The Department of Agriculture is now accepting proposals for a new organization to manage the Montana Noxoius Weed Education Campaign (or Montana Invasive Species Education Campaign) and its coordinator into the future.

All proposal entries are encouraged and will be reviewed by the program steering committee and Department’s advisory council. Instructions on how to submit a proposal are included in this notice.

Additional information can be found on the Campaign website (https://weedawareness.org/) or by contacting Jasmine Chaffee, Montana Department of Agriculture at jchaffee@mt.gov or 406-444-3140.

Who Should Submit a Proposal?

Organizations proposing to manage the program and coordinator should have a strong knowledge of the principles and practices of establishing, operating, noxious weed awareness and education projects and implementing such projects; the ability to develop and monitor program and grant budgets; experience managing several funding sources including federal funds; develop and maintain spreadsheet files; have a reputable accounting system and be able to provide past audits and prepare fiscal reports; and experience managing successful grant projects. Any non-governmental organization who wishes to submit a proposal must be registered and current with the Secretary of State’s Office.

Submittal Process

To be eligible for consideration, an organization must complete and submit all required documents on or before January 31, 2023, 11:59 p.m. Proposals that do not meet the full intent of all requirements listed in this RFP may be deemed incomplete and will not be considered. The Department of Agriculture can withdraw a proposal at any time during the process if information surfaces that would result in the ineligibility of the organization. Proposals will be reviewed, and finalist selected by the Montana Noxious Weed Education Campaign Steering Committee and the Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council in March 2023. If the finalist has also applied for grant funding through the Noxious Weed Trust Fund, approval of funds will be made by the Director of Agriculture in March 2023.