The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department Youth Conservation Corps Commission is accepting proposals under its 2027 Request for Proposals for Planning, Design, Management, and Implementation of Youth Conservation Corps Projects. The controlling RFP currently posted by EMNRD does not state a formal solicitation number on its cover or in its text; Atlas therefore treats the official 2027 RFP, its posted amendment, response forms, and September 9 written Q&A as the controlling record.
Funding: applicants may request up to $225,000 per project. Projects are reimbursement-based, not advance-funded. Sponsors must front project costs and then request reimbursement. At least 70% of requested YCC funds must support corps-member wages and related payroll costs, while the remaining 30% may support other project costs. A minimum 10% sponsor match is required and may be cash or in-kind.
Deadline: proposals must be received by September 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM Mountain Time. New Mexico is observing MDT (UTC-6) on that date. No late proposals are accepted.
Eligible sponsors: local units of government, including school districts, charter schools, public colleges and universities; state agencies; federal agencies operating in New Mexico; federally recognized tribes with reservations in New Mexico; and qualifying 501(c) nonprofits registered with the New Mexico Department of Justice as required. Applicants must also be eligible to receive payment through New Mexico DFA processes.
Project requirements: projects must employ at least five unemployed New Mexico residents ages 14-25, last no more than 26 weeks, create an identifiable public benefit that does not duplicate routine sponsor services, and include a training/education curriculum equal to 10% of corps-member hours. Allowable project areas include conservation and resiliency, public parks and facilities, disaster relief/preparedness, energy efficiency, urban beautification/restoration, community-facility renovation, and services benefiting elderly or indigent New Mexicans.
Submission: each proposal is submitted by email to david.chene@emnrd.nm.gov with subject line YCC PROPOSAL – APPLICANT NAME. Submit exactly two electronic files in the email: the completed YCC Proposal Response 2027 with all supporting materials inserted into the proposal, and the completed YCC Cost Response 2027 with required cost support. One proposal per email; applicants may submit no more than two proposals. Files over 20MB and ZIP files are not accepted. Personally identifiable information should be removed or redacted.
September 9 written Q&A update: YCC clarified that subrecipients administering any portion of the grant should meet the eligibility requirements of a primary sponsor, and subcontracting requires prior written YCC approval. Charter schools may apply for qualifying renovation projects. Applicants may include multiple work plans within one application, but the primary offeror may submit no more than two applications. YCC will not pre-review early submissions or provide a correction window after the deadline. YCC also confirmed that advance funding is unavailable; sponsors must incur and pay project expenses before reimbursement.
Atlas Opportunity Score: 81/100. This is a substantial statewide youth-workforce and public-benefit funding pathway with explicit school, charter-school, public-college, tribal, governmental and nonprofit eligibility, but it carries reimbursement cash-flow burden and a mandatory 10% match.
N9+ Direct Vendor Fit: 2/100. The verified scope does not establish a defensible N9+ telehealth, remote-exam, RPM or clinical-technology procurement path. Dr. Miltie/QC Healthcare should not pursue as a direct applicant absent a separately eligible sponsor-led project, and no direct submission requiring this mandatory match should be advanced without Marc approval.