Agriculture Grants

The County of Kaua’i’s Office of Economic Development (OED) is offering an Innovation Grant for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. This grant aims to support innovative community projects that address and resolve local challenges, thereby stimulating both short-term and long-term economic growth and diversification in Kaua’i. The program seeks to deploy innovation across various sectors on the island, aligning with OED's mission to foster economic resilience and development within the community. The target beneficiaries for this grant include not-for-profit organizations incorporated in Hawaii and exempt from federal income tax, as well as Kaua’i-based businesses with a non-profit fiscal sponsor. The overarching impact goals are to identify and solve known deficiencies, problems, or needs within the Kaua’i community by deploying innovative projects that have demonstrated success in other contexts. This approach seeks to drive sustainable economic progress and improve the quality of life for residents. The program prioritizes projects that advance innovation in areas such as small business, technology, transportation, agriculture, local manufacturing, creative industries, workforce development, circular economies, tourism destination management, and product development. Proposals are expected to articulate a clear problem and an innovative solution. OED's strategic priority is to invest in initiatives that not only generate economic growth but also promote diversification and build a more resilient local economy. The theory of change suggests that by funding proven innovative solutions, Kaua’i can effectively address its challenges and create new opportunities. The OED intends to award grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 for different initiatives, with a total funding allocation not exceeding $460,000. The project funding period is set from November 1, 2024, to October 31, 2025. Expected outcomes include the successful implementation of innovative programs or projects that demonstrably advance the specified program areas, leading to tangible economic benefits and community improvements. Measurable results will likely be tied to the specific objectives outlined in each funded project, contributing to the overall goals of economic growth and diversification in Kaua’i.

The Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA) is seeking applications for its Building Socially Connected Communities Program, a grant initiative designed to address concerning public health statistics in Indiana through a community and economic development lens. This program aligns with the foundation's mission to enhance community resilience and foster economic growth across the state. By investing in initiatives that build social connections, strengthen community bonds, and enhance the overall quality of life for Hoosiers, OCRA aims to strategically counter social isolation and loneliness, which diminish social capital and impact individual and community well-being. The program targets all counties in Indiana and aims to benefit individuals experiencing social isolation and loneliness, local businesses affected by decreased community engagement, and communities striving for greater economic vibrancy and social cohesion. The impact goals are to improve individual health outcomes, enhance community well-being and social capital, foster community engagement, support local businesses, and contribute to the overall economic health of Indiana’s communities. The program's priorities and focus areas include Community Infrastructure Enhancement (e.g., community centers, meeting spaces), Social Clubs & Interest Groups tailored to older adults, Community Well-Being Programs (e.g., mental health awareness, loneliness stigma reduction, accessible resources), Local Business Support (e.g., creating inviting spaces for social interactions), Transportation Accessibility in rural areas, and Intergenerational Initiatives. These focus areas reflect the foundation's strategic priority to create strong, connected communities. Expected outcomes and measurable results include increased social connections, stronger community bonds, enhanced quality of life, greater community engagement, improved economic vibrancy through local business support, and increased access to community events and essential services. The foundation's theory of change posits that by strategically investing in these areas, communities will experience a positive shift in social fabric, economic health, and overall well-being, contributing to Indiana’s statewide development goals. Funding information includes a total of $200,000 available. Applicants can apply for either Quick Action projects (maximum $5,000, minimum $1,000, 1:1 match with 30% in-kind) or Large Impact projects (maximum $50,000, minimum $5,001, 1:1 cash match). Eligible applicants are local government, non-profit organizations, and community groups. Ineligible activities range from plants and Wi-Fi to one-time use products, permanent public restrooms, taxes, food/drink, gaming, illegal/political/unsanctioned activities, demolition, salaries, administration fees, and pre-award expenses.

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) is offering the New Dairy Processor Start-up Grant program to support new dairy processing projects across the Northeast. The core mission of this program is to foster competitive dairy processing businesses with long-term viability. This aligns with a broader strategic objective of strengthening the regional dairy industry by enabling operations of all sizes to successfully launch and sustain their products in the marketplace. By focusing on start-up operations and tangible implementation, the NE-DBIC aims to facilitate direct economic impact and product innovation within the dairy sector. The program targets several key beneficiaries, including dairy farmers ready to begin processing, value-added entrepreneurs with proven experience in dairy processing or business startups, and dairy processors established after January 1, 2023, who are in their start-up phase. The impact goals are centered on developing these businesses, supporting their entry into the market, and ultimately contributing to the economic vitality of the Northeast dairy industry. By providing financial assistance for start-up operations, the program seeks to create new opportunities for dairy-related businesses and products. The program's priorities and focuses are clearly on tangible implementation rather than earlier stages like research and development, concept development, or initial planning. This indicates a strategic emphasis on getting products to market and establishing sustainable business models. Eligibility criteria further refine this focus, requiring applicants to be headquartered or based in the Northeast, demonstrate proof of concept, have a robust business plan, obtain necessary licenses, and show commitment from buyers or distributors by the end of the grant period. Expected outcomes include the successful launch of new value-added dairy products, the establishment of competitive and viable dairy processing businesses, and increased market access for Northeast dairy products. Measurable results would likely include the number of new businesses launched, the volume of new products brought to market, and the economic growth generated within the participating dairy sectors. The NE-DBIC's strategic priorities, as evidenced by this grant, involve direct investment in the operational start-up phase, aiming for a theory of change where targeted financial support leads to the successful commercialization and long-term sustainability of dairy processing ventures in the region.

