USDA-NRCS-PR-CIG-24-NOFO0001376.pdf

Conservation Innovation Grants Caribbean Area

Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Conservation Innovation Grants Caribbean Area Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) No. USDA-NRCS-PR-CIG-24-NOFO0001376

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)

SUMMARY INFORMATION

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

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 – Caribbean Area

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-PR-CIG-24-NOFO0001376

Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the Assistance Listings (previously referred to as the Catalog of Federal Financial Assistance) on Sam.gov under

10.912, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which can be found at: https://sam.gov/content/home.

The System for Award Management (SAM) is a web-based, government-wide application that collects, validates, stores, and disseminates business information about the federal government's trading partners in support of the contract awards, grants, and electronic payment processes.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary

NRCS is announcing the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Caribbean Area Program funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications are accepted from eligible entities (Section C) for projects carried out in the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico (PR) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI)).

A total of up to $500,000 is available for the Caribbean Area CIG competition in FY 2024. All non-Foreign, 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 amount for a single award in FY 2024 is $100,000.

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

Key Dates

Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 15, 2024 For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-https://sam.gov/content/home

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.

A webinar for CIG applicants is scheduled for April 9, 2024 at 9 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time.

Information on how to participate in the webinar will be posted to the HYPERLINK website.

Applicants are encouraged to visit the Caribbean Area CIG website to learn more about the CIG program.

The agency anticipates making selections by June 30, 2024 and expects to execute awards by July 30, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $25,000 and the estimated funding ceiling is $100,000. 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.

Federal Financial Assistance Training

The funding available through this NFO is Federal financial assistance. Grants 101 Training is highly recommended for those seeking knowledge about Federal financial assistance. The training is free and available to the public via https://www.cfo.gov/resources/federal-financial-assistance-training/. It 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).

mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/cig-conservation-innovation-grants/caribbean-area/conservation-innovation https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cfo.gov%2Fresources%2Ffederal-financial-assistance-training%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmichele.devaney%40usda.gov%7C64a8b15d44b145ca688408dbdb1db568%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638344692880554498%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gWNVqnfECl4YtvVHNgN0vY1TJ%2FJ6kDLsRzIAU7x5U4M%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cfo.gov%2Fresources%2Ffederal-financial-assistance-training%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmichele.devaney%40usda.gov%7C64a8b15d44b145ca688408dbdb1db568%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638344692880554498%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gWNVqnfECl4YtvVHNgN0vY1TJ%2FJ6kDLsRzIAU7x5U4M%3D&reserved=0

Table of Contents

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1) Legislative Authority

2) Overview

3) Innovative Conservation Projects or Activities

4) Caribbean Area Component

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Available Funding

2. Type of Award

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Other

3. Match

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. How to submit an application

2. Information for New Users of Grants.gov

3. Electronic Application Package

4. Content and Form of Application Submission

5. Submission Dates and Times and Correspondence

6. Intergovernmental Review

7. Funding Restrictions

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review and Selection Process

2. Merit/Technical Criteria

3. Historically Underserved Criteria

4. Administrative and Risk Criteria

5. Awards Over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (if applicable)

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Patents, Inventions, and Copyrights

4. Reporting

5. Audit Requirements

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT

H. OTHER INFORMATION

Attachment A – Application Package Checklist Attachment B – Cover Page Template Attachment C – Sample Budget Narrative and Table Attachment D – Sample Commitment Letter Attachment E – Instructions for Completing SF-424 and SF-424A Attachment F – SF-424A Sample Attachment G – Budget Narrative Guidance

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1) Legislative Authority The Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program is authorized as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-8). The Secretary of Agriculture delegated the authority for the administration of EQIP, including CIG, to the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). EQIP is funded and administered by NRCS under the authorities of Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).

Projects may be funded from two separate authorizations: the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA).

2) Overview The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production in the United Caribbean Areas and its territories. 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.

The CIG program is not a NRCS producer financial assistance program. Project outcomes should benefit a region of a state or the entire state and not just benefit one farm.

