Funding

Deadline: Year round with periodic ranking cycles announced. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses which negatively affect agricultural uses and conservation values, protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible grazing land, and protecting and restoring and enhancing wetlands on eligible land. ACEP has two components:

• Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) help private and tribal landowners, land trusts, and other entities such as state and local governments protect croplands and grasslands on working farms and ranches by limiting non-agricultural uses of the land through conservation easements.
• Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) help private and tribal landowners protect, restore and enhance wetlands which have been previously degraded due to agricultural uses.

Deadline Passed 2/24/2020. Deadline Unknown for 2021. The purpose of this program is to support research, education/teaching, and extension projects that increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in STEM. NIFA intends this program to address educational needs within broadly defined areas of food, agriculture, natural resources, and human (FANH) sciences. WAMS-funded projects improve the economic health and viability of rural communities by developing research and extension initiatives that focus on new and emerging employment opportunities in STEM occupations.

Deadline: July 19, 2023. The Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant (IAG) Program will provide up to $50 million to improve tribal nations’ food and agricultural supply chain resiliency by developing and expanding value-added infrastructure related to meat from indigenous animals like bison, reindeer or salmon. The program will fund projects that focus on expanding local capacity for the harvesting, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling or distribution of indigenous meats.

Deadline Passed as of 3/16/2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to plan and implement conservation practices that improve soil, water, plant, animal, air and related natural resources on agricultural land and non-industrial private forestland. Eligible program participants receive financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices, or activities like conservation planning, that address natural resource concerns on their land. Payments are made to participants after conservation practices and activities identified in an EQIP plan of operations are implemented. Contracts can last up to ten years in duration.

Deadline Passed as of 3/16/2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019. EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers in order to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation or improved or created wildlife habitat. Eligible program participants receive financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices, or activities like conservation planning, that address natural resource concerns on their land. Payments are made to participants after conservation practices and activities identified in an EQIP plan of operations are implemented. Contracts can last up to ten years in duration.

Applications are accepted year-round. Application deadlines vary by state. Check with your local program staff. RBDG is a competitive grant designed to support targeted technical assistance, training and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas that have fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenues. Programmatic activities are separated into enterprise or opportunity type grant activities.

Applications accepted continuously. This program provides grants to assist rural communities that have had a significant decline in quantity or quality of drinking water. Grant may fund waterline extensions from existing systems, construction of new water lines; repairs to existing systems, construction of new wells, reservoirs, transmission lines, treatment plants, and other water sources. Priority is given to areas with less than 10,000 people, low-income areas, and communities facing imminent decline and shortage of water.

Application Window Closed. This program provides funding to assist in the development of essential community facilities in rural communities with extreme unemployment and severe economic depression. An essential community facility is one that provides an essential service to the local community, is needed for the orderly development of the community, serves a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

Deadline passed as of December 5, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown.

Applications are accepted year-round. This program provides low-income communities, which face significant health risks, access to safe, reliable drinking water and waste disposal facilities and services.

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 14, 2022. The purpose of the Tribal Colleges Extension Program (TCEP) is to enable 1994 institutions to deliver science-based, culturally relevant extension education programs designed to address public needs and improve quality of life. The TCEP is intended to be a component of the applicant 1994 institution's land-grant roadmap or strategic planning process. To the extent practicable, priorities should reflect NIFA's national critical needs areas: 1) Development of sustainable energy; 2) Increased global food security; 3) Adaptation of agriculture and natural resources to global climate change; 4) Reduction of childhood and adolescent obesity; and 5) Improved food safety. Learn more and apply here. Download the RFA here.

The Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) Grant Program supports projects to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables among low-income consumers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by providing incentives at the point of purchase. There are three categories of projects: (1) FINI Pilot Projects (awards not to exceed a total of $100,000 over one year); (2) Multi-year, community-based FINI Projects (awards not to exceed a total of $500,000 over no more than four years); and (3) Multi-year, FINI Large-Scale Projects (awards of $500,000 or more over no more than four years).

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: October 7, 2022. This grant aims to assist at-risk communities and tribes in preparing against and reducing the risks due to wildfire by restoring and maintaining landscapes, creating fire adapted communities, and improving wildfire response. Up to $250K is available for qualifying community wildfire protection plan development or updates. Up to $10M is available for qualifying community wildfire protection plan implementation. Tribes are also welcome to apply to the corresponding state Notices of Funding Opportunity. Learn more and apply here.

Deadline Passed 12/20/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The U.S. Forest Service supports Moving Toward Shared Stewardship Across Landscapes as part of a conceptual framework for making strategic investments across landscapes to co-manage wildfire risk and achieve positive outcomes at the most appropriate scale. Within this framework, Eastern Region Cohesive Fire Strategy Competitive Request for Applications is designed to support and carry out the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (NCS) across the Midwestern and Northeastern States as well as meet the intent of the current year budget direction. These national goals are to restore and maintain landscapes, create fire adapted communities, and improve wildfire response.