FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Good Neighbor Authority | L24AS00114

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00114

The FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Good Neighbor Authority funding opportunity (Opportunity Number L24AS00114) is a discretionary Bureau of Land Management (BLM) program in Idaho that will make awards through cooperative agreements for natural resource-related work under the Good Neighbor Authority framework. It is tied to the broader IIJA/IRA funding environment and is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. The assistance listing for this opportunity is CFDA 15.015, and the program is structured for projects that align with BLM land management and collaborative, cross-boundary natural resource objectives typical of Good Neighbor Authority work.

Eligibility is narrowly restricted. Only state governments, county governments, and tribal governments or tribal entities listed as eligible in the notice may apply. The notice is explicit that all other applicant types are ineligible for projects under this program, meaning nonprofits, universities (unless acting through an eligible governmental applicant), private organizations, and individuals cannot apply directly. If an applicant does not fall squarely into one of the eligible government categories, the application would not be considered.

A key limitation in this NOFO is that it does not support entities seeking to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The notice explains that the Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that authority, and this Good Neighbor Authority program is not the vehicle for that type of youth or internship hiring. As a result, Youth Conservation Corps organizations that want to pursue youth crew or intern-focused work are directed instead to a different BLM funding opportunity: NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In practice, applicants for this Good Neighbor Authority funding should avoid proposing project designs that depend on PLC-style internship or youth crew hiring mechanisms.

The opportunity also addresses Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are described as partnerships designed to promote and provide research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and educational services. The notice indicates that if a cooperative agreement is awarded to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement, and if the proposed work is consistent with CESU purposes, then indirect costs are capped. Specifically, indirect costs are limited to no more than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). Applicants are expected to state whether their proposal advances CESU purposes and, if it does, to identify which CESU Network should be considered as the host.

From a funding structure standpoint, awards are anticipated as cooperative agreements, which typically means BLM expects to have substantial involvement in the project (for example, coordination, technical input, or shared oversight) rather than simply issuing a pass-through grant. The award ceiling is listed as $1,000,000. The original closing date for applications was April 8, 2024, and the opportunity record shows it was created January 5, 2024. While the notice excerpt does not list a total program funding amount or an exact number of awards, it does indicate expected awards will be made under this announcement.

Overall, this opportunity is best read as a targeted BLM Idaho program for eligible governmental partners to carry out natural resource work under Good Neighbor Authority via cooperative agreements, with clear guardrails on who can apply, what types of workforce or intern arrangements are not supported under this NOFO, and how indirect costs are handled when a CESU partner relationship and Master CESU agreement are involved.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Idaho (ID) Good Neighbor Authority" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.015.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-08. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).

Apply for L24AS00114

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