The 2025 Regional Agricultural Promotion Program is a financial support program that aims to boost U.S. agricultural exports and diversify markets by providing partial refunds to nonprofit agricultural organizations, cooperatives, and state agencies that carry out approved marketing activities.

This program provides financial assistance to Minnesota farmers for purchasing and installing safety equipment in their grain storage facilities.

The "Model Intercomparison and Improvement for Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimation from Agriculture" grant is a $1.9 million funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture aimed at supporting the coordination, implementation, and management of studies comparing different models of carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural systems, with a focus on soil carbon sequestration and emissions in cropland and grassland systems.

The Pacific Coast Coalition is offering a grant of over $1 million for dairy processors in selected states to fund projects that diversify dairy product markets, promote business development, and encourage innovative use of regionally produced milk, with funds potentially used for planning, training, equipment, product development, and co-packing capabilities.

This funding opportunity supports projects that promote sustainable pest management practices to protect human health and the environment, particularly in underserved communities and agricultural areas near schools.

The 2025 Sea Scallop Research Set Aside Program is a grant that awards scallop quota to successful applicants for conducting research to enhance knowledge about the scallop fishery resource and contribute to scallop management decisions, with funding generated from the sale of the awarded quota.

DPR's Research Grants Program supports projects that seek to advance integrated pest management (IPM) knowledge in agricultural, urban, or wildland settings. Projects should focus on reducing impacts to public health or the environment from pesticides of high regulatory interest. Summaries of previously funded Research Grants Program projects can be found on the Research Grants webpage.  The 2025 Research Grants Program is particularly seeking applications that address one or more of the following topic areas: · IPM for underserved or disadvantaged communities; · Decreasing the use of pesticides of high regulatory interest (such as fumigants like 1,3-dichloropropene or sulfuryl fluoride); · Advancement of urban IPM and safer, more sustainable pest management tools and strategies in urban settings; · Advancement of IPM and safer, more sustainable pest management tools and strategies in agricultural settings adjacent to or near a school(s); · Meeting the IPM needs of small growers; and/or TWO or more of the three sustainability pillars noted below and referenced in the Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) Roadmap: o Human Health and Social Equity o Environmental Protections o Economic Vitality For further definitions of these priority topic areas, please review the 2025 Research Grants Solicitation. Following the submission deadline, applications are concurrently reviewed by DPR staff and the Pest Management Advisory Committee (PMAC). Both groups evaluate the proposal application according to scoring criteria that can be found in the 2025 Research Grants Solicitation. This year, DPR invites projects with budgets ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 to apply. Eligible grantees include nonprofit agencies, tribal governments, individuals, businesses, and public agencies. There is no limit on the number of applications that can be submitted, including multiple applications from the same person or entity. PMAC members may apply, but they must follow the rules regarding conflict of interest in the PMAC Charter. All applicants and associated project personnel must meet DPR’s eligibility requirements that can be found in the 2025 Research Grants Solicitation. Keywords: Agriculture, Agricultural Commodity, Agricultural Crops, Agronomy, Air Quality, Automation, Bacteria, Bactericide, Climate Change, Community Health, Cover Crops, Cropping System, Crops, Ecology, Ecosystem, Emissions, Fauna, Fertility, Field Sanitation, Flora, Fruits, Fumigant, Fungi, Fungicide, Herbicide, Horticulture, Housing, Insect Pests, Insecticide, Integrated Pest Management, Irrigation, Lakes, Land Management, Laws and Regulations, Machinery, Mating Disruption, Miticide, Natural Enemies, Nuts, Oceans, Pathogens, Personal Protective Equipment, Pest, Pest Management, Pesticide, Plant Disease, Plant Protection, Pollinator, Pollution, Reduced-Risk, Rivers, Rodenticide, Soil Health, Streams, Sustainable, Training, Urban Pest Management, Vegetables, Vertebrate Pests, Virus, Volatile Organic Compounds, Water, Water Quality, Watershed, Weeds, Wildlands, Worker Health and Safety

