Grants for Independent school districts - Agriculture

This funding opportunity provides financial support to municipalities, schools, nonprofits, and volunteer groups in Michigan for projects that improve urban forestry, such as tree planting, management plans, and educational initiatives.

The Infrastructure Grants, part of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, aim to enhance the middle of the food supply chain through improved aggregation points, food processing infrastructure, and storage facilities. This grant supports projects that upgrade equipment, facilitate transition to licensed spaces, and expand storage capacities to boost local food production. Priority is given to projects that benefit underserved and veteran farmers, and socially disadvantaged individuals. Funding is prioritized for needs such as food hubs, cooperative developments, and increased cold storage, especially in urban areas.

The focus of this RFP is to help growers transition away from non-selective, biologicallydisruptive pesticides, especially those of high regulatory concern. The BIFS program supportsthe demonstration, refinement, and outreach of SPM-based farming systems that areeconomically viable and protective of human health and the environment. All aspects of thefarming system may be considered as they relate to pest management, including factors such asadjacent landscapes, whether they are farmed or not. For the current solicitation, CDFA is prioritizing projects focusing on the following topic:• Dacthal (dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, DCPA) alternatives in Brassica and onioncrops• Neonicotinoid alternatives in tomato• Lygus management in cotton• Fumigant alternatives Projects will typically include all the following elements:1. On-farm demonstration/evaluation of an innovative, biologically based farming systemthat employs SPM strategies;2. A collaborative outreach effort for sharing technical information about the farmingsystem with growers, PCAs, commodity groups, and others engaged in pestmanagement, and;3. An organized program for monitoring key biological and economic variables to informon-farm decision making and evaluate project success. The BIFS application process will occur in two stages: 1) concept proposal submission and 2) fullproposal development. This RFP is to solicit concept proposals. After concept proposal reviewand scoring is complete, OPCA will select up to three applicants to develop full proposals, whichincludes a detailed workplan, budget, budget justification, and letters of support. We anticipatefunding one proposal at the full $1 million. Prior to full proposal development, OPCA scientistswill meet with the selected applicants to discuss reviewer comments as part of a pre-projectconsultation.

The Budget Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 178, Skinner) and Government Code section 12100.140 et seq. established an Export Training program within GO-Biz. The program is one-time funding for competitive grants to service providers to develop or scale export training programs and curricula. Respondents to this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) must demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and ability to provide such training. The key purpose of this program is to fund export training programming that supports California small business owners, provides access to export services for underserved businesses, advances immigrant integration and supports immigrant entrepreneurs, and includes training programs in languages other than English wherever possible. Additionally, this program may consider funding export training programs that are aimed at developing an export-capable workforce should there be sufficient program funding. Organizations are strongly encouraged to collaborate on applications and to utilize each other's resources effectively. Program Objectives:• Equip new-to-export businesses with comprehensive knowledge of global markets and essential international trade knowledge.• Provide ongoing assistance to current exporters, aiding them in sustaining and broadening their presence in foreign markets.• Cultivate a fresh cohort of businesses eligible for the California State Trade Expansion Program, preparing for participation in export promotion activities, including trade shows.

This grant provides funding to various organizations in New Jersey to promote sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship through community gardens and conservation education in urban and underserved areas.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) is being released prior to appropriation and/or apportionment of funds for fiscal year 2024. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing potential availability of cooperative agreements for the purpose of leveraging NRCS resources, addressing local natural resource issues, encouraging collaboration and developing state- and community-level conservation leadership. Proposals will be accepted for projects located in Nebraska.Proposals are requested for competitive consideration for cooperative agreement awards for projects between 1 and 3 years in duration. Applicants can be tribal government, State or local unit of government, non-profits with a 501 (c) (3) with status, or institution of higher learning.Entities may submit more than one application as long as the proposals are for different projects and entities may receive more than one award.This notice identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions for projects. Proposals will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete and/or noncompliant proposals will be eliminated from competition, and notification of elimination will be sent to the applicant.For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.Key DatesApplicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 6th, 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.The agency anticipates making selections by June 15th, 2024, and expects to execute awards by September 15th, 2024.These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

This grant provides funding to Massachusetts schools and early education programs to promote food literacy and local food sourcing through initiatives like school gardens, cooking classes, and educational field trips.

This program is listed in the Assistance Listings (previously referred to as theCatalog of Federal Financial Assistance) on Sam.gov under:Soil and Water Conservation 10.902which can be found at: https://sam.gov/content/home.SAM is a web-based, government-wide application that collects, validates, stores, and disseminates business information about the federal government's trading partners in support of the contract awards, grants, and electronic payment processes.Notice of Funding Opportunity SummaryThe Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture, is announcing potential availability of agreements for the purpose of leveraging NRCS resources to promote public awareness of Farm Bill activities throughout Maryland.Proposals must be for projects based in Maryland and focus on Farm Bill conservation. Research proposals will need to meet the requirements in order to be accepted.Proposals will be accepted from eligible entities identified in Section C of this announcement for competitive consideration of awards for projects between one and five years in duration.This notice identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions. Proposals will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete and/or noncompliant proposals will be eliminated from competition, and notification of elimination will be sent to the applicant. The Maryland State Conservationist reserves the right not to fund any or all applications.For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.Key DatesApplicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on July 5th, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.The agency anticipates making selections by July 15th, 2024, and expects to execute awards by August 1st, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

This funding opportunity supports projects that improve the competitiveness of California's specialty crops, benefiting a wide range of organizations, including nonprofits, government entities, and educational institutions.

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service NHQ Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP)The U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service NHQ Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) is collaborating with National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through an interagency agreement for implementation of the Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) Pilot Project Cooperative Agreement Program.Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) Pilot ProjectNotice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CFWR-24-NOFO0001412Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the Assistance Listings (previously referred to as the Catalog of Federal Financial Assistance) on Sam.gov under 10.935, which can be found at: https://sam.gov/content/home.SAM is a web-based, government-wide application that collects, validates, stores, and disseminates business information about the federal government's trading partners in support of the contract awards, grants, and electronic payment processes.Notice of Funding Opportunity SummaryThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), under OUAIP, is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants to host a CFWR pilot project for fiscal year (FY) 2024For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.Key DatesApplicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on September 4, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.A webinar has been pre-recorded and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvexAMyuY2o.The presentation and supporting information are posted in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity. The recorded webinar is also available on https://www.usda.gov/topics/urban/coop-agreements.The agency anticipates making selections by November 2024 and expects to execute awards by January 2025. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling AmountsThe estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $75,000, and the estimated funding ceiling is $400,000. The funding floor means the minimum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The funding ceiling is the maximum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not any specific budget period.Federal Financial Assistance TrainingThe funding available through this NFO is Federal financial assistance. Grants 101 Training is highly recommended for those seeking knowledge about Federal financial assistance. The training is free and available to the public via https://www.cfo.gov/resources/federal-financial-assistance-training/.It consists of five modules covering each of the following topics:1) laws, regulations, and guidance; 2) financial assistance mechanisms; 3) uniform guidance administrative requirements; 4) cost principles; and 5) risk management and single audit. FPAC agencies also apply Federal financial assistance regulations to certain non-assistance awards (e.g., non-assistance cooperative agreements).

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 - Arkansas Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-AR-CIG-24-NOFO0001409 Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the Assistance Listings (previously referred to as the Catalog of Federal Financial Assistance) on Sam.gov under 10.912, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which can be found at: https://sam.gov/content/home. The System for Award Management (SAM) is a web-based, government-wide application that collects, validates, stores, and disseminates business information about the federal government's trading partners in support of the contract awards, grants, and electronic payment processes. Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary NRCS is announcing the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications are accepted from eligible entities (Section C) for projects carried out in the state of Arkansas A total of up to $300,000 is available for the Arkansas CIG competition in FY 2024. All non-Foreign, non-federal entities (NFE) and individuals are invited to apply, with the sole exception of federal agencies. Projects may be between one and three years in duration. The maximum award amount for a single award in FY 2024 is $100,000. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov. Completing all steps required to start an application can take a significant amount of time, plan accordingly. Key Dates Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Monday August 5, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed. A webinar for CIG applicants is scheduled for June 24, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. CST Standard Time. Information on how to participate in the webinar will be posted to the https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86163563163?pwd=tnK9zjCgTahBoafsgddhcaMJaQaK9q.1. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Arkansas State CIG website to learn more about the CIG program. The agency anticipates making selections by 9-15-2024 and expects to execute awards by 09-30-2024.These dates are estimates and are subject to change. Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $25,000, and the estimated funding ceiling is $100,000. The funding floor means the minimum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The ceiling is the maximum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not any specific budget period. Federal Financial Assistance Training The funding available through this NFO is Federal financial assistance. Grants 101 Training is highly recommended for those seeking knowledge about Federal financial assistance. The training is free and available to the public via https://www.cfo.gov/resources/federal-financial-assistance-training/. It consists of five modules covering each of the following topics: 1) laws, regulations, and guidance; 2) financial assistance mechanisms; 3) uniform guidance administrative requirements; 4) cost principles; and 5) risk management and single audit. FPAC agencies also apply Federal financial assistance regulations to certain non-assistance awards (e.g., non-assistance cooperative agreements).

