Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) Grant Program

2024 NMBCA Grant Cycle Instructions

• See the How to Apply for – a NMBCA Grant and below for a list of new and important change for this year.
• Application Deadline is November 2, 2023. (The closing time will be 11:59pm Eastern Time).
• Matching Contributions are allowable from January 1, 2021. We now allow matching contributions from January 1 of the calendar year two years prior to proposal submission.
• Cash definition changed: We now consider “Cash” to be any cash outlay for a project related cost that is made up to two years before January 1 of the year that FWS receives the application. There must be documentation of the purchase of these goods or services. This change primarily affects USA and Canada based conservation projects.
• Consider submitting a Matching Contribution Savings Plan, see the current instructions.
• You must register in the System for Award Management.
• ALL proposals MUST be submitted through GrantSolutions.gov. Guidance on getting registered in GrantSolutions.gov. Once you are registered in GrantSolutions.gov, follow these instructions on how to apply to a Directed Announcement. Look up FY24 Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grants.
• Your GrantSolution.gov application MUST include a Project Abstract Summary, SF-424, SF424A budget (A) [NOTE: the broad categories amounts in the SF424A should match the proposal narrative budget numbers], SF-424B and the proposal narrative with associated documents. We are also seeking an excel table that shows the budget included in your proposal narrative.
• All applicants/grantees are required to be registered within GrantSolutions. Applicants must properly set up your GrantSolutions account, including obtaining the correct user roles within the system.
• An Optional Appendix N was added to the proposal narrative. These are optional (and highly recommended) data tables to inform certain Selection Criteria Questions.
• DO NOT WAIT until the last days to apply.
• We are continuing the Matching Contribution Savings Plan opportunity for real property acquisition used as a matching contribution that significantly exceeds the minimum matching contribution requirements for a proposal, please learn more in the relevant application instructions questions and optional appendix M.
• IMPACT program updates, please see the additional requirements for IMPACT submission. We have updated the species list for on-the-ground IMPACT proposals.
• The IMPACT program seeks research projects that investigate the population limiting factors or migratory connectivity for key species prioritized by Partners in Flight and others responding to the 3 Billion Birds lost report (as of this posting the list may be called the “Road to Recovery Urgency List”).
• The program’s Fiscal Year 2024 funding may not be appropriated by Congress before your proposal is submitted; therefore any grant selections are contingent on the availability of funds.
• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) numbers replaced DUNS numbers.

Changes from recent years

• 2CFR200 applies to all NMBCA grants foreign and domestic.
• There are perpetual reporting requirements for real property acquisition using the SF-429.
• A monitoring and evaluation table example was added to Proposal Narrative Section 9.
• There are three required appendices.
• Cover page no longer counts towards your proposal narrative 12-page limit.
• Proposal Narrative Section 13 was moved to a required appendix and required statement see Appendix A.
• Applications must be submitted in English. However, you may submit a second version of your application in Spanish or Portuguese if you feel the translation to English may affect your ability to effectively communicate your proposal. We must receive an English version of your proposal.
• In the Budget and Budget Justification section of the Proposal Narrative there are now required statements pertaining to Indirect Cost Rates.
• Phased projects must evaluate their progress towards long-term goals with measurable indicators and provide those measures to justify continued funding (see Proposal Narrative: Section 3e and Section 9).

Applying for a NMBCA Grant: Overview

All applicants (except offices of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) must apply through GrantSolutions.gov, which provides online standard forms that you must fill out completely and correctly, and a location to upload your proposal narrative and associated documents. However, before you begin filling out the online form, you should familiarize yourself with the guidance on this page. If you understand the guidance before you begin, the application process will likely be easier. In addition, you should review the management and reporting pages as well as the following grant administration standards to understand your commitments before writing a proposal; if you are selected and accept an award, you will agree to comply with these standards.

• The USFWS General Award Terms and Conditions applies to every award.
• For projects with field activities located exclusively within the United States: U.S. Grant Administration Standards.
• For projects with field activities located exclusively outside of the United States 2CFR200 applies, however the following can be a reference [NOTE: This document is only a general reference]: Grant Administration Guidelines for Projects Outside of the US.
• For projects with field activities located both inside and outside the United States: both the U.S. Grant Administration Standards and Grant Administration Guidelines for Projects Outside of the US apply.

Your application will consist of a Proposal Narrative, Partner Contribution Statements, Project Abstract Summary, Standard Forms 424 (“Application for Federal Assistance”), 424A (Budget), and 424B (“Assurances”), an Excel spreadsheet of your proposal narrative budget and a GIS shapefile (or Google Earth .kmz file) of your project area. Please refer to the Fiscal Year 2024 Proposal Application Instructions for further detail on how to apply.