Cooperative Agreement 90RC0057

This cooperative agreement award from the US Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service will provide $266,270 to the University of Maine System through August 2025. Under the Conservation Reserve Program, the University will deliver outreach, education, technical assistance and expertise on climate smart agriculture and forestry as well as urban agriculture. This funding will support fully implementing USDA Farm Bill conservation programs with an emphasis on historically...

Summary The University of Maine System received a $5.21 million formula grant award from the Institute of Food Production and Sustainability under the Smith-Lever Extension Funding program (CFDA 10.511), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030. This award funds the University of Maine Cooperative Extension's statewide extension services and research-based educational programming delivered across all Maine counties. The extension partnership, leveraging Smith-Lever capacity...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency awarded a $243,658.20 Cooperative Agreement under the Risk Management Education Partnerships program (CFDA 10.460) to the University of Maine System. The project period runs from September 1, 2024 to February 28, 2026. The University of Maine System, through its Research & Sponsored Program division, will partner with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) to deliver a comprehensive program of risk management...

The University of Maine System was awarded a $129,852 Project Grant from the US Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service to compare seedling success following different methods of site preparation in Maine and evaluate results in the context of climate change resilience and carbon sequestration. Funded under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which promotes agricultural production, forest management and environmental quality, the research aims to develop...

The Community Shellfish Company, LLC received a $568,136 Project Grant award from the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program. The grant will support the launch of Merroir.me, a new digital brand experience and direct-to-consumer marketing campaign to promote Maine seafood products in Connecticut and Rhode Island through 2024. Specifically, Community Shellfish Company will produce original videos, a website and...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Services awarded a $159,614 Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Project Grant to Maine Molecular Quality Controls Inc. (Mmqci), a woman-owned small business, on January 10, 2025. The grant, which runs through January 10, 2027, will support the development of renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements for the company. This represents Mmqci's expansion beyond its core business of manufacturing quality control...

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority received a $803,125 project grant award from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration on July 22, 2021. The funding will support installation of cooling and lighting control systems at the TechPlace Manufacturing Center in Brunswick, Maine. The project aims to provide year-round temperature and climate control for 30,000 square feet of manufacturing space and office areas through installation of cooling systems. Lighting...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded a $286,613.64 Cooperative Agreement to Maine Farmland Trust to provide strategic conservation delivery assistance that enhances the agency's ability to support conservation efforts across Maine. The funding, awarded on September 30, 2023, supports the organization's work under the USDA Soil and Water Conservation program (CFDA 10.902) to organize conferences and meetings on emerging agricultural...

The Maine Mountain Collaborative will receive $600,000 through a two-year Project Grant from the US Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service. The grant is part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and will support the Environmental Innovation Forest Initiative, which seeks to pair philanthropic and private capital to acquire and manage forest land in Maine. Over the grant period, the Collaborative will work to improve approximately 1,000 acres of forest to...

The Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Maine MEP) received a $400,000 cooperative agreement award from the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program (CFDA 11.611). The funding will support Maine MEP's delivery of supply chain optimization and intelligence network services to small and medium-sized manufacturers in Maine through May 2025. Specifically, Maine MEP will establish expertise in...