Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Farm Bill 2026
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- USDA-AMS-TM-SCBGP-G-26-0004
- Agency
-
Agricultural Marketing Service
Department of Agriculture
- Applications due
- Award size
- Not on record
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Agriculture
- Eligible applicants
-
- State Governments
- Points of contact
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is soliciting applications from eligible State departments of agriculture to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops—including fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture, and nursery crops. Applicants must develop projects that benefit multiple organizations or products and address key industry challenges such as food safety compliance, pest and disease control, research and development, nutrition education, or distribution efficiency. Projects must be designed to leverage marketing and promotion efforts, expand availability and access to specialty crops, or address local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers. Evaluation will follow a three-step merit review process consisting of initial qualification screening for completeness and compliance, technical review by external peer reviewers assessing proposal strengths and weaknesses, and administrative review to ensure statutory alignment and budgetary appropriateness. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 8, 2026, and applicants must possess a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), active SAM.gov registration, and Grants.gov account prior to submission.
Approximately $86.6 million in total federal funding is available for the program, with each State department of agriculture receiving a base grant of approximately $288,736.67 plus an allocation based on specialty crop cash receipts and acreage data; allocations range from $288,736.67 for the District of Columbia to $28,956,253.95 for California. The three-year award period runs from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2029, with administrative costs limited to 8 percent of total federal funds and no cost-sharing requirement for FY2026. Projects must be carried out at the State level by eligible State departments of agriculture in the 50 States, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, with potential sub-awards to universities, research institutions, and local agricultural organizations to execute specific objectives.
Synopsis
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) to award grants to eligible State departments of agriculture to carry out projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. The SCBGP assists State departments of agriculture in the 50 States, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by- (1) leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops; (2) assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops; (3) expanding availability and access to specialty crops; (4) addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers; and (5) for such other purposes determined to be appropriate by the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with specialty crop stakeholders and relevant State departments of agriculture. Specialty crops are fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). A State department of agriculture is the agency, commission, or department of a State government responsible for agriculture within the State.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| SCBGP NOFO_FY26 Final.pdf |
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