information about steps required before submitting application via Grants.gov. Completing all steps required to start an application can take a significant amount of time, plan accordingly. 

The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $25,000.00, and the estimated funding ceiling is $75,000.00. The funding floor means the minimum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The ceiling is the maximum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not any specific budget period.

CIG Priorities for FY 2023:

1. Soil Health: NRCS is advertising funding opportunities for Soil Health Management Systems (SHMS), which are a collection of NRCS conservation practices that focus on enhancing soil health. 
2. Pollinator Habitat Enhancement: Provide demonstration sites and training for the establishment of native grasses and pollinators in the different ecoregions of Georgia. Emphasis is on evaluating successes of different planting dates and techniques for dormant season planting and spring planting, temperature requirements, and stratification requirements. 
3. Wildlife Habitat Enhancement: Provide training, demonstration sites, and technical assistance to restore, enhance, and create habitat for at-risk or declining wildlife species and associated habitats, with an emphasis on Northern Bobwhite Quail, Gopher Tortoise, and early successional habitats on working lands. This technical assistance would be a 2–3-year project. Proposed projects must be performed in Georgia.

Applicants must submit their applications via grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 22, 2023. 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 inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.) Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed. The agency anticipates making selections by June 22, 2023, and expects to execute awards by September 1, 2023. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

CIG is authorized and funded under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and projects can last up to three years.

For CIG specific questions in Georgia, please contact Tansel Hudson at 706-546-2272.