Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program Grants | EPA HQ OCSPP 2021 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA HQ OCSPP 2021 001

The Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) Grants opportunity is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discretionary grant initiative designed to push agricultural pest control in a direction that is practical, science-based, and sustainable. It is positioned as an extension of EPA's broader Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program, with the central idea being to help funded partners move beyond routine or high-risk pesticide use and instead adopt pest management methods that reduce risk to people and the environment while still supporting effective agricultural production. The program also connects pest management improvements to EPA's broader environmental objectives, including a cleaner, healthier environment and, where it makes sense, measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions linked to agricultural practices.

Projects proposed under this opportunity are expected to focus on implementing environmentally sound pest management practices in real-world agricultural settings. That means the EPA is looking for efforts that do more than just research or planning; they should translate into on-the-ground adoption, demonstration, or scaling of better pest management approaches. The opportunity specifically highlights integrated pest management (IPM) as a core strategy, emphasizing prevention, monitoring, threshold-based decision-making, and the use of multiple control methods to minimize reliance on pesticides when they are unnecessary or could be replaced with lower-risk alternatives. In practical terms, strong projects would likely include farmer-facing training, technical assistance, adoption campaigns, or innovative tools and practices that reduce pesticide risks and exposures for applicators, farmworkers, nearby communities, and ecosystems.

A notable feature of this grant is its explicit link to climate considerations. While the primary focus is safer and more sustainable pest control, the EPA encourages applicants to incorporate elements that can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions when feasible. This could include practices that lower the number of pesticide applications (thereby reducing fuel use), improve efficiency through precision agriculture or targeted application methods, encourage soil and ecosystem health approaches that indirectly support resilience and reduce inputs, or deploy innovations that reduce the overall environmental footprint of pest management. The solicitation frames pest management and climate change as connected goals, suggesting that projects that can credibly speak to both risk reduction and emissions-related co-benefits may be particularly aligned with the program's intent.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect substantial EPA involvement during the project period compared with a standard grant. Cooperative agreements often involve coordination with the agency on project design, milestones, reporting, and sometimes technical direction, so applicants typically need to be prepared for ongoing collaboration and structured performance tracking. The funding opportunity number is EPA-HQ-OCSPP-2021-001, and it falls under the environmental assistance listing (CFDA/Assistance Listing) 66.714. The EPA anticipated making around 10 awards. The listing shows an award ceiling of 0, which usually indicates the ceiling was not specified in the summary field and that applicants need to consult the full announcement for actual funding ranges, budgets, and any limitations.

Eligibility is broadly described as "Others" with a note directing applicants to the detailed eligibility section in the full funding opportunity announcement. In practice, EPA environmental program grants of this type commonly involve partnerships among agricultural organizations, universities, extension programs, non-profits, tribal entities, and other stakeholder groups, but the definitive answer for who can apply and whether partnerships are required would be found in the announcement's eligibility language. The opportunity was created May 24, 2021, and the original closing date was July 9, 2021, with a reminder that the official deadline details are in Section IV of the full announcement.

Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at helping agriculture adopt pest management that is safer, more targeted, and more sustainable, with a strong emphasis on IPM-based implementation, practical training and adoption, and innovations that reduce pesticide risk. Where possible, the EPA also wants these pest management improvements to contribute to climate-related benefits such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reinforcing the idea that smarter pest control can support both environmental health and long-term agricultural resilience.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.714.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 24, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 09, 2021 See Section IV of the funding opportunity announcement for close date information.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for EPA HQ OCSPP 2021 001

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