IRA funds may be used and NRCS will prioritize using IRA funds for projects that will implement climate-smart agriculture conservation activities which are targeted to assist agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forestland owners in directly improving soil carbon, reducing nitrogen losses, or reducing, capturing, avoiding, or sequestering carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide emissions, associated with agricultural production.

Example project types utilizing IRA funds could include:

• Integrating a conservation strategy to reduce tile-drainage nitrate-nitrogen losses from cropping systems and evaluating the agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits compared to traditional management practices. Remote sensing, in-season, site-specific precision nitrogen management technology will be utilized to optimize crop nitrogen management. Cover crops will be used to take up residual nitrogen in the soil after harvest.

• A systems approach to input use efficiency crop management will be demonstrated from on-farm row crop production areas. Smart Nitrogen (N) management practices demonstrated include fertigation, use of enhanced efficiency fertilizers, tools for prediction of in-season N rate, as well as variable rate N, water and seed.

Demonstrations of irrigation scheduling tools and best herbicide management will be included. Social and economic studies of barriers to adoption of the practices demonstrated will be included.

• Apply compost and incorporate the results into a decision support tool and create best management practice guides. Assess environmental, economic, and social benefits to compost application across a variety of soil types, compost types/rates, and production systems. Measure the agronomic, social, and environmental impacts of compost on soil carbon, water holding capacity, and overall soil health.

NRCS is committed to the success of our nation’s Historically Underserved (HU) producers, businesses, and partners. HU producers play a vital role in securing a healthy agricultural economy for our country and are momentous leaders in protecting, enhancing, and sustaining our valuable natural resources. NRCS encourages proposal submissions from entities that represent or are composed entirely of HU producers. See Section C. 2 (c) for eligibility information and Section D. 4 (g) for application and submission information.

3) Innovative Conservation Projects or Activities CIG funds the development and field testing, on-farm research and demonstration, evaluation, or implementation of:

• Innovative approaches to incentivizing conservation adoption, including market-based and conservation finance approaches; and

• Innovative conservation technologies, practices, and systems.

Projects or activities under CIG must comply with all applicable federal, tribal, Caribbean Area, and local laws and regulations throughout the duration of the project; and

• Use a technology or approach that was studied sufficiently to indicate a high probability for success;

• Demonstrate, evaluate, and verify the effectiveness, utility, affordability, and usability of natural resource conservation technologies and approaches in the field;

• Adapt and transfer conservation technologies, management, practices, systems, approaches, and incentive systems to improve performance and encourage adoption;

• Introduce proven conservation technologies and approaches to a geographic area or agricultural sector where that technology or approach is not currently in use.

Technologies and approaches that are eligible for funding in a project’s geographic area using an EQIP contract for an established conservation practice standard are ineligible for CIG funding, except where the use of those technologies and approaches demonstrates clear innovation.

4) Caribbean Area Component

For FY 2024, NRCS accepts proposals that address one or more of the Caribbean Area priorities listed below.

Proposed projects must be performed in the Caribbean Area (PR and USVI)

CIG Priorities for FY 2024:

For FY 2024, NRCS is only accepting proposals that address one or more of the listed priorities:

• Priority 1: Water Quality

• Priority 2: Water harvesting on dry lands

• Priority 3: Climate-Smart Agriculture

• Priority 4: Conservation in Urban Agricultural Systems

• Priority 5: Invasive Species Control

• Priority 6: Innovative Local Scale Waste Management Systems

Each proposal must clearly identify a primary priority.

Priority 1: Water Quality

Water Quality in the Caribbean continues to be a priority resource concern as most major public water sources have been identified with some level of impairment with agriculture and confined animal operations being identified as pollution sources in some of them. Water quantity uncertainties caused by climate change also exacerbate the need for clean water sources in the islands.

