Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ OAN 23 NOFO0001227
The Organic Assistance Specialists grant opportunity is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cooperative agreement aimed at strengthening NRCS capacity to serve organic producers and farmers transitioning to organic. NRCS is seeking partners to support seven specialist roles in total: six regional organic specialists and one organic research specialist. The overall goal is to expand NRCS organic expertise by building stronger working relationships with the organic community, ultimately improving conservation assistance delivery across the United States, as well as the Pacific Islands and Caribbean areas, through better partnerships and more targeted technical support.
Under this opportunity, the six regional organic specialists will have negotiable duty locations, but they will operate within NRCS-designated regions and coordinate their work through NRCS Regional Technical Support Centers. These centers are located in Greensboro, North Carolina (supporting the Northeast and Southeast Regions), Fort Worth, Texas (supporting the Central Region), and Portland, Oregon (supporting the West Region). In addition to the regional roles, NRCS is also soliciting an organic research specialist, structured as a remote position. All specialists are expected to coordinate closely with NRCS leadership on organic issues, including collaboration with the NRCS National Organic Specialist based in Washington, DC, to ensure consistency with national priorities and technical direction.
The core work across these positions focuses on improving how NRCS supports organic systems through partnership-driven education, technical development, and outreach. Key activities include increasing understanding of USDA conservation initiatives as they relate to organic agriculture production systems, creating and refining technical information and tools for NRCS staff, and strengthening familiarity with the NRCS conservation planning process while clearly connecting it to the Organic System Plan used in organic certification. Another major emphasis is enabling more strategic and effective outreach so that organic producers and transitioning producers are more aware of, and better able to access, NRCS conservation technical and financial assistance programs. The organic research specialist role is specifically oriented toward reviewing, developing, and sharing research findings and technical guidance relevant to organic agriculture, helping translate research into usable direction for conservation planners and practitioners.
NRCS is looking for partner organizations and individuals with proven expertise in organic and sustainable agriculture education and technical assistance. The notice highlights experience in teaching farmers and the public about sustainable growing practices that build soil health, conserve natural resources, and reduce environmental degradation while maintaining a safe, reliable food supply. Through the cooperative agreement structure, NRCS and selected partners will jointly develop new technical information and then transfer and disseminate that information to key audiences such as NRCS conservationists, organic certifiers, and organic and transitioning producers. The work must align with NRCS priorities and is intended to strengthen the pipeline of practical guidance that supports real-world conservation outcomes on organic farms.
The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding with a cooperative agreement instrument type, under CFDA 10.902, and is administered by USDA NRCS. The funding opportunity number is USDA NRCS NHQ OAN 23 NOFO0001227. The notice indicates an award ceiling of $5,000,000 and anticipates making seven awards, matching the seven specialist roles being solicited. Deliverables produced under the agreement will generally be maintained, stored, distributed, and branded by NRCS unless alternative arrangements are negotiated.
Applications were required to be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 11, 2023. The agency noted that Grants.gov technical issues must be handled through Grants.gov Applicant Support (and not through NRCS program staff). For questions about the content of the notice itself, applicants were directed to the federal awarding agency contact identified in the NFO, with the important limitation that NRCS would only address questions seeking clarification of the published requirements, not questions about eligibility interpretation for a specific applicant or the competitiveness of a proposal. NRCS anticipated completing selections by July 10, 2023, while also noting that the timeline was an estimate and could change.Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ OAN 23 NOFO0001227
- The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources, other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Organic Assistance Specialists" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.902.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 12, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 11, 2023. (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 $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Organic Assistance Specialists (USDA NRCS) Grant Opportunity: FAQs
1) What is the Organic Assistance Specialists grant opportunity?
This opportunity is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cooperative agreement designed to strengthen NRCS capacity to serve certified organic producers and farmers transitioning to organic. It focuses on expanding NRCS organic expertise and improving conservation assistance delivery through stronger partnerships and more targeted technical support.
2) What is the overall goal of this cooperative agreement?
The overall goal is to expand NRCS organic expertise by building stronger working relationships with the organic community. The intended outcome is improved delivery of NRCS conservation assistance across the United States, as well as the Pacific Islands and Caribbean areas, through better partnerships, education, outreach, and technical support tailored to organic systems.
3) How many specialist roles are being supported?
NRCS is seeking partners to support seven specialist roles total: six regional organic specialists and one organic research specialist.
4) How many awards does NRCS expect to make under this notice?
