The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program partnership, is now soliciting Letters of Interest for the 2021 Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) Grants Program.

The deadline for letters of interest is January 15.

NFWF is soliciting proposals under the INSR program for projects that accelerate the rate and/or scale of water quality improvements specifically through the collaborative efforts of sustainable, regional-scale partnerships to implement proven water quality improvement practices more cost-effectively.

Projects proposing to implement water quality improvement projects or practices at the pilot or demonstration scale, through ad-hoc project-scale partnerships, or via small-scale applications of new or innovative technologies are encouraged to apply for funding through the separate Small Watershed Grants (SWG) Program.

Request for Proposals anticipated for release in early 2021.

NFWF estimates awarding $7-10 million in grants through the INSR program in 2021, contingent on the availability of funding.

Major funding comes from the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office, with other important contributions by Altria Group, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

This year, in lieu of formal pre-proposals, NFWF is requiring all prospective INSR applicants to submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) outlining their project concept in advance of being invited to submit a full proposal.

All LOIs should be emailed directly to Stephanie Heidbreder via email at stephanie.heidbreder@nfwf.org. 

Invited full proposals must be submitted through NFWF’s Easygrants system by March 1.

Webinar Dec. 15

An informational webinar has been scheduled for December 15 to provide an overview of the INSR funding opportunity, including the new LOI process. Applicants are strongly encouraged to participate.  Click Here to register for the webinar.

Visit the NFWF 2021 Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) Grants Program webpage for all the details.

Questions about this RFP should be directed to Jake Reilly--  jake.reilly@nfwf.org,  Stephanie Heidbreder--stephanie.heidbreder@nfwf.org,  or Sydney Godbey-- Sydney.godbey@nfwf.org via email or by phone at  202-857-0166.

PRC greatly appreciates the participation of the sponsors of Lens on Litter 2020—Carolyn Capaldi, Robert & Mary Capaldi, Sheetz, Inc. and Google!

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[Posted: December 9, 2020]

12/14/2020