Opportunity Information: Apply for R21AS00553
Agricultural Water Use Efficiency Grants for Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022 - Fostering District and Farmer Water Saving Partnerships (Funding Opportunity Number R21AS00553) is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, under CFDA 15.572. The opportunity is aimed at supporting agricultural water conservation and efficiency efforts by encouraging partnerships between water-delivery entities (such as districts) and farmers, with the overall purpose of reducing agricultural water use through improved management, systems, and collaboration at the local and regional level.
The application timeline is split across two fiscal years. Proposals submitted before September 1, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time were slated for consideration under FY 2021 funding. Proposals submitted after that point, and up to the final closing deadline of March 4, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, were to be considered for FY 2022 funding, but only if Congress appropriated funds for that year. In practical terms, this meant later submissions were not guaranteed an available funding pool even if they were otherwise competitive, because FY 2022 awards depended on future appropriations.
Eligibility is narrowly defined by federal statute (Public Law 111-11, Section 9504). Eligible applicants include a state government, an Indian tribe, an irrigation district, a water district, or another organization that has water or power delivery authority. A key geographic restriction is that applicants must be located in California, so the program is not open nationwide. The notice also clearly identifies several categories that are not eligible, including federal governmental entities, individuals, institutes of higher education, and certain nonprofit or membership organizations classified as 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6).
The funding mechanism is a grant, and the maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $500,000. The posting does not specify a minimum award amount in the excerpt provided, and it lists “ExpectedAwards:” without a number, so the total number of awards is not stated in the available summary data. The opportunity is categorized under “Agriculture” as the funding activity area, reflecting its focus on agricultural water use and conservation outcomes.
In short, this opportunity provided up to $500,000 per award for California-based public or quasi-public entities with water or power delivery authority to work directly with farmers and local partners on projects that measurably improve agricultural water-use efficiency. The submission window determined whether an application was considered for FY 2021 funds or held for possible FY 2022 consideration, with the latter explicitly dependent on appropriations, and several common applicant types (individuals, universities, federal agencies, and 501(c)(4)/(6) organizations) were excluded from eligibility.Apply for R21AS00553
- The Bureau of Reclamation in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agricultural Water Use Efficiency Grants for Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022 - Fostering District and Farmer Water Saving Partnerships" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.572.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2021-09-07.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-04. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the official name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled: Agricultural Water Use Efficiency Grants for Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022 - Fostering District and Farmer Water Saving Partnerships.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is R21AS00553.
Which federal agency administers this program?
This is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.572.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The purpose is to support agricultural water conservation and efficiency by encouraging partnerships between water-delivery entities (such as districts) and farmers, with the overall goal of reducing agricultural water use through improved management, improved systems, and local/regional collaboration.
What types of projects is this program meant to support?
Based on the summary provided, the program supports projects that measurably improve agricultural water-use efficiency through better management practices, improved systems, and partnership-based work between districts (or other delivery authorities) and farmers.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is defined by federal statute (Public Law 111-11, Section 9504). Eligible applicants include:
- A state government
- An Indian tribe
- An irrigation district
- A water district
- Another organization that has water or power delivery authority
Is this grant open nationwide?
No. Applicants must be located in California, so the program is not open nationwide.
Are federal government entities eligible to apply?
No. The notice identifies federal governmental entities as not eligible.
Are individuals eligible to apply?
No. Individuals are explicitly listed as not eligible.
Are colleges and universities eligible to apply?
No. Institutes of higher education are explicitly listed as not eligible.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible to apply?
Some nonprofits may be eligible only if they qualify as an organization with water or power delivery authority. However, the notice specifically excludes certain nonprofit or membership organizations classified as 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6).
What funding instrument is used (grant, cooperative agreement, etc.)?
The funding mechanism is a grant.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $500,000.
Is there a minimum award amount?
The excerpt provided does not specify a minimum award amount.
How many awards were expected?
The available summary data does not state the expected number of awards (it shows "ExpectedAwards:" without a number).
What is the funding activity area for this opportunity?
The opportunity is categorized under Agriculture.
How did the application timeline work across FY 2021 and FY 2022?
The submission window was split across two fiscal years. Applications submitted by a specific cutoff were considered for FY 2021 funds, while later submissions were considered for FY 2022 funds (if available).
What was the cutoff date and time for FY 2021 consideration?
Proposals submitted before September 1, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) were slated for consideration under FY 2021 funding.
What was the final application deadline?
The final closing deadline was March 4, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST).
If an application was submitted after September 1, 2021, what fiscal year would it be considered under?
Proposals submitted after September 1, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. PDT, and up to the March 4, 2022 closing deadline, were to be considered for FY 2022 funding, provided funds were available.
Were FY 2022 awards guaranteed?
No. FY 2022 awards were dependent on whether Congress appropriated funds for that year. Later submissions were not guaranteed a funding pool even if they were otherwise competitive.
What is the statute that defines eligibility for this program?
Eligibility is narrowly defined by Public Law 111-11, Section 9504.
What kind of partnerships does the program encourage?
The program encourages partnerships between water-delivery entities (such as irrigation or water districts, or other entities with water/power delivery authority) and farmers, emphasizing collaboration at local and regional levels to reduce agricultural water use.
What is the overall intended outcome of funded projects?
The overall intended outcome is to reduce agricultural water use through improved management, improved systems, and collaboration between districts and farmers.
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