Active funding paths for sensor deployment and irrigation efficiency
Updated: March 3, 2026 | SWEEP paused, EQIP is the primary path
Management Analyst (Acting) - Grants and Agreements / Outreach Coordinator
NRCS, Fresno
Our team met Yissel at World Ag Expo (Feb 12, 2026). She sent follow-up links to EQIP, CIG, TSP, and CPAs.
NRCS/USDA
Max Funding
$450,000 per operation
Cost Share
Cost-share available; rate and eligibility vary by producer and are set by NRCS
Dedicated funding pool for Madera Irrigation District. $19.4M allocated for FY2023-2027 covering 96,500 acres. Soil moisture sensors, IWM plans, micro-irrigation upgrades all eligible. Applications accepted year-round on continuous basis.
PRIMARY PATH for Madera County citrus + pistachio operations. Madera ID is a designated WaterSMART priority area with $19.4M dedicated funding. Their full acreage across 14 ranches qualifies for $200K-$450K in cost-share.
Strong option for Tulare County tree crops. Practice 449 + 441 for sensor-based IWM on citrus/tree nuts.
Strong option for Tulare County multi-entity citrus operations. 16 entities can each apply separately. $450K per operation across all entities.
NRCS/USDA
Max Funding
Payment per practice completed
Cost Share
NRCS pays the TSP directly
AgWaterAI's lead CCA can register as a TSP for irrigation water management. NRCS pays TSPs directly to help farmers implement conservation practices. This means AgWaterAI gets PAID by NRCS to do what our CCA team already does - write IWM plans and help farmers with irrigation scheduling.
Our CCA team writes the IWM plan under AgWaterAI's TSP registration, and NRCS pays directly. Madera County citrus growers get the plan + sensors through EQIP.
Same - AgWaterAI as TSP writes IWM plans for Tulare County tree crop entities, paid by NRCS.
Same - AgWaterAI as TSP for all 16 Tulare County citrus entities. Revenue stream from NRCS for work our team already does.
NRCS/USDA
Max Funding
Varies ($150K-$2M typical)
Cost Share
50% minimum match required
Funds development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches. AgWaterAI as a technology provider could apply for CIG to fund sensor deployment and AI-powered IWM across multiple farms. This is a PARTNERSHIP grant - AgWaterAI applies, farmers benefit.
AgWaterAI could apply for CIG to fund sensor deployment across Madera County citrus operations. 50% match required.
Same CIG application could include Tulare County tree crop operations as demonstration sites.
Tulare County citrus operations with daily sensor data since 2016 make ideal CIG validation sites.
NRCS/USDA
Max Funding
Up to $450K per agreement
Cost Share
SWEEP and EQIP cost-share can cover part of the sensor cost, and we file with you. Eligibility, award size and payment timing vary, and funding is never guaranteed.
Contribution and Partnership Agreements (CPAs), Deferral and Installment Agreements (DIAs), and Conservation Easement Management Agreements (CEMAs). These are partnership vehicles where AgWaterAI can partner directly with NRCS to deliver conservation services at scale.
CPA could fund AgWaterAI to deploy sensors + AI across Madera County citrus properties.
Same CPA could include Tulare County tree crop operations as a demonstration partner.
Tulare County citrus operation as anchor client in a CPA with NRCS - powerful for the AgWaterAI story.
NRCS/USDA
Max Funding
$4,000-$40,000/year (5-year contract)
Cost Share
Annual payments for conservation activities
Annual payments for maintaining and expanding conservation activities across entire operation. Stack on top of EQIP - get EQIP for sensor installation, then CSP for ongoing IWM management. Minimum $4,000/year payment.
Apply AFTER EQIP. $4K-$40K/year for 5 years on top of EQIP cost-share. Offsets AgWaterAI subscription.
Same - stack CSP on EQIP for Tulare County tree crop entities.
Each of 16 Tulare County citrus entities can apply for CSP individually. Annual payments offset ongoing costs.
CDFA/State of California
Max Funding
$200,000 per entity per round
Cost Share
Funding varies; eligibility and payment terms must be confirmed
SWEEP solicitation is PAUSED. CDFA transitioned to block grant model. No Block Grant Recipient (BGR) covers Madera or Tulare County. Tulare County RCD and Tulare Irrigation District both applied and were REJECTED. New BGRs expected under Prop 4 cycle (~2027). All application materials are pre-built and ready.
NO BGR for Madera County. Cannot apply now. Applications pre-built for when Prop 4 cycle opens (~2027).
NO confirmed BGR for Tulare County. VCRCD may have informal coverage but unconfirmed and likely out of funds.
Same as other Tulare County operations. 16 applications pre-built. Cannot submit until a BGR covers Tulare County.
CDFA transitioned SWEEP from direct applications to a Block Grant Recipient (BGR) model. Only 9 BGRs were funded statewide in the 2023 round.
Madera County: ZERO BGRs cover Madera. No path to apply. Madera County citrus operations cannot access SWEEP right now.
Tulare County: Both Tulare County RCD and Tulare Irrigation District applied for BGR status and were REJECTED. VCRCD (Ventura County RCD) informally expanded beyond their service area but likely out of funds ($12M in requests vs $4.97M awarded).
Next opportunity: Prop 4 allocated $40M for SWEEP. New BGR solicitation expected late 2026 or 2027. All applications for Madera and Tulare County operations are pre-built and ready to submit when it opens.
Sources: 3 independent deep research reports (Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude) all confirm these findings. CDFA Jan 2026 guidance confirms direct-to-CDFA is formally ended.
She's expecting to hear from us. Our team met her at World Ag Expo. Schedule the NRCS meeting this week.
Call (520) 345-8881Yissel.Martinez@usda.gov | NRCS Fresno, 4625 W Jennifer Ave #125, Fresno, CA 93722
AgWaterAI Internal - Confidential
EQIP = primary path. SWEEP = backup (when Prop 4 opens). Google Water RFI = $2.5M non-dilutive.