The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is soliciting applications for its Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Competitive Grants Program.
Donor Name: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/09/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The goals and objectives of this program include:
- to support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production to any of the eligible entities.
- to improve access to local foods in areas where access to fresh, healthy food is limited or unavailable through urban and/or innovative agricultural practices, including, but not limited to, community gardens, urban farms, rooftop farms, urban agroforests, food forests, orchards, outdoor vertical production, green walls, indoor farms, controlled environment agricultural production, greenhouses, high-tech vertical technology farms, and hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponic farm facilities.
- support multiple farmers or gardeners, impacting underserved areas that are lacking access to fresh, healthy foods, and promote urban and/or innovative
Planning activities support one or more of the following:
- Assessments of underserved community needs within the local food system to identify how food is grown, distributed, or marketed and what existing needs related to food access, nutrition education, conservation, and economic development can be addressed by urban and/or innovative agriculture.
- Planning activities and community partnerships to improve how food is grown, distributed, or marketed in the target area using urban and/or innovative agriculture.
- Business planning, feasibility studies, and other strategies, such as community resource development.
- Policy development to make municipal policies and zoning laws in the target area more supportive of the needs of urban and/or innovative agriculture.
- Creating educational materials and programs that will increase knowledge about food and agriculture and encourage careers in agriculture and innovative production in the impacted community; example topics include nutrition, crop and biology science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
- Ensuring safe growing conditions (e.g., soil tests, environmental assessments).
Funding Information
- The Federal funding agency expects to award approximately $6,100,000.
- The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $75,000 and the estimated funding ceiling is $350,000.
Project Period
Projects must be 36 months in duration.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to the following entity types:
- City or township governments
- County governments
- Independent school districts
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education)
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education)
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Special district governments
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
