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Find similar grantsCurrently in RFI phase (public comment period); formal challenge launch with deadlines not yet finalized. Submissions via regulations.gov docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-3862.
EPA National Innovation Challenge for Alternatives to Conventional Chemical Crop Desiccation is sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This national innovation challenge seeks to support practical, cost-effective alternatives to conventional chemical crop desiccation, which is the practice of spraying pesticides to dry out crops before harvest.
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EPA Launches $30 Million Challenge to Help American Farmers Grow Healthy Food with Fewer Chemicals | US EPA EPA Launches $30 Million Challenge to Help American Farmers Grow Healthy Food with Fewer Chemicals A win for American families and farmers: EPA seeks public input on a national innovation challenge to find safer, science-based alternatives to chemical crop desiccation WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an opportunity for the public to help shape a national innovation challenge with up to $30 million in total prize funding.
The challenge will support practical, cost-effective alternatives to conventional chemical crop desiccation, the common practice of spraying pesticides to dry out crops in the final days before harvest. Grounded in gold standard science, this effort will help American farmers bring in their harvest with fewer conventional chemicals while protecting human health and the environment. This is a win on both ends of the dinner table.
Families get food grown with fewer conventional pesticides. Farmers get new, science-based tools that lower costs, protect their workers, and keep American agriculture strong and competitive in a changing global market. "American farmers feed our families, and they deserve the best tools to do that job safely," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin .
"This challenge backs our farmers, protects the health of American families, and helps modernize our farms. By listening to growers, researchers, and communities, we can cut exposure risks and make America's food supply stronger and more resilient." American farmers are critical partners in the success of the Make America Healthy Again agenda.
This initiative directly supports the Trump Administration's broader effort to protect human health and modernize U.S. agriculture by promoting resilient, efficient, and sustainable farming systems. Acting under its legal authority to regulate pesticides and protect human health and the environment, EPA is putting real funding behind real-world solutions that bring better science to America's farms.
Desiccants are pesticides that farmers spray to dry out plants quickly. They are usually applied in the final weeks before harvest to help a crop ripen evenly and to make harvesting faster and easier. Common crops often include small grains, pulses (beans and peas), oilseeds, potatoes, and cotton.
These tools serve a purpose on modern farms, but because they are applied close to harvest, they can leave residue on food and may carry health risks for the workers who apply them. That is exactly why advancing safer, effective alternatives matters. It protects both the people who grow our food and the families who eat it.
Many of the solutions EPA hopes to encourage go hand in hand with regenerative agriculture—farming that works with nature to build healthier soil, cleaner water, and stronger crops. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices like smarter crop timing, natural drying methods, and precision technology can do the same job as chemical sprays with far less of them and at less cost to farmers.
Less pesticide use means healthier land, healthier farm workers, and healthier families. The Request for Information (RFI) released today will shape the design of the challenge—including its scope, who can take part, how entries will be judged, and how new ideas will be tested in the field.
EPA is particularly interested in cost-effective solutions that maintain or improve harvest readiness, crop quality, and operational efficiency across a range of crop systems, including small grains, pulses, oilseeds, potatoes, and cotton.
Possible alternatives include: Improved agronomic practices and crop scheduling Mechanical or physical drying methods Biological or lower-risk inputs Precision agriculture technologies Post-harvest conditioning innovations EPA is seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders, including growers, producer organizations, equipment manufacturers, researchers, public health experts, environmental organizations, Tribes and territories, state and local agencies, and any interested member of the public.
The agency is also requesting feedback on barriers to adoption, research gaps, equipment needs, supply chain considerations, and the performance standards necessary for viable alternatives. In addition, EPA welcomes recommendations on challenge design, including prize structure, phased development approaches, and eligible uses of prize funding.
EPA encourages concise responses that include contact information, organizational background, and relevant experience. Instructions for submission and additional details can be found under docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-3862 at www. regulations.
gov once it is posted. Read the pre-publication RFI (pdf) . Headquarters | Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) Read other EPA News Releases about Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Read other EPA News Releases about Agriculture Contact Us about News Releases to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on July 1, 2026
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Broad stakeholder groups including farmers, equipment manufacturers, researchers, public health experts, environmental organizations, Tribes, and state/local agencies. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $30 million total prize money. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
EPA National Innovation Challenge for Alternatives to Conventional Chemical Crop Desiccation is funded by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
On June 29, 2026, EPA announced it will waive the $25,000 WIFIA application fee and the credit processing fee — averaging roughly $156,000 per loan — for communities of 25,000 or fewer residents in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Combined, that removes nearly $200,000 in upfront cost from the single most affordable federal water-infrastructure financing program, which carries roughly $11 billion in available capacity and can cover up to 80% of eligible project costs at Treasury-rate pricing. For small towns, rural utilities, and the nonprofits and districts that serve them, this is a rare instance of the federal government lowering the barrier to a program that has historically been out of reach for exactly the communities that need it most. Here is what changed, who qualifies, and how to move on a letter of interest before the window closes.
Read articleFor FY2026 and FY2027, EPA is waiving the $25,000 WIFIA application fee and the ~$156,000 credit-processing fee for water systems serving 25,000 or fewer people — a near-$200,000 discount on access to an $11 billion pool of low-cost federal financing. The waiver removes the single barrier that kept small and rural utilities out of WIFIA for a decade. Here is how WIFIA actually works, who qualifies, why the letter of interest is the real gate, and how a town of 8,000 should think about a program built for billion-dollar projects.
Read articleFor FY2026 and FY2027, EPA is waiving the WIFIA application and credit-processing fees for communities of 25,000 or fewer — saving nearly $200,000 per loan — against roughly $11 billion in flexible financing that covers up to 80 percent of project costs. Here is why WIFIA has been underused by small systems, how the loan actually works, and how a rural utility should build a WIFIA strategy in 2026.
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