Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture is soliciting applications for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) with an application deadline of June 16, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time. A mandatory 25 percent cost-sharing match from nonfederal sources is required unless a waiver is granted for underserved populations.

Eligible applicants are collaborative networks of public or private entities, including state cooperative extension services, federal or state agencies, community-based organizations, nonprofits, colleges or universities, and tribal or local entities. NIFA will allocate at least 5 percent of funding to each of two subsets: limited resource and farmworker beginning farmers, and veteran farmers and ranchers.

The program offers three grant types. Standard Grants (Small, Medium, Large, and Simplified) range from $49,000 to $750,000 annually with 12–36 month performance periods; approximately 90 awards are anticipated. Education Team Grants range from $600,000 to $750,000 with 36-month duration; 2 awards are anticipated. The Curriculum and Training Clearinghouse Grant ranges from $600,000 to $750,000 with 36-month duration; 1 award is expected every three years. Total funding available is approximately $44.443 million. The anticipated project start date is September 15, 2026. Indirect costs are limited to 10 percent of total federal funds awarded.

Applications must support education, outreach, and technical assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers with zero to ten years of farming experience. Priority topics include livestock and crop practices, farm succession and transfer strategies, entrepreneurship and business training, financial and risk management, natural resource management, diversification and marketing strategies, mentoring and apprenticeships, and farm safety. All applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov and must include collaborative partnerships with commitment letters, a Data Management Plan, logic models, and evaluation plans with external evaluators. Project Directors must participate in annual BFRDP meetings and contribute project outcomes to the clearinghouse outcome-based reporting system.

The Assistance Listing number is 10.311.