1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
Urban Agriculture Program is a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) that funds commercial urban agriculture projects designed to increase the production, processing, and marketing of produce grown and sold in urban centers across Massachusetts.
The program advances Commonwealth goals to address food insecurity and expand access to fresh, local produce in urban neighborhoods with high concentrations of low-to-moderate-income residents. Grants of up to $50,000 support commercial projects; land acquisition grants can reach up to $100,000, with a 25% match required for requests over $15,000. Applications are due May 18, 2026.
Eligible applicants are established urban farmers with more than three years of experience, public educational institutions, and municipalities.
Get alerted about grants like this
Save a search for “Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR)” or related topics and get emailed when new opportunities appear.
Search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
**What is the Urban Agriculture Program? ** The purpose of the MDAR Urban Agriculture Program is to advance Commonwealth goals and objectives, leverage collective resources, and support commercial projects designed to increase the production, processing, and marketing of produce grown and sold in urban centers across the Commonwealth.
Expenditures will promote strategies to address food insecurity and to increase access of fresh, local produce in urban neighborhoods with a high concentration of low-moderate income residents. * Nonprofit Organizations 501(c)(3) * Public or non-profit educational or public health institutions * Established urban farmer with more than three (3) years of commercial urban farming experience -Request for Response (RFR).
See “File Attachments:” at COMMBUYS link to download the Request for Response (RFR). This document outlines and explains all details, requirements, and instructions for the Urban Agriculture Program. **COMMBUYS link to the 2027 RFR.
** Download the Request for Response (RFR) listed below in “downloads,” and follow the instructions to create a proposal. The RFR will provide information, all necessary criteria, and detailed instructions for application requirements. An application form is attached to the RFR and must be completed and received by the deadline listed in the RFR.
Submissions must not exceed six (6) double-sided pages (exclusive of attachments). The bidder shall submit one (1) signed original and four (4) copies of the proposal, as well as an electric copy. Applications that are sent by fax will NOT be accepted.
Email electronic version of proposal to:Rose. Arruda@mass. gov. **COMMBUYS link to the 2026 RFR.
** Download the Request for Response (RFR) listed below in “downloads,” and follow the instructions to create a proposal. The RFR will provide information, all necessary criteria, and detailed instructions for application requirements. An application form is attached to the RFR and must be completed and received by the deadline listed in the RFR.
Submissions must not exceed six (6) double-sided pages (exclusive of attachments). The bidder shall submit one (1) signed original and four (4) copies of the proposal, as well as an electric copy. Applications that are sent by fax will NOT be accepted.
Send grant proposal by mail to: 251 Causeway Street, Suite 500 The purpose of the MDAR Urban Agriculture Program is to advance Commonwealth goals and objectives, leverage collective resources, and support commercial projects designed to increase the production, processing, and marketing of produce grown and sold in urban centers across the Commonwealth.
Expenditures will promote strategies to address food insecurity and to increase access of fresh, local produce in urban neighborhoods with a high concentration of low-moderate income residents.
Urban agriculture encompasses a wide variety of activities related to the growing of plants and the raising of animals for food including but not limited to: production techniques such as land-based outdoor and greenhouse cultivation, rooftop open air and greenhouse production, hydroponics, aquaculture, aquaponics, beekeeping and egg-producing poultry.
Each project proposal must represent long-term, capital investments such as infrastructure improvements, building upgrades, purchase of computer software and systems, land procurement, and purchase of farm equipment. Projects will also foster youth development, small business development, and job training directly related to commercial urban farming.
**This program does not fund backyard produce or livestock raised for personal consumption. ** MDAR’s Urban Agriculture Program seeks proposals that demonstrate strategies for municipalities to increase access to affordable, fresh food for urban residents address the challenges of small scale farming in densely populated centers, and create direct markets in low-moderate income neighborhoods.
Examples of Project Priorities: * **Soil Management:**Initiatives that address the issues of soil quality in urban environments with particular emphasis on improving soil fertility in blighted areas; * **Land:**Proposals for acquisition of land for food production in urban settings; * **Equipment:**Mobile market vehicles, small farm equipment or hand tools; * **Marketing, Distribution, Transportation:**Improve the transportation and distribution of locally grown products from farm to customer such as food hubs sourced from local urban farms or other innovative technologies designed to aid/improve cost-effective distribution of food produced on urban farms to urban residents; * **Green Infrastructure:**Demonstrations of greenhouse, hoop house, cold frame and other technologies to help urban farmers scale up the volume, quality and enable year round production or to manage energy and water usage, or allow for more intensive and efficient food production in urban environments; * **Innovative Growing Technology:** Demonstrate practical/economically viable approaches to urban aquaculture/aquaponics and vertical farming and other innovative growing methods to make available local sourced food and products to low-moderate income communities; * **Urban to Rural Bridge**: Strengthen the connections between rural and urban agriculture, including but not limited to: innovative market models, technology, job creation and food production benefitting and sited within urban neighborhoods.
**Organic farming support:**Capital infrastructure to support an urban farm’s transition to a certified organic organization. * Agricultural Grants and Financial Assistance Programs * Beginning Farmer Resources * Federal State Marketing Improvement Program ## Help Us Improve Mass. gov with your feedback
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Established urban farmers with more than three years of commercial urban farming experience, public educational and other institutions, and municipalities. A 25% match is required for requests over $15,000 and for all land requests. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Up to $50,000 for commercial urban agriculture projects; up to $100,000 for land acquisition Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is May 18, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
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.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
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.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
Food Security Infrastructure Grant FY27 (FSIG) is a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) that funds strategic capital investments that strengthen the Massachusetts food system and improve equitable access to nutritious, locally grown food. The program supports infrastructure projects such as equipment purchases, facility upgrades, and capital improvements at food enterprises. Awards range from $10,000 to $500,000. Eligible applicants must be located and operating in Massachusetts, have operated continuously for at least three years, and run or support a commercial or noncommercial food enterprise contributing to the state's food system. The application deadline is May 4, 2026.
Climate Smart Agriculture Program (CSAP) is sponsored by Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR). The CSAP streamlines several MDAR grant programs into a single application to help Massachusetts farms invest in projects that strengthen their operations and improve sustainability. Funding supports projects in areas such as food safety, composting, environmental improvements, energy efficiency, and renewable energy, with a goal to help farms adapt to changing climate conditions and improve soil health.
Urban Agriculture Program (Massachusetts) is sponsored by Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR). The purpose of the MDAR Urban Agriculture Program is to advance Commonwealth goals and objectives, leverage collective resources, and support commercial projects designed to increase the production, processing, and marketing of produce grown and sold in urban centers across the Commonwealth. It also supports community food production initiatives. A 25% match is required for land requests and other requests exceeding $15,000.
Manufacturing Grants (Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund) is sponsored by FuzeHub (New York State). These grants, part of the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund, encourage collaboration between not-for-profit organizations and small to medium-sized manufacturing companies in New York State. Project categories include adoption of new technology to enhance a process and/or product, prototype development, design for manufacturing, proof-of-concept manufacturing, certain equipment purchases, and manufacturing scale-up.
The purpose of this FOA is to provide funding for up to four (4) Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) that will provide entrepreneurial development services to Native American communities, focusing on supplying services to socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in locations that are outside of the geographical areas of existing SBA resources. Eligible applicants must be Tribal Colleges and Universities as defined in the Higher Education Act HEA 316 (U.S.C. 1059c). Funding Opportunity Number: SB-GC7J-23-002. Assistance Listing: 59.007. Funding Instrument: G. Category: BC,ED. Award Amount: Up to $250K per award.
The purpose of this FOA is to provide funding for up to two (2) private, non-profit organizations that will provide entrepreneurial development services to women, with an emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in locations that are outside of the geographical areas of existing WBCs for the District of Columbia (DC) and the State of Oregon. There will be one award for each location. Eligible applicants must be private, non-profit organizations with 501(c) tax exempt status from the U.S. Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service and must provide services to the District of Columbia (DC) and State of Oregon. Funding Opportunity Number: SB-OEDWB-23-002. Assistance Listing: 59.043. Funding Instrument: G. Category: BC,CD,RD. Award Amount: $75K – $150K per award.