The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is pleased to announce a State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP).
Donor Name: California Department of Food and Agriculture
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 01/18/2022
Size of the Grant: $200,000
Grant Duration: 24 months
Details:
The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) provides financial assistance in the form of grants to implement irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gases and save water on California agricultural operations. Eligible system components include (among others) soil moisture monitoring, drip systems, switching to low-pressure irrigation systems, pump retrofits, variable frequency drives and installation of renewable energy to reduce on-farm water use and energy.
The current SWEEP funding arises from the Budget Act of 2021 which allocated $50 million to CDFA to provide grant funding directly to California agricultural operations to incentivize activities that reduce on-farm water use and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from irrigation and water pumping systems on California agriculture operations. The program’s objective is to provide financial incentives for California agricultural operations to invest in irrigation systems that save water and reduce GHG emissions.
Funding and Duration
- The SWEEP will disperse between $43 and $45 million to California agricultural operations investing in irrigation systems that reduce GHG emissions and save water.
- The maximum grant award is $200,000
- The maximum grant duration is 24 months.
- Costs incurred before the beginning of the grant agreement will not be reimbursed.
- Awarded project must be complete and operational no later than 24 months after the start of the grant agreement. The anticipated start date is June 30, 2022.
Eligibility and Exclusions
- California farmers, ranchers and Federal and California Recognized Native American Indian Tribes are eligible to apply.
- The farm location and the business mailing address must be in California.
- The irrigation project must be on a California agricultural operation.
- For the purposes of this program, an agricultural operation is defined as row, vineyard, field and tree crops, commercial nurseries, nursery stock production, and greenhouse operations producing food crops or flowers as defined in Food and Agricultural Code section 77911.
- Medical and recreational cannabis crops are excluded from eligibility.
- Academic university research institutions and state governmental organizations are not eligible for funding.
- An agricultural operation cannot submit more than one application per unique tax identification number.
- An agricultural operation or individual cannot receive a total cumulative SWEEP award amount of more than $600,000 (since the SWEEP program was initiated in 2014).
- Applications cannot build upon any previously funded SWEEP projects directly affecting the same Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs).
- However, applicants are encouraged to apply for a new project with different APNs.
- An applicant must be at least 18 years old and associated with the project.
- Projects must reduce on-farm irrigation water use and reduce GHG emissions.
- SWEEP funds may be combined with other funds as match for the same project, such as funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). However, SWEEP funds cannot cover activities or costs funded by other federal or state grant programs.
For more information, visit State Water Efficiency & Enhancement Program.
