FY 24 Arkansas Technical Assistance Projects | USDA NRCS AR MULTI 24 NOFO0001357

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS AR MULTI 24 NOFO0001357

The FY 24 Arkansas Technical Assistance Projects opportunity is a discretionary federal funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Arkansas. It is issued as a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under number USDA-NRCS-AR-MULTI-24-NOFO0001357, and the primary funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. The purpose is to build partnerships with conservation-minded organizations that can deliver technical services on agricultural lands in Arkansas, aligned with NRCS conservation objectives and focus areas described in the full NOFO. A central requirement is that applicants show a proven track record of working directly and cooperatively with Arkansas producers to address local conservation priorities, and that they can operate statewide (projects must be carried out within Arkansas).

The solicitation is tied to several NRCS-related Assistance Listings on SAM.gov, including 10.902 (Soil and Water Conservation), 10.912 (Environmental Quality Incentives Program), 10.924 (Conservation Stewardship Program), 10.931 (Agricultural Conservation Easement Program), 10.069 (Conservation Reserve Program), and 10.905 (Plant Materials for Conservation). In practical terms, that signals the technical assistance work NRCS is looking to support: on-the-ground conservation planning and implementation support that helps producers adopt and maintain conservation practices and meet program goals connected to soil, water, habitat, and broader natural resource outcomes.

NRCS Arkansas expects roughly $4,000,000 to be available across the opportunity, with an estimated 25 awards anticipated. Individual awards are expected to range from a federal share of $25,000 (floor) up to $3,000,000 (ceiling), and these figures apply to the total agreement amount rather than any single budget period. Applicants may submit proposals as single-year or multi-year projects, depending on what best fits the technical assistance approach and the outcomes being proposed.

Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status); and small businesses. Regardless of organizational type, the key eligibility theme is the ability to credibly provide NRCS-aligned technical support to agricultural producers in Arkansas and demonstrate established cooperation with producers on local conservation priorities.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 3, 2024. The notice emphasizes that applications will be screened for completeness and compliance, and that incomplete or noncompliant submissions will be removed from consideration. NRCS also notes that the Arkansas State Conservationist reserves the right not to fund any or all applications, which is a standard reminder that funding decisions depend on both proposal quality and available funds.

The NOFO also flags timing expectations: NRCS anticipates making selections by July 1, 2024, and executing awards by September 30, 2024, though these dates are estimates and may change. Another important caveat is that the NOFO was released prior to final appropriation and/or apportionment for FY 2024, meaning final funding levels could be affected by continuing resolutions or an eventual appropriations act.

For support, technical problems with Grants.gov are directed to Grants.gov Applicant Support (1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov), and the agency notes that NRCS staff cannot assist with Grants.gov account issues. Questions to the awarding agency are meant to be limited to clarifying specific NOFO content (such as dates, page references, or discrepancies), while questions asking NRCS to pre-judge eligibility or the merits of a particular proposal will not be addressed. Finally, because this is federal financial assistance, the notice points applicants to the free “Grants 101” Federal financial assistance training hosted at cfo.gov, covering the legal framework, assistance mechanisms, Uniform Guidance administrative requirements, cost principles, and risk management/single audit topics that commonly matter during award management.

• The Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 24 Arkansas Technical Assistance Projects" 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 2024-03-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-03. (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 $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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, Small businesses.

Apply for USDA NRCS AR MULTI 24 NOFO0001357

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