The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP) is accepting applications for its Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Small Grants Program.
Donor Name: UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP)
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/14/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP) is a statewide program of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). UC SAREP envisions a farming and food system that:
- supports resilience through diversified production, marketing, and distribution systems,
- values all food system workers and supports their physical, economic, and social wellbeing,
- contributes to the health and vitality of urban, rural, and Tribal communities,
- is environmentally regenerative, using resources for production and distribution in a way that protects the environment in trust for future generations, including under changing climate conditions, and
- is culturally responsive and reflects the ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity of California.
Priority Areas
UC SAREP will fund projects that fall within two priority areas:
- Farmers, ranchers, land stewards
- Communities
Categories
Proposals are requested for three types of projects:
- Planning Grants
- Planning grants are intended to support processes that bring together diverse stakeholders to plan for larger, more complex research and outreach
- Education and Outreach Grants
- Education and outreach grants include educational events, technical assistance, development and dissemination of materials, and outreach components of research results that support the Program Priority Areas above.
- Applied Research Grants
- These projects are intended to fund original, applied research in the above Program Priority Areas. Research projects should include an outreach component.
Funding Information
Individual grants will be limited to a maximum of $10,000, with one Applied Research Grant awarded up to $20,000.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include:
- farm or food system businesses operating in California (business applicants must demonstrate the proposed project will provide a benefit that extends beyond the individual business or grant recipient),
- non-profit, tax-exempt organizations operating in California,
- state and local government agencies, Tribal governments, and
- California public and private institutions of higher education
UC SAREP Eligibility:
- UC SAREP statewide staff are NOT eligible to apply for or participate on the team of any project. County-based staff or academics working for the UC Organic Agriculture Institute, UC Master Food Preservers, and UC Small Farms Network are eligible to apply.
Previous grantees are eligible to apply:
- if they have submitted a final report for their previously funded project and are in good standing with the grant program and
- provided there is at least one full project period between the end of their last grant and the start of the proposed new project.
For more information, visit UC SAREP.
