Food for Progress Program Notice of Funding Opportunity

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Grants is sponsored by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The REAP program provides grants and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to install renewable energy systems, such as off-grid solar, or to make energy efficiency improvements. The program aims to increase American energy independence and decrease energy demand. Grants can cover up to 50% of eligible project costs.

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer Rancher Grants is a competitive grant program from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that funds research and education projects advancing sustainable agricultural practices across the United States and its territories. Projects may address topics such as pastured livestock, rotational grazing, no-till and conservation tillage, high tunnels, and local food systems. Grants are available to individual farmers, ranchers, extension agents, and other educators. SARE funding may not be used to start a farm or make large capital purchases such as land or equipment. Awards range from $5,000 to $25,000 and are administered regionally through four SARE offices covering the North Central, Northeast, South, and West.

The CADI, funded through an interagency agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) and the State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, supports a portfolio of projects in Eastern Europe (non-E.U.), the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. These projects are designed to make American agriculture safer, stronger, and more prosperous. Specifically, the portfolio seeks to prevent and remove trade barriers for U.S. agricultural exports and support U.S. exporters and trading partners. Collectively, the portfolio is working to:• Add over $622 million to the U.S. economy by removing trade barriers.• Contribute an additional $312 million to the U.S. economy through direct support to American exporters and trading partners.• Avoid over $50 billion in potential economic harm to the U.S. economy by preventing lost market access due to the spread of livestock contagions to the United States and new trade barriers.The awardee will conduct original basic and applied research that will focus on advancing a trade agenda that benefits America’s ranchers, farmers, and producers.Through this applied research, the awardee will:• Provide throughout the period of performance actionable recommendations to help achieve the CADI portfolio’s targets.• Track the portfolio’s attributable accomplishments toward these trade outcomes, including the development of U.S. county-level impact estimates.DELIVERABLES1. Final report on the recipient’s research to quantify the CADI portfolio’s direct economic impact on American farmers;2. Annual economic impact report that quantifies the CADI portfolio’s direct economic impact on American farmers. This report will specifically analyze the CADI’s portfolio of projects’ progress toward achieving the following targets:a. Armenia:i. Add $92,851,795 to the U.S. economy by increasing the sale of 200,000 MT U.S. wheat (40k MT sold once per year, for 5 years) through technical assistance to trading partners.ii. Add $2,197,937 to the U.S. economy by increasing U.S. exports to Armenia by 5% using short-term training and technical assistance to remove food safety-related technical barriers to trade.b. Georgia:i. Add $92,851,795 to the U.S. economy by facilitating the sale of 200,000 MT U.S. wheat (40k MT sold once per year, for 5 years) through technical assistance to trading partners.ii. Add $15,443,458 to the U.S. economy by increasing the U.S. market share of the Georgian poultry market by 1.1% over 5 years through short-term agricultural trade promotion and technical assistance.iii. Add $892,190 to the U.S. economy by facilitating $433,102 in the export of U.S. aquaculture inputs short-term agricultural trade promotion and technical assistance.c. Kazakhstan:i. Contribute $28,000,000 to the U.S. economy by supporting 1,000,000 bushels of expanded market opportunity for U.S. wheat, per year for 5 years, through improved agricultural production data.d. Ukraine:i. Maintain $439,441,866 in U.S. economic activity by ensuring $224,994,460 in U.S. agricultural exports to Ukraine continue over 5 years by preventing new barriers to U.S. agricultural exports.ii. Protect $50,000,000 in damage to the U.S. economy by maintaining U.S. pork’s global market access by preventing the spread of African Swine Fever to the United States.iii. Catalyze $1,030,000 in U.S. economic activity by unlocking the Ukrainian livestock genetics market and facilitating $500,000 in U.S. livestock genetics exports through short-term agricultural trade promotion and technical assistance.iv. Add $31,135,852 to the U.S. economy by unlocking the Ukrainian purebred cattle market, and supporting U.S. exporters in achieving 50% market share for 5 years.v. Contribute $14,255,778 to the U.S. economy by supporting 250,000 bushels of expanded market opportunity for U.S. wheat, per year for 5 years, through improved agricultural production data.vi. Contribute $16,731,044 to the U.S. economy by supporting 250,000 bushels of expanded market opportunity for U.S. oilseeds, per year for 5 years, through improved agricultural production data.e. Uzbekistan:i. Add $9,177,352 to the U.S. economy by increasing U.S. market share of soybean exports by 5%, and sustain this market share for 5 years through short-term agricultural trade promotion and technical assistance.ii. Add $4,735,105 to the U.S. economy by increasing U.S. market share of distilled spirits exports by 6.2%, and sustaining that market share for 5 years through short-term agricultural trade promotion and technical assistance.3. A quarterly presentation to the USDA/FAS CADI management team on the CADI portfolio’s progress toward achieving America First trade targets, providing strategic recommendations to maximize outcomes for the benefit of American agriculture; and,4. Annually, provide at least one success story per country where CADI operates. Each story must include a detailed analysis of USDA/FAS accomplishments in one of the following areas:a. Preventing or removing trade barriersb. Assisting U.S. exporters and trading partnersAll work under this research program is unclassified. The awardee shall ensure that all information is safeguarded against unauthorized access. Any personnel performing work under this agreement who will have access to non-public information will require Public Trust (Moderate Risk) background investigations (also known as T2 background investigation) that will be issued by USDA prior to beginning work.The projected Period of Performance is from November 1, 2026 - September 31, 2028, with the possibility of an extension as described in Section 9.1.The work will require Temporary Duty Travel (TDY) to foreign and domestic locations that remain to be determined. A total of 4 one-week international TDYs to Eastern Europe (non-E.U.), the South Caucasus and Central Asia should be included in the budget, as well as four one-week domestic trips to locations to be determined. Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-FAS-10960-0700-109-26-0003. Assistance Listing: 10.960. Funding Instrument: G. Category: AG. Award Amount: Up to $333K per award.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research Program (ALSRP) Therapeutic Development Award (TDA) supports research ranging from preclinical validation of therapeutic leads through U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies. The proposed studies are expected to be empirical in nature and product-driven. Applicants with limited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) experience are strongly encouraged to include collaborators with substantial experience in the relevant ALS model systems, endpoints and pathophysiology.Applications supported by this award must begin with lead compounds in hand and must already demonstrate proof-of-concept efficacy data in at least one appropriate preclinical model system of ALS, including whole-animal and cellular model systems.Distinctive Features: Mechanism-specific, predictive/cohort-selective, target engagement and pharmacodynamic biomarker development, in parallel to the main therapeutic effort, is a critical component of the FY26 ALSRP Therapeutic Development Award. If appropriate mechanism-specific biomarkers are already available or currently in development, how the existing biomarkers will improve trial design, patient selection, and efficiency or interpretation of the proposed ALS therapeutic approach must be apparent in the application. Development of biomarkers for the purposes of diagnosis, prognosis, or measurement of general disease progression without consideration of the therapeutic development process will not be supported.Therapeutic candidates which have already been granted an IND are not appropriate for this mechanism. Funding Opportunity Number: HT942526ALSRPTDA. Assistance Listing: 12.420. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ST. Award Amount: $12M total program funding.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research Program (ALSRP) Therapeutic Development Award (TDA) supports research ranging from preclinical validation of therapeutic leads through U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies. The proposed studies are expected to be empirical in nature and product-driven. Applicants with limited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) experience are strongly encouraged to include collaborators with substantial experience in the relevant ALS model systems, endpoints and pathophysiology.Applications supported by this award must begin with lead compounds in hand and must already demonstrate proof-of-concept efficacy data in at least one appropriate preclinical model system of ALS, including whole-animal and cellular model systems.Distinctive Features: Mechanism-specific, predictive/cohort-selective, target engagement and pharmacodynamic biomarker development, in parallel to the main therapeutic effort, is a critical component of the FY26 ALSRP Therapeutic Development Award. If appropriate mechanism-specific biomarkers are already available or currently in development, how the existing biomarkers will improve trial design, patient selection, and efficiency or interpretation of the proposed ALS therapeutic approach must be apparent in the application. Development of biomarkers for the purposes of diagnosis, prognosis, or measurement of general disease progression without consideration of the therapeutic development process will not be supported.Therapeutic candidates which have already been granted an IND are not appropriate for this mechanism. Funding Opportunity Number: HT942526ALSRPTDA. Assistance Listing: 12.420. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ST. Award Amount: $12M total program funding.