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The USDA NIFA Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program provides non-dilutive funding to small businesses developing innovative, commercially viable technologies for agriculture and food systems.
AI and machine learning applications are increasingly funded across topic areas including precision agriculture, crop and livestock production, food safety and quality, natural resource and water management, agricultural manufacturing, and rural economic development. The program moves discoveries from concept (Phase I feasibility) to market (Phase II development), distributing roughly $40-50 million annually.
AgTech startups applying AI to sensing, robotics, decision support, and supply chain modeling are well-aligned with current priorities.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: U.S. small businesses and proprietorships operating for profit that qualify as small business concerns for research and development purposes. STTR requires partnership with a nonprofit research institution. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows phase I awards provide up to approximately $125,000 to $181,500 over roughly eight months to establish technical feasibility; Phase II awards scale to up to $600,000 over approximately 24 months for further R&D and commercialization. No cost-sharing is required. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
USDA NIFA SBIR/STTR Program for AgTech Including AI and Precision Agriculture is funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs (USDA NIFA) is sponsored by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The USDA SBIR and STTR programs offer competitively awarded grants to qualified small businesses for high-quality research related to important scientific problems and opportunities in agriculture that could lead to significant public benefits.
AFRI Education and Workforce Development: Food and Agricultural Non-formal Education (FANE) is a grant from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supporting non-formal education programs that cultivate interest and skills in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. Eligible applicants include universities, community organizations, and nonprofits developing programs such as 4-H, extension education, and hands-on agricultural learning experiences. Grants strengthen the pipeline of future agricultural professionals by engaging youth and adult learners outside traditional classroom settings.
NSF TechAccess AI-Ready America is a major new initiative to establish AI-ready Coordination Hubs in every U.S. state and territory to expand access to AI knowledge tools training and capacity building. Announced March 25 2026 the initiative is a joint effort of NSF USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Department of Labor and Small Business Administration (SBA). Each Hub will connect local partners and coordinate AI deployment scale proven approaches based on state and local priorities and address three key gaps: workforce AI literacy small business and local government AI adoption and hands-on learning pathways. Up to 56 Hubs will be funded at up to $1 million per year for three years selected through three rounds of competition. An informational webinar is scheduled for April 14 2026. This is distinct from NSF ExpandAI which focuses on institutional AI research capacity building and from NSF Expanding AI Career which targets skilled technical workforce opportunities.
Air Force SBIR topic DAF26BZ03-DV020 seeks advanced AI-driven solutions for a scalable fleet management platform coordinating humanoid, mobile, and industrial robots performing aircraft maintenance and sustainment. Requirements include autonomous AI-based task allocation, real-time monitoring, human-robot collaboration workflows, dynamic scheduling, multi-modal sensor fusion for situational awareness, and operational optimization. Solutions must scale across mixed robotic fleets in active Air Force maintenance environments and contested logistics scenarios.
Air Force SBIR topic DAF26BZ03-DV019 seeks AI-driven solutions for fall detection, impact mitigation, and autonomous recovery technology for humanoid robots in military maintenance, logistics, and hazardous operations environments. Goals include reducing damage from falls, improving robot reliability under unstructured operational conditions, enabling safe human-robot collaboration in mixed teams, and developing predictive ML models that anticipate failure modes before they occur. Applicable to aircraft maintenance, ground sustainment, and contested logistics use cases.
USDA NIFA's Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program offers $4.8M in FY2026 with a July 16 deadline — planning grants to $50K and project grants to $400K over four years. The catch is a 1:1 match that screens out most applicants. Here is how to build the match, choose your track, and write a self-reliance story that scores.
Read articleWhile headlines chase AI and defense money, USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture runs a tight summer competitive cycle — Equipment Grants (June 25), Agricultural Genome to Phenome (June 29), New Beginning for Tribal Students (July 2), and Crop Protection and Pest Management (July 6). Here is how the four programs fit together, who is eligible, and why the land-grant system has a structural edge.
Read articleSecretary Rollins and NIFA opened the FY26 Research Facilities Act Program on June 15 with a four-tier award structure scaling from $100K planning grants to $30M facility complexes. The dollar-for-dollar cash match, the one-project-per-institution rule, and the 32-day application window are reshaping how land-grants will prioritize their long-deferred capital backlog.
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