NRCS grants
The Natural Resources Conservation Service pays farmers, ranchers and forest owners to put conservation practices on their land. Its biggest program, EQIP, shares the cost of practices such as cover crops, fencing, irrigation upgrades and high tunnels.
Apply at your local USDA Service Center. Applications are taken all year and ranked at cutoff dates set by each state.
- Open now
- 1
- Upcoming
- 0
- Next deadline
- November 19, 2026
Open and forecast NRCS opportunities
From Grants.gov, soonest deadline first.
- Closes19 NOV
Easement Restoration and Stewardship
USDA · Special districts, States, Counties, +9 more
The opportunities associated with this NOFO are for lands protected through the Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) component of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and the Floodplain Easement (FPE) component of the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP). The types of work available through this opportunity fall into three primary catego
Where NRCS grant money went in 2025
Awards from October 2024 to September 2025, from USAspending.gov.
| Program (Assistance Listing) | Awarded |
|---|---|
| Emergency Watershed Protection Program 10.923 | $433 million |
| Soil and Water Conservation 10.902 | $171 million |
| Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention 10.904 | $104 million |
| Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities 10.937 | $69 million |
| Agricultural Conservation Easement Program 10.931 | $25 million |
| Environmental Quality Incentives Program 10.912 | $25 million |
| Watershed Rehabilitation Program 10.916 | $19 million |
| Conservation Reserve Program 10.069 | $17 million |
| Recipient | Awarded |
|---|---|
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | $42 million |
| National Association of Conservation Districts | $33 million |
| Arkansas Black Mayors Association, INC. | $21 million |
| The American Farmland Trust | $12 million |
| The Trust for Tomorrow | $10 million |
| Pheasants Forever, INC. | $8.7 million |
| Ducks Unlimited, INC. | $8.4 million |
| The Corps Network | $7 million |
Questions
When is the next NRCS grant deadline?
The next deadline is November 19, 2026 for Easement Restoration and Stewardship.
How do I apply for an NRCS grant?
Register your organization in SAM.gov to get a Unique Entity ID, create a Grants.gov account, then find the opportunity and submit before its deadline. Some agencies finish the application in their own system, such as JustGrants, eRA Commons or Research.gov.
Can individuals get NRCS grants?
Rarely. Federal grants go mostly to organizations: nonprofits, local governments, tribes, schools, colleges and, in research programs, small businesses. Help for individuals usually comes through state and local agencies.
Do I have to pay to apply for a grant?
No. Real grant programs never charge to apply or to receive an award. Anyone asking for a fee before you get grant money is running a scam.