FWS NFWF URBAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM 2019 | F19AS00080

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00080

The FWS NFWF Urban Partnership Program 2019 (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00080) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) discretionary cooperative agreement designed to strengthen urban, community-based conservation through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The award provides $200,000 in FWS funds to NFWF to support an Urban Refuge focal area within NFWF's existing Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program. Rather than creating a new standalone grant competition, FWS uses NFWF's established grantmaking infrastructure and partner network to reach a wide range of on-the-ground projects in cities and urban watersheds, with a strong emphasis on urban bird conservation and connecting diverse urban communities with nearby nature.

A key feature of this opportunity is that it is a single-source award to NFWF, meaning the federal recipient is pre-selected and no additional federal awards are anticipated under this notice (Expected Awards: 1; Award Ceiling: $200,000). NFWF then runs a competitive subgrant process through the Five Star-Urban Waters Restoration program, soliciting proposals from state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, Tribes, and academic institutions. The intent is to invest in locally driven restoration and engagement projects that produce measurable conservation outcomes, increase public participation in fish and wildlife-related activities, and help communities better understand how conservation contributes to community well-being. The program is structured as a public-private partnership and is explicitly designed to leverage additional funding already committed by federal partners like the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with numerous corporate and private partners, multiplying the impact of the FWS contribution.

Projects supported under the FWS Urban Refuge focal area are expected to align with standards of excellence for Urban Wildlife Refuges and to be closely tied to FWS's urban conservation presence. Specifically, projects selected for the FWS Urban Refuge funding must be located near FWS lands or offices, or in places where FWS already has existing urban partnerships. The program's selection priorities emphasize partnerships that are credible and community-specific, especially partnerships that demonstrate the ability (or a clear strategy) to work with identified urban cultures and communities. Applicants are expected to show how collaboration with FWS staff will advance shared goals of connecting people with nature through bird-related education, stewardship, and conservation activities.

The objectives laid out for projects are practical and outcomes-focused. First, partnerships are central: proposals should include public and private partners and demonstrate how the partnership will authentically reach and engage urban communities. Second, measurable benefits are required: projects should generate trackable outcomes such as increased participation among diverse urban audiences in conservation, education, recreation, and related activities, along with a clearer understanding of conservation's role in community health and well-being. Third, sustainability is expected: projects should build neighborhood and community strength and create lasting capacity so that engagement continues beyond the grant period, ideally maintaining a long-term relationship with FWS. Fourth, proposals should highlight community asset-building, explaining how FWS and the project will tangibly benefit the local community, for example through technical assistance, youth employment pathways, urban bird conservation improvements, and expanded opportunities for community education and outdoor recreation.

The cooperative agreement period of performance described for this award runs from July 1, 2019 through December 31, 2022, with an annual administration cycle for outreach, solicitation, review, awards, and monitoring. The planned timeline starts with outreach to potential applicants in October, followed by publishing the request for proposals (RFP) and application materials in November, offering applicant webinars in November and December, and setting a proposal due date of January 31. Proposal review typically occurs from mid-February through late March, with review committee meetings and funding decisions in April. Final slate approval and congressional notification occur from May through mid-July, followed by press releases and award letters in early August and grant agreement negotiations in September. Monitoring and results tracking continue on an ongoing basis after awards are made.

Accountability and evaluation are built into both the program design and day-to-day grant management. NFWF has a long-running evaluation approach for the Five Star program, including a formal external assessment conducted by Oregon State University that reviewed 123 projects funded between 1999 and 2005, with findings used to refine program metrics and integrate them into NFWF's electronic grants management system. Under this opportunity, NFWF continues to work with its internal science and evaluation staff and agency leads to define performance measures that show progress toward program goals. Applicants are required to describe activities, outputs, outcomes, indicators, and baseline values, enabling change to be measured over time. Examples of trackable indicators include volunteer engagement and other participation metrics, and these indicators are entered and monitored through NFWF's grants management system.

Reporting and compliance expectations are also clearly established. Grantees must submit periodic and final programmatic and financial reports, with annual reporting due under the program's structure. NFWF uses standard reporting templates and data standards to ensure compatibility with FWS requirements, and NFWF's Compliance Department monitors adherence to applicable federal regulations across NFWF and its subgrantees. At project closeout, grantees must provide an evaluation report describing how objectives were met and documenting outputs, outcomes, and environmental results. NFWF then compiles overall accomplishments into a final report to FWS covering the entire cooperative agreement.

FWS plays an active role consistent with a cooperative agreement model, with substantial involvement in shaping and approving the program's direction and funding choices. FWS responsibilities include reviewing and approving the RFP language so that agency priorities are accurately reflected, reviewing or coordinating internal review of applications that relate to Urban Bird Treaty goals, participating in meetings with NFWF and other partners to discuss applications, and approving the final slate of projects selected for funding. A specific requirement is that proposals selected under the FWS Urban Refuge funding address three or more Urban Bird Treaty goals, reinforcing the bird conservation emphasis in urban settings.

The opportunity is authorized under several federal statutes that support fish and wildlife conservation and coordination, including the Fish and Wildlife Act, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Overall, the program uses a relatively modest federal investment to drive larger, leveraged funding and on-the-ground action in priority urban watersheds, aiming to deliver ecological restoration benefits while also building stronger, more lasting connections between urban residents and local fish and wildlife conservation efforts.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FWS NFWF URBAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM 2019" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.655.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 30, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 05, 2019 This is a Notification of Intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The recipient has already been selected.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for F19AS00080

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