Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2022 – South Carolina | USDA NRCS SC CIG 22 NOFO0001186

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS SC CIG 22 NOFO0001186

The Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) opportunity for FY 2022 in South Carolina is a discretionary grant program offered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to encourage new, practical conservation solutions tied directly to agricultural production. The main goal is to help develop and accelerate the real-world adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies, especially those that can be demonstrated, tested, and then transferred broadly to producers, incorporated into technical standards and guidance, or picked up by the private sector. In practice, the program is designed to move promising conservation ideas out of the concept stage and into working pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research efforts that can show measurable results under typical operating conditions.

Funding for the South Carolina state competition is listed as up to $500,000 total for FY 2022, with NRCS expecting to make about 10 awards. Individual awards are anticipated to range from a $50,000 minimum (funding floor) to a $250,000 maximum (funding ceiling), and those figures apply to the total award amount for the full agreement rather than being tied to a single budget period. Projects can run from one to three years, which gives applicants flexibility to propose shorter demonstrations or more extended multi-season work when that is needed to produce credible outcomes. The notice also explains that the NFO was released ahead of final FY 2022 funding decisions, meaning the actual availability or amount of funding could be affected by continuing resolutions or final appropriations.

Eligibility is broad and largely open to non-federal entities and individuals, with federal agencies being the only clear exclusion. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and individuals. The program is intended for projects carried out in South Carolina, so proposals should be built around work that will take place in the state and deliver benefits relevant to South Carolina producers and landscapes.

NRCS emphasizes that CIG is about innovation with practical application. Funded efforts are expected to result in conservation technologies, management systems, or innovative approaches (including market-based approaches) that can be adopted beyond the project itself. The announcement specifically notes that CIG commonly supports pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined here as applied research designed to answer a specific conservation question using a statistically valid experimental design, implemented with farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches, or private forest lands. That definition signals that NRCS wants projects that are rigorous enough to be credible, but still grounded in realistic operational conditions rather than purely controlled lab or small-plot settings.

For FY 2022 in South Carolina, NRCS is looking for proposals that address one or more state priorities: Water Quality, Soil Health, and Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry. Applicants would generally be expected to show how their innovation improves outcomes in at least one of these areas, and ideally how the results will be measured and shared so the work can be replicated by other producers or partners. Because the program is framed around adoption and technology transfer, strong proposals typically explain not just what will be tested, but how the project will drive broader use, whether through demonstrations, outreach, training, guidance documents, or partnerships that can scale the practice after the grant ends.

Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 25, 2022. The notice highlights that Grants.gov technical support is handled by Grants.gov Applicant Support (and not by awarding agency staff), and it advises new users to review the full announcement for the required setup steps before submitting. NRCS also scheduled two applicant webinars for April 6, 2022 (10:00 am and 1:00 pm Eastern), with participation details to be posted on the NRCS South Carolina CIG website. These webinars were intended to help applicants understand expectations, priorities, and submission requirements.

NRCS estimated a relatively quick timeline after submission, anticipating selection decisions by June 8, 2022 and award execution by August 31, 2022, although the notice makes clear these dates were subject to change. Applicants were advised to plan around an estimated project start date of September 30, 2022. In summary, this opportunity offered mid-sized grants to support practical, measurable, and transferable conservation innovations in South Carolina, with an emphasis on field-ready solutions that advance water quality, soil health, and climate-smart agriculture and forestry.

• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2022 – South Carolina" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 21, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 25, 2022 Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 1159 pm Eastern Time on May 25, 2022. 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. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. in the Full Announcement for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification), Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for USDA NRCS SC CIG 22 NOFO0001186

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