Proposals submitted under this priority must propose an innovation to help farmers, ranchers, or foresters to improve water quality as it leaves their farm. Proposals must address one or more of the following sub-priorities:

i. Field testing of conservation practices to assess the benefits and/or negative effects on surface and groundwater quality and the practical implementation techniques in the Caribbean. (e.g. Infiltration ditch wastewater treatment effects on surface and groundwater quality).

ii. Community-level or landscape-level strategies that help streamline water quality solutions and management plans at the community or watershed scale including community and/or professional capacity building techniques in the territories.

iii. Development of innovative or repurposed planning tools, guidance documents, or conservation practices implementation scenarios that help producers manage water in their farms and encourage filtration, infiltration or other effects that affect water quality.

iv. Field testing of innovative production techniques that improve water quality and quantity, promote wetland creation, and enhance or improve management.

v. Evaluation of enhanced nutrient management technologies, such as demonstration of new cover crop mixes and conservation cover varieties that scavenge nutrients, innovative water management approaches and equipment and technology not readily available in the market for precision agriculture and variable rate application in the Caribbean.

vi. Leveraging of community resources that increase cooperation among producers (e.g., water quality automized monitoring systems, joint conservation system, farmer cooperatives) to address and monitor water quality and the effectiveness of conservation measures.

Priority 2: Water harvesting on dry lands

Weather patterns in the Caribbean Area are extremely varied from areas receiving near 200 average annual inches of rain in the rainforest to 40 average annual inches of rain in the USVI where long-term severe drought (D2) experience in 2023 greatly affected agricultural producers. Limited rainfall and limitation of ground water makes crop growing particularly challenging in the USVI. Innovative water harvesting and soil water recharging techniques are a priority considering the need to find alternative sources of water for agricultural applications in the USVI dry lands and drought periods.

Proposals submitted under this priority must propose an innovation to help farmers to improve access to irrigation water in a dry context. Proposals must address one or more of the following sub-priorities:

i. Field testing of conservation practices to assess the potential of harvesting water and retaining groundwater within a small farm context (e.g., condensation techniques for irrigation purposes, greywater harvesting, etc.).

ii. Development of innovative or repurposed planning tools, guidance documents, or new conservation practices implementation scenarios that help producers have access to water from alternative techniques on dry areas to have more water sources for crop irrigation specially during drought periods in the Islands’ context.

iii. Evaluation of enhanced water harvesting on dry lands technologies, such as demonstration of new condensation techniques to be replicated in the Caribbean scale and accessibility context.

iv. Leveraging of community resources that increase cooperation among producers (e.g., area-wide water harvesting plans) to address and monitor potential water harvesting and soil water recharging application and the effectiveness of conservation measures.

Priority 3: Climate-Smart Agriculture

3a: Producer adaptation to extreme weather events

As climate change intensifies, agricultural producers are facing new obstacles to producing food and fiber while maintaining or improving their natural resource base. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and their indirect effects

– such as emergence of new pests, disease outbreaks, increases in soil salinity, severe changes in rainfall patterns, increase water levels/flooding potential, and reduced availability of accessible fuels – have created new challenges.

Proposals submitted under this priority must propose an innovation to help farmers, ranchers, or foresters react and adapt in the short term to the increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events and related impacts caused or exacerbated by climate change. Proposals must address one or more of the following sub-priorities:

i. Development of innovative or repurposed planning tools, guidance documents, or conservation practices implementation scenarios that help producers manage increased intensity and frequency of weather extremes or other events such as flooding, drought, flash drought, and decreased water supplies.

ii. Field testing of innovative production techniques that give producers tools to adapt to extreme weather, such as demonstration of new crop varieties designed to better withstand increased drought or flooding; innovative water management approaches; or energy efficient agricultural operation tools and equipment not readily available in the market.

iii. Field testing of conservation practices or implementation scenario validation to assess their benefits/weaknesses in their practical implementation in the Caribbean and the potential implication of climate change in their design requirements. (eg, Soil Carbon Amendment or Amending Soil Properties With Lime)

iv. Community-level or landscape-level strategies that help multiple local producers respond to extreme weather by exploring solutions at the community or geographic scale.

v. Communication tools and strategies that help producers interpret local climate related risks so that science, metrics, and general facts can be applied to on-farm operations. For existing communication tools and strategies, applicants may propose field testing with producers to validate or update the already developed materials with new data and tools to provide producers with more reliable data (rainfall projections, evapotranspiration levels, flood plain level increases, etc).

