Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

The New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food (DAMF) is offering the 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) through a competitive application process. This grant opportunity aims to award one-time funds specifically for projects that market and promote specialty crops produced within New Hampshire. It operates as part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant Programs, under funding opportunity number USDA-AMS-TM-SCBGP-G-25-0004. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture. Processed products must consist of more than fifty percent specialty crop by weight, exclusive of added water. The purpose of this grant is to enhance the competitiveness of New Hampshire specialty crops through marketing, research, increased availability, and addressing challenges faced by producers. The scope of the funding covers a wide range of activities such as enhancing food safety, investing in research, pest and disease control, developing new seed varieties, improving nutrition knowledge, optimizing distribution systems, and promoting sustainability. The grant program is open to commodity groups, agricultural organizations, colleges and universities, municipalities, state agencies, and non-profit organizations located in or affiliated with New Hampshire. Individual applicants or businesses are not eligible. Funds cannot be used for operating expenses, political activities, professional memberships, or construction purposes. Preference will be given to projects that provide broad benefits to the state's specialty crop industry. Selected applicants must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State to finalize award agreements. Applicants are required to submit a complete application consisting of a cover page and the USDA Project Plan by 4:00 PM on June 30, 2025. Applications must answer all questions completely, and the budget section must be itemized and comprehensive, following USDA guidelines. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Questions regarding the application must be submitted via email to Maria J. Vanderwoude at Maria.j.vanderwoude@agr.nh.us by June 16, 2025. The subject line should include "RFA-2025-DEV-2025SCBG". All applications will be evaluated on need, goals, budget clarity, and innovation. Scoring is based on a 100-point system across four categories. Approximately $299,000 in total funding is available for the 2025 program. No matching funds are required, but in-kind services or additional support will enhance applications. Projects selected by the state will be included in the New Hampshire state application to USDA, with awards expected to be announced in September 2025. Projects cannot commence until final approval is obtained from the New Hampshire Governor & Executive Council, with funding anticipated to be available starting in April 2026. The project period extends through September 30, 2028, with final reports due upon project completion. Throughout the grant period, recipients must maintain accurate financial records, submit annual financial statements, copies of invoices with canceled checks, and detailed project reports. Funds will be disbursed on a reimbursement basis following the submission of approved invoices. Semi-annual, annual, and final reports must adhere to specific formats provided by DAMF. All project activities are subject to review and potential amendment by DAMF and USDA. This RFA does not guarantee funding and may be amended or canceled at the discretion of the state. Confidentiality of submitted proposals is governed by New Hampshire's Right-to-Know Law, with certain exemptions for business and personal information.