The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis (OPCA) is now accepting applications for the Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) program.
Donor Name: California Department of Food and Agriculture
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/30/2026
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 4 Years
Details:
Funding for this solicitation comes from OPCA’s allocation of the pesticide mill assessment. For the current request for proposals (RFP), CDFA will award up to $2 million for two projects, and applicants may request the full amount. This program develops projects that demonstrate, refine, and outreach innovative, biologically integrated farming systems that reduce chemical pesticide inputs.
Priorities
The BIFS program supports the demonstration, refinement, and outreach of SPM-based farming systems that are economically viable and protective of human health and the environment. All aspects of the farming system may be considered as they relate to pest management, including factors such as adjacent landscapes, whether they are farmed or not.
Priority topics:
- Areawide management
- Monitoring that informs pest management
- Post-harvest disease control
- Neonicotinoid alternatives in tomato
- Paraquat alternatives
- BIFS projects typically include all the following elements:
- On-farm demonstration/evaluation of an innovative, biologically based farming system that employs SPM strategies;
- A collaborative outreach effort for sharing technical information about the farming system with growers, PCAs, commodity groups, and others engaged in pest management, and;
- An organized program for monitoring key biological and economic variables to information-farm decision making and evaluate project success”
Funding Information
The total funding available is $2 million, and the maximum project budget is $1 million.
Grant Period
Projects should begin in January of 2027 and last for approximately four years.
Eligibility Criteria
Public or private colleges and universities, local, state, and federal government entities including tribal governments, non-profit organizations, and commodity groups are eligible to apply. The project lead(s) and their institutions must be based in California; out-of-state collaborators are allowed. California state agencies may not submit proposal applications but may be subcontractors on other proposals. A state agency’s share of funding may not exceed 30% of total funding. State agencies may not take the lead in project management.
For more information, visit CDFA.
