Application Notes:

Applicants seeking special consideration for awards in excess of $1 million must obtain prior approval before submitting an application by contacting the appropriate regional coordinator listed on pages 14-15 of the NOFA file.

Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. applicant's local time on December 18, 2024.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate regional coordinator listed on pages 14-15 of the NOFA file before submitting an application for a consultation as to whether a project idea will be competitive and to develop a competitive application.

Applications must be emailed to the appropriate regional coordinator listed on pages 14-15 of the NOFA file. Faxed and hard-copy applications will not be accepted.

Applications must include:

• Part 1: cooperator contact information, narrative, and appendices:
  • Basic project information
  • Project description
  • Project impact
  • Technical criteria
  • Qualifications of team and partners
  • Annual progress reports and final reports
  • Budget summary and justification in support of SF 424A
  • Appendices
• Part 2: required financial forms:
  • SF 424
  • SF 424A
  • SF 424B
  • FS-1500-35
  • FS-1500-22

Part 1 and part 2 of the application must be submitted as two separate, searchable .pdf or Word files. All parts of the application must be submitted at one time, including letters of support and appendices.

The following are required in order to submit an application:

• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
• SAM (System for Award Management) registration

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.

A recording of a webinar held for this program can be found online at usda-fs.wistia.com.

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Project description (20 points)
• Project impact (40 points)
• Technical criteria (25 points)
• Qualifications of staff, organization, and partners (15 points)

Refer to the NOFA file and Application folder for additional application information.

Match Notes:

Matching funds are not required for this program; however, because awards generally only cover up to 35 percent of the total capital costs of a project, leveraging is required. Applicants must contribute the additional nonfederal funds necessary to complete the project above and beyond the requested award amount. Leveraged funds may consist of cash, materials, or in-kind services.

Funding Notes:

Up to $6 million is expected to be available to support awards through this program. In general, the maximum award amount is $1 million to pay for up to 35 percent of the total capital costs; however, the funding agency may consider awards of up to $1.5 million, for up to 50 percent of the total capital costs, for projects that warrant special consideration, especially for projects located in areas of high unemployment. Applicants seeking special consideration must obtain prior approval before submitting an application by contacting the appropriate regional coordinator listed on pages 14-15 of the NOFA file.

Funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis, and 10 percent of the total award amount may be held until final reporting is completed and approved.

Award announcements are expected to be made in May 2025, and most awards are expected to be executed by October 1, 2025.

The award period will typically span two to three years; however, the award period may last up to five years for projects of greater complexity.

Funds may not be used for:

• Basic research projects
• Pre-award costs
• Capital costs that would create a federal interest in real property
• Operating costs
• Acquiring a community wood energy system that exceeds nameplate capacity of 5 megawatts of thermal energy or combined thermal and electric energy
• Projects that involve federal employees
• Expenses for self-marketing or self-promotion

For FY 2025, 27 awards ranging from $247,777 to $1 million were issued through this program. For FY 2024, 17 awards ranging from $200,722 to $1.14 million were issued. For FY 2023, 19 awards ranging from $158,000 to $1.5 million were issued. Refer to the Award file for details.

August 19, 2025
Information regarding awards through this program has been released and appended to the Award file. A sample of award recipients has been added to the Eligibility section, and a brief summary of the awards has been added to the Financial section.