IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Wyoming (WY) Good Neighbor Authority | L24AS00174

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00174

The IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Wyoming (WY) Good Neighbor Authority funding opportunity (NOFO number L24AS00174) is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning BLM expects to have substantial involvement in the supported projects rather than simply issuing a pass-through grant. The program falls under the Natural Resources funding activity category and is associated with CFDA/Assistance Listing 15.015. The overall intent is to support work carried out under BLM Wyoming's Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) program, which is designed to facilitate on-the-ground natural resource and land management activities through partnerships with eligible governmental entities.

Eligibility is narrowly restricted. Only state governments, county governments, and Native American tribal governments and certain tribal organizations are eligible to apply. The notice is explicit that all other applicant types are ineligible for projects under this program, which effectively excludes nonprofits, universities (unless acting through an eligible governmental partner in a way consistent with the program rules), private entities, and individuals. If an organization is not a state, county, or tribal government (or an eligible tribal organization as specified), it should treat this opportunity as closed to them and look for alternative BLM funding programs that allow broader eligibility.

The notice also draws a clear boundary around youth and internship hiring. This NOFO does not support entities that are trying to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. The announcement explains that the Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is the specific legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns under that framework, and that this authority is not being used through this GNA NOFO. As a result, Youth Conservation Corps or similar youth-focused entities are directed away from this opportunity and toward the separate BLM program specifically intended for youth conservation projects, referenced as NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands. In practical terms, applicants should not propose project designs that hinge on staffing models framed as PLC interns or PLC crews under this particular announcement.

The announcement includes important guidance for applicants that participate in the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network. CESUs are described as partnerships established to promote and provide research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and education. If a cooperative agreement under this opportunity is awarded to a CESU partner under a formally negotiated Master CESU agreement, and the proposed work is consistent with the CESU program purpose, then the indirect cost recovery is 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 told to state whether their proposal furthers the purpose of the CESU program and, if it does, to identify which CESU Network should be considered the host. This matters because it can affect budget structure, allowable indirect cost treatment, and administrative routing if the award is made under CESU mechanisms.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was created on December 4, 2023, with an original application closing date of February 2, 2024. The listed award ceiling is $4,550,000. The notice lists "ExpectedAwards:" but does not provide a number in the supplied text, so applicants would need to confirm the anticipated number of awards and typical award size by reviewing the full announcement in the official posting and any related BLM Wyoming program materials. Because the instrument is a cooperative agreement and the program is tied to Good Neighbor Authority, applicants should anticipate coordination requirements, shared planning, and ongoing engagement with BLM staff throughout the project lifecycle, including alignment with BLM land management objectives and compliance expectations associated with federal financial assistance.

In short, this funding opportunity is a BLM Wyoming GNA cooperative agreement program intended for state, county, and tribal government partners to conduct natural resource work, with explicit exclusions around Public Lands Corps internship/crew hiring under this NOFO and specific indirect cost limitations when awards are made through CESU arrangements. Applicants that are eligible governmental entities should shape proposals around implementable, partnership-driven land and resource management activities, avoid structuring staffing around PLC intern authorities, and clearly address CESU relevance and hosting network details if proposing work that fits within CESU purposes.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Wyoming (WY) 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 2023-12-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-02. (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 $4,550,000.00 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 L24AS00174

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: