Plant Protection Act Section 7721 National Clean Plant Network Program
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- USDA-APHIS-10025-PPQ-NCPN-2026
- Agency
-
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Department of Agriculture
- Applications due
- Award size
- $25,000 to $3,500,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Agriculture
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking cooperative agreement proposals for the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) Program under the Plant Protection Act Section 7721. The program aims to establish a network of Clean Plant Centers that provide diagnostic and pathogen elimination services for specialty crops across the United States. Eligible applicants include land grant universities, state agricultural experiment stations, state and federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Proposals will be evaluated based on alignment with NCPN strategic goals, including optimizing clean plant production, advancing technological initiatives, and enhancing network resources. Applicants must submit a comprehensive project work plan (15-40 pages) and a financial plan by September 15, 2025, with proposals focusing on producing and maintaining pathogen-tested plant material and implementing innovative plant protection technologies.
The funding opportunity anticipates awarding at least $8 million, with expectations of funding 18-25 proposals. Award periods are estimated to begin between May 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026, with cooperative agreements lasting approximately one year. Indirect costs are limited to 15% of the total award, and there are no cost-sharing requirements. Successful applicants will be required to provide semiannual performance reports and demonstrate their ability to protect U.S. agricultural resources and enhance the global competitiveness of specialty crop producers. The program will cover multiple sites throughout the United States, focusing on diagnostic services, pathogen elimination, and clean plant material maintenance.
Synopsis
This funding opportunity is provided to carry out the provisions as described in Section 7721 of the Plant Protection Act (PPA 7721). This program makes funding available for the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) through PPA 7721. The purpose of the NCPN program is to establish a network of Clean Plant Centers for diagnostic and pathogen elimination services to produce clean propagative plant material and to maintain blocks of pathogen-tested plant material in sites located throughout the United States. Program priorities align with the goals specified in the NCPN Strategic Plan and include: 1) Optimizing the production, maintenance, and distribution of clean plants, 2) Advancing special initiatives by optimizing the adaptation and implementation of novel technologies and new ideas while increasing the awareness of the importance, availability, and use of clean plants, and 3) Optimizing network resources.
The application package must include the documents listed below.
□ Project proposal WORK PLAN. See below.
□ Project proposal FINANCIAL PLAN. See below.
□ Documentation of Pre-Proposal Review Process. See below.
Project Proposal Work Plan
Applicants must submit a project proposal Work Plan that provides details on all aspects of the project. The Work Plan Template is available at the link above from the USDA APHIS NCPN website.
Proposal work plans should not exceed 15 pages (11 point font, single spaced) for proposals covering a single crop or special initiative. For proposals with multiple crops or multiple entities, the work plan may be increased up to 5 pages for each additional crop or entity, up to a maximum of 40 pages. This limitation does not include any proposal cover pages, budget, or appendices.
Project Proposal Financial Plan
Applicants must submit a project proposal Financial Plan that includes details about the project budget. The Financial Plan Template is available at the link above from the USDA APHIS NCPN website. All APHIS awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, allowable and unallowable costs, direct and indirect costs, cost share and matching, and other considerations as described and defined in:
· PPA 7721 Use of Funds document, found in Appendix D of the FY 2026 PPA 7721 Implementation Plan, and
· 2 CFR Subpart E, Cost Principles - General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost.
Documentation of Pre-Proposal Review Process
Applicants should provide a letter of support documenting pre-proposal review and coordination with the appropriate NCPN specialty crop governing body. This process is not required for proposals focused on cross-network special initiatives, but these proposals should be coordinated with the appropriate working group. Applicants may request working group or crop governing body contact information at ncpn@usda.gov.
Optional Appendix: Strategic Plans or Annual Reports. Applicants seeking Network support that also have established strategic plans or issue annual entity reports for their operating units may include these as an appendix.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| NOFO_FY26_NCPN.pdf | ||
| NCPN Funding Opportunity Announcement_Sept2025.pdf |
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