Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for federal fiscal year (FY) 2026
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
AI Contract Overview
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, through the Commodity Credit Corporation, is offering up to $310 million in funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for fiscal year 2026, with $30 million of that amount reserved specifically for Indian tribes and shared between the Classic and Alternative Funding Arrangement streams. This program supports partner-led projects that address regional and watershed-level natural resource concerns on private agricultural lands, including farms, ranches, and forests, with priority given to initiatives focused on soil health, water quality, healthy range and pasturelands, and wildlife habitat. Proposals must demonstrate measurable environmental outcomes and be submitted through the mandatory RCPP portal by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 24, 2026, using either an eAuthentication Level 2 credential or a Login.gov account, with early registration strongly advised due to the multi-week setup time required. All applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and hold a Unique Entity Identifier, and must coordinate with their state NRCS conservationist and RCPP coordinator at least four weeks prior to submission to align proposals with agency priorities and state-level needs, as failure to do so may adversely affect scoring. Proposals are evaluated based on three weighted criteria: Impact (50 percent), which assesses the clarity of the conservation problem, realism of outcomes, scope, and use of measurable benchmarks; Partnerships and Management (30 percent), which evaluates the roles, qualifications, and track record of partners in engaging producers and landowners; and Partner Contributions (20 percent), which examines the sufficiency, eligibility, and documented valuation of cash and in-kind contributions leveraged alongside federal funds. Technical Assistance spending is capped at 25 percent of the total project request, with funds divided between Enhancements and Implementation activities, while Financial Assistance must be organized into five defined activity types. Partner contributions must be documented with letters detailing actual costs and excluding administrative expenses, which NRCS is statutorily prohibited from funding. Projects are typically five years in duration, with early start dates expected around November 2026, and must comply with federal civil rights and non-discrimination statutes, Buy America requirements under the Build America, Buy America Act, and cost principles under 2 CFR Part 200. Payment eligibility requires strict documentation, including meeting agendas and participant lists for recruitment efforts, and all financial and contribution records must be retained for three years post-final payment, subject
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Full Description
Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)
Funding Opportunity Title: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for federal fiscal year (FY) 2026.
Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-Classic-26-NOFO0001450
Assistance Listing: 10.932, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
Due Date: NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 24, 2026.
Note: The RCPP Classic and Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) FY 2026 notices of
funding opportunity (NOFO) will run concurrently. For information on AFA proposals please see Funding Opportunity Number USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-AFA-26-NOFO0001451.
The RCPP promotes the coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through the RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that provide solutions to conservation challenges thereby measurably improving the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP promotes collaboration with partners, stakeholders, and various communities, which is paramount to achieving equity in NRCS programs and services.
Partners use this notice to propose projects that improve natural resources in one or more states or focus on priority concerns in NRCS-designated Critical Conservation Areas (CCAs). NRCS works with these partners to plan and carry out projects on farms, ranches and private forest land. Through the program, NRCS can provide funding to support both partners and producers. Proposals are selected through a competitive process based on their impact, the partner’s contributions, and how well the partnership is managed.
Up to $310 million is available for RCPP projects through this announcement and the FY 2026 AFA announcement using the Working Families Tax Cut Act, Public Law 119-21 funding. Proposals are accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and U.S. territories in the Pacific Island Areas (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).
Up to $30 million of the total available funding is being made available specifically for
NRCS to enter into programmatic partnership agreements with Indian tribes. This set aside will be shared by this announcement and the FY 2026 AFA.
Submissions: Proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal. See section E of this announcement for information on using the RCPP portal to submit proposals. Access to the RCPP portal requires a level 2 eAuthentication credential or a Login.gov credential.
Obtaining a new Login.gov credential involves multiple steps and can take several days to complete. Instructions are posted on the How to Apply to RCPP web page listed below.
For More Information: Applicants must contact the appropriate State Conservationists and state RCPP coordinators prior to submitting a proposal. NRCS will use a State Conservationist questionnaire to guide the conversations in alignment with program requirements and state level agency needs. Proposals submitted without the benefit of the lead partner meeting with the State Conservationist to discuss how their project can meet agency needs and program requirements through a completed questionnaire risk receiving reduced ranking scores. Without having this meeting, potential partners will not be able to answer one or more of the questions within program rules and NRCS needs.
A list of state RCPP coordinators (as of the date of this announcement’s posting) is on the How to Apply to RCPP page.
Applicants can also email the RCPP inbox (rcpp@usda.gov) with any questions about the announcement. The RCPP website is also a great source of current information about the program.
Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in one or more of the webinars below to learn about the program and how to apply.
2026 RCPP NOFO Applicant Resources This webinar will provide general information for applicants submitting proposals for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Please refer to the RCPP website for more information. Regional Conservation Partnership Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)
RCPP NOFO Applicant Webinar – June 30, 2026 - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
RCPP NOFO Applicant Easement Webinar – July 9, 2026 - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Information on all webinars will be posted to the How to Apply to RCPP page.