USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released funding opportunity USDA-NRCS-NM-CIG-23-NOFO0001263 for the New Mexico Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) at grants.gov. The deadline to submit a proposal through grants.gov is May 1, 2023.
NRCS will make available up to $50,000 of funding for eligible individuals, local and state governments, non-governmental organizations, and tribes in New Mexico. Applicants must follow the instructions in the notice of funding and submit a complete package by the application deadline to be considered for funding. The grant opportunity is located at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=346347.
About the Program
CIG awards are intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production while leveraging federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches, or private forest lands. CIG funds the implementation of approaches to incentivizing conservation adoption, including market-based and conservation finance approaches. CIG does not fund normal farming operations, approaches that are widely used, technology that has not been sufficiently developed, or start-up costs for a new venture.
To apply for state CIG, projects must be carried out entirely within New Mexico. Projects may be statewide in scope or focus on a smaller region or watershed. CIG State competitions complement the national CIG competition and enable NRCS to better address natural resource concerns at the local level.
Applicants submitting proposals may request a minimum of $5,000 and up to $50,000 of federal funds. Applicants must match the Federal award at least 1:1. Projects that qualify for the historically underserved set-aside must provide a match of at least 0.5:1 or 50% of Federal funds requested. Matching funds can be cash, in-kind, or a combination of both.
Applicants do not need to be an agricultural producers, but the CIG project must involve at least one Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) eligible agricultural producer. Applicants must carefully follow the instructions in the announcement of funding. Applications that are incomplete, do not specify the cost-share match, or do not meet the eligibility requirements will not be considered. NRCS reserves the right to not consider applications that do not meet a state priority or that are unclear about the project budget or results.
More Information
CIG promotes the USDA vision to provide economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve our Nation's natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands. To learn more about Conservation Innovation Grants, visit the CIG webpage.
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