Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Farm Bill 2025

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) for Fiscal Year 2025 is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The program is established under the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 and is designed to enhance the competitiveness of U.S.-grown specialty crops. It specifically targets state departments of agriculture, which are defined as agencies, commissions, or departments responsible for agriculture within a U.S. state or territory. The funding amount allocated for this cycle is approximately $72.9 million, with awards distributed according to state-based allocations derived from specialty crop cash receipts and acreage data. The SCBGP provides financial support for projects that enhance marketing, research, availability, safety, and access related to specialty crops. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture, and nursery crops including floriculture. The program encourages projects addressing food safety, pest and disease control, nutrition, sustainability, and efficiency in crop distribution systems. However, projects must serve the specialty crop industry or public at large and cannot benefit a single organization or individual. Multi-state partnerships are also encouraged, especially for issues like food safety and crop-specific research spanning multiple states. Each eligible state department of agriculture is responsible for developing and submitting a comprehensive State Plan, which may encompass multiple projects. The grant requires submission of specific documents through Grants.gov, including the SF-424 and SF-424A forms, a project abstract, grant administration narrative, and project profile templates. These applications must be formatted according to specific guidelines and uploaded as a PDF Portfolio. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 7, 2025. There are no pre-application deadlines such as letters of intent. Indirect administrative costs are capped at 8% of the federal funds awarded, and while cost-sharing is not required, proper cost categorization and reporting are mandatory. Recipients must adhere to AMS general terms and conditions, including performance reporting on measurable outcomes and attending a mandatory coordinator meeting, which may be virtual. Evaluation of applications will be based on completeness, eligibility, and alignment with program goals. A risk review of applicants’ capacity to manage federal funds will be conducted before awards are issued. Applicants will be notified electronically and will be required to sign a Notice of Award. Contact for technical support is available through SCBlockGrants@usda.gov, and Grants.gov technical issues can be addressed via support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726. Additional program details and resources are available at the SCBGP website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/scbgp.