2025 CalAgPlate Grant Program

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) administers the California Agriculture License Plate Grant Program (CalAgPlate), which is funded through the fees generated from the purchase, renewal, and conversion of CalAgPlates by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The program was established to support agricultural education, career awareness, training, and leadership development for individuals at multiple education levels, including K-12, post-secondary, and adult education. Its goal is to provide enhanced agricultural opportunities and experiences that foster understanding of farming, agricultural business, and policy at both local and statewide levels. The program prioritizes projects that expand access to agricultural education and offer practical training opportunities to encourage more students to pursue careers in agriculture. Specific goals include broadening agricultural education programs to cover environmental complexities like air and water quality, promoting career awareness by showcasing diverse agricultural skill sets, strengthening career training through partnerships with agricultural businesses, and enhancing leadership development by exposing participants to organizations and agencies working on agricultural policy. Funding is divided into two tiers. Tier 1 allocates up to 85 percent of available funds, approximately $170,000, to the California FFA Association, which oversees state-adopted Agricultural Education Programs recognized under California law. Tier 1 awards range between $10,000 and $170,000. Applicants seeking Tier 1 funds must coordinate directly with the California FFA Association. Tier 2 allocates up to 15 percent of available funds, approximately $30,000, to local, community, and state agricultural education programs. Tier 2 applicants may include nonprofit organizations, state, local, and tribal governments within California that promote agricultural education. Individual schools and districts are encouraged to partner with eligible nonprofit organizations, while institutions of higher education are generally ineligible to apply directly unless operating nonprofit programs such as 4-H. Tier 2 awards range between $2,500 and $10,000. The program identifies three main funding categories: agricultural education, agricultural career awareness and training, and agricultural leadership development. Projects eligible under agricultural education may include curriculum development, school and community garden programs, and interactive agricultural learning opportunities. Career awareness and training projects may involve mentorships, workshops, and outreach initiatives for new farmers. Leadership development efforts may include training conferences, agricultural policy tours, and leadership-focused programs. Each category is designed to support the comprehensive development of participants’ skills and understanding of California agriculture. Applicants must complete the official CalAgPlate Grant Proposal Application template, which is provided on the program’s website. Applications must include general information, a project proposal, and a budget narrative. Submissions must be made electronically to grants@cdfa.ca.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on October 1, 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. The review process consists of an administrative review to ensure compliance and completeness, followed by a technical review conducted by experts who will assess project merits. Reviewers’ recommendations will inform CDFA’s final funding decisions. Priority consideration will be given to statewide programs with California Department of Education-approved curricula and applicants who have not previously received CalAgPlate funding. The timeline for the 2025 grant cycle begins with the release of the Request for Proposals on September 3, 2025. Applications close on October 1, 2025. The review process will take place in October and November 2025, and awards will be announced in December 2025. Funded projects may not begin before January 1, 2026, and must be completed by June 30, 2027. Funding cannot be used outside this window. Applicants and awardees are advised to include grants@cdfa.ca.gov in their safe senders list to ensure receipt of communications. Contact information for questions and coordination includes the CDFA Office of Grants Administration at (916) 657-3231 and grants@cdfa.ca.gov, and the California FFA Association at (209) 744-1600 or mpatton@calagteachers.org and mfreitas@californiaffa.org for Tier 1 inquiries.

CDFA advises applicants to ensure emails from grants@cdfa.ca.gov are not blocked by spam filters. Priority will be given to statewide programs with California Department of Education-approved curricula and applicants who have not previously received CalAgPlate funding.