Regional Food System Partnership Fiscal Year 2026
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- USDA-AMS-TM-RFSP-G-26-0006
- Agency
-
Agricultural Marketing Service
Department of Agriculture
- Applications due
- Award size
- $100,000 to $1,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Agriculture
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- Points of contact
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is soliciting applications for the Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) program, which supports partnerships that connect public and private resources to plan and develop local and regional food systems while advancing direct producer-to-consumer marketing and value-added agricultural products. Eligible applicants must form partnerships consisting of at least one eligible entity (such as farmer cooperatives, food councils, nonprofits, local governments, or economic development corporations) and one or more eligible partners (including financial institutions, higher education institutions, philanthropic organizations, state agencies, or private corporations), and must be domestically owned and operated within U.S. territories or Tribal lands. A mandatory 25% non-Federal cash cost share is required, with additional cost share above this threshold strengthening applications. Applications will be evaluated based on five criteria: Alignment and Intent (25 points), Technical Merit (25 points), Expertise and Partners (25 points), Achievability (15 points), and Fiscal Plan and Resources (10 points), followed by administrative review considering geographic diversity and program priorities such as serving distressed communities. The application deadline is June 5, 2026, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time via Grants.gov (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-AMS-TM-RFSP-G-26-0006).
Approximately $4.71 million in funding is available to support approximately 10 awards under this solicitation. Two project types are available: Planning & Design projects with 24-month timelines requesting $100,000–$250,000, and Implementation & Expansion projects with 36-month timelines requesting $250,000–$1,000,000, both beginning September 30, 2026. Projects will be performed throughout the continental United States and U.S. territories or Tribal lands. Required application materials include SF-424 and SF-424A forms, a Project Narrative (maximum 15 pages), signed Letters of Verification for Cost Share from each contributing party, and signed Letters of Commitment from all project partners.
Synopsis
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for the 2026 Fiscal Year (FY) Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant program. RFSP purpose is to support partnerships that connect public and private resources to plan and develop local and regional food systems.RFSP is part of the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) umbrella program. AMS welcomes applications that meet LAMP goals (see section 3.1) to support the development, coordination, and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets and enterprises, and value-added agricultural products.Approximately $4.71 million is available to fund applications under this solicitation. In FY2025, AMS funded 7 (6.5%) of the eligible applications received an awarded a total of $4,712,934.This announcement identifies the eligibility criteria for RFSP projects and applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for an RFSP grant. AMS will award these grants competitively to eligible applicants proposing high quality projects that meet the purpose and requirements of the program. All applications will be reviewed using merit and evaluation procedures.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| RFSP NOFO APPROVED 4-21-26 Copy 1.pdf |
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