Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS WOOD INNOVATIONS 2024
The USDA Forest Service "Wood Utilization Assistance" (Wood Innovations) funding opportunity is a discretionary grant program aimed at rapidly growing wood products and wood energy markets across the United States. The central idea is to turn hazardous fuels and other low-value forest residues (including material generated from forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction work on National Forest System lands and other forestlands) into usable products and energy, instead of treating them as waste that is expensive to haul, pile, or dispose of. By strengthening demand and building out the infrastructure to use this material, the program is designed to support forest management at scale while also delivering local economic benefits.
This opportunity is tied to several federal authorities and initiatives, including the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill), Rural Revitalization Technologies (7 U.S.C. 6601), and the Inflation Reduction Act. In practical terms, the Forest Service is using this program to address a nationwide bottleneck: forest restoration and hazardous fuels reduction projects produce a lot of byproduct wood, but markets and processing capacity are uneven, and in many places they are not strong enough to absorb the material. The grants are meant to help close that gap by supporting projects that can move from concept to implementation and that can measurably expand real-world utilization.
The program priorities focus on three outcomes. First, it seeks to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on National Forest System and other forestlands, which directly supports wildfire risk reduction and restoration objectives. Second, it aims to reduce the cost of forest management across all land types by improving the economics of removing and transporting woody biomass and small-diameter material. Third, it is intended to promote the economic and environmental health of communities, particularly those connected to working forests, wood supply chains, and rural development opportunities.
The Forest Service emphasizes that competitive proposals will be more advanced and closer to execution rather than early-stage concepts. A major eligible project type is completing late-stage development work required to reach financing and construction, such as engineering designs, cost analyses, and permitting. This applies both to commercial buildings that use wood as a primary building material (for example, mass timber or other advanced wood construction) and to wood energy projects that are far enough along that these final steps will help them secure investment. The solicitation is explicit that early phase project development proposals are not expected to be competitive, signaling a preference for projects that can be built or deployed soon and that have clear pathways to market impact.
Beyond late-stage development, the opportunity supports projects that expand manufacturing capacity and other wood products infrastructure, as well as market development tied to forest ecosystem restoration. That can include investments and planning work that help create or grow processing capability for restoration byproducts, strengthen supply chains, or create stable demand for material that otherwise has limited commercial value. Another category includes demonstration or showcase projects that quantify the environmental and economic benefits of using wood in an actual commercial building and then project the benefits if similar approaches are replicated nationally, using construction market trends to justify scalability and broader impact.
The solicitation also includes several capacity-building and market-organization approaches. It invites proposals to create statewide wood utilization teams and statewide wood energy teams, but only from states that do not currently have an existing team and have not had a former team, which suggests the Forest Service is trying to expand this coordinating structure into new states rather than duplicating existing efforts. In addition, it encourages development of clusters of wood energy projects within a geographic area or within a specific sector, with examples like prisons, hospitals, universities, manufacturing, or other industrial users. The logic here is that clustered demand can reduce project risk, standardize equipment and contracting, and make fuel supply and operations more efficient. Finally, the opportunity supports efforts to overcome market barriers and stimulate growth of wood energy in the commercial sector, which can include addressing adoption hurdles that keep otherwise viable projects from moving forward.
Eligibility is broad and includes for-profit entities; state and local governments; Indian Tribes; school districts; community-based nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher education; and special purpose districts such as public utility districts, fire districts, conservation districts, and ports. The program is administered by the USDA Forest Service under CFDA 10.674, and the award ceiling listed in the source data is $300,000 per award. The original closing date shown is December 15, 2023, and the opportunity is identified as USDA FS WOOD INNOVATIONS 2024.
For applicants looking for guidance, the Forest Service provides a prerecorded application webcast (https://vimeo.com/872993472) and directs applicants to the Wood Innovations homepage for additional details, along with official instructions and the required application form (FS-1500-050). Overall, this funding opportunity is geared toward practical, near-term investments that can quickly expand wood utilization, improve the economics of forest restoration and fuels reduction, and produce measurable community and environmental benefits by building stronger end markets for restoration-generated wood.Apply for USDA FS WOOD INNOVATIONS 2024
- The Forest Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Wood Utilization Assistance" 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 2023-10-18.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-12-15. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Wood Utilization Assistance (Wood Innovations) - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the USDA Forest Service Wood Utilization Assistance (Wood Innovations) program?
Wood Utilization Assistance (often referred to as Wood Innovations) is a discretionary USDA Forest Service grant program designed to rapidly grow wood products and wood energy markets across the United States. The program focuses on turning hazardous fuels and other low-value forest residues into usable products and energy, rather than treating that material as costly waste to haul, pile, or dispose of.
2) What problem is this funding intended to solve?
The program targets a nationwide bottleneck: forest restoration and hazardous fuels reduction projects generate large volumes of byproduct wood, but in many places the markets and processing capacity are not strong enough to absorb it. These grants are meant to strengthen demand and expand infrastructure so more of that material can be utilized in real-world projects.
3) What types of forest material does the program aim to utilize?
