Conservation Collaboration Cooperative Agreements Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Announcement for Program Funding – NEBRASKA | USDA NRCS NE CCA 21 NOFO0001076

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS NE CCA 21 NOFO0001076

The Conservation Collaboration Cooperative Agreements FY 2021 funding announcement for Nebraska is a competitive federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Its main purpose is to use cooperative agreements to stretch NRCS resources further by partnering with eligible organizations on conservation work that tackles local natural resource concerns, strengthens collaboration among stakeholders, and builds conservation leadership at the state and community level. All proposed projects must be located in Nebraska, and the program is positioned as a way to bring multiple partners together around practical conservation outcomes rather than operating as a standalone, single-entity effort.

Funding is offered through cooperative agreements, and projects are expected to run between 1 and 3 years. NRCS indicated an anticipated minimum (funding floor) of $20,000 in federal share per award and an anticipated maximum (funding ceiling) of $1,000,000 in federal share per award, with those figures applying to the total award amount across the full project period rather than to a single year. NRCS also projected roughly 10 awards under this announcement. While NRCS described the FY 2021 amount available for the program, it noted that final availability and the composition of funds had not yet been fully determined at the time of the notice.

Eligible applicants are limited to certain organization types: federally recognized tribal governments and tribal organizations, state governments, local governments (including counties and cities/townships), special district governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations that hold IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions when applying as nonprofits). An applicant may submit more than one application as long as each application is for a different project, and it is also possible for an applicant to receive more than one award. The announcement ties the work broadly to NRCS conservation assistance areas reflected in the listed Assistance Listings (formerly CFDA): 10.902 (Soil and Water Conservation), 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program), 10.924 (Conservation Stewardship Program), and 10.069 (Conservation Reserve Program), signaling that proposals should align with NRCS conservation priorities and on-the-ground resource concerns connected to these program areas.

The application process is handled through Grants.gov, and NRCS emphasized that applications will be screened first for completeness and compliance with the notice requirements. Proposals that are incomplete or do not follow the instructions are removed from consideration, and applicants are notified if their submission is eliminated for those reasons. For organizations that are new to Grants.gov, the notice points applicants to the section describing the registration and submission steps, which is important because Grants.gov setup can take time and NRCS staff are not able to troubleshoot applicant account issues.

Key dates drive the timeline. Applications were due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 10, 2021. Questions about the funding notice itself could be submitted through April 9, 2021, with responses posted on Grants.gov about two weeks before the application deadline. NRCS anticipated making selection decisions by June 30, 2021 and expected to execute awards by September 15, 2021. For technical problems with Grants.gov submissions, applicants were directed to Grants.gov Applicant Support (phone 1-800-518-4726 or email support@grants.gov), with the reminder that the awarding agency cannot assist with Grants.gov account troubleshooting.

Finally, NRCS highlighted that this opportunity is federal financial assistance and encouraged prospective applicants to complete the free Grants 101 training available through the CFO.gov grants training portal. The training covers core topics that commonly affect grant success and compliance, including applicable laws and guidance, financial assistance mechanisms, Uniform Guidance administrative requirements, federal cost principles, and risk management and single audit concepts. This emphasis is a practical signal that applicants should be prepared not only to propose a strong conservation collaboration concept, but also to manage the reporting, budgeting, and compliance responsibilities that come with federal assistance awards.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Collaboration Cooperative Agreements Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Announcement for Program Funding – NEBRASKA" 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 10, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 10, 2021 Applications must be received by 1159 pm Eastern Time on May 10, 2021. (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 $1,000,000.00 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, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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.

Apply for USDA NRCS NE CCA 21 NOFO0001076

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