Full Announcement_USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221.pdf

Regional Conservation Partnership Program

Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 RCPP CCA Grants for Nutrient Management Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)

No. USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221: RCPP CCA Grants Page i

Table of Contents

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Overview

2. Priorities

3. Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers

4. RCPP Proposal Evaluations

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Available Funding

2. Start Dates and Performance Periods

3. Type of Award

4. Number of Awards

5. Procurement Contracts

6. Eligibility of Renewal or Supplemental Project Applications

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Producer Eligibility

3. Land Eligibility

4. Eligible Activities

5. Cost Share/Match

6. Technical Assistance

7. SAM.gov Exclusion Database

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Information for Using SAM.gov and Grants.gov

2. Electronic Application Package

3. Content and Form of Application Submission

4. UEI and SAM

5. Submission Dates and Times

6. Intergovernmental Review

7. Funding Restrictions

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review and Selection Process

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221: RCPP CCA Grants Page ii

2. Merit and Technical Criteria

3. Administrative and Risk Criteria

4. Awards Over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY POINT OF CONTACT

H. OTHER INFORMATION

APPENDIX A – Instructions for Completing SF-424 APPENDIX B – Instructions for Completing SF-424A APPENDIX C – Budget Narrative Guidance APPENDIX D – Sample Budget Table and Narrative APPENDIX E – Budget Table Template APPENDIX F – Applicant Checklist APPENDIX G – Sample Contribution Commitment Letter

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NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NFO)

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program Critical Conservation Area Nutrient Management Grants for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2022

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221

Assistance Listing: This program is listed on Sam.gov under 10.932, Regional Conservation Partnership Program

The System for Award Management (SAM) is an official U.S. Government website application that collects, validates, stores, and disseminates non-Federal entity information so that non-Federal entities can register to conduct business with the Federal Government and participate in competitions for contracts, grants, and electronic payment processes. Each entity receives a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) that must be used to apply for all Federal awards on Grants.gov.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary

NRCS is announcing the availability of Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Grants funding for NRCS to eligible applicants to co-invest in impactful and innovative solutions to on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. For the 2022 application period, applications will be accepted from eligible entities for projects impacting nutrient management in NRCS RCPP Critical Conservation Areas (CCAs). Applications will not be accepted in the Prairie Grasslands CCA under this NFO. Only land management and rental activities are eligible under this NFO.

The Federal funding agency expects to award up to $40 million through this opportunity. NRCS expects to make up to seven awards under this announcement. Funding will be obligated using grant agreements. Projects may be up to five years in duration, however in special circumstances the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture may approve shorter or longer projects.

Key Dates

Applicants must submit their applications through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on October 31, 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 inquiries about the NFO requirements, contact the Federal awarding agency (Section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to clarifying specific information contained in this NFO (such as https://sam.gov/content/home mailto:support@grants.gov

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221: RCPP CCA Grants Page 2 of 37 dates, page numbers, discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.

A webinar for RCPP grant applicants is scheduled for August 30th from 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time.

Access to the Microsoft Teams webinar can be obtained through the following link and/or phone number:

Join on your computer or mobile app Click here to join the meeting

Or join by entering a meeting ID Meeting ID: 224 373 254 99 Passcode: znoZaD

Or call in (audio only) +1 202-650-0123,,364189035# United States, Washington DC Phone Conference ID: 364 189 035# Find a local number | Reset PIN Learn More | Meeting options

The agency anticipates making proposal selections by January 2023 and completion of project negotiation and awards by June 1, 2023. These dates are projected and are subject to change.

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts

The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $250,000, and the estimated funding ceiling is $10 million. The funding floor is the minimum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per awarded agreement. The ceiling is the maximum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per awarded agreement. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not a specific budget period.

Federal Financial Assistance Training

The funding available through this NFO is Federal financial assistance. Grants 101 Training is highly recommended for additional education on Federal financial assistance. The training is free and available to the public via https://www.cfo.gov/grants-training/. The course consists of five modules covering each of the following topics: (1) laws, regulations, and guidance; (2) financial assistance mechanisms; (3) uniform guidance administrative requirements; (4) cost principles; and (5) risk management and single audit. FPAC agencies also apply Federal financial assistance regulations to certain non-assistance awards (e.g., non-assistance cooperative agreements).

