Natural Resources Conservation Service Project Management - Massachusetts | USDA NRCS MA PMMA 24 NOFO0001380

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS MA PMMA 24 NOFO0001380

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), part of the US Department of Agriculture, is offering a Massachusetts-specific cooperative agreement to bring in a partner that can help manage and deliver Farm Bill conservation program work on private lands across the state. The main idea is to expand NRCS capacity by leveraging an outside organization that can take on practical, on-the-ground project management and technical assistance tasks for agricultural producers and other NRCS customers. This includes helping customers move from interest and application through planning, implementation, and closeout, especially where NRCS staff capacity is limited and where producers benefit from more frequent, hands-on support.

Under this opportunity, the selected agreement holder would be expected to support core conservation program functions such as customer technical assistance, conservation planning, and contract support. That can include conducting site visits, developing written conservation plans, helping with certification packets for completed conservation practices, and producing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs). The work is intended to span a wide range of farm sizes, from very small operations under one acre to farms spanning several hundred acres, meaning the partner needs to be comfortable adapting their approach to different production systems, land uses, and producer needs across Massachusetts.

NRCS sets clear expectations for annual workload and deliverables. Applicants are asked to propose the average number of site visits and products they can complete in a typical year, with a minimum level considered acceptable for the agreement being at least 15 application-based site visits (paired with written conservation plans) and at least 15 contract-based technical assistance site visits per year. Within that workload, at least five efforts should include CNMP development. NRCS will coordinate with the selected partner each year to decide which conservation site visits are the highest priority, based on program demand and landowner interest, so the partner should be prepared for some year-to-year variation in which projects are emphasized.

A second major component is training and knowledge-sharing. The partner is expected to hold one to two conservation-focused trainings per year for NRCS staff and affiliates to build technical capacity and consistency in the field. Applicants should come in with a thoughtful list of training topics and ideas that could be delivered over the full agreement period. Beyond technical content, the announcement also highlights the importance of communication and outreach skills: the partner must be able to have direct conversations with agricultural producers, help them understand conservation options, navigate opportunities and requirements, and demonstrate real project management ability from planning through implementation.

Funding for this opportunity is structured with a minimum award size of $200,000 and a maximum (award ceiling) of $400,000. NRCS expects to make a single award. The performance period can be up to five years, and the agency notes that, if needs grow and both parties agree, NRCS may add funds during the period of performance to support continued partnership at a higher level than originally planned. Because this is a cooperative agreement (rather than a simple grant), applicants should anticipate substantial NRCS involvement and coordination during implementation, including jointly setting annual priorities and aligning deliverables with NRCS program requirements.

Eligibility is broad in the sense that the opportunity is open to domestic applicants without restriction, but it is not open to foreign entities or individuals. Applicants are expected to understand and comply with relevant federal, state, and local laws, policies, and regulations that apply to conservation improvements in Massachusetts, which matters in practice because conservation planning and implementation often intersect with permitting, environmental compliance, and state-specific standards.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 29, 2024. Technical help for Grants.gov issues is handled by Grants.gov Applicant Support (1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov), and NRCS staff will not troubleshoot applicant account or submission problems. Content-related questions are limited to clarifying information already contained in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, and questions about eligibility judgments or the merits of an individual proposal will not be answered. NRCS anticipates selecting an awardee by June 30, 2024, with awards expected to be executed by August 15, 2024, though the agency notes these dates are estimates and may change.

Key identifiers included in the notice are the opportunity title "Natural Resources Conservation Service Project Management - Massachusetts," funding opportunity number USDA NRCS MA PMMA 24 NOFO0001380, funding instrument type Cooperative Agreement, activity category Agriculture, and CFDA numbers 10.902 and 10.912. Awards will be made based on the scoring criteria described in Section E of the full announcement, and applicants should refer to Section C for the specific eligible applicant categories and to the full NFO for submission steps and requirements.

• The Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Natural Resources Conservation Service Project Management - Massachusetts" 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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