Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS WERC 2017
The Wood Innovations funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA FS WERC 2017) is a discretionary grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. It is administered through the Forest Service and is presented as a competitive opportunity intended to support projects that advance innovation and expanded use of wood, particularly in ways that strengthen markets for wood products and align with broader goals tied to agriculture, natural resources, energy, and business and commerce. The full set of instructions and the application package were provided through the Forest Service website at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/werc/wip/2017-rfp.shtm, which served as the primary source for requirements, forms, and submission details.
Funding is offered through either grants or cooperative agreements, which generally means applicants could receive a standard grant award or, depending on the project and program needs, an award structure that involves more active federal involvement through a cooperative agreement. The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 10.674, a catalog identifier used to track federal assistance programs and confirm program eligibility and compliance requirements. The program anticipated making about 40 awards, indicating a relatively broad portfolio of funded projects rather than only a small number of large awards.
The maximum award amount listed for a single project was $250,000 (the award ceiling). In practice, this typically implies that proposals needed to be scoped to fit within that limit, including realistic deliverables and budgets that match the program's priorities and the applicant's capacity to execute the work. Because the ceiling is moderate and the expected number of awards is fairly high, the program appears structured to seed or scale multiple efforts across different regions or market segments rather than fund only large capital builds.
The eligible applicant category is listed as "Others," with a note directing applicants to consult the detailed eligibility language in the program materials. That usually signals that eligibility may extend beyond a narrow set of standard categories and could include a mix of entities such as nonprofits, industry groups, tribal entities, academic institutions, state or local partners, or other organizations involved in forest products, wood utilization, or related market development activities. The exact eligible entity types and any limitations (for example, whether for-profit entities can apply directly or must partner with an eligible lead applicant) would be spelled out in the official request for proposals on the program website.
Key administrative dates for the opportunity reflect its 2017 cycle. The grant record was created on October 19, 2016, and the original application deadline (OriginalClosingDate) was January 23, 2017. Applicants would have been expected to follow the instructions on the Forest Service posting for submission steps, required forms, project narrative structure, budget format, and any compliance or documentation requirements. The listing itself is brief, but it clearly points applicants to the official Forest Service posting as the authoritative source for the full technical and administrative requirements.Apply for USDA FS WERC 2017
- The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service in the agriculture, business and commerce, energy, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Wood Innovations" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.674.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 19, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 23, 2017. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 40 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Wood Innovations (USDA FS WERC 2017) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Wood Innovations funding opportunity?
The Wood Innovations funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA FS WERC 2017) is a discretionary, competitive grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service. It is intended to support projects that advance innovation and expand the use of wood, particularly where projects strengthen markets for wood products and align with goals connected to agriculture, natural resources, energy, and business and commerce.
Which federal agency offers and administers this program?
The program is offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, and administered through the Forest Service.
Is this a competitive opportunity or a formula award?
This opportunity is described as competitive, meaning applications are evaluated against program criteria and compete with other submissions for available funding.
What types of awards are available under this opportunity?
Funding is offered through grants or cooperative agreements. A grant is generally a standard assistance award, while a cooperative agreement typically indicates more active federal involvement in the project compared with a standard grant, depending on project and program needs.
What is the CFDA number for this program and why does it matter?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 10.674. This is a catalog identifier used to track federal assistance programs and is commonly used to confirm the program when addressing eligibility and compliance requirements.
How many awards were anticipated?
The program anticipated making about 40 awards, suggesting a relatively broad portfolio of funded projects rather than a small number of very large awards.
What is the maximum funding amount per project?
The maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed for a single project is $250,000.
Does the $250,000 ceiling affect how proposals should be designed?
Yes. A $250,000 ceiling generally implies proposals should be scoped to fit within that limit, with realistic deliverables and budgets that align with program priorities and the applicant's capacity to carry out the work.
What kinds of projects does the program aim to support?
Based on the description provided, the program aims to support projects that advance innovation and expanded use of wood, with an emphasis on strengthening markets for wood products and aligning with broader goals tied to agriculture, natural resources, energy, and business and commerce.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant category is listed as "Others," and applicants are directed to consult the detailed eligibility language in the official program materials. This typically signals eligibility may extend beyond narrow standard categories and may include a mix of entities involved in forest products, wood utilization, or related market development activities. The exact eligible entity types and any limitations are described in the official request for proposals.
Does "Others" mean nonprofits, universities, tribes, or industry groups can apply?
The listing suggests eligibility may include entities such as nonprofits, industry groups, tribal entities, academic institutions, state or local partners, or other organizations, but the authoritative eligibility rules (including any restrictions) are contained in the official program materials.
Are for-profit businesses eligible to apply directly?
The listing does not explicitly confirm whether for-profit entities can apply directly or must partner with an eligible lead applicant. That detail is indicated as being spelled out in the official request for proposals and related program materials.
Where were the full instructions and application package posted?
The full instructions and application package were provided through the Forest Service website at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/werc/wip/2017-rfp.shtm, which served as the primary source for requirements, forms, and submission details.
What should applicants rely on as the authoritative source for requirements?
The Forest Service posting linked above is identified as the authoritative source for the complete technical and administrative requirements, including required forms, submission steps, project narrative structure, budget format, and any compliance or documentation requirements.
When was this grant record created?
The grant record was created on October 19, 2016.
What was the application deadline for the 2017 cycle?
The original application deadline (OriginalClosingDate) for the 2017 cycle was January 23, 2017.
What application components were applicants expected to follow?
Applicants were expected to follow the Forest Service instructions for submission steps, required forms, project narrative structure, budget format, and any compliance or documentation requirements, as described in the official posting and application package.
Is the listing itself sufficient to apply, or is another document required?
The listing is brief and primarily points applicants to the official Forest Service posting as the authoritative source for the full technical and administrative requirements. The official posting and application package would be needed to prepare a compliant application.
What does it mean that the program is "discretionary"?
In this context, "discretionary" indicates awards are made based on competitive evaluation and agency decisions, rather than being distributed by formula.
Does this opportunity suggest many small-to-midsize projects or a few large projects?
With a moderate award ceiling ($250,000) and an anticipated ~40 awards, the opportunity appears structured to support multiple efforts across regions or market segments rather than only large-scale capital projects.
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