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A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is authorized by Subtitle I of Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (the 1985 Farm Bill), as amended by Sections 2701 through 2707 of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill); 16 U.S.C. 3871 et seq. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has delegated the authority to administer RCPP to the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS is an agency of the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA). NRCS has promulgated regulations for RCPP implementation at 7 C.F.R. Part 1464. All actions funded under this announcement are subject to RCPP statute and regulations.

1. Overview

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions that expand our collective ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns.

NRCS seeks to coinvest with RCPP partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to the resource concerns they seek to address.

Through RCPP, partners propose projects—using guidance contained in this NFO—that generate conservation benefits by addressing specific natural resource objectives within a critical conservation area (CCA) for the benefit of eligible agricultural producers and landowners. NRCS and partners design, implement and evaluate RCPP projects on agricultural and non-industrial private forest land. NRCS coinvests in RCPP projects selected through a competitive application process that evaluates applications based on four criteria: impact, partner contributions, innovation, and partnerships and management (see Section E(2) of this NFO).

This RCPP Grants opportunity is intended to support project structures and approaches that cannot be carried out as effectively through RCPP Classic projects. RCPP Grants applicants must describe the innovative nature of the conservation approach they are proposing to justify potential funding through RCPP Grants rather than previously awarded RCPP Classic projects. Additionally, applicants should consider the additional administrative and technical assistance responsibilities that accompany receipt of an RCPP Grants award.

Under RCPP Grants agreements, funding flows directly from NRCS to a lead partner, which in turn works with producers and landowners to implement conservation activities. This is distinct from previously awarded RCPP Classic projects, the program component in which most technical and financial assistance funds were provided directly from NRCS to producers and landowners through contracts and conservation easements.

For the purposes of this RCPP announcement, the term Lead Partner means the entity that receives the award directly from NRCS, and is equivalent to the terms: applicant, awardee

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221: RCPP CCA Grants Page 4 of 37 and recipient. The terms applicant, awardee, and recipient do not include subrecipients or individuals that are beneficiaries of the award.

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) amendments to RCPP provides examples of project types that might be implemented through RCPP Grants:

• Projects that use innovative approaches to leverage the Federal investment in conservation;

• Projects that deploy a pay-for-performance conservation approach;

• Projects that seek large-scale infrastructure investments that generate conservation benefits for agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forest owners.

For the grant agreements funded under this NFO, the applicant and its partners, subawardees and contractors must be able to provide a majority of the technical assistance (TA) and financial assistance (FA) to producers and landowners. NRCS will provide non-delegable technical assistance for each project to help fulfill Federal requirements under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and Endangered Species Act (ESA) section 7, and to ensure that participating producers receiving RCPP funding comply with the 1985 Farm Bill’s (as amended) adjusted gross income (AGI), highly erodible lands (HEL) and wetlands conservation (WC) provisions.

2. Priorities

Critical Conservation Areas

Proposals must focus on water quality and nutrient management within an RCPP CCA, excepting the Prairie Grasslands CCA. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has designated eight CCAs and their priority resource concerns. A list of priority resource concerns and CCA maps can be found on the RCPP website here. The proposal must describe how project activities will address one or more priority resource concern within a specific CCA. Proposals cannot include more than one CCA and the project area must only include counties that are partially or fully within the CCA boundary. Applications will not be accepted for projects in the Prairie Grasslands CCA under this NFO.

Nutrient Management

NRCS seeks RCPP applications that help producers achieve conservation benefits through more efficient nutrient management. Nutrient management activities are eligible under CCA water quality priority resource concerns. It is anticipated that successful project proposals will demonstrate familiarity with the NRCS 590 Nutrient Management practice standard and associated practice standards that impact nutrient management. If partners propose alternative nutrient management approaches, the proposal must address any deviations from NRCS practices and methods and address the relative benefits in the https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/programs/financial/rcpp/?cid=stelprdb1254053

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3. Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers

The RCPP authorizing language requires USDA and RCPP partners to conduct outreach to Historically Underserved (HU) farmers and ranchers to encourage participation in RCPP projects. NRCS is committed to the success of our nation’s HU producers, businesses, and partners. HU producers play a vital role in securing a healthy agricultural economy for our country and are often leaders in protecting, enhancing, and sustaining our valuable natural resources.

