Pacific Islands Area Conservation Solutions Through Strategic Partnerships | USDA NRCS HI MULTI 23 NOFO0001287

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS HI MULTI 23 NOFO0001287

The Pacific Islands Area Conservation Solutions Through Strategic Partnerships opportunity is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) funding announcement for partners who can help deliver on-the-ground conservation work across the Pacific Islands Area, specifically Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The intent is to fund projects that address NRCS conservation priorities for the region (with the detailed priority areas referenced in Section A of the notice) by leveraging strategic partnerships that can extend NRCS capacity and reach local producers, land managers, and communities with practical conservation solutions.

Funding is offered as federal financial assistance through cooperative agreements, meaning awardees should expect to work in coordination with NRCS rather than operating entirely independently. The opportunity is tied to Assistance Listings 10.902 (Soil and Water Conservation, CTA authority) and 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program, EQIP authority), which signals a focus on technical assistance and implementation support that advances soil, water, and broader natural resource conservation outcomes. NRCS estimated roughly $1,000,000 total available for fiscal year 2023 under this announcement, with an expected number of about five awards.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of public and nonprofit entities that can credibly deliver conservation work and partnership-driven programming. This includes nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in that nonprofit category), nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (also excluding institutions of higher education in that category), state or territorial governments, county and city governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education. The broader Grants.gov listing also indicates certain tribal government and tribal organization eligibility categories, and applicants are expected to rely on the notice text for any clarifications under the eligibility section.

Awards are structured with a federal funding floor of $50,000 and a ceiling of $250,000 per agreement (federal share), and applicants can propose either single-year or multi-year projects for up to five years total. Importantly, these floor and ceiling amounts apply to the total agreement value rather than to a single budget period, which matters for multi-year proposals that phase work over time.

Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 17, 2023. The notice emphasizes that applicants are responsible for managing the Grants.gov submission process and that technical help for submission issues must go through Grants.gov Applicant Support rather than NRCS program staff. NRCS also notes that proposals are screened for completeness and compliance; incomplete or noncompliant applications are removed from consideration, with applicants notified of elimination. The agency planned an informational webinar for prospective applicants on May 31, 2023 (1:00 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time) and provided a process for requesting accessibility accommodations in advance.

In terms of timing, NRCS indicated it anticipated making selections by June 30, 2023, and executing awards by September 15, 2023, while noting those dates were estimates and could change. The notice also points new or inexperienced applicants to federal financial assistance training (Grants 101) hosted at CFO.gov, which covers core requirements like Uniform Guidance administrative rules, cost principles, risk management, and audit expectations. This is a practical hint that applicants should be ready to meet standard federal grant compliance obligations, including budgeting, documentation, and performance and financial reporting norms that typically accompany cooperative agreements.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pacific Islands Area Conservation Solutions Through Strategic Partnerships" 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 May 08, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 17, 2023. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for USDA NRCS HI MULTI 23 NOFO0001287

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