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Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

ID: USDA-NIFA-BFR-010413 • Type: Posted

Description

Beginning farmer education for adult and young audiences in the United States can generally be traced back to the advent of the 1862 and 1890 Morrill Land-Grant Acts. But, for the first time, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub .L. No. 110-234, Section 7410) appropriated $75 million for FY 2009 to FY 2012 to develop and offer education, training, outreach and mentoring programs to enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers.

The Agriculture Act of 2014 provided an additional $20 million per year for 2014 through 2018. The reasons for the renewed interest in beginning farmer and rancher programs are as follows: the rising average age of U.S. farmers; the 8% projected decrease in the number of farmers and ranchers between 2008 and 2018; and the growing recognition that new programs are needed to address the needs of the next generation of beginning farmers and ranchers.

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (aka the 2018 Farm Bill) reauthorized the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and provides mandatory funds for which supports education, mentoring, and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers.

Background
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) was reauthorized by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to provide mandatory funds for education, mentoring, and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers. The program aims to enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers in response to the rising average age of U.S. farmers and the projected decrease in the number of farmers and ranchers.

Grant Details
The RFA is soliciting applications for BFRDP for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding cycle to support education, outreach, and technical assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States. The funding amount available for FY 2024 is approximately $24,000,000. No more than $250,000 per year for three years for a maximum total of approximately $750,000 will be available for each Standard and Education Team projects that will be funded in FY 2024.

The Curriculum and Training Clearinghouse grant is competed once every three years. One Clearinghouse grant project was funded in FY 2022. This grant type will be due for solicitation in the FY 2025 funding cycle.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must apply as a collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally based network or partnership of qualified public and/or private entities. These collaborations may include State Cooperative Extension Services; Federal, State, municipal or tribal agencies; community-based organizations (CBOs); nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); junior and four-year colleges or universities or foundations maintained by a college or university; and private for-profit organizations.

Applications submitted by individuals or organizations that do not involve other entities in a network or partnership are not eligible for consideration under any category applicable to the BFRDP.

Period of Performance
The period of performance for Simplified Standard grants is from September 15, 2024, through September 15, 2025. For Small, Medium, or Large Standard and Education Team grants, it is from September 15, 2024, through September 15, 2027.

Grant Value
$24,000,000 is the anticipated program funding for FY 2024 with an average individual award range of $49,999 - $750,000.
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Overview

Agency
National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) [USDA]
Category of Funding
Agriculture
Funding Instruments
Grant
Grant Program (CFDA)
10.311 - Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
Grant Category
Mandatory
Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement
True
Source
Grants.gov
On 1/17/24 the National Institute of Food and Agriculture posted grant opportunity USDA-NIFA-BFR-010413 for Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program with funding of $24.0 million. The grant will be issued under grant program 10.311 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. It is expected that 60 total grants will be made worth between $49,999 and $750,000.

Timing

Posted Date
Jan. 17, 2024, 12:00 a.m. EST
Closing Date
May 29, 2024, 12:00 a.m. EDT Past Due
Last Updated
May 28, 2024, 7:14 a.m. EDT
Version
2
Archive Date
June 28, 2024

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Additional Info
Applicants for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) must meet all the requirements discussed in this RFA. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or, preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.Applications may only be submitted by a collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally based network or partnership of qualified public and/or private entities. These collaborations may include the following entities: State Cooperative Extension Services; Federal, State, municipal or tribal agencies; community-based organizations (CBOs); nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); junior and four-year colleges or universities or foundations maintained by a college or university; and private for-profit organizations.Application submission of a project effort that is a duplicate of a current beginning farmer project will not be accepted for review under this program.Inclusions of beginning and/or non-beginning farmers and ranchers as part of the collaborative group is strongly encouraged.Applications submitted by individuals, or by organizations that do not involve other entities in a network or partnership, are not eligible for consideration under any category applicable to the BFRDP and will be excluded from review.To meet geographical diversity, multiple awards will not be made to the same organization, institution, or Project Director in the same calendar year. To assist BFRDP in meeting geographical distribution, Project Directors, and Co-Project Directors on current BFRDP projects are ineligible to apply for another BFRDP grant. Further, organizations and institutions that have received a standard or education team grant in the last two funding cycles (FY 2022 or FY 2023) are ineligible to apply. Please do not apply for another simplified standard grant if you were previously awarded a simplified standard BFRDP grant. Simplified standard grants are designed for new trainers who have never received grants nor gained more than three years of experience in assisting with the development of beginning farmers and ranchers.Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the application deadline may result in the application being excluded from consideration or, if reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award. Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.Duplicate or Multiple Submissions. NIFA will accept the most recent application if an applicant submits duplicate or multiple submissions. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

Award Sizing

Ceiling
$750,000
Floor
$49,999
Estimated Program Funding
$24,000,000
Estimated Number of Grants
60

Contacts

Contact
Kevin Siegmund Policy Specialist
Contact Email
grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov
Email Description
If you have any questions related to preparing application content.
Contact Phone
(816) 510-7456
Additional Information
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
Additional Information Site
https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/beginning-farmer-rancher-development-program

Documents

Posted documents for USDA-NIFA-BFR-010413

Grant Awards

Grants awarded through USDA-NIFA-BFR-010413

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