Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00104
The SEEDS YCC Crew at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00104) is a Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notice of intent to fund youth employment and conservation work through a cooperative agreement. The project sits at the intersection of workforce development and natural resource stewardship, aiming to put local young people to work on priority refuge needs while also giving them practical training that can carry over into school, future jobs, and civic life. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and aligns with activity areas that include employment, labor and training, the environment, and natural resources (CFDA 15.676).
The core purpose of the program is to support SEEDS, an established Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) provider, in employing and developing young people while improving public lands. Participants are expected to gain essential life skills such as resume building, public speaking, and community engagement, alongside hands-on conservation experience. The Fish and Wildlife Service frames the goal as two-fold: complete meaningful on-the-ground natural resource projects at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and, at the same time, increase participants' awareness of conservation careers and encourage a long-term personal commitment to protecting the natural environment.
On the work side, youth crew members would assist refuge staff with practical field and facility projects. The description highlights typical tasks such as trail maintenance, hazard tree removal, treatment of non-native plant species, boundary posting, and general facility maintenance. These activities are the kinds of recurring, labor-intensive needs common on refuges, and they provide participants with real exposure to land management, habitat protection, and public-use infrastructure upkeep.
A major feature of this posting is that it is not an open competition. The announcement is explicitly a notice of intent to make a single-source award to SEEDS Youth Conservation Corps, justified under 505 DM 2.14.B.4. The agency explains that competing the award is not practical because SEEDS is uniquely qualified to deliver youth employment services within an urban community and because its YCC program is nationally recognized. The notice also points to SEEDS' track record: nearly 300 underserved youth employed over the last five years in northwest lower Michigan, plus experience delivering similar work under multiple contracts and agreements with federal agencies and a range of municipal and private partners.
From a funding standpoint, the opportunity anticipates one award with an award ceiling of $15,000. The posting lists an original creation date of April 3, 2018, with an original closing date of April 10, 2018, but it also makes clear there is no application process because the intent is to proceed directly with the single-source cooperative agreement to SEEDS. In short, this is a targeted, small-scale cooperative agreement designed to support a specific youth conservation crew partnership at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, with the broader public benefits of workforce development for underserved youth and improved stewardship of refuge lands and facilities.Apply for F18AS00104
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the employment, labor and training, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SEEDS YCC Crew at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.676.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 03, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 10, 2018 There is not an application process for this funding opportunity. This is a notice of intent to award a single source Cooperative agreement to SEEDS Youth Conservation Corps under justification 505DM 2.14B.4.. (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 $15,000.00 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).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the SEEDS YCC Crew at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge funding opportunity?
This is a Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notice of intent to fund youth employment and conservation work through a cooperative agreement. The project is designed to support a Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and combines workforce development with on-the-ground natural resource stewardship.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this notice?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F18AS00104.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is issued by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What type of funding opportunity is this?
It is categorized as discretionary funding and is planned as a cooperative agreement.
Is this an open, competitive grant opportunity?
No. The announcement is explicitly a notice of intent to make a single-source award, meaning it is not open for competitive applications.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intends to make a single-source award to SEEDS Youth Conservation Corps (SEEDS), an established Youth Conservation Corps provider.
Why is the award being made as a single-source (non-competitive) action?
The notice states that competing the award is not practical because SEEDS is described as uniquely qualified to deliver youth employment services within an urban community and because its YCC program is nationally recognized. The notice also cites SEEDS' track record employing nearly 300 underserved youth over the last five years in northwest lower Michigan and experience with similar work under multiple contracts and agreements with federal agencies and other partners.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program aims to employ and develop young people while improving public lands at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. It is intended to put local young people to work on priority refuge needs while providing practical training that can carry over into school, future jobs, and civic life.
What are the two primary goals described by the Fish and Wildlife Service?
The notice describes a two-fold goal: (1) complete meaningful, on-the-ground natural resource projects at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, and (2) increase participants' awareness of conservation careers and encourage a long-term personal commitment to protecting the natural environment.
What kinds of work would youth crew members do under this project?
Youth crew members are expected to assist refuge staff with practical field and facility projects. Examples listed in the notice include trail maintenance, hazard tree removal, treatment of non-native plant species, boundary posting, and general facility maintenance.
What skills and training are participants expected to gain?
In addition to hands-on conservation experience, participants are expected to gain essential life skills such as resume building, public speaking, and community engagement.
What issue areas or activity areas does this opportunity align with?
The notice aligns the opportunity with activity areas that include employment, labor and training, the environment, and natural resources.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The notice lists CFDA 15.676.
How many awards are anticipated?
The opportunity anticipates one award.
What is the maximum funding amount available (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed in the notice is $15,000.
Is there an application process or a way for other organizations to apply?
The notice indicates there is no application process for other applicants because the agency intends to proceed directly with a single-source cooperative agreement to SEEDS.
What are the original posting dates listed in the notice?
The notice lists an original creation date of April 3, 2018, and an original closing date of April 10, 2018.
Where will the funded work take place?
The work is tied to Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.
How does this project benefit the public?
The notice describes public benefits in two main areas: workforce development (especially for underserved youth) and improved stewardship of refuge lands and facilities through completion of priority, recurring, labor-intensive refuge projects.
What makes this opportunity specifically connected to Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) programming?
The core purpose is to support SEEDS as an established YCC provider in employing and developing young people while improving public lands, with an emphasis on both conservation work and life-skill development tied to future education, employment, and civic engagement.
What justification citation is referenced for the single-source approach?
The notice cites 505 DM 2.14.B.4 as the justification for making a single-source award.
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