CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ANNOUNCES MULTIPLE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CALIFORNIA SPECIALTY CROPS

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SACRAMENTO, September 7, 2021 - The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is accepting proposals for the 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, applications for the 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Technical Review Committee members, and proposals for the 2021 Specialty Crop Multi-State Program.

2022 SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM

Grant awards will range from $100,000 to $500,000 per project and projects may last for up to two years and six months (projects submitted to the Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Organizations will range from $50,000 to $100,000 and may last up to two years). Non-profit and for-profit organizations; local, state, federal, and Tribal government entities; and public and private colleges and universities are eligible to apply (only non-profits and tribal governments may apply to the Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Organizations Program). Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Please review the 2022 Request for Concept Proposals for detailed application instructions.

All applicants must register online with the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST), https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov, to apply. Concept proposals must be submitted electronically using FAAST by Friday, October 8, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. PT.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the program’s website, www.cdfa.ca.gov/grants for full details or contact CDFA’s Office of Grants Administration at grants@cdfa.ca.gov or leave a message at (916) 657-3231 for additional information. 

2022 TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The Technical Review Committee (TRC) is comprised of volunteers with knowledge and expertise regarding California’s specialty crop industry. The committee reviews, evaluates, and makes recommendations to CDFA on proposals submitted for funding to California’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

Individuals interested in serving on the TRC must submit a completed application form and a copy of their résumé to grants@cdfa.ca.gov before 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 4, 2021. Please reference the first page of the application form for requirements and restrictions. For more information and to download the application please visit the program’s website, www.cdfa.ca.gov/grants or contact CDFA’s Office of Grants Administration at grants@cdfa.ca.gov or leave a message at (916) 657-3231 for additional information. 

2021 SPECIALTY CROP MULTI-STATE PROGRAM

The Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP) is a federal grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA, AMS). The purpose of the SCMP is to competitively award funds to projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by funding collaborative, multi-state projects that address regional or national level specialty crop issues, including food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crop-specific projects addressing common issues, and marketing and promotion.  All prospective applicants are encouraged to review the 2021 SCMP Request for Applications on the USDA, AMS website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/2021_SCMP_RFA.pdf

Beginning September 24, 2021 additional information about the SCMP, including application instructions and templates will be available on the CDFA SCMP website: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Specialty_Crop_Competitiveness_Grants/SCMP.html

Grant awards will range from $250,000 to $1 million per project and projects may last for up to three years. Specialty crop producer associations and groups, other state agencies, Tribal government entities, universities, non-profits, and other stakeholder groups and organizations are eligible to apply. All SCMP proposals must include at least two partners (referred to as "multi-state partners") with substantive involvement in the project, and the multi-state partners must be located in two different states to qualify for the program.

The deadline to submit SCMP proposals to California is 1:59 p.m. PT on November 4, 2021. Proposals must be submitted electronically to grants@cdfa.ca.gov.

All questions regarding the SCMP should be emailed to grants@cdfa.ca.gov. Please stipulate in the subject line that your question is specific to the SCMP.

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