NRCS gives priority consideration to RCPP proposals that propose meaningful and measurable engagement with and benefit to HU farmers, ranchers, and landowners. HU producers may be eligible for special incentives to encourage their participation in RCPP projects.

NRCS intends to award a significant amount of the available RCPP funding to projects that benefit HU producers.

The HU producer definition includes beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and veteran producers. The definitions for these terms are available at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/people/outreach/slbfr/. The narrative question section of the proposal in the RCPP portal provides an opportunity for applicants to explain how their project will substantively engage and benefit HU producers.

During the proposal evaluation process, each proposal receives an HU index rating that reflects the extent to which the proposed project engages and benefits HU producers. The index ratings are:

• A—partnership targets a majority of project conservation funding to HU producers.

• B—proposal includes clear plan for HU producer participation and includes partner(s) with history of trusted relationships with HU producers.

• C—proposal indicates a substantive plan for HU producer outreach.

• D—proposal does not include explicit HU producer engagement.

4. RCPP Proposal Evaluations

RCPP is an innovative program that has as its critical feature a co-investment approach through which NRCS and partners collaborate to implement natural resource conservation activities. Following are four key principles of RCPP which will be used to evaluate proposals.

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/people/outreach/slbfr/

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• Impact— RCPP applications must describe a compelling natural resource need for which effective conservation solutions are proposed. Applicants must describe an approach to measure and report on environmental outcomes (economic and social outcomes are optional).

• Partner Contributions— Partners are responsible for identifying any combination of cash and in-kind value-added contributions to leverage NRCS’s investment. Partners are encouraged to provide substantial contributions and the magnitude and quality of contributions are considered in the RCPP application evaluation criteria.

• Innovation— NRCS seeks projects that integrate multiple conservation approaches, implement innovative conservation approaches or technologies, build new partnerships, or effectively take advantage of program flexibilities to deliver conservation solutions.

• Partnerships and Management— Partners must have experience, expertise, and capacity to manage the partnership and project, provide outreach and technical assistance to producers, and quantify the outcomes of an RCPP Grants project. NRCS gives preference to partnerships that engage historically underserved farmers and ranchers.

Successful RCPP applicants will bring an array of financial and technical capabilities to projects, will demonstrate experience working effectively and collaboratively with agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forest landowners across the landscape, and will present innovative and measurable approaches to achieving important conservation goals.

Proposals must include a method for evaluating the environmental outcomes of the project.

Social and economic outcomes are encouraged but not required. Outcomes guidance for applicants is available on the national RCPP How to Apply page. Outcomes should focus on measurable changes in resource concerns, not merely track the activities or practices that will be implemented during the life of the project. For example, rather than track the number of acres on which a nutrient management practice is applied, reporting on environmental outcome would result from monitoring or modeling, or perhaps using a best scientific estimate, of the water quality improvements in the project area.

Applicants must describe their capability and capacity for carrying out RCPP projects including the delivery of required technical assistance and tracking the delivery of all partner contributions. The proposal budget should clearly describe the budgets for financial assistance activities (both contracts with producers and work performed by project partners) and technical assistance activities.

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/programs/financial/rcpp/?cid=nrcseprd1477816 https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/programs/financial/rcpp/?cid=nrcseprd1477816

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B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Available Funding

The Federal funding agency expects to award up to $40 Million through this opportunity. However, the agency retains the discretion to award a larger or lesser amount.

2. Start Dates and Performance Periods

Projects may be up to five years in duration. Per the 2018 Farm Bill, RCPP recipients may receive a single no-cost extension of up to one year. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of June 1st, 2023.

3. Type of Award

The agency plans to award grant agreements pursuant to this opportunity.

4. Number of Awards

The agency expects to make up to seven award(s).

5. Procurement Contracts

The agency does not expect to award procurement contracts associated with this NFO.