The program emphasizes hazardous fuels and other low-value forest residues, including material generated from forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction work on National Forest System lands and other forestlands.
4) What are the main priorities or intended outcomes of the program?
The program priorities focus on three outcomes:
- Reducing hazardous fuels and improving forest health on National Forest System and other forestlands (supporting wildfire risk reduction and restoration).
- Reducing the cost of forest management across land types by improving the economics of removing and transporting woody biomass and small-diameter material.
- Promoting the economic and environmental health of communities, especially those connected to working forests, wood supply chains, and rural development opportunities.
5) What federal authorities or initiatives are tied to this opportunity?
This opportunity is tied to several federal authorities and initiatives referenced in the description, including the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill), Rural Revitalization Technologies (7 U.S.C. 6601), and the Inflation Reduction Act.
6) Who can apply (what is the eligibility)?
Eligibility is broad and includes:
- For-profit entities
- State and local governments
- Indian Tribes
- School districts
- Community-based nonprofit organizations
- Institutions of higher education
- Special purpose districts (such as public utility districts, fire districts, conservation districts, and ports)
7) What kinds of projects are most competitive under this solicitation?
The Forest Service indicates competitive proposals will be more advanced and closer to execution, rather than early-stage concepts. The funding is geared toward projects that can move from concept to implementation and measurably expand real-world utilization.
8) Are early-stage project ideas a good fit for this grant?
The solicitation explicitly notes that early phase project development proposals are not expected to be competitive. This signals a preference for projects that are sufficiently mature to be built or deployed soon and that have a clear pathway to market impact.
9) What does the program mean by "late-stage development" work?
Late-stage development work includes activities required to reach financing and construction, such as engineering designs, cost analyses, and permitting. These are final steps that can help projects secure investment and proceed toward implementation.
10) Are commercial wood building projects eligible?
Yes. The opportunity supports late-stage development work for commercial buildings that use wood as a primary building material, including examples such as mass timber or other advanced wood construction, when those projects are far enough along that final development steps will help them advance toward financing and construction.
11) Are wood energy projects eligible?
Yes. The opportunity supports wood energy projects that are sufficiently advanced, where completing late-stage development work (such as engineering, cost analyses, and permitting) would help secure investment and move toward construction or deployment.
12) Does the program support expanding manufacturing capacity or wood products infrastructure?
Yes. The solicitation supports projects that expand manufacturing capacity and other wood products infrastructure, as well as market development tied to forest ecosystem restoration. This can include investments and planning work to create or grow processing capability for restoration byproducts, strengthen supply chains, or create stable demand for low-value material.
13) What are "demonstration or showcase" projects in this program?
Demonstration or showcase projects can include efforts that quantify the environmental and economic benefits of using wood in an actual commercial building, and then project the benefits if similar approaches are replicated nationally. The description notes using construction market trends to justify scalability and broader impact.
14) Does this funding support statewide wood utilization teams?
Yes, the solicitation invites proposals to create statewide wood utilization teams, but only from states that do not currently have an existing team and have not had a former team. This indicates the Forest Service is aiming to expand this coordinating structure into new states rather than duplicating existing efforts.
15) Does this funding support statewide wood energy teams?
Yes, the solicitation invites proposals to create statewide wood energy teams under the same limitation: proposals are only invited from states without a current team and without a former team.
16) What does the solicitation mean by developing "clusters" of wood energy projects?
The opportunity encourages development of clusters of wood energy projects within a geographic area or within a specific sector. Examples mentioned include prisons, hospitals, universities, manufacturing, or other industrial users. The concept is that clustered demand can reduce project risk, standardize equipment and contracting, and improve the efficiency of fuel supply and operations.
17) Can the grant be used to address barriers to commercial wood energy adoption?
Yes. The solicitation supports efforts to overcome market barriers and stimulate growth of wood energy in the commercial sector, including addressing adoption hurdles that keep otherwise viable projects from moving forward.
18) What is the program identification (CFDA number) listed for this opportunity?
The program is administered by the USDA Forest Service under CFDA 10.674.
19) What is the maximum award amount mentioned?
The award ceiling listed in the provided source data is $300,000 per award.
20) What is the opportunity name/identifier provided?
The opportunity is identified as USDA FS WOOD INNOVATIONS 2024.
21) What closing date is shown in the provided information?
The original closing date shown is December 15, 2023.
22) Where can applicants find application guidance mentioned in the description?
The Forest Service provides a prerecorded application webcast at https://vimeo.com/872993472. Applicants are also directed to the Wood Innovations homepage for additional details.
23) What application form is referenced as required?
The description references the required application form FS-1500-050.
24) How does this program connect to forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction?
The program is designed to increase utilization of material generated from forest restoration and hazardous fuels reduction work. By strengthening markets for that byproduct material, the program supports forest management at scale and aligns with wildfire risk reduction and restoration objectives.
25) What kinds of benefits does the Forest Service expect these projects to deliver?
Based on the description, expected benefits include improved forest health, reduced hazardous fuels, lowered costs for forest management through better utilization economics, stronger end markets for restoration-generated wood, and local economic and environmental benefits for communities connected to working forests and wood supply chains.
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