FUNDING PROGRAM: USDA Wood Utilization Assistance Program.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-FS-WOOD-INNOVATIONS-2025.

FUNDING AGENCIES: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

OPPORTUNITY:

The Wood Innovation Grants Program stimulates, expands, and supports U.S. wood products markets and wood energy markets to support the long-term management of the National Forest System and other forest lands. National focus areas include mass timber, renewable wood energy, and technological development that supports hazardous fuel reduction and sustainable forest management.

DESCRIPTION:

The USDA Forest Service requests proposals to substantially expand and accelerate wood energy and wood products markets throughout the United States to support the forest management needs of the National Forest System and other forest lands. This program supports the nationwide challenge of disposing of hazardous fuels and other wood residues from the National Forest System and other U.S. Forest lands in a manner that supports wood products and wood energy markets.

This Request for Proposals focuses on the following priorities:

• Reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on National Forest System and other forest lands
• Reduce costs of forest management on all land types
• Promote economic and environmental health of communities

The intent of the Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity is to stimulate, expand, and support wood products markets and wood energy markets.

Projects can include, but are not limited to:

• Completing requirements, such as engineering designs, cost analyses, and permitting necessary, in the later stages of commercial construction projects that use wood as a primary building material and in the later stages of wood energy project development to secure financing. Early phase project  development proposals will not be competitive.
• Developing manufacturing capacity, other necessary wood products infrastructure, and markets for wood products that support forest ecosystem restoration.
• Showcasing quantifiable environmental and economic benefits of using wood as a sustainable building material in an actual commercial building and the projected benefits achieved if replicated across the United States based on commercial construction market trends.
• Establishing statewide wood utilization teams and statewide wood energy teams. Only proposals from States without an existing (or former) team will be considered.
• Developing a cluster of wood energy projects in a geographic area or specific sector (e.g., prisons, hospitals, universities, manufacturing sector, or industrial sector).
• Overcoming market barriers and stimulating expansion of wood energy in the commercial sector.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: 

• For-profit entities
• State and local governments
• Indian Tribes
• School districts
• Community not-for-profit organizations
• Institutions of higher education
• Special purpose districts (e.g., public utilities districts, fire districts, conservation districts, and ports)

COST SHARING/MATCHING FUNDS: The cost share is 50% of the total allowable costs.

FUNDING AVAILABLE: $8 million overall. Award Ceiling is $300,000 and Award Floor is $10,000.

APPLICATION DEADLINE(S): December 11, 2024.