FY 24 IRA Bureau of Land Management Headquarters (HQ) Aquatic Resource Management | L24AS00310

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00310

The FY 24 IRA Bureau of Land Management Headquarters (HQ) Aquatic Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00310; CFDA 15.244) is a discretionary federal funding program run by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Awards will be made as cooperative agreements, which typically means BLM expects to have substantial involvement during the project period (for example, collaborating on planning, technical direction, coordination, and oversight). The overall focus sits in the natural resources category and is aimed at supporting aquatic resource management work connected to BLM priorities.

A wide range of public and nonprofit entities are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments; other Tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in the nonprofit category listing). At the same time, the eligibility rules are explicit about who cannot apply: individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible for awards under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). That limitation is important for organizations that might otherwise partner with private firms; for-profit entities can potentially still play a vendor/subrecipient role depending on the final project structure and the award terms, but they cannot be the applicant/recipient under this NOFO.

The NOFO also draws a bright line around youth hiring and internship models. It states that this program does not support entities hiring interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The NOFO explains that the Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that framework. Because of that, Youth Conservation Corps groups that want to pursue projects involving those kinds of youth/intern crew arrangements are directed to a different funding announcement: NOFO 15.243, titled BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In practical terms, applicants should not build proposals here around intern hiring pipelines or PLC-style crews and should instead frame aquatic resource outcomes and deliverables through other allowable staffing and partnership approaches.

The opportunity contains specific guidance for applicants connected to the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) program. CESUs are described as partnership networks intended to promote and provide research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services. If an award is made to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement, and if the proposed work aligns with the CESU purpose, then indirect costs are capped at no more than 17.5 percent of the applicable indirect cost base (as recognized in the partner's federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, or NICRA). Applicants are instructed to clearly state whether their proposal furthers CESU program purposes and, if it does, which CESU Network should serve as the host. That is a key compliance detail for universities and research partners that operate within CESU frameworks, because it affects budgeting and the allowable indirect cost recovery.

From a funding perspective, the listed award ceiling is $2,000,000, indicating BLM may support relatively substantial aquatic resource management efforts under a single cooperative agreement. The posting lists an original application closing date of July 8, 2024, and a creation date of May 8, 2024. While the notice excerpt does not specify the number of expected awards (it is left blank), applicants should still plan proposals and budgets consistent with a competitive federal process, including clear scope, measurable outcomes, and alignment with BLM aquatic resource management priorities as interpreted by the HQ program.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 24 IRA Bureau of Land Management Headquarters (HQ) Aquatic Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.244.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-08. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for L24AS00310

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