Training approaches should not be the focus of proposals.

3b: Building resilience through emerging production systems for climate smart agriculture

The resilience of traditional agricultural operations in parts of the Caribbean is being challenged by increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events caused and exacerbated by climate change. Innovative management systems and practices, including non-traditional crops or unconventional management practices requiring fewer https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/Soil%20Carbon%20Amendment.pdf inputs/resources, are needed to offer producers options for increasing the resiliency of their operations into the future.

Proposals submitted under this priority area will be focused on developing new production systems that provide long-term, lasting solutions to help landowners build resilience to climate change, increase soil health and maintain viable businesses.

Proposals must address one or more of the following sub priorities:

i. Introduction of new or enhanced cropping systems or non-traditional crops (e.g., perennial plantings or rotations such as agroforestry, systems that integrate perennial grains into rotation, or transition to xeric farming)

ii. Introduction of new or enhanced grazing management systems (e.g. include the integration of diverse forages including grasses and legumes population in grasslands/livestock operation.)

iii. Introduction of new or enhanced forestry management systems to increase the use of trees and/or shrubs as bioremediation in high erodible soils. (e.g. to reduce soluble nutrients for high erodible areas).

iv. Improved operation management, such as innovations in fertilizer management that show potential to mitigate greenhouse gases. (e.g. innovations and/or validations of new fertilizing technologies, such as Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EEFs), which will promote reduction salt-based fertilizer usage, that are identified as a source of most nutrient contamination in soil and water)

v. Leveraging of community resources that increase cooperation among producers (e.g., shared grazing or water storage and management systems) to increase resilience of individual operations.

vi. Integration of traditional, cultural or indigenous farming knowledge into cropping systems, such as multi-story cropping, three sisters cropping system and introduction of native plants.

All projects awarded under this priority must include at least a partial budget analysis to demonstrate how management changes and conservation improvements impact a farmer’s bottom line. Applicants are encouraged to use farmer surveys to gauge the intangible advantages and drawbacks of producer implementation of climate-smart agricultural innovations.

Applicants are encouraged to measure the climate mitigation effects of activities implemented through their projects (e.g., potential decrease in carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, or methane). Applicants who choose to propose measurement or modeling of greenhouse gas impacts as part of a project must use quantification methodologies that align with the USDA report titled Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Agriculture and Forestry: Methods for Entity-Scale Inventory. Applicants are encouraged to include evaluations demonstrating the full extent of project benefits to both producers and the environment, such as a full life cycle analysis or nutrient cycling measurements.

Priority 4: Conservation in Urban Agricultural Systems https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDATB1939_07072014.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDATB1939_07072014.pdf

It is estimated that 83 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas. In recent years, demand and supply of urban farming has increased along with interest in local foods and resilient food systems. With this increase in urban food production comes conservation challenges and opportunities.

Proposals submitted under this priority must address the conservation of natural resources on private lands within urban areas and small agricultural systems.

Proposals must address one or more of the following sub priorities:

i. Demonstration of the natural resource impacts or economic benefits (e.g., air and water quality indicators, groundwater or aquifer recharge, runoff management/reduction, community health indicators like food access metrics, or reduction in related urban planning and infrastructure costs for maintaining agricultural land) that result from increased conservation implementation in urban agricultural systems.

ii. Projects that show conservation benefits with the implementation of alley cropping, multistory cropping, urban forestry, or integrated/mixed systems.

