Virginia Conservation Partnership and Technical Assistance | USDA NRCS VA MULTI 23 NOFO0001275

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS VA MULTI 23 NOFO0001275

The Virginia Conservation Partnership and Technical Assistance opportunity is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) funding announcement aimed at building partnerships that strengthen conservation work across Virginia. Through this program, NRCS is looking to leverage its own resources by teaming with outside organizations that can help deliver conservation assistance more effectively on the ground and/or develop tools, datasets, or other support resources that improve NRCS's ability to plan, target, and implement conservation activities. The central idea is collaboration: NRCS wants partners that can expand capacity, improve strategic delivery, and help advance the conservation objectives and priorities described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO).

This funding is being offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning selected projects are expected to involve substantial involvement from the federal agency rather than operating as a hands-off pass-through grant. The announcement was issued ahead of final fiscal year 2023 appropriations decisions, so the total funding level could be affected by continuing resolutions or future appropriations actions. Even so, NRCS indicated it anticipated awarding about $1 million total under this Virginia-focused solicitation during federal fiscal year 2023.

Projects must be located in Virginia, and the competition is open to a wide range of eligible applicant types. Eligible entities include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments; other Tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in the nonprofit category as described). This broad eligibility is designed to attract proposals from agencies, universities, conservation groups, and other partners with the staffing, technical expertise, local relationships, and operational reach to support conservation delivery.

NRCS expected to make around 10 awards, with an award ceiling of $300,000 per award. While the NFO points to an estimated selection and award timeline, those dates are presented as targets rather than guarantees. Applicants were required to submit proposals through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 28, 2023. For applicants who ran into submission or system problems, the NFO directed them to Grants.gov Applicant Support (phone and email provided), and it made clear that NRCS program staff could not help troubleshoot Grants.gov accounts. Questions to the agency were limited to clarifying information contained in the NFO itself, such as resolving discrepancies or confirming details like dates or referenced sections; NRCS would not provide feedback on whether an applicant or project idea was eligible or competitive. NRCS anticipated making selections by July 15, 2023, with awards expected to be executed by September 15, 2023, though the NFO noted these dates were estimates and subject to change.

In practical terms, this opportunity is geared toward proposals that can measurably improve conservation implementation in Virginia, either by adding partner capacity to deliver technical assistance and conservation services, or by creating decision-support resources (like mapping tools, planning data, or other analytic products) that help NRCS and its partners focus efforts where they will have the greatest impact. The program aligns with NRCS's broader mission in agriculture, environment, and natural resources, and is listed under CFDA number 10.902.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Virginia Conservation Partnership and Technical Assistance" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.902.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 13, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 28, 2023 Applications must be received by 1159 pm Eastern Time.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for USDA NRCS VA MULTI 23 NOFO0001275

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