Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS MA SEMA 24 NOFO0001381
The Southeastern Massachusetts Whole Farm Conservation Planning opportunity is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cooperative agreement aimed at expanding on-the-ground conservation planning and implementation support for private landowners across Southeastern Massachusetts. The core idea is to leverage NRCS resources by partnering with an outside agreement holder that can help deliver whole farm conservation planning services across a wide range of farm sizes, from operations under an acre to farms spanning several hundred acres. The work is meant to strengthen environmental outcomes in the region by increasing adoption of conservation practices and improving how farms manage natural resources.
The conservation focus areas called out in the notice include irrigation, erosion control, integrated pest management, nutrient management, and forestry-related efforts. In practice, this means the selected partner would be expected to visit farms, assess resource concerns, and produce written whole farm conservation plans that lay out practical, site-specific recommendations and implementation steps. NRCS emphasizes that this is not just a planning exercise; it is also about supporting the implementation of meaningful conservation improvements where appropriate and consistent with applicable requirements.
Funding is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement (not a formula grant), with a minimum project award of $200,000 and an award ceiling of $400,000. NRCS expects to make a single award under this announcement. The project period can run for up to five years, and NRCS notes that if additional capacity is needed and coordinated with the agency, NRCS may add funds during the performance period to support continued partnership. Applicants are asked to estimate the average number of annual conservation site visits and written whole farm conservation plans they can complete, with at least 15 plans per year identified as an acceptable minimum level of output for this agreement. Each year, NRCS will coordinate with the selected partner to decide which farms receive priority visits based on interest and need.
Beyond direct farm planning, the agreement holder is also expected to contribute to capacity-building and outreach. Specifically, the selected partner must provide 1 to 2 conservation-focused trainings per year for NRCS staff and partners to strengthen technical knowledge and consistency in conservation approaches. Applicants are encouraged to propose training topics or ideas covering the length of the agreement. The partner is also expected to support customer outreach, helping connect landowners with conservation planning services and encouraging participation.
Eligibility is broad in the sense that the opportunity is open to all domestic applicants, and the eligible applicant category is listed as unrestricted. However, foreign entities and individuals are explicitly not eligible to apply. Applicants are also expected to be familiar with and able to operate under relevant state, federal, and local laws, policies, and regulations that apply to conservation improvements in Massachusetts, which is important given the mix of agricultural, environmental, and potentially forestry-related compliance considerations.
Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 29, 2024. The notice directs applicants with Grants.gov technical issues to Grants.gov Applicant Support (phone and email are provided), and it notes that awarding agency staff cannot help troubleshoot Grants.gov account problems. For questions about the content of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO), applicants are directed to the federal agency contact listed in Section G of the full NFO, with the caveat that questions should be limited to clarifying the published requirements (for example, discrepancies, dates, or where information is located). The agency indicates it anticipates making selections by June 30, 2024, with awards expected to be executed by August 15, 2024, though both dates are estimates and may change.
Key administrative details from the listing include the funding opportunity number USDA NRCS MA SEMA 24 NOFO0001381, the funding instrument type being a cooperative agreement, and the activity category being agriculture, with CFDA numbers 10.902 and 10.912. Overall, the opportunity is structured for an organization that can consistently deliver whole farm conservation planning services at scale in Southeastern Massachusetts, while also training NRCS staff and partners and helping drive landowner engagement over a multi-year partnership.Apply for USDA NRCS MA SEMA 24 NOFO0001381
- The Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Southeastern Massachusetts Whole Farm Conservation Planning" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.902, 10.912.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-30.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-29. (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 $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
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