Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS' Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2019 - Louisiana | USDA NRCS LA CIG 19 GEN0010004

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS LA CIG 19 GEN0010004

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for federal fiscal year 2019 to support projects carried out in Louisiana that test, demonstrate, and help scale up new or improved conservation approaches tied to agricultural production. The program is designed to move practical conservation innovations from the idea or pilot stage into real-world use, with a clear emphasis on getting results adopted by agricultural producers, incorporated into NRCS technical references (such as manuals and guides), or transferred into broader private-sector use. In practice, this means proposals should go beyond general outreach or planning and instead focus on showing how an innovation works on the ground and how it can realistically be replicated.

Funding for this Louisiana competition totals up to $150,000 statewide for FY 2019, with NRCS expecting to make about two awards. Individual awards can be as large as $75,000, and projects may run from one to three years depending on the scope and timeline needed to produce credible outcomes. The funding instrument is a discretionary grant under CFDA 10.912, and the opportunity is titled "Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS' Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2019) - Louisiana" (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA NRCS LA CIG 19 GEN0010004).

Eligibility is broadly open to non-federal entities and individuals, meaning organizations and applicants outside the federal government can apply, but federal agencies themselves are not eligible. This broad eligibility is intended to encourage participation from a wide range of potential innovators, including nonprofits, universities, local or state organizations, private businesses, and producers, as long as the work is conducted within Louisiana and aligns with the program purpose.

CIG funding typically supports pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. The announcement specifically defines on-farm conservation research as applied research that answers a specific conservation question using a statistically valid design and farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches, or private forest lands. This definition signals that NRCS is looking for projects with measurable methods and credible evaluation, not just informal trials. Examples of the kinds of innovations CIG often aims to advance include new management systems, improved conservation technologies, and innovative approaches such as market-based conservation systems, provided they can be demonstrated in agricultural settings and translated into wider use.

A central requirement of this opportunity is the cost-share (match). Any selected recipient must provide non-federal matching funds at least equal to the amount of federal funding requested, effectively a 1:1 match. Applications that do not include the required cost-share are ineligible, so the match is not optional and should be fully addressed in the proposal and budget. The match can come in multiple forms, including cash contributions as well as allowable in-kind support such as services, materials, equipment, or third-party in-kind contributions, as described in the announcement (noted as Section IV, subsection 8). This requirement is meant to ensure applicants have committed resources and partners invested in implementation and outcomes, which also helps demonstrate that the project can be sustained and scaled after the grant period ends.

The application deadline for this FY 2019 Louisiana CIG competition was May 31, 2019 at 5:00 PM CST, and the opportunity was initially posted on March 20, 2019. Overall, the program is geared toward practical, field-ready conservation innovation in Louisiana agriculture, with competitive proposals expected to combine clear conservation benefits, solid project design and evaluation, and a credible plan for adoption or technology transfer beyond the grant-funded pilot.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, education, environment, food and nutrition, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS' Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2019 - Louisiana" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 20, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 31, 2019 5PM CST. (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 $75,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for USDA NRCS LA CIG 19 GEN0010004

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