Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS WERC 2020
The 2020 Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity is a discretionary grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service under CFDA 10.674 (Wood Utilization Assistance). Its central aim is to grow wood products and wood energy markets across the United States in ways that directly support forest management needs on National Forest System lands as well as other forest ownerships. The Forest Service is using this funding as a market-focused tool: by strengthening demand and infrastructure for wood (especially material coming from restoration and fuels-reduction work), the program is meant to make forest management more feasible and affordable while also creating local economic benefits.
The Forest Service frames the opportunity around three broad priorities. First, it seeks to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health, recognizing that active management often produces woody material that needs viable markets. Second, it emphasizes reducing the costs of forest management across all land types, which ties the grant to practical outcomes like improved utilization, better processing capacity, and more bankable projects that can handle restoration byproducts. Third, it highlights promoting the economic and environmental health of communities, reflecting an interest in job creation, local industry development, and the climate and sustainability benefits associated with increased wood use when it displaces more emissions-intensive materials or fuels.
The types of projects encouraged under this opportunity are oriented toward later-stage, implementation-ready work rather than early conceptual planning. A key competitive focus is on completing the requirements needed to secure financing and move projects into construction or deployment. Examples include engineering designs, detailed cost analyses, and permitting for commercial construction projects that use wood as a primary building material, as well as for wood energy projects that are already sufficiently advanced to be nearing the financing and execution phase. The solicitation is explicit that early-phase project development proposals are not expected to be competitive, signaling that applicants should bring mature projects that can demonstrate readiness and a clear path to tangible outcomes.
Beyond late-stage project completion tasks, the program also supports efforts to expand manufacturing capacity and the broader infrastructure needed for wood products, particularly where that capacity helps utilize material generated through forest ecosystem restoration. This can include investments and activities that strengthen supply chains, processing capability, and market channels for restoration-relevant wood products. Another eligible area is demonstration and market education through real-world commercial building showcases that quantify environmental and economic benefits of wood construction, paired with credible projections of how those benefits could scale if replicated nationally based on commercial construction trends.
The opportunity also includes place-based and capacity-building approaches. The Forest Service invites proposals to establish statewide wood utilization teams and statewide wood energy teams, but limits this category to states that do not currently have an existing (or former) team. In addition, it encourages development of clusters of wood energy projects in a defined geography or within specific sectors such as prisons, hospitals, universities, manufacturing, or industrial settings. Finally, it supports projects designed to overcome market barriers and stimulate expansion of wood energy in the commercial sector, reflecting an intent to move beyond one-off installations toward broader adoption.
Key administrative details are straightforward. The Request for Proposals was issued October 22, 2019, with proposals due January 15, 2020. The Forest Service anticipated notifying applicants around May 1, 2020, with awards expected around August 1, 2020. The funding opportunity number is USDA FS WERC 2020. The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $250,000, and the agency expected to make about 30 awards. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement, so prospective applicants would need to consult the official guidance for the precise eligibility categories and any limitations. Application materials and instructions are provided through the Wood Innovations program home page referenced in the solicitation.Apply for USDA FS WERC 2020
- The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2020 Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity" 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 Nov 20, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 15, 2020. (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 30 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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