Funding Wizard

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: · April 8, 2022 for the first funding pool (proposals from $5 million to $100 million) · May 27, 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).

The LIWP Farmworker Housing Component provides no-cost rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and energy efficiency upgrades to low-income farmworker households to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs for participants. The Farmworker Housing Component is part of CSD's Low-Income Weatherization Program (LIWP) and is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by saving energy and generating clean renewable energy. 

Farmworkers are one of the most vulnerable populations in the state because of seasonal employment and low wages. Farmworker families pay a larger share of their annual income on home energy, and often cut back on other critical needs to pay their energy bills. This new LIWP Farmworker Housing Component will increase the energy efficiency of homes owned or rented by farmworker families; reduce energy bills; provide access to solar energy; and provide health and safety improvements to homes. All services will be provided at no cost to eligible low-income farmworker households. LIWP, part of California Climate Investments, is an energy efficiency and renewable energy generation program administered by CSD that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and provides important co-benefits to households and communities including energy cost savings and job creation and training opportunities.

CSD selected La Cooperativa Campesina de California as the Administrator for the Farmworker Housing Component though a competitive procurement and a funding award of approximately $10.7 million. La Cooperativa, a nonprofit corporation, was established in 1995 with the mission to improve the lives of California's farmworkers, their families, and rural communities through advocacy and service. La Cooperativa previously served as a Regional Administrator for LIWP's Single-Family Energy Efficiency and Solar PV Program in a region that included Imperial, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego Counties. While this program was not focused solely on farmworker housing, many farmworker households were able to benefit from accessing services under the program. La Cooperativa and a team of partner organizations that includes MAROMA Energy Services and Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Agencies will lead efforts across twelve counties with the highest farmworker populations to enroll eligible farmworker households and install energy saving and solar measures in single-family dwellings and buildings of 2-4 units.

These energy efficiency measures may include:
Insulation, Central Heating and Cooling System Upgrades, Washers, Dryers, Refrigerators and Freezers, Lighting Upgrades, Water Heater Replacement, Window Replacement, Rooftop Solar PV systems

The Clean Truck and Bus Vouchers program provides vouchers for the purchase of advanced technology heavy-duty trucks and buses to support the long-term transition to zero-emission vehicles in the heavy-duty market, as well as supporting investments in other emerging technology to help meet health-based ambient air quality standards, and achieve substantial greenhouse gas reductions.

The program provides application assistance, partnership development and capacity building activities for eligible California Climate Investments applicants and is administered by the Strategic Growth Council to create more equitable opportunities by helping under-resourced applicants access funding.

The California Climate Investments Technical Assistance Program supports communities in applying to the California Climate Investments (CCI) funding programs. Created in 2016, the program aims to level the playing field for applicants that may lack the capacity to successfully access these funds, particularly those in that live in the state’s most disadvantaged communities. The Strategic Growth Council (SGC) works alongside a number of State agencies that implement CCI programs to provide application assistance, partnership development and capacity building activities to eligible applicants, enabling them to positively impact their communities. 

Each California Climate Investments program has its own set of goals and intended outcomes, meaning specific technical expertise is often required. In order to provide assistance that is tailored to each program, the SGC has divided resources amongst many of the agencies that administer programs. In many cases, technical assistance is provided through a partnership between state agencies and outside organizations with expertise in each program’s focus. A description of each of the participating CCI programs is listed below.

The SAFER program supports permanent and sustainable drinking water solutions that ensure all Californians have access to safe, affordable, and reliable drinking water.

The primary purpose of the SAFER program is to bring true environmental justice to California and address the continuing disproportionate environmental burdens in the state by creating a fund that will assist in providing safe drinking water in every California community, for every Californian.  SAFER funds will help water systems provide a safe, accessible, and affordable supply of drinking water to communities in both the near and long terms by accelerating implementation of short- and long-term drinking water solutions, moving water systems to more efficient modes of operation, providing short-term operation and maintenance support as a bridge until long-term sustainable solutions are in place, and providing long-term operation and maintenance support when necessary.

The program was established from the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water (SADW) Fund through Senate Bill 200 (SB200) in 2019. The Fund will provide $130 million per year that will be used to ensure that one million Californians who currently lack safe drinking water receive safe & affordable drinking water as quickly as possible. The SAFER program also aims to reach sustainable operations for all of the state’s drinking water systems and is a critical element for achieving the goals of safe, accessible, and affordable water for all Californians.

Projects and/or services that are eligible for Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Funds must address: 1) existing or potential water quality compliance issues;  2) Technical, Managerial, or Financial capacity deficiencies that prevent a system from sustainably providing safe and affordable drinking water; and 3) improvements to public water systems, community water systems, state small water systems and domestic wells that are in violation or considered at-risk.

Corpsmembers aged 18 – 25 years old complete a year of paid service and receive on-the-job training while completing projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Corps projects include energy efficiency audits and retrofits. Individuals can apply to participate in the Energy Corps and organizations can apply to provide projects for the Energy Corps.

The Healthy Soils Program (HSP) provides financial incentives for implementation and/or demonstration of on-farm conservation management practices that improve soil health, sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The HSP has two components: the HSP Incentives Program and the HSP Demonstration Projects. The HSP Incentives Program provides financial assistance for implementation of conservation management that improve soil health, sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The HSP Demonstration Projects showcase California farmers and rancher's implementation of HSP practices.

FY 2020 Tribal Heritage Grant Program

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Grants Programs Directorate is responsible for the implementation and administrations of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The purpose of the AFG Program is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The program guidance document provides potential applicants with the details of the requirements, processing, and evaluation of an application for financial assistance for eligible activities.

The main purpose of the Low-No Program is to support the transition of the nation’s transit fleet to the lowest polluting and most energy efficient transit vehicles. The Low-No Program provides funding to State and local governmental authorities for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, including acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities.