Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS IL CTA 21 001 NOFO0001077
The NRCS-IL Conservation Technical Assistance Surveying Aides opportunity is a discretionary USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Illinois funding opportunity that uses cooperative agreements to help expand on-the-ground conservation technical assistance capacity. The central goal is for NRCS-Illinois to partner with non-federal governmental entities to bring in technically skilled surveying aides who can support conservation planning and implementation work for private landowners and conservation districts. A core requirement is that proposals must clearly add new capacity rather than shifting or rebadging staff or resources that already exist; applications that do not demonstrate the addition of new resources will not be considered.
Under this program, the partner entity would hire the surveying aide(s), and those staff would be embedded in NRCS local field office operations while supporting multiple counties. The posting specifies that the new employee must be able to travel about 50 percent of the time and work across counties according to NRCS guidance, which is organized in Illinois through 34 District Groups. NRCS-Illinois indicates it will provide substantial in-kind support needed for day-to-day work, including office space and utilities, GPS survey equipment, a computer, access to a vehicle, and network access, allowing the funded position to focus primarily on delivering field and planning support rather than building out basic infrastructure.
The surveying aides funded through this opportunity are expected to perform a mix of field surveying, data collection, and technical support tasks tied directly to conservation practices and related assistance programs. Their responsibilities include working with landowners through local field offices to apply and maintain conservation practices, and helping review financial assistance requests under federal and state agricultural programs. They will gather preliminary resource inventory data and document physical features of agricultural and other natural resource sites, then use survey tools and planning software to support conservation planners with resource planning and data collection. The role also includes more technical drafting and design support, such as computing and plotting engineering notes, preparing field sketches and drawings, and selecting standard designs while making site-specific adjustments within allowable engineering practice review and approval limits. In addition, aides will support implementation activities such as practice layout, checkout, and certification to help ensure conservation practices are installed and documented properly.
Eligibility is limited to governmental and special district entities, specifically state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and special district governments. The opportunity falls under CFDA 10.902 and is categorized under agriculture, environment, and natural resources. The award ceiling is listed as $300,000, with an expected 50 awards, indicating NRCS-Illinois intended to fund multiple partners across the state to expand surveying support capacity broadly.
Key dates in the notice include an application deadline of June 3, 2021, with submissions required through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time. Questions about the notice were accepted until May 1, 2021, with responses planned to be posted on Grants.gov roughly two weeks prior to the application due date. The notice states the agency anticipated making selections by June 15 (the year appears inconsistent in the text), and expected to execute awards by September 1, 2021. For Grants.gov technical issues, applicants were directed to Grants.gov Applicant Support, with the reminder that NRCS staff cannot provide support for Grants.gov account or platform problems.
Identifiers for the opportunity include the title "NRCS-IL Conservation Technical Assitance-Surveying Aides" (spelled as shown in the notice), Funding Opportunity Number "USDA NRCS IL CTA 21 001" and "NOFO0001077," creation date March 3, 2021, and original closing date June 3, 2021.Apply for USDA NRCS IL CTA 21 001 NOFO0001077
- The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NRCS-IL Conservation Technical Assitance-Surveying Aides" 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 Mar 03, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 03, 2021 Applications must be received by 1159 pm Eastern Time.. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NRCS-IL Conservation Technical Assistance - Surveying Aides opportunity?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Illinois that uses cooperative agreements to expand on-the-ground conservation technical assistance capacity by supporting the placement of technically skilled surveying aides into NRCS field operations.
What is the primary goal of this funding opportunity?
The central goal is for NRCS-Illinois to partner with non-federal governmental entities so those partners can hire surveying aide(s) who will support conservation planning and implementation work for private landowners and conservation districts, increasing NRCS's technical assistance capacity across Illinois.
What type of award mechanism is used?
The opportunity uses cooperative agreements.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to governmental and special district entities, specifically:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
Are non-governmental organizations or individuals eligible?
Based on the eligibility statement provided, the opportunity is limited to governmental and special district entities. No other applicant types are listed as eligible in the information provided.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 10.902.
What program categories does this opportunity fall under?
The opportunity is categorized under agriculture, environment, and natural resources.
What is the funding ceiling (maximum award amount)?
