UMO AgPrime Grants

UMO AgPrime Grants is a cost-share grant program from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission (NCTTFC) that funds farmers and agribusiness owners across North Carolina for new and innovative agricultural projects that increase farm profitability and strengthen communities affected by changes in the tobacco economy.

The program is one of three farm cost-share initiatives funded exclusively by the NCTTFC, serving all 100 North Carolina counties. Grants are awarded up to ,000. Eligible applicants are agriculturally dependent farmers and agribusiness owners with viable ideas for new or innovative projects.

The 2026 grant cycle is now closed. NCTTFC anticipates opening the 2027 cycle in early January; interested applicants should review grant guidelines before applying.

2026 Grant Cycle | North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund The 2026 grant cycle is now closed. Past awards are listed on the Grant page . Search for year 2025 to see most current projects.

We anticipate opening the 2027 cycle in early January. Please review and follow the steps below to become familiar with the grant guidelines before applying. Would a grant less than $10,000 help?

All 100 counties are served by one of three different farm cost-share programs funded exclusively by the NCTTFC. Farmers can apply for and possibly receive grants in various amounts. The WNC AGOptions (WNC Communities), UMO AgPrime (University of Mount Olive) and NC AgVentures (NC Cooperative Extension Service) programs will serve over 100 farmers or community this year!

Click on your county in the map to find out who to contact. Understand the funding priorities Projects will be funded based on the availability of funds and how effectively the stated grant criteria are met.

Projects must benefit and impact one or more of these areas: A population that is tobacco-dependent at the farm level and/or manufacturing level and is experiencing economic distress A population that has been adversely affected by changes in the state’s tobacco A population that derives most of its income from agriculture The Commission IS NOT equipped to make direct payments to individuals to compensate for losses due to the MSA.

The Commission encourages individuals who may be eligible for direct payments to apply as a group for assistance in training, diversification, or a related program purpose so that benefits will be to the community and local economy and not directly to an individual. The Commission will give priority to projects based on size of geographical area, number of people impacted and the impact on the agricultural community.

The Commission has established the following funding priorities.

Community Economic Development Increasing Farm Profitability Diversification Initiatives Skill and Resource Development Development of Natural Resources Understand the eligibility requirements Entities eligible to receive grants include and are limited to: Agencies and departments of the State of North Carolina Local government units such as county offices and towns Agencies and departments of the United States Government Members of the private sector (Contact the TTFC for program clarifications) Grantees must deliver an appropriate service to members of the targeted populations as described under G.

S. 143-715. Understand the program categories and governing rules Qualified Agricultural Program (QAP) The Qualified Agricultural Program (QAP), by statute, authorizes the Commission to support and foster the vitality and solvency of the tobacco-related segment of the agricultural economy with emphasis on the segment adversely impacted by the MSA.

The majority of NCTTFC applicants fall under the QAP category and are agriculturally based .

Projects will address one or more of the following goals: Alleviating and avoiding unemployment in the tobacco-related sector of the state’s agricultural economy Preserving and increasing the local tax base in agricultural areas Encouraging the economic stability of participants in the state’s agricultural economy Optimally using natural resources in the tobacco-related segment of the state’s agricultural economy Supporting and fostering the vitality and solvency of a tobacco-related sector Examples of possible QAP projects include, but are not limited to: Incentives to finance diversification due to loss of the quota system Programs for farmer cooperatives, commodities or farmer’s markets Programs to incentives the modernization of farming equipment or conversion of existing equipment to conform to environmental and other regulatory requirements Programs to assist in the conversion or replacement of equipment in order to cultivate crops that are more profitable than those currently being cultivated Domestic marketing or export programs for NC Products Incentives to grow and/or research alternative crops and/or fuel sources Development of value-added facilities and/or resources Programs that encourage purchase of NC products and prove sustainability of family farms Educational initiatives to sustain farming as a viable profession Indirect Compensatory Program (ICP) Indirect Compensatory Program Grants are made available under the statute to fund projects that indirectly compensate entities or identified groups for economic losses resulting from lost quota or declining market conditions caused by the MSA.

Potential recipients could include either current or former tobacco farmers and/or quota holders who have received Phase II payments. The applicant must describe how the grant administrator will quantify actual losses due to the Master Settlement Agreement that were not compensated by payments from the National Tobacco Grower Settlement Trust (“Phase II Trust”).

(Limit to one-half page narrative attachment – clearly cite and describe any information — published reports, published statistics etc. – that will be used to quantify losses not already compensated by Phase II payments.) Losses must be documented to have occurred in calendar year 1998 and after. ICP grants will be made for no more than one year at a time.

Indirect Compensatory projects may indirectly benefit any of the following: Persons engaged in tobacco-related business (except tobacco product wholesaling and retailing) Persons displaced from tobacco-related employment in North Carolina (except persons employed in the sale of tobacco products at wholesale or retail) Tobacco product component businesses that are adversely impacted by the MSA and which need financial assistance to retool machinery or equipment or to retrain workers, in order to convert to the production of new products or nontobacco use of existing products.

The indirect nature of the grant will require that an organization or group apply to provide a needed service or program for individuals that have been adversely affected by the MSA. *If you feel that your project qualifies as an ICP Grant, please contact the NCTTFC office to discuss.

View the rules that govern our agency Review the detailed guidelines These detailed guidelines provide additional information you need to know related to: Ensuring that additional funding is identified in your application What happens if the project is not carried out.

Download supporting forms There are three forms that need to be downloaded and filled out to attach to your application: No Conflict and No Overdue Tax Debts Template NC OpenBook Supplemental Information Fill out the online application Click here to link to the 2026 Application