Arkansas Technical Assistance Projects Supporting Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Implementation

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This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) is being released prior to appropriation and/or apportionment of funds for fiscal year 2024. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.

The Arkansas NRCS State Office, an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is seeking support from and opportunities to partner with likeminded natural resource conservation partners. The overall intent of this solicitation is to solicit partnerships to provide technical services to support implementation of NRCS authorities under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that address the key conservation objectives described further in this document.

All technical assistance projects funded through this opportunity must be in direct support and alignment with the NRCS objectives and policies relative to the IRA funding. The IRA provides an additional $19.5 billion over five years to support USDA's conservation programs that will help farmers and ranchers implement expanded conservation practices that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase storage of carbon in their soil and trees. More information can be found at: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/priorities/inflation-reduction-act. Projects funded through this opportunity are intended to support delivery and implementation of IRA through technical assistance only and are not intended to provide direct financial assistance to producers.

All applicants must demonstrate an established history of working cooperatively with producers in Arkansas, on agricultural land, to address local conservation priorities. All applicants must be capable of providing support in the State of Arkansas, projects are to be carried out within Arkansas. NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this opportunity will be approximately $3,800,000.

This notice identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions. Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete and/or noncompliant applications will be eliminated from competition and notification of elimination will be sent to the applicant. The Arkansas State Conservationist reserves the right not to fund any or all applications. NRCS will accept applications under this notice for single or multiyear applications submitted by eligible entities.

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.

Key Dates

Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on April 1, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.

For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.

The agency anticipates making selections by July 1, 2024 and expects to execute awards by September 1, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts

The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $25,000.00, and the estimated funding ceiling is $3,000,000.00. The funding floor means the minimum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The ceiling is the maximum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not any specific budget period.

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).