Examples include increasing wildlife and pollinator populations through improvements in urban forests, expanded use of water resources by combining aquaculture with plant production, integrating new crops to decrease nutrient and pesticide needs, increase water catchment and management, and improved air quality through expansion of urban agriculture.

iii. Development and evaluation of the effectiveness of innovative management systems or emerging and innovative technologies that can improve efficiency and effectiveness of natural resource conservation on urban farms within the Caribbean settings.

iv. Interpreting existing conservation practices (i.e., conservation practices typically used in rural agricultural landscapes) that may not render effectively to smaller and urban production systems. Projects within this sub-priority may:

• demonstrate how to improve conservation planning in urban or small acreage settings, or

• demonstrate how to modify or adjust conservation practices in urban or small acreage settings.

Proposals submitted under this priority must address a natural resource concern and not be solely focused on urban agricultural production issues. In addition, proposals may not qualify if they address urban agriculture on public lands or natural resource issues under the purview of municipal regulations (e.g., wastewater treatment).

Priority 5: Invasive Species Control

Combating invasive species is a complex, multi-scale challenge for the Caribbean producers and landowners. For example, the increase in herbicide-resistant invasive weeds in tropical settings, forest pests, and unwanted overgrow has resulted in some producers reverting to conventional practices that are energy and chemical intense, consequently losing ground on the expansion of no-till farming and other sustainable agricultural methods. Grasslands are being lost to woody encroachment and invasives such as Prosopis, and Mimosa, and Paspalum fasciculatum (Venezolana grass), impacting productive lands, changing nutrient and hydrological cycles, and increasing risks to wildlife. Invasions are exacerbated by the impacts of climate changes such as drought, changes in weather patterns, or extreme weather events, altering fire and drought cycles throughout the Caribbean.

This priority area addresses invasive species on private agricultural, grassland, and forest landscapes. The development of lasting solutions is challenging and depends on the invasive species present and the local habitat, among other factors. In some cases, engaging community groups involving both public and private land managers is essential to successfully limit or manage invasions. In other instances, private landowners and producers need options to detect and fight invasives on their own land, such as awareness and scouting, new spray programs, innovative rotations, or new cultivars that outcompete or suppress weeds.

Proposals submitted under this priority area must propose innovations for private landowners to more effectively prevent, detect, or combat invasive species to maintain healthy and productive working lands. Innovations should help prevent, control, or eliminate pest invasions or help restore land and prevent reinvasion. Each project must fit into at least one of the following three sub priorities:

i. Innovative strategic approaches - Approaches should be designed to have a high probability of eradication potential and be strategically designed to remove risk of species reintroduction, chemical reduction, and targeting refuge locations and vector pathways.

ii. Reimagination of existing strategies - Proposals that combine or integrate new ideas with existing tactics to address invasive species with high transferability regionally

iii. Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) - Proposals that support proactive invasive species management, particularly addressing invasive species with broad ecological niches that are expanding their range due to climate change.

Successful proposals are likely to create or enhance effective collaborations between private landowners and public land managers or community groups to collectively address invasive species in a joint watershed or region. Please note, species that already have dedicated NRCS funding, such as feral pigs will not be considered.

Priority 6: Innovative Local Scale Waste Management Systems

Agricultural operation’s waste management systems are particularly challenging in the Caribbean considering the waste management infrastructure and land application limitations. Innovative waste management practices that reduce and reuse manure and farming operation by-products are a priority considering waste land limitations, reduce labor force access and uncertainties caused by climate change in the islands.

Proposals submitted under this priority must propose an innovation to help farmers, ranchers, or foresters to manage their farming by-product, animal waste or natural animal mortality in the Caribbean context. Proposals must address one or more of the following sub-priorities:

i. Field testing of conservation practices to assess the benefits and/or negative effects on farming management of waste and the practical implementation techniques in the Caribbean. (e.g. Small scale anaerobic digesters, non-conventional farming by-product/waste/mortality composting techniques, etc).

ii. Community-level strategies that support waste management at a regional level including Comprehensive Waste Management Plans at the community or area scale including community and/or professional capacity building techniques in the territories.

iii. Development of innovative or repurposed planning tools, guidance documents, or new conservation practices implementation scenarios that help producers manage waste and/or mortality in their farms reducing management and land requirements of typical waste management technique in the Islands.

iv. Evaluation of enhanced waste management technologies, such as demonstration of new waste/animal mortality treatment or composting that can be replicated in the Caribbean scale and accessibility context.

v. Leveraging of community resources that increase cooperation among producers (e.g., joint area-wide waste management system, farmer cooperatives) to address and monitor waste treatment and application and the effectiveness of conservation measures.