6. Eligibility of Renewal or Supplemental Project Applications

Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are not eligible to compete with applications for new Federal awards. An application for renewal means an application submitted to continue an existing agreement. An application for supplementation of an existing project means an application to add components or additional funding for existing components to an existing agreement.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

Applicants and applications must meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline to be considered for award. Eligible applicant type is determined by the implementing program statute. Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to the following entity types:

a. An agricultural or silvicultural producer association or other group of producers;

b. A State or unit of local government, including a conservation district;

c. An Indian Tribe;

d. A farmer cooperative;

e. An institution of higher education;

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f. A water district, irrigation district, acequia, rural water district or association, or other organization with specific water delivery authority to producers on agricultural land;

g. A municipal water or wastewater treatment entity;

h. An organization or entity with an established history of working cooperatively with producers on agricultural land, as determined by the Secretary, to address -

i. Local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, and NIPF management; or

ii. Critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource concerns; or

i. An eligible entity as identified by NRCS pursuant to 7 C.F.R. part 1468.

Individuals are not eligible applicants.

Eligible entities must have the ability to secure participation of a sufficient number of producers to meet project goals and objectives.

NRCS encourages applications from partners working in urban agriculture settings and those with experience working with HU producers.

Any award made pursuant to this NFO will be made to a single entity, the lead partner.

With appropriate NRCS prior approval, lead partners may be able to make subawards to other partners under the terms and conditions of the grant agreement.

An applicant organization may submit more than one application for different projects or that propose different approaches. In the case of applications submitted as revisions or corrections to a previously submitted application under this NFO, the agency will consider the last application submitted prior to the established deadline.

2. Producer Eligibility

Agricultural producers or private landowners receiving funding and/or program benefits as part of RCPP Grants projects must—

• Provide a tax identification number. Where applicable, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Pacific Islanders may use another unique identification number for each individual eligible for payment;

• Where applicable, provide the percent interest share in a payment consistent with operation or ownership shares;

• Comply with the HEL and WC provisions found in 7 C.F.R. Part 12; and

• Comply with the AGI provision or receive a waiver as described in section II.B of this announcement.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/part-1468

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Given that RCPP Grants projects are designed to use alternative implementation approaches, NRCS anticipates that awardees of RCPP Grants will have access to producer and landowner networks to identify prospective project participants. Proposals must describe how RCPP Grants awardees plan to identify and engage with producers and landowners.

RCPP Grants awardees are responsible for working with NRCS to ensure that any producer or landowner receiving RCPP funding through a Grant agreement is in compliance with HEL and WC provisions and the AGI limitation. These checks of producer or landowner eligibility must be completed prior to executing individual enrollment contracts or agreements and prior to issuing payments. Lead partners must furnish the data required for NRCS to complete compliance checks.

The RCPP statute explicitly states that the 1985 Act’s adjusted gross income (AGI) limitation does not apply to RCPP grant awardees. The AGI limitation does apply, however, to producers and landowners participating in RCPP projects. During negotiations following the announcement of project awards, a grant awardee may request a waiver of the applicability of the AGI provisions for the entire RCPP project. A project-level AGI applicability waiver eliminates the requirement for a producer or landowner to obtain an individual AGI determination or to meet the AGI limitation requirements.

If the RCPP grant awardee does not request or receive a project-level waiver of the applicability of AGI, a participating producer or landowner must obtain an individual AGI determination and those who exceed the AGI limitation may individually seek a waiver of the AGI limitation. A waiver of the AGI limitation on an individual basis may only be granted if NRCS determines that the waiver would result in the protection of environmentally sensitive land of special significance (see 7 C.F.R. part 1400).

Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985, 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2(d)(2), prohibits duplicative payments. Entities receiving an RCPP award are responsible for ensuring that payments are not provided to a producer for a conservation practice, system, or approach for which the producer has already received, or is contracted to receive, funding through another NRCS or USDA program.

3. Land Eligibility

RCPP funded project activities must be carried out on eligible agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land or on associated land on which NRCS determines an eligible activity would help achieve conservation benefits. Partner contributions must occur within the project area, have a demonstrable positive impact on eligible lands, and be necessary and reasonable for accomplishments of project’s goals and objectives. Generally, eligible land must be shown in Farm Service Agency records as private or Tribal and be used for https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2010-title16/pdf/USCODE-2010-title16-chap58.pdf

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“Associated land” is defined as land associated with farms and ranches that is not purposefully managed for food, forage, or fiber and is typically associated with nearby production or conservation lands. Associated land, such as wetlands, riparian areas, grasslands, or floodplains, may comprise the entirety of an enrolled area or may be incidental areas on an enrollment that includes agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land, by including areas such as idle center pivot corners, odd areas, ditches and watercourses, riparian areas, field edges, seasonal and permanent wetlands, and other similar areas. In all cases, to be included in an enrolled area, RCPP funded activities implemented on associated lands must be functionally related to and address resource concerns on agricultural or nonindustrial private forest lands in the project area.

