Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) Project

The Frequently Asked Questions document posted in this opportunity and online at https://www.farmers.gov/manage/urban/opportunities/grants-faq will be updated by June 12, 2020.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is soliciting applications under the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) from local governments to host a Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) pilot project for fiscal year (FY) 2020. The anticipated amount available for CCFWR in FY 2020 is approximately $900,000.

This announcement provides information regarding the eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and the application forms and instructions needed to apply for the CCFWR cooperative agreement.

Applications will be accepted from eligible entities in any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

Key Dates

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 26, 2020 through Grants.gov. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.

Purpose and Priorities

The CCFWR Project is administered by NRCS’ OUAIP. The mission of the office is to encourage and promote urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural practices, including community composting and food waste reduction.

CCFWR specifically provides assistance through a cooperative agreement to municipalities, counties, local governments, or city planners to develop and test strategies for planning and implementation that will 1) generate compost; 2) increase access to compost for agricultural producers; 3) reduce reliance on, and limit the use of, fertilizer; 4) improve soil quality; 5) encourage waste management and permaculture business development; 6) increase rainwater absorption; 7) reduce municipal food waste; and 8) divert food waste from landfills.

NRCS will enter into cooperative agreements with local or municipal governments in no fewer than 10 states.

Project Type Descriptions       

Only CCFWR Project cooperative agreement proposals will be accepted. No single cooperative agreement proposal award will exceed $90,000.

Priority will be given to an application for a CCFWR pilot project that:

• Anticipates or demonstrates economic benefits;
• Incorporates plans to make compost easily accessible to agricultural producers, including community gardeners;
• Integrates other food waste strategies, including food recovery efforts; and
• Collaborates with multiple partners.

For more information see the Full Announcement located in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity.