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Find similar grantsFY2024 deadline was July 5, 2024. Future cycle dates not yet announced.
2501 Program Grants is sponsored by USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement. Provides technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to help them own and operate successful farms.
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Funding Available to Support Underserved Farmers: A Look at USDA's 2501 Grants - National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Skip to primary navigation Photo Credit: USDA by Preston Keres. Last week, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $22. 3 million in funding for 2501 grants to help organizations conduct targeted outreach and provide technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers.
The Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program , more commonly known as the “2501 Program” and administered by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE), helps to ensure that historically underserved producers have equitable access to the information, programs, and opportunities that will help them find success in agriculture.
While 2501 typically has a 90-day application period, this year’s window is only 60 days. All applications must be submitted via grants. gov by 11:59 pm EDT on July 5, 2024.
USDA will host two upcoming webinars to answer questions from potential grantees. Session 1: May 22, 2024, at 2:00 pm EDT Web conference link – https://www. zoomgov.
com/j/1616233057? pwd=MFRTRklXYnFQaThxeDZ3MmwwOWlPUT09 Session 2: June 26, 2024 at 2:00 pm EDT Web conference link – https://www. zoomgov.
com/j/1615399036? pwd=NkdUN2VIdUNwenFGZENrc1laTVo2UT09 Farmers of color have not historically benefitted from vital USDA safety net programs to the same extent as their white counterparts, often due to overt discrimination, limited resources, and USDA’s inadequate outreach to these communities.
Farmers of color more commonly face unique and difficult challenges to starting and managing a successful farming operation, limiting the opportunity to have viable and resilient careers in farming. This disparity disadvantages farmers of color in both the national and global economy and stifles the growth and prosperity of rural communities.
Rising costs and limited availability of farmland, access to markets and infrastructure, discrimination, and the worsening impacts of the climate crisis and natural disasters are just some of the challenges these farmers face.
In an effort to support the operations of historically underserved farmers (known collectively as “ socially disadvantaged farmers ” in statute), the 1990 Farm Bill authorized the 2501 Program, which the 2014 Farm Bill expanded to include veterans in what is now the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program.
The 2018 Farm Bill combined the 2501 program with the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) into a new umbrella program: the Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach (FOTO) program. Congress mandates that FOTO funds be divided equally between Section 2501 and BFRDP, with each program to receive $25 million in mandatory funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.
FOTO received an additional $75 million from the Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020 in December 2020, and these additional funds were meant to be dispersed over the next few years. In FY22, 52 organizations were awarded 2501 grants, almost double the amount of awards granted in FY21 as a result of the additional investment from COVID relief funds.
However, President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA-20) deal intended to avoid a default on the United States’ debt , now known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, H. R. 3746 , rescinded all unobligated funds from the $75 million appropriated to FOTO, resulting in less funding and fewer grantees for FY23 than originally expected.
Organizations can apply for a maximum amount of $250,000 for a single year, with a grant maximum of $750,000 over a 3-year period. There is no match required for applications and only one project proposal may be submitted per eligible entity.
Grant funding will be awarded to three categories of applicants: Category 1 – Minority serving academic institutions (e.g., 1890 and 1994 Land Grant Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions) Category 2 – Non-profit, community-based organizations, and Eligible Tribal Entities or National Tribal organizations Category 3 – Academic institutions and organizations (e.g., 1862 Land Grant Universities, including those that received funding under this program before January 1, 1996) Importantly, organizations must have demonstrated expertise working with underserved, socially disadvantaged, and/or veteran farmer communities during the 3-year period preceding the submission of the application.
USDA is soliciting project proposals that address the following program mission areas, which are slightly different from last year.
Proposals from eligible entities must address at least two of the five following programmatic mission areas as they develop their goals: Assist underserved, military veteran farmers and ranchers, including beginning farmers and ranchers in owning and operating successful farms and ranches; Improve participation among underserved or military veteran farmers and ranchers in USDA programs; Build relationships between current and prospective farmers and ranchers who are underserved or military veterans and USDA’s local, state, regional, and National offices; Assist in reaching current and prospective underserved farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners in a linguistically appropriate manner; and Assist with identifying the problems and barriers that underserved farmers experience and working towards minimizing or alleviating those issues to enable their equitable participation in USDA programs.
Recent 2501 Project Awards 41 organizations were awarded 2501 grants in 2023. A mix of university institutions, including many 1890 land-grant universities, and several community-based organizations, received awards to educate, train, and mentor farmers.
A full list and descriptions of the 2023 Section 2501 projects are here , the following are descriptions of 2501 funded projects NSAC members carry out: California Farmlink is using its grant to primarily serve Latino farmers and other socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in California with training and technical assistance needed to protect farm income and prepare farm and ranch businesses.
This technical assistance supports farmers in accessing land, capital, and USDA programs. Michigan Integrated Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) is using its grant to assist socially disadvantaged farmers and farmer veterans in owning and successfully operating viable farms and ranches in Michigan.
MIFFS supports peer-to-peer networks in Michigan for beginning and historically underserved farmers and utilizes their USDA technical assistance specialists to work one-on-one with socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and veterans.
MIFFS also facilitates an annual statewide conference with more than 25 workshops and hosts at least 2 annual USDA technical assistance clinics onsite in underserved communities to build relationships with local USDA staff and identify challenges and opportunities in order to respond to the needs of SDF/R and farmers and veterans in real time.
Cultivate Kansas City is using its grant to expand and refine its New Roots Farm Training and Business Incubation program by increasing the viability and sustainability of current program participants and providing greater support to program graduates.
These refinement strategies include expanding outreach to other non-English speaking populations, securing land for program graduates, and providing education and demonstrations of effective product diversification. Challenges and Opportunities for the 2501 Program The administration of the 2501 program has not been without challenges, including funding cuts and delays in publishing funding announcements.
Such delays, like the one in 2021 , gave applicants only 30 days to prepare and submit complex and time-consuming grant applications. Not surprisingly, stakeholders have been frustrated by these problems, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has recommended the agency improve its oversight and accessibility of the program.
While the 2501 program has improved oversight and in the past two years maintained a 90-day window for applications, NSAC is disappointed to see only a 60-day window for FY24 applications.
We will continue advocacy efforts to increase funding for the program, to make sure that nonprofits and community-based organizations working directly with underserved farmers are eligible and are receiving awards, and to ensure this program is serving the farming community it is meant to serve.
2501 in the Senate and House Farm Bill Proposals The upcoming Farm Bill will provide the opportunity to improve 2501 program administration, enhance accountability and transparency, and increase outreach and targeted support for underserved producers. In the past month, both the House and Senate have released their most detailed farm bill proposals to date. There are several recommendations about the program in each proposal.
Both the House and Senate side-by-side maintain mandatory funding for FOTO at $50 million per year. However, the Senate version goes further: Adds interpretation and translation services to the program and clarifies that the program may provide outreach on programs that resolve ownership and succession on farmland with multiple owners. Moves administration of the program to the National Institute for Food and Agriculture.
Extends the authorization of appropriations through fiscal year 2029. Continues the current mandatory funding level at $50 million for each fiscal year. For more information on the 2501 program, visit NSAC’s Grassroots Guide .
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Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other entities. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
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Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
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Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
The Department of Defense FY2026 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) provides funding for U.S. universities to acquire research equipment and instrumentation in areas important to national defense, including AI and machine learning hardware. The program is administered jointly by the Army Research Office (ARO), Office of Naval Research (ONR), and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), with approximately $34 million available and 95 awards anticipated. DURIP funds the acquisition of specialized computing hardware for AI/ML research (GPU clusters, TPUs, neuromorphic processors), robotics and autonomous systems testbeds, sensor arrays and data collection systems for machine learning training, high-performance computing infrastructure for defense-relevant AI research, and laboratory equipment for human-AI interaction studies. The program specifically supports equipment that enhances research-related education in DoD-priority disciplines. While general-purpose computing is not eligible, computing equipment directly supporting DoD-relevant AI research programs qualifies. No cost sharing is required.
Innovate UK's Sovereign AI Proof of Concept programme funds proof of concept demonstrators of AI technologies with state-of-the-art performance across five strategic themes: fundamental AI research, materials discovery, biosciences and health, defense and national security, and AI-aided chip/hardware design. Individual project grants range from £50,000 to £120,000 (approximately USD $63,500-$152,400) from a total allocation of at least £1.6 million. Projects must be 1-3 months in duration, starting by January 2026 and completing by March 2026. The programme supports feasibility studies and industrial research, with funding covering up to 70% of costs for micro/small businesses, 60% for medium, and 50% for large organizations. Literature review studies and projects unable to scale are excluded.