NRCS anticipates making seven awards, aligning with the seven specialist roles being solicited.
5) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The notice indicates an award ceiling of $5,000,000.
6) What is the funding instrument type?
The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement instrument type, meaning NRCS and selected partners are expected to work jointly to develop technical information and disseminate it to key audiences.
7) Is this discretionary funding?
Yes. The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding.
8) What agency is administering this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by USDA NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service).
9) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The notice is listed under CFDA 10.902.
10) What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is USDA NRCS NHQ OAN 23 NOFO0001227.
11) What positions are included in the six regional organic specialist roles?
The notice describes six regional organic specialist positions. These roles have negotiable duty locations, operate within NRCS-designated regions, and coordinate work through NRCS Regional Technical Support Centers.
12) Where are the NRCS Regional Technical Support Centers located?
The centers listed in the notice are located in:
- Greensboro, North Carolina (supporting the Northeast and Southeast Regions)
- Fort Worth, Texas (supporting the Central Region)
- Portland, Oregon (supporting the West Region)
13) Are duty locations fixed for the regional organic specialists?
No. The six regional organic specialist roles have negotiable duty locations, but they operate within NRCS-designated regions and coordinate through the Regional Technical Support Centers.
14) What is the organic research specialist position?
NRCS is also soliciting an organic research specialist. This role is structured as a remote position and is specifically oriented toward reviewing, developing, and sharing research findings and technical guidance relevant to organic agriculture.
15) How are the specialists expected to coordinate with NRCS?
All specialists are expected to coordinate closely with NRCS leadership on organic issues, including collaboration with the NRCS National Organic Specialist based in Washington, DC. This coordination is intended to ensure consistency with national priorities and technical direction.
16) What types of activities are expected across the specialist roles?
The core work described in the notice focuses on partnership-driven education, technical development, and outreach to improve how NRCS supports organic systems. Examples of activities listed include:
- Increasing understanding of USDA conservation initiatives as they relate to organic production systems
- Creating and refining technical information and tools for NRCS staff
- Strengthening familiarity with the NRCS conservation planning process and connecting it to the Organic System Plan used in organic certification
- Enabling more strategic outreach so organic and transitioning producers are more aware of and better able to access NRCS technical and financial assistance programs
17) What is meant by connecting NRCS conservation planning to the Organic System Plan?
The notice emphasizes helping stakeholders understand how the NRCS conservation planning process relates to the Organic System Plan used in organic certification, with the intent of improving alignment and practical usability for organic and transitioning operations.
18) What is the specific focus of the organic research specialist compared to the regional specialists?
While all roles support NRCS organic capacity, the organic research specialist is specifically focused on reviewing, developing, and sharing research findings and technical guidance relevant to organic agriculture, and translating research into usable direction for conservation planners and practitioners.
19) Who is NRCS looking for as partners under this cooperative agreement?
NRCS is looking for partner organizations and individuals with proven expertise in organic and sustainable agriculture education and technical assistance.
20) What kind of experience does the notice highlight as relevant?
The notice highlights experience teaching farmers and the public about sustainable growing practices that build soil health, conserve natural resources, and reduce environmental degradation while maintaining a safe, reliable food supply.
21) What audiences are the deliverables intended to support?
The notice identifies key audiences for information transfer and dissemination, including NRCS conservationists, organic certifiers, and organic and transitioning producers.
22) How will deliverables be handled and branded?
Deliverables produced under the agreement will generally be maintained, stored, distributed, and branded by NRCS, unless alternative arrangements are negotiated.
23) How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications were required to be submitted through Grants.gov.
24) What was the application deadline?
The deadline stated in the notice was 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 11, 2023.
25) Who should applicants contact if they experience technical issues with Grants.gov?
The notice states that Grants.gov technical issues must be handled through Grants.gov Applicant Support (and not through NRCS program staff).
26) Where should questions about the notice content be directed?
For questions about the content of the notice itself, applicants were directed to the federal awarding agency contact identified in the NFO.
27) What kinds of questions would NRCS answer about the notice?
NRCS indicated it would address questions seeking clarification of the published requirements.
28) What kinds of questions would NRCS not answer?
The notice specifies that NRCS would not answer questions about eligibility interpretation for a specific applicant or about the competitiveness of a proposal.
29) When did NRCS expect to complete selections?
NRCS anticipated completing selections by July 10, 2023.
30) Was the selection timeline guaranteed?
No. The notice states the timeline was an estimate and could change.
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