Notice of Funding Opportunity SummaryThe Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing potential availability of cooperative agreements for the purpose of leveraging NRCS resources to assist our agency with conducting and implementing important NRCS Farm Bill Program contract management on multiple private landowner properties throughout Massachusetts. NRCS recognizes the importance of utilizing partners to help facilitate project management for NRCS customers throughout Massachusetts. The agreement holder could be asked to assist with customer technical assistance, conservation planning, certification packets for completed conservation practices, and writing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs). The agreement holder will also be responsible for providing training to NRCS staff and affiliates to demonstrate the ability to have direct conversations with agricultural producers, investigate and navigate conservation opportunities, demonstrate project management and implementation skills, as well as customer outreach.NRCS-Massachusetts is making a funding opportunity available for applicants to submit proposals with an award ceiling of $400,000 and a minimum project award of $200,000. NRCS will be awarding a cooperative agreement for up to a five-year period. If, in coordination with NRCS, additional resources are needed at a rate that exceeds this schedule, NRCS may add funds to this agreement to support continued partnership over the performance period.The primary goal is to expand conservation technical assistance to NRCS customers throughout Massachusetts. The project list ranges in size from less than 1-acre farms to several hundred-acre farms. Applicants will identify the average number of conservation application site visits with written conservation plans, existing contract conservation technical assistance site visits, and CNMPs that they could complete in any year with a minimum of fifteen application based and 15 contract based site visits per year being acceptable for this agreement (5 of those including CNMP development). NRCS will work with the selected applicant to make the choice of priority conservation site visits each year of the agreement based on interest and need. Applicants will be required to hold 1-2 conservation focused trainings per year for NRCS staff and partners to expand their technical knowledge. Applicants should provide a list of training ideas to NRCS for the length of the agreement. Applicants will be awarded based on the specified scoring criteria in Section E of this announcement. Eligible applicants are identified in Section C of this announcement. Applicants should be familiar with all applicable state, federal, local laws, policies, and regulations that apply to conservation improvements in the locales of Massachusetts.For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.Key DatesApplicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 29, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.The agency anticipates making selections by June 30, 2024, and expects to execute awards by August 15, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

The Montgomery County Office of Grants Management is offering its 2025 School-Based Food Assistance Grant Program. This program aims to bolster food security for students and their families by funding initiatives co-located at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) sites. The overarching goal is to address critical gaps in healthy food access for children and families and to foster innovative approaches to integrate food assistance directly within school communities. The program aligns with a strategic priority to support projects that effectively tackle food insecurity and leverage school sites for broader community benefit, demonstrating a theory of change focused on direct, accessible, and community-embedded food support. The target beneficiaries of this grant program are students and families in Montgomery County who rely on school meals or face barriers to food access, such as transportation challenges. The impact goals are to increase nutrition security and provide convenient access to essential food resources. Successful programs are expected to demonstrate past experience in operating school-based food assistance programs with MCPS, propose quickly actionable program models for new schools, and identify potential zip codes, capacity, resource needs, and expansion formats. The program prioritizes projects that address significant needs in healthy food access for children and families and/or offer innovative models for co-locating food assistance at MCPS school sites. The Office of Food and Special Programs (OFSR) is collaborating with MCPS to identify priority school sites based on community need and the anticipated impact of new or expanded programming. This strategic focus ensures that funding is directed where it can have the most profound effect on alleviating food insecurity. The expected outcomes include the establishment or expansion of diverse food assistance models, such as choice pantries offering culturally relevant and healthy foods, pre-packed box/bag distributions with locally sourced produce, medically or preference-tailored prepared meal deliveries, and grocery gift card distributions to address transportation and other barriers. The total grant funding available is $1,250,000, with individual awards ranging from $40,000 to $300,000, and a performance period from approximately August 15, 2024, to June 30, 2025. This financial commitment and flexible programming range are designed to generate measurable results in terms of increased access to nutritious food and improved food security for the target population.

