Cooperative Conservation Agreements Fiscal Year 2022 Announcement for Program Funding – Wisconsin | USDA NRCS WI 22 NOFO0001189

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS WI 22 NOFO0001189

The Cooperative Conservation Agreements Fiscal Year 2022 Announcement for Program Funding in Wisconsin is a discretionary federal funding opportunity offered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It is designed to support conservation work through cooperative agreements that help NRCS extend its reach by partnering with outside organizations. The overall purpose is to leverage NRCS resources to address local natural resource concerns, encourage collaboration among local and state partners, and strengthen conservation leadership at the state and community level. Projects must be located in Wisconsin, and applicants are expected to follow the specific objectives, eligibility rules, and application instructions laid out in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO). NRCS also makes clear that proposals will be reviewed first for completeness and compliance, and any application that is missing required elements or does not follow the NFO requirements will be removed from consideration.

Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov, with the deadline set for 11:59 pm Eastern Time on July 3, 2022. The announcement emphasizes that applicants experiencing technical problems with Grants.gov must work directly with Grants.gov Applicant Support (phone and email are provided), since NRCS staff cannot assist with Grants.gov accounts or platform issues. For questions about the content of the NFO itself, applicants are directed to the federal awarding agency contact listed in the NFO (Section G). However, NRCS limits these questions to straightforward clarifications tied to the written announcement (for example, dates, page references, or resolving conflicting statements). They explicitly note that they will not provide feedback on whether an applicant is eligible or whether a specific project idea is strong.

The funding range for the federal share of each agreement is substantial, with an estimated minimum (floor) of $100,000 and a maximum (ceiling) of $2,000,000 per award. These figures apply to the total federal share over the life of the agreement, not to a particular year or budget period. The opportunity lists an expectation of about 10 awards. NRCS projected an internal timeline where selections would be made around July 15, 2022, and awards would be executed by September 30, 2022, while noting that these dates were estimates and could change.

A broad set of applicant types were eligible, reflecting NRCSs intent to build cross-sector conservation partnerships. 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 tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education under that nonprofit category); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The program is categorized under agriculture, environment, and natural resources, and is associated with CFDA number 10.069. The specific funding opportunity number is USDA NRCS WI 22 NOFO0001189, and it was created on May 12, 2022.

Finally, NRCS highlights that this opportunity is federal financial assistance and encourages applicants, especially those new to federal awards, to take Grants 101 training offered free through CFO.gov. The training covers the basics that often determine whether a project runs smoothly after award, including the laws and regulations behind federal assistance, the different assistance mechanisms, Uniform Guidance administrative requirements, federal cost principles, and audit and risk management expectations. This emphasis signals that applicants should be prepared not only to propose a conservation project, but also to manage federal funds in line with standard compliance and reporting requirements typical of cooperative agreements.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Conservation Agreements Fiscal Year 2022 Announcement for Program Funding – Wisconsin" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.069.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 12, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 03, 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 $2,000,000.00 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, 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, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for USDA NRCS WI 22 NOFO0001189

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