Proposed projects must be performed in Puerto Rico and/or US Virgin Islands

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Available Funding

a. Estimated Funding

NRCS Caribbean Area expects to award approximately $500,000 through this opportunity. However, the agency retains the discretion to award a larger or lesser amount.

b. Start Dates and Performance Periods Projects may be between one and three years in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of September 1, 2024.

c. Number of Awards

The agency expects to make 5 award(s).

2. Type of Award

a. Type of Federal Award

The agency plans to award grant agreement(s) pursuant to this opportunity.

b. Procurement Contracts The agency does not expect to award procurement contracts associated with this

NFO.

c. 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 that meets the objectives and requirements of this NFO. An application for supplementation of an existing project means an application to add components to an existing agreement so that it would meet the objectives and requirements in this NFO.

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. Applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or excluded from receiving Federal contracts 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 CFR 200.206(d)).

All U.S. non-Foreign, non-Federal entities and individuals are eligible to apply for projects carried out in the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and/or US Virgin Islands).

US Federal agencies are not eligible to apply to this opportunity or impart their work to non-federal portion of the budget.

Individuals that are business owner/operators cannot apply as individuals.

2. Other Any award made pursuant to this NFO will be made to a single entity. Applicants that apply as “partnerships” or other similar groupings must clearly describe the relationship between the applicant and the “partner” parties. In all but exceptional cases, it must be reflected in the award as an awardee/sub awardee relationship.

An applicant organization may submit more than one application for different projects or proposing 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.

Awards made pursuant to this NFO are not Farm Bill incentive contracts; therefore, the awards in and of themselves are not limited by the payment limitation in 16 USC Chapter 58. However, any agricultural producers receiving a payment through participation in a project awarded under this NFO must meet the eligibility requirements of 7 CFR Part 12 and 7 CFR Part 1400 and have control of the land involved for the term of the proposed award period.

a. CIG Specific Eligibility

All CIG projects must involve EQIP-eligible producers that meet EQIP’s eligibility requirements listed in 7 CFR § 1466.6(b)(1) through (3):

• Be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions (7 CFR Part 12).

• Be a person, legal entity, joint operation, Indian tribe, or native corporation who is engaged in agricultural production or forestry management or has an interest in the agricultural or forestry operation as defined in 7 CFR Part 1400.

• Have control of the land involved for the term of the proposed contract period.

b. EQIP Payment Limitation and Duplicate Payments

The following provisions apply to CIG funding:

• CIG funds are awarded through grant agreements. These grant agreements are not EQIP contracts; thus, CIG awards in and of themselves are not limited by the payment limitation found at section 1240G of the Food Security Act of 1985, 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-7, which imposes a $450,000 payment limitation for all payments made to persons or legal entities under an EQIP contract entered into between FY 2019 and FY 2023.

• All agricultural producers receiving a payment through participation in a CIG project must meet the eligibility requirements of 7 CFR § 1466.6(b)(1) through

(3) noted above. In addition, all CIG payments are subject to the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limitation. All agricultural producers receiving a payment through participation in a CIG project must have an AGI that does not exceed $900,000. If awarded a grant, grantees must self-certify and maintain records showing that participating producers receiving payments using CIG funding meet the EQIP eligibility and AGI requirements. Section 1704 (a)(3) of the 2018 Farm Bill state the Secretary may waive the AGI limit on a case by case basis, if the Secretary determines that environmentally sensitive land of special significance would be protected as a result of such waiver. CIG grantees may request waivers once their project commences.

