USDA Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program

FUNDING PROGRAM: USDA Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) Competitive Grants Program.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-FBMB-011074.

FUNDING AGENCIES: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

OPPORTUNITY:

This RFA is being released prior to the passage of a full appropriations act for FY 2025. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions, appropriations act, or other authorizing legislation may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.

NIFA will use this solicitation to request applications for the FBMB program for FY 2025 to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers and maintain the national, publicly available farm financial management database to support improved farm management. At this time, NIFA requests applications for the FY 2025 funding cycle.

DESCRIPTION:

NIFA is soliciting applications to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers by maintaining and expanding a national, publicly available farm financial management database to support improved farm management.

The FBMB program supports novel projects that encompass money management at the personal, firm, and public levels to support livelihoods and quality of life for agricultural producers and farm communities. The FBMB program also supports projects incorporating social and behavioral science disciplines, leadership skills development, and decision-making which are important elements to address the many challenges facing agriculture and farm communities. These challenges may include but are not limited to increasing global demand for food production in the face of limited natural resources, improving health opportunities and outcomes, reducing food loss and waste, and alleviating poverty by creating economic opportunities and supporting workforce development.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: 

• State agricultural experiment stations
• College and universities
• University research foundations
• Other research institutions and organizations
• Federal agencies
• National laboratories
• Private organizations or corporations
• Any group consisting of two (2) or more of the entities described above

COST SHARING: There are no cost sharing or matching requirements for this program.

FUNDING AVAILABLE: 

• FUNDING AVAILABILITY: $2 million subject to passage of a full appropriations act for FY 2025.
• INDIVIDUAL AWARD AMOUNTS: Standard Grant not to exceed $450,000; Planning Grant not to exceed $50,000.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 7, 2025.