The award ceiling is listed as $300,000.
How many awards were expected?
The notice indicates an expected 50 awards, suggesting NRCS-Illinois intended to fund multiple partners across the state.
What is the core requirement related to "new capacity"?
Proposals must clearly add new capacity rather than shifting, rebadging, or reclassifying staff or resources that already exist. Applications that do not demonstrate the addition of new resources will not be considered.
Who hires the surveying aide(s) under this program?
The partner entity would hire the surveying aide(s).
Where will the surveying aide(s) work day to day?
The hired staff would be embedded in NRCS local field office operations while supporting multiple counties.
Will the position require travel?
Yes. The posting specifies the new employee must be able to travel about 50 percent of the time.
How is multi-county work organized in Illinois for this opportunity?
The role is expected to work across counties according to NRCS guidance, which in Illinois is organized through 34 District Groups.
What in-kind support will NRCS-Illinois provide for day-to-day work?
NRCS-Illinois indicates it will provide substantial in-kind support, including:
- Office space and utilities
- GPS survey equipment
- A computer
- Access to a vehicle
- Network access
What kinds of tasks are surveying aides expected to perform?
Surveying aides are expected to perform a mix of field surveying, data collection, and technical support tasks tied directly to conservation practices and related assistance programs.
Will surveying aides work directly with landowners?
Yes. Their responsibilities include working with landowners through local field offices to apply and maintain conservation practices.
Do surveying aides help with reviewing financial assistance requests?
Yes. The role includes helping review financial assistance requests under federal and state agricultural programs.
What types of field data will surveying aides collect?
They will gather preliminary resource inventory data and document physical features of agricultural and other natural resource sites.
What tools or software will surveying aides use?
They are expected to use survey tools and planning software to support conservation planners with resource planning and data collection. The notice also mentions NRCS will provide GPS survey equipment and a computer as in-kind support.
Are drafting and design tasks included in the surveying aide role?
Yes. The role includes drafting and design support such as computing and plotting engineering notes, preparing field sketches and drawings, and selecting standard designs while making site-specific adjustments within allowable engineering practice review and approval limits.
Do surveying aides support installation and certification of conservation practices?
Yes. They are expected to support implementation activities such as practice layout, checkout, and certification to help ensure conservation practices are installed and documented properly.
What is the application deadline and where must applications be submitted?
The application deadline is June 3, 2021. Submissions were required through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time.
Until when were questions about the notice accepted?
Questions were accepted until May 1, 2021.
Where were answers to submitted questions expected to be posted?
Responses were planned to be posted on Grants.gov roughly two weeks prior to the application due date.
When did NRCS-Illinois anticipate making selections?
The notice states the agency anticipated making selections by June 15, although the year appears inconsistent in the text provided.
When were awards expected to be executed?
Awards were expected to be executed by September 1, 2021.
Who provides help for Grants.gov technical problems?
For Grants.gov technical issues, applicants were directed to Grants.gov Applicant Support. The notice also reminds applicants that NRCS staff cannot provide support for Grants.gov account or platform problems.
What is the official opportunity title (as shown in the notice)?
The title shown is "NRCS-IL Conservation Technical Assitance-Surveying Aides" (spelled as shown in the notice).
What are the funding opportunity identifiers?
Identifiers provided include:
- Funding Opportunity Number: "USDA NRCS IL CTA 21 001"
- NOFO number: "NOFO0001077"
- Creation date: March 3, 2021
- Original closing date: June 3, 2021
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources
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Previous opportunity: Religious and Ethnic Minorities Activity (REMA)
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| Technical Assistance for Conservation Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 – NORTH CAROLINA Apply for USDA NRCS MULTI NC 21 NOFO0001060 Funding Number: USDA NRCS MULTI NC 21 NOFO0001060 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| Texas Partners for Conservation (TPC) Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Announcement for Program Funding – TEXAS Apply for USDA NRCS TX 21 NOFO0001103 Funding Number: USDA NRCS TX 21 NOFO0001103 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
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| Outreach Funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 – NORTH CAROLINA Apply for USDA NRCS NC MULTI 21 NOFO0001082 Funding Number: USDA NRCS NC MULTI 21 NOFO0001082 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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