Conservation Collaboration Grants Agreements FY 2021 Announcement for Program Funding – SOUTH DAKOTA | USDA NRCS SD CCCA 21 NOFO0001098

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS SD CCCA 21 NOFO0001098

The Conservation Collaboration Grants Agreements FY 2021 Announcement for Program Funding - South Dakota is a competitive federal funding opportunity from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) aimed at supporting conservation work within the state of South Dakota. The core purpose is to leverage NRCS resources alongside partner capacity to address local natural resource concerns, strengthen collaboration among conservation stakeholders, and build conservation leadership at both the state and community level. Projects must be located in South Dakota, and the opportunity is structured to fund practical, partnership-driven efforts that align with NRCS priorities in agriculture, environmental stewardship, and natural resource conservation.

Funding is offered through a cooperative agreement, which typically means NRCS expects to be actively involved during the project period rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. Projects are intended to run between 1 and 3 years, allowing enough time for planning, implementation, outreach, and measurable outcomes. While the announcement notes the potential availability of funds (meaning awards depend on actual program allocations), it sets an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000, with an anticipated total of about 16 awards. The funding is connected to multiple NRCS-related CFDA program areas: 10.069, 10.902, 10.912, 10.924, and 10.931, reflecting that proposals may be supported under different NRCS authorities depending on the project focus and available funding streams.

Eligibility is broad but limited to specific organization types. Applicants can include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and special district governments, as well as federally recognized Native American tribal governments. Both public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education may apply. Nonprofit organizations are also eligible, including those with 501(c)(3) status and those without 501(c)(3) status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education. This mix of eligible applicants signals that NRCS is looking for proposals from groups with strong local presence and convening power, including governments, tribes, universities, and community-based organizations that can mobilize partners and deliver conservation results on the ground.

Applications were required to be submitted through Grants.gov, with a deadline of 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 8, 2021. The review process described is rolling in the sense that proposals are scored as they are received; eligible proposals are then added to a ranking list used for funding consideration throughout fiscal year 2021. Final funding decisions are made by the NRCS State Conservationist, guided by that ranking list and by how much funding is actually available under the applicable CFDA program categories. The announcement also clarifies the division of support responsibilities: technical issues with Grants.gov must be handled through Grants.gov Applicant Support (1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov), and NRCS staff cannot troubleshoot applicant account problems on that platform.

For applicant questions about the content of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO), the window to submit questions closed on May 7, 2021, with NRCS indicating that responses would be posted on Grants.gov roughly two weeks prior to the application deadline. Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a statewide call for partnership-based conservation projects in South Dakota that can demonstrate collaboration, address pressing natural resource needs, and help build durable local conservation capacity, with awards determined competitively and tied to NRCS program funding availability.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Collaboration Grants Agreements FY 2021 Announcement for Program Funding – SOUTH DAKOTA" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.069, 10.902, 10.912, 10.924, 10.931.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 07, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 08, 2021 Applications must be received by 1159pm Eastern Time. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 16 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), 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.

Apply for USDA NRCS SD CCCA 21 NOFO0001098

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