Cannabis Research and Innovation Funding Opportunity (RIFO)

Department of Fish and Wildlife · State of California

At a glance

Cannabis Research and Innovation Funding Opportunity (RIFO) is an open California state grant opportunity from the Department of Fish and Wildlife (State of California). Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Applicant types listed as eligible include nonprofit, public agency and tribal government. It is listed on the California Grants Portal. Cost sharing is not required.

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Opened: Jul 1, 2024
Close date: Ongoing
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: Not specified
Expected awards: Not specified
Matching funds: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant

Program details (as published on the California Grants Portal)

Type: Grant
Funding source: State — Grants are provided through the Environmental Restoration and Protection Account pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code section 34019(f)(2)(A).
Matching funds: Not Required — Although matching funds are not required, most CRGP grant funded projects provide some commitment of matching funds and/or in-kind services.
Funding method: Reimbursement(s)
Estimated number of awards: Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc.
Estimated award amounts: Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc.
Award period: 3-years
Expected award announcement: Rolling & continuous
Letter of intent: Not required
Geography: Funds under this Solicitation are available for projects statewide. Projects may occur on state or federal lands. Proposals that directly benefit Species of Greatest Conservation Need or Sensitive Natural Communities will receive higher scores under the “Solicitation Priorities” scoring criteria.
Latest change note: Date of grant opening was updated.

Who can apply

Applicant categories as listed on the California Grants Portal. GrantsJunction maps them to detailed applicant types for search and matching.

Nonprofit
Public Agency
Tribal Government

Additional information on eligibility (from the listing)

The following organizations are eligible to receive grant funding (Fish and Game Code, section 1501.5(b)): • Public agencies within California: • Nonprofit organizations qualified to do business in California, qualified under Section 501(c), Title 26 of the United States Code; • California Native American tribes as defined in Public Resources Code Section 21073.

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Purpose and description as published on the California Grants Portal.

Purpose

CDFW seeks high quality grant proposals that facilitate environmental sustainability of legal cannabis cultivation and addresses environmental impacts related to cannabis cultivation. Grants are provided through the Environmental Restoration and Protection Account pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code section 34019(f)(2)(A).

Description

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Cannabis Restoration Grant Program (CRGP) is seeking Research and Innovation proposals from eligible applicants to evaluate environmental conditions and impacts relative to cannabis cultivation; produce resources for ecological and environmentally sound cultivation practices; facilitate environmental sustainability of legal cannabis cultivation; and overall, address environmental impacts related to cannabis cultivation in California. The Research and Innovation Funding Opportunity (RIFO) focuses on research and innovation across multiple disciplines. Projects may involve environmental research and/or technological innovation and may be qualitative and/or quantitative in scope. Project proposals may focus on species and habitats, particularly Species of Greatest Conservation Need and Sensitive Natural Communities, and approaches for mitigating potentially adverse impacts of cannabis cultivation and related activities. All qualified eligible applicants are encouraged to submit environmental research and/or technological innovation proposals. RIFO proposals may include one or more of the following Project Types as they relate to cannabis cultivation: water use, land management, native species, social dimensions and community engagement, and technological innovations. Proposals should focus on the following objectives: 1) Improve the collective understanding of how cannabis cultivation influences the environment. 2) Provide actionable solutions for mitigating adverse impacts of cannabis cultivation and related activities on the environment. 3) Address factors that support ecological or environmentally sound cultivation practices. 4) Contribute to the conservation of California’s fish, wildlife, and the habitats upon which they depend.

Program page on the agency site ↗

How to apply

0 of 8 done · progress saved in this browser

Read the program guidelinesThe agency's solicitation or guidelines set eligibility details, scoring criteria and required documents. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type and location (see Geography above).
Find out how to submitSee the agency's program page for the application portal or submission address.
Request letters of support and partner commitmentsPartners need time to write and sign letters; ask early.
Finish a full draft of the application and budgetFollow the guidelines' format exactly; state programs often require specific forms and attachments.
Ask the program contact any questions earlycanngrantprogram@wildlife.ca.gov Open ↗
Internal review and sign-offLeave time for leadership or board approval and a final proofread.
Submit while funds remainSubmit a few days early and keep your submission confirmation.

Past applications & awards

Historical data · not a prediction

Reported by the agency for this listing

Fiscal year 2025–2619 applications · 4 awards
Fiscal year 2024–258 applications · 7 awards

Counts as published on the California Grants Portal. Award counts can read zero until decisions are announced.

Awards published: 7
Total awarded: $14,833,093
Median award: $1,992,109 calculated
Smallest – largest: $1,055,709 – $3,927,578

Recipients by type: Nonprofit (4), Public Agency (3)

Areas served: Statewide (6), Santa Cruz County (1)

Largest awards to organizations

Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout ProjectSouthern Coho Salmon Captive Broodstock Rearing and Coastal Monitoring Project$3,927,578 · FY 2024–25
Regents of the University of California, UC BerkeleyBioacoustic Monitoring and Analysis to Support Wildlife Conservation in California$2,413,468 · FY 2024–25
NovellusSustaining Cleanup, Restoration and Remediation Within Traditionally Underserved Communities$2,091,070 · FY 2024–25
Regents of the University of CaliforniaCA Sentinel Site Network: Long-Term Native Species Monitoring to Improve the Effectiveness of Assessing the Impacts of Climate and Land-Use Changes, Including Cannabis Cultivation$1,992,109 · FY 2024–25
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), Joint Powers AuthorityOperationalizing the California Environmental Flows Framework to Inform Sustainable Cannabis Water Use Practices and Policies$1,886,566 · FY 2024–25
Conservation Science PartnersQuantifying Dynamic Trends in Biodiversity and Wildlife Habitat in Response to Cannabis Agriculture, Land Use Change, and Shifting Climates Across California$1,466,593 · FY 2024–25
National Council for Air and Stream ImprovementNon-Lethal Monitoring Methods to Understand Pollinator Community Diversity and Rare Species in Cannabis and Harvested Forests$1,055,709 · FY 2024–25

Source: California Grants Portal grant award data. Awards to individuals are counted but not named. Past awards show who was funded; they do not predict future decisions.

Program contact (as published)

canngrantprogram@wildlife.ca.gov
1-000-000-0000

Quick answers

Who is eligible to apply for “Cannabis Research and Innovation Funding Opportunity (RIFO)”?

The official listing names these applicant types as eligible: Nonprofit, Public Agency and Tribal Government. It adds: “The following organizations are eligible to receive grant funding (Fish and Game Code, section 1501.5(b)): • Public agencies within California: • Nonprofit organizations qualified to do business in California, qualified under Section 501(c), Title 26 of the United States Code; • …” Additional restrictions may apply; review the full guidelines.

How do I apply for “Cannabis Research and Innovation Funding Opportunity (RIFO)”?

Applications go directly to Department of Fish and Wildlife, not through GrantsJunction. Read the program guidelines on the agency's site first; state programs set their own forms and registration requirements.

Other open California state opportunities, matched on agency, categories and wording.

OpenState of California