Monitoring Endangered Cave Spring Population on the Property of the Garrison Redstone Arsenal | W9126G 23 2 SOI 3729

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 23 2 SOI 3729

This funding opportunity is a Department of Defense cooperative agreement run through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Fort Worth District, focused on monitoring an endangered cave spring population located on property managed by the Garrison at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. The work supports Redstone Arsenal's Threatened and Endangered Species Program and is aimed specifically at aquatic species of concern associated with cave and spring habitats on the installation. The listing makes clear that the government is not asking for a full technical proposal or a detailed budget at this stage. Instead, it is a Request for Statements of Interest (SOI) to identify qualified organizations that have the experience, staff, and capacity to do this kind of field monitoring and reporting work.

Funding for the initial base period is expected to be about $45,568, with the possibility of additional funding later for optional tasks and follow-on efforts. While the base amount is relatively modest, the overall structure suggests a longer-term monitoring program if funding continues. The posted award ceiling is $227,840, and USACE anticipates making one award. The instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies closer coordination with the government during project planning, execution, and deliverable review than a standard grant, although the exact level of involvement would be spelled out in the agreement and the Statement of Objectives.

The period of performance for the base period is 18 months from the date of award. The notice also anticipates up to four additional follow-on periods, each also 18 months, dependent on future funding availability. Each follow-on period is described as at least 12 months of fieldwork plus 6 months for analysis and reporting, totaling 18 months per period. The notice mentions an overlap between periods (with 6 months overlapping the prior period), which is a common way to keep multi-year monitoring continuous while still allowing time to finalize reports and datasets from the previous cycle without interrupting field sampling.

This opportunity is being offered under the authority of 16 USC 670c-1, the Sikes Act, which governs conservation and natural resources management on military installations. A key implication is that, for projects implementing or enforcing integrated natural resources management plans, priority is to be given to federal and state agencies responsible for conservation or management of fish and wildlife. In practice, that means that while the eligibility field is broad ("Others"), applicants should pay close attention to whether they fall into categories that are favored under the statute, and non-government entities may want to emphasize partnerships, coordination roles, or unique technical capabilities that complement agency responsibilities.

In terms of what applicants are expected to submit right now, the government only wants an SOI demonstrating qualifications and capability to perform similar or identical work. That generally means highlighting relevant past projects (especially endangered species monitoring, cave or karst spring ecology, aquatic species surveys, and work on military or other restricted-access lands), staff expertise, field methods familiarity, data management and QA/QC practices, permitting and compliance experience, and the ability to deliver field results and reports on schedule. The detailed scope of the anticipated work is referenced as being in an attached Statement of Objectives, which would typically define the monitoring targets, sampling frequency, metrics, access constraints, reporting requirements, and coordination expectations.

Administrative details from the posting include the opportunity title "Monitoring Endangered Cave Spring Population on the Property of the Garrison Redstone Arsenal," funding opportunity number W9126G 23 2 SOI 3729, and CFDA number 12.005. It is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The original posting indicates it must remain on Grants.gov for 30 days before the government can decide who to invite for full proposals, reinforcing that this is a preliminary qualification step rather than a final submission round. The original closing date listed is August 21, 2023.

Points of contact are provided for both grants administration and project management. Questions and responses are directed to Paige E. Poorman, Grants Specialist, USACE Fort Worth District (paige.e.poorman@usace.army.mil, 817-886-1124) and Chanley Jenkins, Project Manager (chanley.r.jenkins@usace.army.mil, 918-798-9628).

• The Department of Defense, Fort Worth District in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Monitoring Endangered Cave Spring Population on the Property of the Garrison Redstone Arsenal" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.005.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 20, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 21, 2023. (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 $227,840.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for W9126G 23 2 SOI 3729

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