Rural Cooperative Development Grants

The Rural Cooperative Development Grants program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. It is authorized under Section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act as amended by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The program has been designed to strengthen rural communities by enabling nonprofit institutions to establish and operate centers for cooperative development. These centers focus on providing technical assistance to cooperatives and mutually owned businesses, which in turn support rural economic growth, business retention, and workforce development. The program reflects USDA’s broader mission to protect America’s food and fiber supply, expand domestic markets, and fuel innovation for agricultural competitiveness. The primary goal of the program is to improve the economic condition of rural areas by fostering new cooperatives, expanding existing ones, and supporting value-added agricultural processing. Centers established through this funding are expected to create jobs and improve economic conditions in rural communities. Preference is given to applicants with a track record of success in cooperative development, technical assistance delivery, workforce training, support for economically distressed areas, and multi-state or multi-organization collaboration. The program emphasizes technical assistance in underserved and economically distressed regions, with additional consideration for partnerships that contribute to America’s Talent Strategy through workforce development initiatives. For Fiscal Year 2025, approximately $5.8 million is available, with individual awards capped at $1,000,000. The program anticipates making about 15 awards, each lasting up to 12 months. Applicants must provide matching funds equal to 25 percent of the total project cost, except for 1994 Institutions, which are required to contribute only 5 percent. Matching funds can be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions, but must come from non-federal sources unless explicitly authorized. Documentation and verification of all matching contributions are required, and overvalued or conflicted in-kind contributions are not allowed. Eligibility is restricted to nonprofit institutions, including accredited institutions of higher education. Applicants must ensure that all proposed project activities serve rural areas and are focused on cooperative or mutually owned business development. Projects must align with the goals of creating or expanding cooperatives, value-added processing, and rural business development. Only one application per organization is allowed, and proposals that duplicate leadership or boards of existing centers will be deemed ineligible. Applications promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion advocacy or supporting mobile home cooperatives are specifically excluded from consideration. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov using the funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-OP-011616. Required forms include the SF-424 R&R cover sheet, project summary, project narrative (not to exceed 15 text pages plus 5 pages for figures and tables), and a detailed budget justification. Applications must include a clear work plan, budget breakdown, timelines, and identification of key personnel. NIFA evaluates proposals on experience, work plan quality, budget realism, service to underserved communities, networking, qualifications of key personnel, matching fund commitments, and regional or national scope. Scores are allocated across these categories, with work plan and budget receiving the highest weight. The deadline for submission is September 15, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The period of performance will begin no earlier than October 1, 2025, and no later than January 1, 2026. Reporting requirements include semi-annual financial and performance reports, with a final report due within 120 days of grant expiration. Applications and awards are subject to USDA’s policies for responsible conduct of research and general federal grant compliance requirements. Questions may be directed to Edwin Lewis, Ph.D., National Program Leader, or Izabella Jablonska, Program Specialist, both at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Administrative questions can also be sent to grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov or awards@usda.gov.