Grants / Department of Agriculture / Natural Resources Conservation Service

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CIGOFT-26-NOFO0001447: Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials for fiscal year (FY) 2026

Closed Closed July 27, 2026 Opportunity USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CIGOFT-26-NOFO0001447 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Natural Resources Conservation Service notices from 2026.

• Award ceiling$5.0 million
• Award floor$250,000
• Total funding$50.0 million
• Expected awards30
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.

For-profit entities are eligible for On-Farm Trials if their primary business is related to agriculture. Nonprofit entities are eligible for On-Farm Trials if they have experience working with agricultural producers. On-Farm Trials is authorized under 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-8 and is authorized as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The following applicants are considered ineligible: • Foreign organizations and foreign public entities • “Partnerships” or other similar groupings (i.e., application must be submitted by a single entity; a partner may serve as a subrecipient). • Individuals Eligible entities must have access to a network of producers that they can recruit as participants to facilitate implementing On-Farm Trials of conservation practices and systems on private lands and meet the participation goals outlined in the proposal. NRCS will not assist with producer recruitment for On-Farm Trials projects.

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses, businesses.

Is this a realistic fit?

• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

NRCS is announcing the availability of CIG On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials (On-Farm Trials). Through On Farm Trials projects, awardees recruit producers and provide them with technical assistance and incentive payments to stimulate the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches. For 2026, applications will be accepted from eligible entities for projects addressing at least one of the following priorities: irrigation management technologies, new and innovative grazing land management solutions, nutrient management, and soil health demonstration trial (SHD). Up to $50 million is available for On-Farm Trials in 2026. On-Farm Trials projects may be between 3 and 5 years in duration. Application deadline: Submit through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on July 27, 2026. A webinar for On-Farm Trials applicants is scheduled for June 17, 2026, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Information on how to participate in the Microsoft Teams webinar can be obtained through the following link: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/d5892e45-05fb-40de-999b-a431e3871963@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 The agency anticipates making selections by 4th quarter of calendar year 2026 and expects to execute awards by 4th quarter of calendar year 2026. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources.

We found no grant awards under Assistance Listing 10.941 in fiscal 2021 to 2025, which usually means the program is new or very small.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.