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2017-title7-vol10/pdf/CFR-2017-title7-vol10-sec1466-6.pdf https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CFR-2005-title7-vol10/CFR-2005-title7-vol10-part1400 https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CFR-2005-title7-vol10/CFR-2005-title7-vol10-part1400 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2017-title7-vol10/pdf/CFR-2017-title7-vol10-sec1466-6.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2017-title7-vol10/pdf/CFR-2017-title7-vol10-sec1466-6.pdf

• Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985, 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2, prohibits duplicative payments. Accordingly, direct or indirect payments cannot be made for a practice for which an individual or legal entity has already received funds, or is contracted to receive funds through any USDA conservation program (e.g., Conservation Reserve Program, EQIP, Agricultural Management Assistance, Conservation Stewardship Program). If awarded a grant, grantees must self-certify that payments to producers using CIG funding are not duplicative.

c. Historically Underserved (HU) Producers

The CIG program provides special consideration to projects substantially involving or benefitting Historically Underserved producers. Historically Underserved producer is defined for this opportunity at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/underserved-farmers-ranchers.

For the FY 2024 Caribbean Area CIG Classic component, at least 10 percent of the total funds available may be set aside for proposals that benefit HU producers. To be eligible for the set aside, applicants must be:

i.A historically underserved producer;

ii.A community-based organization comprised of, representing, or exclusively working with historically underserved producers on a CIG project;

iii.An entity developing an innovative conservation approach or technology specifically targeting historically underserved producers’ unique needs and limitations; or iv.An 1890 or 1994 land grant institution (7 U.S.C. 3222 et seq.), Hispanic-serving institution (20 U.S.C. 1101a), or other minority-serving institution, such as an historically Black college or university (20 U.S.C. 1061), a tribally controlled college or university (25 U.S.C. 1801), or Asian American and Pacific Islander-serving institution (20 U.S.C. 1059g).

To compete for set-aside funds, the applicant must signal their intent by following the instructions in Section D. 4 (g). These applicants must meet all other requirements of this announcement, including addressing at least one CIG priority listed in this notice.

Funds not awarded through this set aside will revert to the pool of non-set aside funds.

d. NRCS Involvement in CIG Projects

The Conservation Innovation Grants program is a competitive program run by the NRCS, therefore NRCS staff should not be involved in the development of https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/underserved-farmers-ranchers proposals in any way and NRCS should not appear in the application. Therefore, any letters of support from NRCS and any involvement of NRCS in a proposal will be viewed as a conflict of interest and these proposals will be removed from the competition. NRCS staff should not be actively included in the development of any proposal such as asking their direct opinion, advice or feedback directly of the proposal or acquiring a support letter. NRCS staff are allowed to give applicants information on other NRCS programs or basic administrative information regarding the CIG program.

All technical assistance required to carry out a CIG project is the responsibility of the grantee.

NRCS designates an NRCS employee as a technical contact for each grant award.

Technical contacts provide oversight activities during the project such as site visits, reviewing performance reports, financial reports, and audits to ensure that standards, objectives, terms, and conditions for the projects are accomplished.

Technical Contacts also evaluate project results and work with grantees on any relevant end-of-project efforts to disseminate project results. NRCS employees, however, are not involved in project development or should be substantially involved in carrying out grant activities.

3. Match

This NFO requires applicants to match at least 50 percent of total project costs (includes Federal and non-Federal). For example, if an applicant requests $50,000 in CIG funding, at least $50,000 in non-federal cost-share or matching funds must be committed by the applicant.

Applicants applying under and qualifying for the HU set aside are eligible for a reduced project match of one-third of the total project budget, or 50 percent of the Federal request. For example, an HU-qualifying entity requesting $250,000 in Federal CIG funding would need to provide at least $125,000 in matching funds. In this example, the total project costs would equal $375,000, the federal portion would equal $250,000 and the matching funds would equal $125,000.

Applications that do not include the required level of matching will be ineligible for award. Matching funds may be committed by the applicant, project partners, or both.