Public lands may be eligible to be part of an RCPP project in limited instances when a producer who has demonstrated control of a patchwork of private and public lands seeks to apply a land management activity on public lands as part of a system of improvements to address resource concerns on both public and private lands in the producer’s operation.

When atypical land eligibility scenarios are proposed, NRCS may consider information provided by a grant awardee in determining eligibility. Land eligibility is discussed in more detail in the RCPP regulations at 7 C.F.R. Part 1464.

4. Eligible Activities

Proposals submitted under this NFO can include only RCPP land management and rental activities related to nutrient management activities—easement and watershed/public works activities are not eligible. RCPP Grant projects must directly benefit one or more eligible producers and their eligible lands. Grantees must work with NRCS to ensure that participating producers and lands are eligible.

Submitted proposals may be structured in one of two ways:

1) Awardee as contractor/service provider—the awardee (along with any other partner, subawardee and contractor) can fully implement the project’s conservation activities on eligible lands to benefit eligible producers or landowners. Under this approach, no funding would be provided directly to a producer or landowner.

2) Awardee as contract manager—the awardee (along with any other project partner) can contract directly with a producer or landowner, who will implement the conservation activities using any necessary technical and financial assistance provided by the partnership.

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Proposals must describe how much project funding would be expended using either of the two project structures. Partners may also propose that a project include a combination of the project structures described above.

Selected awardees must follow the procurement standards in 2 C.F.R. 200.317 through 2 C.F.R. 200.327.

Under this funding announcement, NRCS will not provide any RCPP direct technical nor financial assistance to producers or landowners. If a producer does not qualify as a program beneficiary (for example, due to lack of an HEL plan), NRCS may help partners and producers complete missing steps for eligibility. Where such eligibility issues are known, parties should anticipate delays in contracting unless partners are able to directly assist producers without the need for NRCS direct involvement.

5. Cost Share/Match

Partner Contributions While cost share is not required, partner contributions, in the form of cash, services, materials, equipment, or third-party in-kind contributions, are a critical component of any RCPP project. NRCS strongly recommends that partners propose value-added contributions that enhance the overall impact and efficacy of an RCPP project. While many types of contributions are eligible, particularly valuable contributions offer funding or services that complement the activities supported by NRCS’s investment and elevate the overall impact of the project. Examples of such contributions are incentive payments to producers that complement payments made from NRCS funding, conservation planning assistance to producers, water quality monitoring to evaluate project outcomes, and outreach efforts to connect producers to environmental markets opportunities.

There is no specific amount of partner contributions required for proposals submitted under this announcement. The amount and value-added nature of contributions are part of the evaluation criteria listed in E.2.

The magnitude and significance of partner contributions factors into the project evaluation criteria listed in section E.2. NRCS may approve proportional reductions in proposed contributions if a project is funded at less than the proposed amount.

To count as partner contributions, partner expenditures must be:

• expended between the award selection announcement and the expiration of the project’s grant agreement. Note that any costs incurred prior to the fully executed award are at the awardees risk. For example, NRCS is not required to allow pre-award contributions if, for any reason, the awardee does not receive the anticipated Federal award or if the Federal award is less than anticipated

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221: RCPP CCA Grants Page 12 of 37 and inadequate to cover the costs. Any contributions counted as a contribution will be reviewed to determine if the costs are within the approved award costs.

If the costs are determined allowable, the costs can be counted as an awardee contribution towards the required contribution.

• expended within the project’s geographic boundary;

• necessary and reasonable for accomplishments of the project’s goals and objectives to benefit eligible lands and eligible producers.

• allocable for the performance of this award under 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

• verifiable from the awardee’s records.

• consistent with policies and procedures that apply uniformly to both Federally-financed and other activities of the awardee.

• be accorded consistent treatment. A cost may not be assigned to a Federal award as a direct cost if any other cost incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances has been allocated to the Federal award as an indirect cost.

• be determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), except, for state and local governments and Indian tribes only, as otherwise provided for in 2 C.F.R. 200.

