Acer Access and Development Program

Background
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Acer Access and Development Program (Acer Program). AMS will competitively award grants to eligible applicants for projects that support the efforts of States, Tribal governments, and research institutions to promote the domestic maple syrup industry through activities associated with: promotion of research and education related to maple syrup production; promotion of natural resource sustainability in the maple syrup industry; market promotion for maple syrup and maple-sap products; encouragement of owners and operators of privately held land containing species of trees in the genus Acer to initiate or expand maple-sugaring activities on the land; or to voluntarily make the land available, including by lease or other means, for access by the public for maple-sugaring activities.

Grant Details
Applicants must align their proposal to only one of the following two project types: Market Development and Promotion (MDP) and Producer and Landowner Education (PLE).

All applications must illustrate a regional or national impact on domestic maple syrup or maple-sap products and have the potential to quantitatively increase maple-sugaring activities or maple syrup production.

The Market Development and Promotion (MDP) projects should emphasize improving consumer knowledge, awareness, and understanding of the maple syrup industry and its products.

On the other hand, Producer and Landowner Education (PLE) projects should emphasize improving producer knowledge, awareness, and understanding of research, educational resources, or natural resource sustainability practices affecting the maple syrup industry and its products.

The total available funding is approximately up to $6 million with project types ranging from $200,000 to $500,000.

The federal award period duration is 36 months with a start date on September 30, 2024.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants are State agencies, Tribal governments, and research institutions from the 50 States, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Research institutions are organizations that typically conduct research with non-Federal and Federal funds.

An applicant may subcontract or subaward with partners and collaborators. Only the applicant must meet the eligibility requirements.

Project partners and collaborators do not need to meet these eligibility requirements.

Period of Performance
The federal award period duration is 36 months with a start date on September 30, 2024.

Grant Value
The total available funding is approximately up to $6 million with project types ranging from $200,000 to $500,000.

Place of Performance
The specific geographic location(s) where this grant will be performed include State agencies, Tribal governments, research institutions from various states including American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands.