Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Conservation Innovation Grants Maryland State Program National Funding Opportunity

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SUMMARY INFORMATION 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) 2021 – Maryland Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-MD-CIG-21-NOFO0001056 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): This program is listed in the Assistance Listings under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 10.912, Environmental Quality Incentives Program Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary NRCS is announcing the availability of CIG funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications are accepted from eligible entities for projects carried out in the state of Maryland. A total of up to $150,000 is available for the Maryland CIG competition in FY 2021. All 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 2021 is $75,000. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D.1. for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov. Key Dates Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 15, 2021. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. Questions regarding this notice of funding opportunity (NFO) may be submitted until February 8, 2021. Responses to questions posed will be posted on Grants.gov approximately two weeks before the application due date. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Maryland CIG website to learn more about the CIG program. Questions about this announcement can be directed to Administrative Contact. Brian Queen Brian.Queen@usda.gov 919-783-2072 Do not send proposals directly to the Administrative Contact. The agency anticipates making selections by May 10, 2021 and expects to execute awards by September 30, 2021. Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts The funding floor for a single award is $37,500 and the funding ceiling for a single award is $75,000. 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/grants-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).

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