Funding from non-USDA Federal agencies may be counted as partner contribution, provided such funding meets the requirements above. In addition, producer provided “cost share” associated with the implementation of conservation practices will not be considered as partner contribution.

The table below includes examples of partner contributions based on common contributions from recent program history. Any costs paid to the awardee through the grant agreement by NRCS may not be used as a partner contribution.

Common Partner Contributions Project management.

Other RCPP project-related outreach and education, including inventories, analyses, and tools needed to inform outreach.

Inventories and data to support environmental evaluations.

Providing information or tools needed by NRCS to support agency eligibility determinations, evaluation, and ranking.

Develop and enter into FA contracts or agreements to implement RCPP-eligible activities using non-NRCS funds.

TA to producers or landowners for planning directly related to installation or management of eligible conservation activities.

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TA to support delivery of eligible FA or resource assessment services (e.g., securing and managing contracts for third-party services like engineering studies, surveys, appraisals to satisfy NRCS requirements for U.S.-held easements or watershed projects).

Project-related communications and coordination activities.

Due diligence activities for Entity-held easements.

Development and calculation of quantifiable project outcomes.

Development of innovative conservation approaches.

Project management and partnership development to accomplish project goals.

Staff development/training/capacity building.

Developing/maintaining connections to related conservation efforts.

Administrative costs (see Section IV.D. for limits on eligible administrative costs) and any unrecovered indirect costs

If a proposal is selected for an award, NRCS will further evaluate contribution eligibility and acceptable contribution valuation methods during grant agreement negotiations.

Contribution valuations must demonstrate actual costs incurred by partners during the project life. Where NRCS determines that proposed contributions, valuation methods, or quantities delivered do not satisfy negotiated requirements, the lead partner will be responsible for identifying replacement contributors acceptable to NRCS. If replacements cannot be agreed to NRCS may reduce award amounts, require grant agreement amendments and additional oversight, or even recommend termination of the project.

To use indirect costs as a contribution, the applicant must either:

• Have a current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) with a Federal agency that has not expired. Applicants with a current NICRA must calculate indirect costs using the rate and base specified in their NICRA. An applicant may voluntarily reduce or waive recovery of indirect costs at its sole discretion and must not be encouraged or coerced in any way to do so by the agency; or

• Qualify for use of the de minimis rate authorized by 2 C.F.R. 200.414(f). Any non- Federal entity (except State and local governments that receive more than $35 million per year in Federal funding) that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. No documentation is required to justify the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate. As described in 2 C.F.R. 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-Federal entity may apply to do at any time. Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.403

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221: RCPP CCA Grants Page 14 of 37 capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.

To determine the amount of indirect costs and/or administrative costs that may be counted as partner contribution for RCPP, the NICRA rate or the de minimis rate may only be counted as a contribution against the same partner’s proposed (and ultimately agreed upon) TA contributions.

Award Recipients are prohibited from shifting unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

A copy of the applicant’s current NICRA must be provided with the application and identified as a line item in the budget narrative attached to the proposal. Indirect costs may not be used as a contribution under an expired NICRA.

6. Technical Assistance

a. NRCS Responsibilities Successful RCPP projects require collaboration between awarded entities and NRCS. The lead state NRCS Office will assign a Federal contact to support the project.

NRCS is required to ensure that participating producers are eligible and in compliance with the Farm Bill’s AGI, highly erodible lands, and wetlands conservation provisions. In addition, only NRCS staff with delegated authority can accept some legally required delegations (e.g., National Environmental Policy Act and other Federal, state, and local laws and regulations).

Five percent of the total funding available under the announcement is reserved for NRCS staff to carry out the project responsibilities described above. Lead partners do not need to include this funding in their proposed project budget.

b. Partner Responsibilities Technical assistance activities may not exceed 25% of the total Federal funding requested in the proposal budget.

RCPP applicants must include in the project budget the portion of the proposed award amount that will be used for technical assistance. Technical assistance refers to all activities required to implement innovative NRCS approved conservation approaches on eligible land.

For Grants projects awarded through this announcement, technical assistance activities include project management, producer outreach, outcomes reporting, conservation planning, including all environmental inventories and draft environmental analyses, design and engineering, and quality assurance and verification.

