The Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials for fiscal year (FY) 2026, offered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), supports the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches on private lands.

Overview

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. Projects may be between 3 and 5 years in duration. Up to $50 million is available for On-Farm Trials in 2026. The agency anticipates making selections by the 4th quarter of calendar year 2026 and expects to execute awards by the 4th quarter of calendar year 2026.

Funding and Benefits

• Total Program Funding: $50,000,000
• Expected Number of Awards: 30
• Award Minimum: $250,000
• Award Maximum: $5,000,000
• Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No
• Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

• State governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
• Public and state institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education.
• Other Native American tribal organizations, nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3), and nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3).
• For-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses.

Additional information: For-profit entities are eligible if their primary business is related to agriculture. Nonprofit entities are eligible if they have experience working with agricultural producers. 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.

Ineligible applicants include: foreign organizations and foreign public entities; partnerships or other similar groupings (applications must be submitted by a single entity; a partner may serve as a subrecipient); and individuals.

Research Areas and Activities

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
• Soil health demonstration trial (SHD)

Application Process

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. 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

Deadline and Timeline

• Application Deadline: July 27, 2026, by 11:59 pm Eastern Time
• Posted Date: May 26, 2026
• Archive Date: August 26, 2026

Contact Information

Grants Management Specialist: Jeffrey Jacobs
Phone: 202-720-1222
Email (for questions related to preparing application content): jeffrey.jacobs@usda.gov