Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials for fiscal year (FY) 2026
Grant Opportunity Analysis
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is seeking grant applications for Conservation Innovation Grants On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials to support the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches on agricultural lands. Awardees will recruit producers and provide technical assistance and incentive payments to implement on-farm trials, with 2026 priorities including irrigation management technologies, grazing land management solutions, nutrient management, and soil health demonstration trials. Projects are expected to run three to five years, with emphasis on rigorous evaluation of environmental, economic, and conservation impacts, and soil health demonstration trials must use standardized soil health assessment protocols and data collection. Up to $50 million is available, with individual awards from $250,000 to $5,000,000, and applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by July 27, 2026; questions on application content may be directed to Jeffrey Jacobs.
Eligible Applicants
For-profit entities are eligible for On-Farm Trials if their primary business is related to agriculture. Nonprofit entities are eligible for On-Farm Trials if they have experience working with agricultural producers. On-Farm Trials is authorized under 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-8 and is authorized as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The following applicants are considered ineligible: • Foreign organizations and foreign public entities • “Partnerships” or other similar groupings (i.e., application must be submitted by a single entity; a partner may serve as a subrecipient). • Individuals 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.