May 12, 2022, UPDATE: This funding opportunity is open for second funding pool applications (from $250,000 to $4,999,999), which are due by June 10, 2022, by 11:59pm. Applications for the first funding pool (from $5 million to $100 million) were due May 06, 2022, by 11:59pm Eastern Time and are no longer being accepted.

May 06, 2022 UPDATE: Applications for the first funding pool are due May 06, 2022 by 11:59pm Eastern Time, and the opportunity will be temporarily closed from May 07, 2022 through May 11, 2022. The opportunity will open again on May 12, 2022 for the second funding pool applications, which are due by June 10, 2022 by 11:59pm.

Modifications on 03/11/2022 extended application due dates and added clarifying edits, including those related to eligibility and quantification. Modifications appear in red text in the Full Announcement document located in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity.

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) Summary

Up to approximately $1 billion will be made available for the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities projects through this funding opportunity, which will build markets and invest in America’s climate-smart farmers, ranchers, and forest owners to strengthen U.S. rural and agricultural communities. Through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, USDA will support the production and marketing of climate-smart commodities through a set of pilot projects that provide voluntary incentives through partners to producers and land owners, including early adopters, to:

a.     implement climate-smart production practices, activities, and systems on working lands,

b.     measure/quantify, monitor and verify the carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits associated with those practices, and

c.      develop markets and promote the resulting climate-smart commodities. 

Grant agreements under this funding opportunity will be with a single entity, i.e., “partner”; however, USDA encourages multiple partners to coordinate on projects. A range of public and private entities are eligible to apply, as described in Section C of the Full Announcement which can be found in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity.

Proposals must provide a plan to pilot implementation of climate-smart agriculture and/or forestry practices on a large-scale, including meaningful involvement of small or historically underserved producers, consistent with spirit of the Justice40 initiative; a quantification, monitoring, reporting, and verification plan; and a plan to develop markets and promote climate-smart commodities generated as a result of project activities.

Funding will be provided through two funding pools.

Proposals in the first funding pool (requests for amounts from $5 million to $100 million per proposal) will be large-scale pilot projects that emphasize the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production and include direct, meaningful benefits to a representative cross-section of production agriculture, including small and/or historically underserved producers.

Proposals in the second funding pool (requests for amounts from $250,000 to $4,999,999 per proposal) are limited to particularly innovative pilot projects with an emphasis on

·        enrollment of small and/or underserved producers and/or

·        monitoring, reporting, and verification activities developed at minority-serving institutions.

All projects must be tied to the development of markets and promotion of climate-smart commodities. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, a “climate-smart commodity” is an agricultural commodity that is produced using agricultural (farming, ranching, or forestry) practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or sequester carbon. Markets for climate-smart commodities may include companies or processors sourcing climate-smart commodities to meet internal targets or other supply chain goals, biofuel and renewable energy markets, companies seeking to sell branded consumer products, or other opportunities that could provide a premium or additional revenue for participating producers and land owners.

Sufficient incentives to encourage producer participation, as well as, generation of verifiable greenhouse gas reductions and carbon sequestration are critical to project success and will be considered in the evaluation criteria.

For new users of Grants.gov, see the Full Announcement located in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.

Key Dates

Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on:

·        May 06, 2022 for the first funding pool (proposals from $5 million to $100 million)

·        June 10, 2022 for the second funding pool (proposals from $250,000 to $4,999,999).

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 inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (found in section G of the Full Announcement located in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity.). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed. 

Information on available webinars and other supporting information for this funding opportunity will be posted at: https://www.usda.gov/climate-solutions/climate-smart-commodities

The agency anticipates making selections by Summer 2022 and expects to execute awards by September 30, 2022. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

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 on administrative requirements; 4) cost principles; and 5) risk management and single audit. USDA ‘s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) agencies also apply Federal financial assistance regulations to certain non-assistance awards (e.g., non-assistance cooperative agreements).

Government

• County governments
• State governments
• Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
• City or township governments
• Special district governments

Nonprofit

• Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)
• Nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3)
• Other Native American tribal organizations

Education

• Public and state institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education

Business

• For-profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses