Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA BFR 009021
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) is a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant program that funds education, training, outreach, mentoring, and technical assistance designed to help new and aspiring farmers and ranchers build lasting, sustainable operations. The program sits in a long tradition of U.S. agricultural education tied to the Morrill Land-Grant Acts of 1862 and 1890, but it gained major dedicated federal investment starting with the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, which set aside $75 million across FY 2009 to FY 2012 to strengthen the next generation of producers. Congress continued this emphasis through the Agriculture Act of 2014 with $20 million per year from 2014 through 2018, and then the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) reauthorized BFRDP with mandatory funding to keep supporting beginning farmer and rancher development efforts.
The underlying policy goal is to respond to demographic and workforce pressures in U.S. agriculture, especially the rising average age of farmers, expected declines in the number of farmers and ranchers (as projected for the 2008 to 2018 period), and the broader recognition that new and expanded support systems are needed for people entering agriculture today. In practical terms, the program is meant to expand the pipeline of skilled new producers by funding hands-on and locally relevant programming such as structured training courses, mentorship networks, business planning and financial management instruction, marketing and risk management support, and other forms of technical assistance that improve long-term viability.
Eligibility is tightly focused on collaboration rather than single organizations or individuals. Applications can only be submitted by a collaborative, state-, tribal-, local-, or regionally based network or partnership made up of qualified public and/or private entities. Eligible partners within these collaborations may include State Cooperative Extension Services; federal, state, municipal, or tribal agencies; community-based organizations (CBOs); nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); two-year and four-year colleges or universities (including foundations maintained by a college or university); and private for-profit organizations. The program strongly encourages including beginning farmers and ranchers, and even non-beginning farmers and ranchers, within the collaborative group to ensure the work is grounded in real-world producer experience and needs. Applications from individuals, or from stand-alone organizations that are not part of a partnership or network, are not eligible and will be excluded from review.
The opportunity also includes restrictions intended to promote geographic diversity and broaden access to funds across the country. Multiple awards will not be made to the same organization, institution, or Project Director within the same calendar year. In addition, organizations and institutions that received BFRDP awards in the last two funding cycles (FY 2020 or FY 2021) are ineligible to apply under this solicitation, with a narrow exception tied to one-year simplified standard grants: recipients of simplified standard grants awarded in FY 2021 may apply in FY 2022. The simplified standard grant category is specifically intended for new trainers and newer organizations that have not previously received grants and have no more than three years of experience assisting beginning farmer and rancher development; applicants are instructed not to apply for another simplified standard grant if they have already received one through BFRDP.
From an administrative standpoint, the funding opportunity is listed as USDA NIFA BFR 009021 under CFDA 10.311 (Agriculture). It is a mandatory grant program with an award ceiling of $750,000. The agency is NIFA, the original closing date listed is October 17, 2022, and the posting creation date is March 15, 2022. Finally, while the applicant must be an eligible partnership, award recipients are allowed to subcontract with organizations that are not themselves eligible to apply, as long as those subcontractors are necessary to carry out the project. This gives funded partnerships flexibility to bring in specialized expertise or services while keeping overall project leadership within an eligible collaborative network.Apply for USDA NIFA BFR 009021
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.311.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-03-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-10-17. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Apply for USDA NIFA BFR 009021
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development Program Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 009041 Funding Number: USDA NIFA AFRI 009041 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Tribal Colleges Extension Program - Capacity Applications Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 009062 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 009062 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $984,000 |
| Farmed Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Management and Response Activities 2022 Cooperative Agreements Apply for USDA APHIS 10025 VSSPRS00 22 0001 Funding Number: USDA APHIS 10025 VSSPRS00 22 0001 Agency: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Wild Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Management and Response Activities 2022 Cooperative Agreements Apply for USDA APHIS 10028 WSNWRC00 22 0011 Funding Number: USDA APHIS 10028 WSNWRC00 22 0011 Agency: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| FY 22 Conservation Innovation Grants State Program Apply for USDA NRCS AR CIG 22 NOFO0001181 Funding Number: USDA NRCS AR CIG 22 NOFO0001181 Agency: Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| USDA APHIS Tribal Nations Wild Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Opportunities 2022 Cooperative Agreements Apply for USDA APHIS 10028 WSNWRC00 22 0014 Funding Number: USDA APHIS 10028 WSNWRC00 22 0014 Agency: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| APS-OAA-21-00001 Addendum USAID/Nepal Apply for 72036722APS00002 Funding Number: 72036722APS00002 Agency: Nepal USAID-Kathmandu Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009108 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009108 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $900,000 |
| Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA CGP 009106 Funding Number: USDA NIFA CGP 009106 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| National Plant Diagnostic Network for the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Apply for USDA NIFA ES 009109 Funding Number: USDA NIFA ES 009109 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $700,000 |
| Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 009104 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 009104 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Special Research Grants for Aquaculture Research Program Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 009105 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SRGP 009105 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009110 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009110 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Tribal Colleges Extension Program: Special Emphasis Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 009121 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 009121 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Organic Cost Share Programs Apply for USDA FSA SND AMA 22 NOFO0001214 Funding Number: USDA FSA SND AMA 22 NOFO0001214 Agency: Farm Service Agency Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $244,150 |
| Organic Cost Share Programs Apply for USDA FSA SND NOCCSP 22 NOFO0001215 Funding Number: USDA FSA SND NOCCSP 22 NOFO0001215 Agency: Farm Service Agency Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,437,800 |
| Supplemental and Alternative Crops Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009141 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009141 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA TCRGP 009143 Funding Number: USDA NIFA TCRGP 009143 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009161 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009161 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,920,000 |
| Children, Youth, and Families At-Risk Professional Development and Technical Assistance Program Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 009181 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 009181 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $850,000 |
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