The FY24 BCRP Clinical Research Extension Award is designed to enhance the impact of previously funded breast cancer clinical studies by extending or expanding data collection, follow-up, and analysis. This mechanism directly aligns with the broader mission of maximizing the value of breast cancer patient participation in clinical research, thereby addressing knowledge gaps that may arise from early trial termination, limited patient follow-up, or insufficient data collection and analysis. By ensuring that the invaluable contributions of patient tissues, serum, other biological specimens, and data are fully utilized, the BCRP aims to ensure that scientific efforts truly value these contributions and maximize their impact in saving lives. The primary target beneficiaries of this award are breast cancer patients and the scientific community. The impact goals are to increase the clinically relevant impact of breast cancer patient participation, accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer, and generate meaningful hypotheses or support valid conclusions. The program prioritizes research that extends or affects the impact of previous clinical trials or studies, or creates new impact in the fight against breast cancer. It specifically encourages innovative research in nuclear medicine to support early diagnosis, more effective treatment, and improved health outcomes for active-duty Service Members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and the American public. Key focuses for the research scope include deeper molecular analysis of clinical samples, initiation of new correlative studies, biomarker validation, or continued clinical follow-up of patients in open, ongoing, or completed clinical trials. The proposed research can be hypothesis-testing or -generating, and may also be designed to create clinically annotated and molecularly characterized experimental platforms, such as patient-derived models or tissue arrays. Innovation is not a primary criterion for this award, and projects proposing new clinical trials will not be supported. A critical focus is on meaningful and productive partnerships between investigators, with a Partnering PI Option available to accommodate two Principal Investigators who bring distinct and equally intellectual contributions to the project. Expected outcomes include increased understanding of breast cancer through extended data analysis, validation of biomarkers, improved patient follow-up, and the development of new experimental platforms. Measurable results are tied to valid conclusions from appropriately sized study samples and a clear data-sharing plan to ensure the scientific community has access to generated platforms and molecular data. The program also emphasizes robust research teams with relevant expertise and mandatory involvement of two or more breast cancer consumer advocates who provide objective input on the research's potential impact for individuals with, or at risk for, breast cancer. The overall strategic priority is to accelerate clinical and translational research, especially for advanced state and recurrent patients, and to improve health outcomes for military service members and the public through relevant collaborations and innovative techniques.

The 2024 Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) and Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) offer grants, funded by the California State Budget, to support projects that reduce methane emissions from dairy and livestock operations in California, with a focus on funding new projects and those that have successfully implemented AMMP projects in the past.

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Food and Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is announcing its intention to receive and consider a single source application for the award of a cooperative agreement in fiscal year 2024 to Cornell University to support the Center for Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The purpose of this support is to:1. Carry out multidisciplinary applied research projects on raw milk cheese aging to examine factors that affect Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1) virus inactivation, to include pH and water activity.2. Carry out multidisciplinary applied research projects on commonly used acidification methods for treatment of waste milk to be fed to calves, or for disposal, to understand effects on HPAI H5N1.3. Carry out multidisciplinary applied research projects to characterize the thermal inactivation kinetics of HPAI H5N1 in a wide variety of dairy products.4. Provide additional capabilities and capacity for HPAI H5N1 testing as needed to help meet the needs of FDA's research agenda. 5. Engage with academic and industry stakeholders to help ensure work is complementary of other ongoing research in these research spaces and to facilitate the use of the information produced by the research program.

The Budget Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 178, Skinner) and Government Code section 12100.140 et seq. established an Export Training program within GO-Biz. The program is one-time funding for competitive grants to service providers to develop or scale export training programs and curricula. Respondents to this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) must demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and ability to provide such training. The key purpose of this program is to fund export training programming that supports California small business owners, provides access to export services for underserved businesses, advances immigrant integration and supports immigrant entrepreneurs, and includes training programs in languages other than English wherever possible. Additionally, this program may consider funding export training programs that are aimed at developing an export-capable workforce should there be sufficient program funding. Organizations are strongly encouraged to collaborate on applications and to utilize each other's resources effectively. Program Objectives:• Equip new-to-export businesses with comprehensive knowledge of global markets and essential international trade knowledge.• Provide ongoing assistance to current exporters, aiding them in sustaining and broadening their presence in foreign markets.• Cultivate a fresh cohort of businesses eligible for the California State Trade Expansion Program, preparing for participation in export promotion activities, including trade shows.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is offering a competitive grant of over $1 million for California dairy and livestock operations to implement non-digester manure management practices and technologies that reduce long-term methane emissions and maximize environmental benefits, with applications due by October 18, 2024.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is offering a grant of over $1 million through its Dairy Plus Program to California dairy farms for implementing advanced manure management practices that reduce methane emissions and manage nitrogen and salt surplus, with a focus on climate-smart practices and product markets.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is offering a grant of over $1 million for the implementation of dairy digesters on California dairy farms, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by converting methane into renewable energy, with a focus on projects that use at least 80% dairy livestock manure as feedstock.

The 2024 AMMP and DDRDP grants, funded by the California State Budget and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, aim to provide financial support for projects that reduce methane emissions from dairy and livestock operations, with a focus on alternative manure management and dairy digester research and development.

This program provides financial assistance to farmers, producer groups, and local governments in Minnesota to help cover the costs of purchasing or retrofitting equipment that improves soil health and promotes sustainable agriculture.

The 2024 Dairy Plus Program is a $58 million grant initiative aimed at supporting advanced manure management practices in dairy farming, offering up to $1,250,000 per project that proposes innovative methods for reducing methane emissions and nitrogen and salt surplus, with the funding being provided on a reimbursement basis after project completion.