Texas Partners for Conservation | USDA NRCS TX 22 NOFO0001149

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS TX 22 NOFO0001149

The Texas Partners for Conservation opportunity is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Texas funding announcement for fiscal year 2022 that supports partner-led conservation projects located in Texas. The program is framed as a way to stretch and leverage NRCS resources by working with outside organizations to address local natural resource concerns, build collaboration across communities, and strengthen conservation leadership at the state and community level. A key emphasis is practical, on-the-ground conservation assistance, especially projects that directly support the work of Texas NRCS Field Offices. The notice makes clear that research-focused proposals are not allowed and will not be reviewed, so applicants are expected to propose implementation, technical assistance, outreach, coordination, or other applied conservation activities tied to NRCS priority topics listed in the full notice (Section A).

Funding is offered as federal financial assistance through cooperative agreements, and the announcement was issued with the caveat that final funding levels depend on federal appropriations and any continuing resolutions. The estimated federal share per award ranges from a floor of $30,000 to a ceiling of $150,000, with those amounts referring to the total federal share over the life of the agreement rather than a single budget period. NRCS expected to make around 10 awards under this opportunity. The program is categorized under agriculture and natural resources, and it is associated with CFDA number 10.902.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common public and nonprofit entities. Eligible applicants 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 Native American tribal governments; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). This structure signals NRCS is aiming for strong cross-sector partnership capacity, including local governments, conservation districts and similar entities, schools and universities, tribes, and nonprofit conservation organizations that can deliver field-level results.

Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 6, 2022. The notice highlights that Grants.gov account and technical troubleshooting is handled by Grants.gov support (not NRCS staff), providing the standard support phone number and email for applicants who run into system issues. For questions about the content of the notice itself, applicants were directed to the federal contact listed in the NFO, with the limitation that NRCS would only answer questions about specific notice details (for example, clarifying dates or discrepancies) and would not provide feedback on eligibility edge cases or the merits of an idea. NRCS also planned an informational webinar for prospective applicants, with details to be posted on the Texas NRCS website under the Texas Partners for Conservation page.

In terms of timeline, NRCS anticipated selecting projects by June 2022 and executing awards by September 2022, while noting that these dates were estimates and could change. Because the funding is federal financial assistance, the notice encourages applicants, especially those newer to federal awards, to complete the free Grants 101 training offered through CFO.gov. That training covers the practical compliance basics that typically matter for federal awards, including applicable laws and guidance, the types of federal assistance mechanisms, Uniform Guidance administrative requirements, cost principles, and risk management and single audit considerations.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Texas Partners for Conservation" 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 Mar 07, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 06, 2022 Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 1159 pm Eastern Time on May 6, 2022.. (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 $150,000.00 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), 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 TX 22 NOFO0001149

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