Match may be achieved with contributions of cash, services, materials, equipment, or third-party in-kind contributions. Recipients with unrecovered indirect costs may also use those to meet matching obligations. Funds from another Federal award cannot be used as match except where the Federal statute authorizing a program specifically provides that Federal funds made available for such program can be applied to match.

Additional details about matching funds can be found at 2 CFR 200.306. Refer to Section D of this NFO for information about any required submittals related to match requirements. While the pace of match may vary throughout the award period, the agency will actively monitor match levels as it receives payment requests to ensure the total match requirement is met by the award periods of performance end date.

Additional details about matching funds are located at 2 CFR 200.306.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. How to submit an application Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (see Section D.2.).

Submissions must be received by the time and date due. Late submissions will not be reviewed or considered. The agency will rely on system generated date and time receipt documentation for submission made.

2. Information for New Users of Grants.gov

a. Overview

While a Grants.gov account is not required to download an NFO and related documents, it is required to submit an application. If your organization has never submitted an application via Grants.gov, please be aware that there are several steps you must take to register your organization before you can submit an application. Completing those steps can take a significant amount of time, plan accordingly.

b. Register to Apply through Grants.gov

Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

For assistance with the registration process, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support, available 24/7, at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Organizations must complete all steps to register (steps i. through v. below).

Complete organization instructions are included on Grants.gov here:

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/

Although creating a Grants.gov account online can be completed online in minutes, 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.

Individuals (those submitting on their own behalf) are not subject to the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) or SAM requirement and may begin with step iii., Create a Grants.gov Account, listed below.

c. Steps to Register https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/

i. Obtain a UEI: All entities applying for funding must have a UEI issued by SAM.gov. Applicants must enter the UEI in the data entry field labeled "UEI" on the SF-424 form.

ii. Register with SAM: All organizations (entities) must register with System for Award Management (SAM) to apply online through Grants.gov. Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually. Part of the SAM registration process includes designating an Electronic Business Point of Contact (EBiz 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/applicants/applicant-registration/

iii. 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.

iv. Add a Profile to a Grants.gov Account: A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant submitting on their own behalf. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations, you can have a profile for each organization under one Grants.gov account. In such cases you can log in to one Grants.gov account to access all your grant profiles. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the UEI for the organization in the UEI field. If you are an individual applicant submitting on your own behalf, you do not need a UEI to add the profile. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/add-profile

v. 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 submit an application online. For more detailed instructions about creating a EBiz POC authorized profile on Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/ebiz-poc-authorizes-profile-roles

Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/track-profile-role-status https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/add-profile https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/ebiz-poc-authorizes-profile-roles https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/ebiz-poc-authorizes-profile-roles https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/track-profile-role-status https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/track-profile-role-status

d. 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 people who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role.

This step (step c.v. above) is often missed, and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

e. 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.

Applicants using unreliable internet connections should be aware that the process of completing the Workspace can take some time. Therefore, applicants should allow enough time to prepare and submit the application before the package closing date.

f. Apply for an Opportunity Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview/

If the Apply button in the opportunity is not active (greyed out), the user does not have the appropriate permissions or has an incomplete applicant registration. For additional information, refer to https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2023/06/08/unlock-the-mystery-of-the-gray-apply-button-four-scenarios/#:~:text=The%20Apply%20button%20will%20be,to%20view%20the% 20close%20date.

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

ii. 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 using Workspace, you may click the blue question https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview/ https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2023/06/08/unlock-the-mystery-of-the-gray-apply-button-four-scenarios/#:%7E:text=The%20Apply%20button%20will%20be,to%20view%20the%20close%20date https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2023/06/08/unlock-the-mystery-of-the-gray-apply-button-four-scenarios/#:%7E:text=The%20Apply%20button%20will%20be,to%20view%20the%20close%20date https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2023/06/08/unlock-the-mystery-of-the-gray-apply-button-four-scenarios/#:%7E:text=The%20Apply%20button%20will%20be,to%20view%20the%20close%20date…