Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

The 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), supports projects that enhance the competitiveness of California’s specialty crops. This program is federally funded through the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) under Federal Assistance Listing 10.170. The CDFA operates the grant through a structured, two-phase application process, beginning with a Concept Proposal and followed by a Grant Proposal upon invitation. The total anticipated funding is up to $23 million, with individual awards ranging from $100,000 to $500,000. Projects may last up to two years and eight months, with a funding period beginning November 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2029. Eligible applicants include non-profit and for-profit organizations, federal, state, local, and tribal government entities (both federally and non-federally recognized), and public or private colleges and universities. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Projects must benefit the broader specialty crop industry and cannot serve the exclusive interests of a single entity. All proposals must enhance the competitiveness of California specialty crops, which include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture. Projects must not benefit non-specialty crops or compete unfairly with private industry. The application process opens with the Concept Proposal phase, which requires submission via the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST). Concept Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. PT on September 11, 2025. Webinars and office hours for assistance are available between August 20 and September 3, 2025. Selected applicants will be invited in December 2025 to submit a full Grant Proposal, due January 2026. Final award announcements are expected in Fall 2026. Proposals are reviewed in two stages: administrative review for compliance and technical review by a panel of experts from relevant sectors. Applicants will receive feedback if not invited to Phase II. Projects must align with one of three funding areas: Market Enhancement, Access, Education and Training, or Research. Each area contains distinct funding categories with specific program priorities. For instance, projects under Market Enhancement might focus on promoting California-grown identity or expanding markets for specialty crops. Those under Access, Education and Training may address nutrition education or training for low-resource farmers. Research-focused projects could explore sustainable agriculture practices or pest management. Concept Proposal questions evaluate how the proposed project aligns with program priorities, addresses an industry need, outlines sustainability and outreach, and estimates quantifiable benefits. A completed Outcome Measures template is required to specify measurable outcomes. A separate budget template must outline all anticipated expenditures, which are subject to federal cost principles and restrictions. Indirect costs are capped at 8% of total personnel costs. CDFA also provides a separate funding track—the Additional Assistance for Limited Resource Applicants—to support small nonprofits, tribal governments, and school districts with limited grant-writing experience. This track has its own timeline and submission process and will be available starting November 2025. For questions or help, applicants can contact CDFA at grants@cdfa.ca.gov or (916) 657-3231. Resources including FAQs, example budgets, and allowable cost guides are available on CDFA’s SCBGP website.

Compose responses in a word processor, double-check against allowable cost tables, and submit early to avoid system issues.