The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) is pleased to announce the competitive solicitation process to award Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funds for projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Idaho.
Donor Name: Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA)
State: Idaho
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/15/2022
Size of the Grant: $50,000-$100,000
Details:
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Market Service (AMS) has allocated these funds to the states through H.R. 133 Stimulus Funding and ISDA will be passing through funds as competitive grants. Priority will be given to projects that respond to COVID-19 impacts.
Funding Information
- There are no minimum or maximum limits on the number of funds that can be requested for one project, but the average grant amount in the past has been between $50,000-$100,000.
Projects are different from other ongoing operations in an organization because, unlike operations, projects have a definitive beginning and end – they have a limited duration. A project has an overarching goal that the applicant wants to accomplish through a series of individual activities or tasks. Project areas may include, but are not limited to, the following issues affecting the specialty crop industry:
- Marketing and promoting specialty crops
- Addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers
- Expanding availability and access to specialty crops
- Increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops
- Pest and disease control
- Sustainability
- Enhancing food safety
- Improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems
- Improving the capacity of all entities in the specialty crop distribution chain to comply with the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (21 U.S.C. Chapter 27), for example, developing “Good Agricultural Practices,” “Good Handling Practices,” “Good Manufacturing Practices,” and in cost-share arrangements for funding audits of such systems (including USDA GroupGAP) for small farmers, packers and processors
- Responding to risks and supply chain disruptions
- Making certain facility adjustments (Rearrangement and Reconversion Costs) to protect employees and the public from potential COVID-19 exposure. Facility adjustments as “Rearrangement and Reconversion Costs,” including installation of plexiglass barriers and other spacing adjustments to protect employees and the public from potential COVID-19 exposure. However, individual items should be considered supplies and must cost less than $5,000 per item.
- Implementing market adaptations related to COVID-19 for projects that benefit a variety of businesses.
- Purchasing and providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Single items must not cost more than $5,000 per unit price. (e.g. one box of masks counts as a unit, not each separate mask).
- Facility adjustments as “Rearrangement and Reconversion Costs,” including installation of plexiglass barriers and other spacing adjustments to protect employees and the public from potential COVID-19 exposure. However, individual items should be considered supplies and must cost less than $5,000 per
- General-purpose equipment over $5,000 is allowable if it is rented or leased.
- Vaccination costs, such as paying stipends to cover leave and travel time.
- Worker housing to protect employees from COVID-19 exposure is a direct cost connected to the purpose of the SCBGP and the objectives of the project. This does not include the construction or expansion of facilities.
Eligibility Criteria
ISDA is seeking proposals from individual businesses, specialty crop producers, non-profit organizations, local, state, and federal government entities, and for-profit organizations for projects that aim to enhance the production and competitiveness of Idaho specialty crops. In order to be eligible to participate, applicants must reside in their business or organization must be in Idaho.
For more information, visit Idaho Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