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With prior NRCS approval, Lead partners may provide subaward(s) or contract with a third party to deliver the required technical assistance. Lead partners are encouraged, but not required, to use Soil and Water Conservation District staff or certified Technical Service Providers (TSPs) for this purpose.

If the entity(ies) delivering technical assistance for the project are known at the time of proposal submission, the proposal should identify the individuals or entities providing technical assistance services and describe their qualifications. If these individuals or entities are not certified Technical Service Providers or NRCS-certified conservation planners for the specific activities they are expected to complete, lead partners must provide sufficient evidence that the individuals and entities are qualified to carry out expected actions.

If the technical assistance providers are to be identified following awarding of a project, lead partners will need to work with the project’s lead NRCS State office to ensure that the entity(ies) or individual(s) are qualified to carry out project activities to the requisite standard. This should be done prior to engaging with the technical assistance providers to ensure that NRCS will be able to reimburse for the work.

Selected awardees must follow the procurement standards in 2 C.F.R. 200.317 through 2 C.F.R. 200.327.

7. SAM.gov Exclusion Database

Applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program (2 C.F.R. 200.205(d)).

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Information for Using SAM.gov and Grants.gov

a. Overview

While a Grants.gov account is not required to download an NFO and related documents, your organization is required to have a Grants.gov account to apply. If your organization has never applied through Grants.gov, please be aware that there are several steps you must take before you can apply on Grants.gov. Completing the following steps can take a significant amount of time, so plan accordingly.

For more information about the Grants.gov pre-award phase of the grant lifecycle visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html.

b. Register for a SAM account and obtain a SAM number https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=f51cf06695db76c8f29acfa8505cf252&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1205 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html

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Check your SAM account registration to make sure it is active. If you do not have an active SAM account and number, follow the steps in Section D.1.d. to obtain the account and number.

SAM registrations may take several weeks. Therefore, organizations should begin the process early to ensure they have sufficient time to complete registration and meet required application submission deadlines.

For more information on SAM, see the item in D.4. entitled “UEI/DUNS and SAM.”

c. Register to Apply through Grants.gov

Carefully review the registration steps and gather information requested prior to beginning the registration process. For assistance with the registration process, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Organizations must complete all steps in D.1.d to register. Complete organization instructions are included on Grants.gov:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html.

Please allow for sufficient time to register for a Grants.gov account in case of scheduled or unscheduled system outages, though registration for a Grants.gov account may typically be completed in 1 day.

d. Steps to Register for Grant Systems Prior to Application Submission

• SAM: Register with SAM. All organizations must register with SAM to apply online through Grants.gov, and SAM registration must be renewed annually. Part of the SAM registration process includes designating an Electronic Business (EBiz) Point of Contact (POC). The EBiz POC plays an integral part in the organization’s Grants.gov registration and application process. The individual in that role must authorize all other roles in Grants.gov. For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html.

• Grants.gov: Create a Grants.gov account. From the Grants.gov webpage (https://www.grants.gov/), click “Register” in the top right-hand corner and follow the on-screen instructions, or refer to the detailed instructions about registration at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html.

• Organization Applicant Profile: Add an Organization Applicant Profile to a Grants.gov account. A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization that the user represents or an individual applicant. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations and have a profile for each, you may log into one Grants.gov account to access all your grant applications. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the DUNS Number/UEI for the organization in the UEI field while mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221: RCPP CCA Grants Page 17 of 37 adding a profile. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html.

• EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, you must establish roles for individuals in the organization. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role is critical; it gives an individual permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. Without this role, the organization cannot submit any applications. The request for role assignment will be routed to the organization’s EBiz POC for approval.

Once approved, the AOR can apply online. For more detailed instructions about creating an EBiz POC authorized profile on Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html.

• Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html.

e. Electronic Signature

When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize a person who is able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role. This step is often missed, and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

f. Workspace.

Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each NFO, you can create individual instances of a workspace. An applicant can start an application in Workspace and return to work on it later within Workspace.

g. Apply for an Opportunity

The following is an overview for applying on Grants.gov. For complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html.

• Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete an application online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

• Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the status of your application process as you apply. As you apply https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPNM-22-NOFO0001221: RCPP CCA Grants Page 18 of 37 using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

i. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive, or external drive, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at…