Description: Administered by the USDA-NRCS as a subprogram of EQIP, the Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program awards competitive grants directly to farmers and ranchers or other entities for the purpose of developing and testing innovative conservation solutions. Each year (usually in the spring), the NRCS will release a call for proposals for CIG (at the state and national levels) that highlights priority resource concerns that a competitive grant application should address (for example: water quality or soil health).

Type of funding: Grant

Type of application: Custom Narrative (very time intensive)

Program focus area: Conservation

Maximum award amount: $2,000,000 ($150,000 minimum)

Average award amount: $656,000 (FY 2019)

Duration: 3 years

Deadline to apply: Late-June each year

Application acceptance rate: highly competitive

How to apply: If you’re interested in this program, contact our team at: info@farmraise.us or set up some time with us during our free office hours to discuss next steps.