The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) is pleased to announce a competitive solicitation grant process to award the 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funds for projects that enhance the competitiveness of Delaware’s specialty crop industry.
Donor Name: Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA)
State: Delaware
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/24/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The USDA defines specialty crops as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Through funding provided for under the Farm Bill and managed by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds projects that solely enhance the competitiveness of Delaware’s specialty crop industry.
USDA considers enhancing the competitiveness of specialty crops through:
- Leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops
- Assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops
- Expanding availability and access to specialty crops
- Addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers.
Funding Information
- Delaware Department of Agriculture’s portion of the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is estimated to be more than $340,000.00.
- Competitive grants will be awarded for projects between $5,000 and $75,000.
Grant Period
November 1, 2025 to September 29, 2028.
Examples of Acceptable Projects
- A State requests funding to contract with a university to conduct research on the feasibility of planting, cultivating, and growing a specialty crop in a particular area, the results of which will be shared with many growers throughout the state during the project.
- A single grower requests funds to demonstrate the viability of organic small fruit production and partners with Cooperative Extension to publicize the working model of diversification to other regional growers.
- A single company requests funds to provide a viable pollination alternative to specialty crop stakeholders in a region that currently does not have one.
- A non-profit organization requests funds to conduct an advertising campaign that will benefit their specialty crop members.
- A single farmer erects high tunnels on his/her property to extend the growing season of tomatoes and lettuce and conducts a field day and farm tour to encourage other small family farmers to adopt the production methods.
Eligible Projects
The Delaware Department of Agriculture is looking for grant projects that solely increase the competitiveness of Delaware grown specialty crops, sustain the livelihood of Delaware farmers and strengthen Delaware’s economy in regard to the following priorities specified by the USDA:
- Enhancing food safety
- Food safety compliance to address specialty crop buyer requirements for mitigating food safety risks
- Investing in specialty crop research, including research to focus on conservation and environmental outcomes
- Developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops
- Pest and disease control
- Increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops
- Increasing opportunities for new and beginning farmers
- Improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems
- Protecting and improving pollinator health
- Developing local and regional food systems
- Improving food access in underserved communities and among veterans
- Increasing urban agriculture and other emerging agricultural practices by bringing food production into busy, populated areas – such as vertical gardens, shipping container farms, rooftop farming, hydroponics, community gardens, community composting, and food waste reduction.
Eligibility Criteria
- This invitation for proposals has been developed to provide all interested parties an opportunity to apply for Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds. Individual producers, producer groups, organizations, associations, and state and local organizations, academia, and other specialty crops stakeholders are eligible to apply either as single entities or in combined efforts. Proposals submitted by individual producers must demonstrate that the project’s potential impact will accrue to a broader group of similar producers, regions, or industry segments.
- Applicants may submit more than one proposal. If more than one proposal is submitted, please prioritize the submissions.
- Grant funds cannot be awarded for projects that solely benefit a commercial product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual because these projects do not enhance the specialty crop industry’s competitiveness. Projects are required to impact and produce measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single organization, institution or individual.
- To be eligible to participate, applicants must reside, or their business or educational affiliation must be in Delaware. Those applicants that are non-profit or for-profit, if awarded a grant, will be required to provide verification of their status.
For more information, visit DDA.