The project sites eligible for the grant must be located on 'farm and ranch' property, encompassing both private and public land, where the owner is not held responsible for the illegal disposal. The definition of 'farm and ranch' property can be found in the Eligible Geographies section below. Grantees are given approximately two years to complete the project(s). The sites should be fully remediated (cleaned up) using grant funds, or a combination of grant funds and in-kind contributions in terms of funds or services. The funding covers various costs, including Administrative, Recycling/Disposal (tires), Equipment, Material, and Personnel expenses. If necessary, measures for abatement and prevention, such as site security and public education/outreach efforts, should also be addressed. The program encourages innovative approaches. For further information and requirements, please refer to the Notice of Funds Available FY24-25 webpage, particularly the Application Guidelines and Instructions and Procedures and Requirements resource documents. The application typically includes several items for each project/site, such as Budget, Land Use/Zoning Designation, photos, Property Affidavit, Site Characterization, map, Work Plan, and Resolution. The Resolution is carried out through the governing body of the applicant (additional information is available). It is possible to include multiple projects/sites within a single application.

The Arlington County Department of Human Services is offering a grant funding opportunity to support its Food Security Strategic Plan. This initiative aligns with the department's mission to address food insecurity and improve nutrition equity within Arlington County. The grant aims to support projects that enhance food access, promote outreach and education, build capacity among food assistance providers, and facilitate informed decision-making through data collection. The maximum grant award for a single project is $25,000, with funds to be spent by June 30, 2025. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are Arlington County residents experiencing food insecurity. The program targets various populations through strategies such as enhancing school-based supplemental food offerings, establishing new charitable food distributions in underserved neighborhoods, and increasing nutrition education opportunities for residents of all ages. The overarching impact goal is to eliminate, reduce, and prevent disparities in food security, ensuring that all those in need receive adequate support. The grant prioritizes projects that address at least one of five key strategies outlined in the Strategic Plan: Systemic Change, Food Access, Outreach & Education, Capacity Building, and Informed Decision Making. Specific focuses include improving nutrition equity, increasing food rescue and redistribution, promoting food assistance resources like SNAP, developing training materials for staff and volunteers, and collecting data on usage trends and services. Eligible organizations include IRS-designated 501c3 nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and public schools or universities that serve Arlington residents. Expected outcomes include improved access to nutritious food for Arlington residents, increased awareness and enrollment in food assistance programs, enhanced operational capacity for food pantries and meal programs, and better-informed decision-making based on collected data. Measurable results could include an increase in the number of residents served, the quantity of food distributed, the number of individuals participating in nutrition education, and the implementation of new or improved food security policies and practices. The grant period is from October 2024 through June 30, 2025, with funding awards announced in September 2024.

The Effectiveness Monitoring Committee (EMC), serving as an advisory body to the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, aims to fund scientific research that tests the effectiveness of the California Forest Practice Rules and associated regulations. This includes addressing natural resource issues such as watershed science, wildlife concerns, and wildfire hazard. Proposals are sought that focus on one or more of EMC's Research Themes and Critical Monitoring Questions, particularly those that contribute to understanding and enhancing wildfire resilience and response to climate change across California's forestlands. Projects must directly relate to management activities on private timberlands in the state, although those on public lands may qualify if they demonstrate relevance to non-federal timberland activities.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations, food pantries, schools, and farmers markets in Columbia County, New York, to improve access to fresh and healthy food for low-income households and address food insecurity.

The Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids (CTG4CTK) Grant Program is designed to provide financial assistance to various educational and childcare entities within Connecticut to foster the development of farm-to-school programs. Administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, this grant aligns with a broader mission to enhance the state's economy, improve child health, and enrich the educational experiences of students through connections with local agriculture. The program's core objective is to build capacity for long-term Farm to School Programs, emphasizing the integration of local foods into child nutrition programs and promoting hands-on learning about nutrition and farm-to-school connections. The target beneficiaries of the CTG4CTK Grant include local or regional boards of education, regional educational service centers, cooperative arrangements, child care centers, group child care homes, family child care homes, and any organization or entity involved in developing farm-to-school programs, including Connecticut farmers. The impact goals are multi-faceted: increasing the availability of local foods in child nutrition programs, enabling educators to use experiential learning to teach about nutrition and agricultural connections, sustaining relationships with local farmers and producers, enriching students' educational experiences, improving the health of children in the state, and boosting the state's economy. The grant program prioritizes applicants located in alliance districts or those providing school readiness programs. Another key focus is to fund applicants who can demonstrate a broad commitment from various stakeholders, including school administrators, school nutrition professionals, educators, and community members. Applicants are specifically requested to detail the support for their projects and how input was gathered during the idea formulation. This emphasis ensures that funded programs have strong community backing and are well-conceived. The CTG4CTK Grant offers several tracks, including Farm to School (K-12) Local Procurement Assistance, Farm to School (K-12) Experiential Learning, Producer Capacity Building, Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE), and a one-time Shipping Container Growing Grant. While the general grant size ranges from $10,000 to $100,000, the maximum award for Tracks 1, 2, and 4 is $75,000, with a higher cap of $250,000 for the Shipping Container Growing grant. The project period for all grants is 24 months. The expected outcomes include a greater integration of local foods, enhanced nutritional education, strengthened local agricultural ties, and overall improvements in child well-being and the state's economic vitality.

This funding opportunity supports U.S.-based organizations in conducting research to better understand and manage heart-related side effects of cancer treatments, with a focus on improving detection, monitoring, and data sharing.

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Funding Opportunity Title: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354 Assistance Listing: 10.932, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Due Date: NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 2, 2024. Note: The RCPP Classic and Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) FY 2024 notices of funding opportunity (NFO) will run concurrently. For information on AFA proposals please see Funding Opportunity Number USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPAFA-24-NOFO0001355. The RCPP promotes the coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through the RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that provide solutions to conservation challenges thereby measurably improving the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP promotes collaboration with partners, stakeholders, and various communities, which is paramount to achieving equity in NRCS programs and services. Using guidance contained in this notice, partners propose projects that generate conservation benefits by addressing specific natural resource concerns in a state or multistate area by addressing one or more priority resource concerns within an NRCS-designated critical conservation area (CCA). NRCS and partners collaborate to design, promote, and implement RCPP projects on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest land. Through RCPP, NRCS may provide both financial assistance (FA) and technical assistance (TA) funds to project partners and agricultural producers for implementing projects. RCPP proposals are evaluated through a competitive proposal process based on three criteria: impact, partner contributions, and partnership and management. Up to $1.5 billion is available for RCPP projects through this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement, which includes $300 million of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) funding and $1.2 billion of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. Proposals are accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and U.S. territories in the Pacific Island Areas (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). NRCS will prioritize using IRA funds for projects that will implement climate-smart agriculture and forestry conservation activities as described in section F.(3)a. of this announcement. Up to $100 million is being made available specifically for NRCS to enter into programmatic partnership agreements with Indian tribes. This set aside will be shared by this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement. Any unused funds may be available for other partnership agreements. Submissions: Proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal. See section E of this announcement for information on using the RCPP portal to submit proposals. Access to the RCPP portal requires a level 2 eAuthentication credential or a Login.gov credential. Obtaining a new Login.gov credential involves multiple steps and can take several days to complete. Instructions are posted on the How to Apply to RCPP web page listed below. For More Information: Applicants are expected to contact the appropriate State Conservationists and state RCPP coordinators prior to submitting a proposal. NRCS will use a state conservation questionnaire to record the results of this conversation. Proposals without a completed questionnaire may have their score and ranking reduced. A list of state RCPP coordinators (as of the date of this announcements posting) is on the NRCS How to Apply to RCPP web page. Applicants can also email the RCPP inbox ([email protected]) with any questions about the announcement. The RCPP website is also a great source of current information about the program. Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in one or more of the webinars below to learn about the program and how to apply. 2024 RCPP NFO Applicant Outreach Webinar This webinar will provide general information for applicants submitting proposals for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The same material will be covered at both webinars followed by a question-and-answer section. Please refer to the RCPP website for more information. Regional Conservation Partnership Program Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov) April 23, 2024, RCPP Applicant Outreach Webinar Registration Link 2pm to 4pm EDT - https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/e2f45f75-7ea4-410b-b1c9-567537cd2454@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 May 30, 2024, RCPP Applicant Outreach Webinar Registration Link 2pm to 4pm EDT - https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/226dcb51-0b57-43b1-b340-95e535238713@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 NRCS will schedule additional webinars on RCPP easements and providing outreach to tribal applicants. Information on all webinars will be posted to the RCPP how to apply page.