Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS TX UCP 18 01
The Texas NRCS Urban Conservation Project is a competitive grant opportunity run by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Texas State Office. It is designed to build partnerships with organizations that share NRCS goals around conservation, community resilience, and practical urban agriculture. The program supports projects located in Texas and focuses on helping local groups turn urban spaces into productive, educational, and ecologically supportive garden sites. The bigger idea is that community and school gardens can act as a simple but powerful starting point for locally led solutions, bringing people together while also improving access to healthy food and supporting conservation outcomes in cities and towns.
Funding for this opportunity was expected to total about $150,000 for federal fiscal year 2018, with an estimated eight awards. Individual awards were capped at $13,500, and projects were intended to run for one year. NRCS framed this as both financial and technical assistance, meaning selected applicants could receive funding as well as NRCS support and expertise to help implement conservation minded urban agriculture practices.
Eligible applicants included 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (excluding higher education institutions), independent school districts, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. All proposed work needed to take place in Texas, and proposals were accepted and evaluated competitively under the terms of the announcement (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA NRCS TX UCP 18 01). The original closing date listed for applications was December 15, 2017.
Program activities centered on establishing community and school gardens for food production, creating habitat that attracts and sustains monarch butterflies and other pollinators, and installing seasonal high tunnels to extend the growing season for fruits and vegetables. The emphasis on pollinators reflects a conservation objective as well as a practical production benefit, since pollinator friendly plantings can improve garden yields while also supporting insect populations that have been under pressure in Texas and beyond. The high tunnel component is aimed at increasing reliability and seasonal availability of produce by protecting crops and lengthening the period when communities can grow and harvest locally.
NRCS highlighted several core conservation objectives that proposals were expected to advance. These included providing hands-on learning experiences in natural resource conservation for urban communities, addressing food deserts, transforming urban properties into productive vegetable growing sites, improving access to healthy and affordable food locally, and leveraging non-federal resources to multiply impact. In practice, that last point signals that NRCS values partnerships that bring matching support, in-kind contributions, volunteers, local sponsorships, or other funding sources to strengthen long-term outcomes beyond the one-year grant period.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a small-grant, high-impact community partnership program: it targets urban and peri-urban settings where gardens can simultaneously serve as food access projects, outdoor classrooms, and conservation demonstration sites. The projects NRCS is trying to encourage are the kind that show visible community benefits quickly while also building longer-term local capacity for conservation minded land stewardship in urban environments.Apply for USDA NRCS TX UCP 18 01
- The Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture, environment, food and nutrition, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Texas NRCS Urban Conservation Project" 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 2017-10-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-12-15. (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 $13,500.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Texas NRCS Urban Conservation Project (USDA NRCS TX UCP 18 01) - FAQs
What is the Texas NRCS Urban Conservation Project?
The Texas NRCS Urban Conservation Project is a competitive grant opportunity run by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Texas State Office. It is intended to build partnerships with organizations that share NRCS goals related to conservation, community resilience, and practical urban agriculture in Texas.
What is the main purpose of this grant program?
The program supports projects that help local groups turn urban spaces into productive, educational, and ecologically supportive garden sites. A central idea is that community and school gardens can serve as a starting point for locally led solutions that strengthen communities, improve access to healthy food, and advance conservation outcomes in cities and towns.
Is this a competitive grant?
Yes. Proposals were accepted and evaluated competitively under the terms of the announcement.
Who runs and administers this opportunity?
This opportunity is run by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Texas State Office.
What geographic area must projects be located in?
All proposed work must take place in Texas.
What types of projects does the program support?
Program activities center on:
- Establishing community and school gardens for food production
- Creating habitat that attracts and sustains monarch butterflies and other pollinators
- Installing seasonal high tunnels to extend the growing season for fruits and vegetables
What are seasonal high tunnels in the context of this program?
Seasonal high tunnels are structures intended to protect crops and extend the growing season, helping increase the reliability and seasonal availability of locally grown produce.
Why does the program emphasize monarchs and other pollinators?
The pollinator focus supports conservation objectives and can also improve garden productivity. Pollinator-friendly plantings can help garden yields while supporting insect populations that have been under pressure in Texas and beyond.
What conservation objectives were applicants expected to advance?
NRCS highlighted several core objectives that proposals were expected to support, including:
- Providing hands-on learning experiences in natural resource conservation for urban communities
- Addressing food deserts
- Transforming urban properties into productive vegetable-growing sites
- Improving access to healthy and affordable food locally
- Leveraging non-federal resources to multiply impact
What does "leveraging non-federal resources" mean for this opportunity?
It signals that NRCS values partnerships that bring additional support such as matching contributions, in-kind donations, volunteer time, local sponsorships, or other funding sources to strengthen outcomes beyond the one-year grant period.
How much total funding was expected to be available?
Funding for this opportunity was expected to total about $150,000 for federal fiscal year 2018.
How many awards were anticipated?
NRCS estimated about eight awards.
What was the maximum award amount per project?
Individual awards were capped at $13,500.
How long were projects intended to run?
Projects were intended to run for one year.
What kinds of assistance does NRCS provide under this opportunity?
NRCS framed this opportunity as providing both financial and technical assistance. That means selected applicants could receive funding as well as NRCS support and expertise to help implement conservation-minded urban agriculture practices.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included:
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (excluding higher education institutions)
- Independent school districts
- Public and state controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
Are colleges and universities allowed to apply?
Yes, both public/state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education were listed as eligible applicant types. However, 501(c)(3) nonprofit eligibility specifically excluded higher education institutions.
Are tribal governments eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments were included as eligible applicants.
Do projects need to be urban?
The opportunity is focused on urban and peri-urban settings, emphasizing turning urban spaces into productive and educational garden sites.
What is the overall character of this grant program?
NRCS described it as a small-grant, high-impact community partnership program. It targets projects that can show visible community benefits quickly while building longer-term local capacity for conservation-minded land stewardship in urban environments.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number provided was USDA NRCS TX UCP 18 01.
What was the original application closing date?
The original closing date listed for applications was December 15, 2017.
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