Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 012261
The Outreach and Assistance for Veteran Farmers and Ranchers (OAVFR) Program (Assistance Listing/CFDA 10.443) is a discretionary grant opportunity from USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) designed to help military Veterans successfully own, start, and operate farms and ranches. The program focuses on making sure Veteran producers are not only aware of USDA resources, but are also able to participate in the full range of USDA programs that support production agriculture, conservation, financing, and rural business development. In practical terms, OAVFR funds organizations that can meet Veterans where they are and provide hands-on outreach, technical assistance, training, and education across agriculture, agribusiness, forestry, and related services, with a strong emphasis on helping Veterans navigate USDA systems and services.
A central feature of the program is the expectation that funded projects will actively help Veteran farmers and ranchers access USDA programs by engaging with local USDA Service Centers and relevant USDA agencies, especially the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Rural Development (RD). That means projects often include support such as program orientation, eligibility and application guidance, conservation planning help, business planning for farm viability, and education on compliance and recordkeeping requirements that commonly affect participation in USDA assistance. The notice also stresses that applicants must meet all eligibility and application requirements laid out in the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO); missing eligibility criteria by the deadline can lead to an application being ruled ineligible or otherwise not considered for an award.
Eligibility is limited to specific types of organizations with demonstrated capacity to serve Veteran agricultural audiences. For the Outreach and Technical Assistance program area, eligible applicants include community-based organizations, networks, or coalitions that can prove they have experience providing agricultural education or related services to Veteran farmers and ranchers, and that can document at least three years of work with and on behalf of Veteran producers prior to applying. These community-based applicants also must not engage in activities prohibited under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3). Additional eligible applicants include certain minority-serving and land-grant institutions (1890 and 1994 institutions), Indian Tribal community colleges and Alaska Native cooperative colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, other institutions of higher education that can demonstrate regional experience serving Veteran farmer and rancher populations, and Indian tribes or national tribal organizations with demonstrated regional experience delivering agricultural education or related services to Veterans. The program also allows applications from organizations or institutions that received funding under this program before January 1, 1996, but only for projects USDA considers similar to work they previously carried out under the program, and current OAVFR award recipients must complete their existing projects by the end of the current calendar year to be eligible to apply again. Separately, applications for the Policy Research Center component are restricted to 1890 Land-grant Universities.
The grant structure allows award recipients to issue subawards to partners that may not be eligible to apply directly, as long as those partners are necessary to carry out the project, and as long as NIFA reviews and approves the proposed subawards. When a project includes subawards, the primary recipient must retain and use at least 50 percent of the total award funds specifically for the Outreach and Assistance program priority, and the primary recipient is responsible for ensuring subrecipient compliance with federal subaward rules, including 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart D on subrecipient monitoring and management. The NOFO also includes a restriction that USDA will not accept applications for grants or cooperative agreements proposing dangerous gain-of-function research as defined in Section 8 of Executive Order 14292, which serves as an explicit exclusion.
Administratively, the opportunity accepts only one application per organization or institution; if duplicate or multiple submissions occur, NIFA will consider only the most recent submission. The opportunity is identified as USDA NIFA ICGP 012261, with an original closing date of September 10, 2026. The award ceiling is listed as $1,500,000, and NIFA anticipates making about 36 awards. Applicants new to federal assistance are directed to NIFA's grant process guidance resources (such as NIFA's About Grants and Grants Overview) to better understand federal requirements, review criteria, and the overall awards process.Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 012261
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Outreach and Assistance for Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.443.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-09-04.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 36 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Outreach and Assistance for Veteran Farmers and Ranchers (OAVFR) Program
What is the Outreach and Assistance for Veteran Farmers and Ranchers (OAVFR) Program?
The Outreach and Assistance for Veteran Farmers and Ranchers (OAVFR) Program (Assistance Listing/CFDA 10.443) is a discretionary grant opportunity from USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It is designed to help military Veterans successfully own, start, and operate farms and ranches by funding organizations that can deliver hands-on outreach, technical assistance, training, and education.
What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?
The program focuses on ensuring Veteran producers are aware of USDA resources and can participate in the full range of USDA programs that support production agriculture, conservation, financing, and rural business development. A major emphasis is helping Veterans navigate USDA systems and services in practical, real-world ways.
What kinds of activities does OAVFR funding support?
OAVFR supports projects that provide outreach and direct assistance such as agricultural and agribusiness training, technical assistance, education, and related services across agriculture, agribusiness, forestry, and similar areas. Funded projects are expected to help Veterans interact effectively with USDA programs and processes.
Which USDA agencies and offices are projects expected to engage with?
Funded projects are expected to actively help Veteran farmers and ranchers access USDA programs by engaging with local USDA Service Centers and relevant USDA agencies, especially the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Rural Development (RD).
What are examples of support a funded project might provide to Veterans?
Examples described in the opportunity include program orientation, guidance on eligibility and applications, help with conservation planning, business planning support for farm viability, and education on compliance and recordkeeping requirements that commonly affect participation in USDA assistance.
Who can apply under the Outreach and Technical Assistance program area?
Eligibility is limited to specific organization types with demonstrated capacity to serve Veteran agricultural audiences. For Outreach and Technical Assistance, eligible applicants include community-based organizations, networks, or coalitions that can prove experience providing agricultural education or related services to Veteran farmers and ranchers and can document at least three years of work with and on behalf of Veteran producers prior to applying.
Are there restrictions on community-based organization eligibility?
Yes. Community-based applicants must not engage in activities prohibited under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3), as stated in the opportunity description.
What higher education institutions are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include certain minority-serving and land-grant institutions (1890 and 1994 institutions), Indian Tribal community colleges and Alaska Native cooperative colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and other institutions of higher education that can demonstrate regional experience serving Veteran farmer and rancher populations.
Are tribes or tribal organizations eligible applicants?
Yes. Indian tribes or national tribal organizations with demonstrated regional experience delivering agricultural education or related services to Veterans are listed as eligible applicants for the Outreach and Technical Assistance program area.
Can organizations with older, historical funding under this program apply?
Yes. The program allows applications from organizations or institutions that received funding under this program before January 1, 1996, but only for projects USDA considers similar to the work they previously carried out under the program.
Can current OAVFR award recipients apply again?
Current OAVFR award recipients must complete their existing projects by the end of the current calendar year to be eligible to apply again.
Is there a separate eligibility rule for the Policy Research Center component?
Yes. Applications for the Policy Research Center component are restricted to 1890 Land-grant Universities.
Can an applicant include partners that are not eligible to apply directly?
Yes. Award recipients may issue subawards to partners that may not be eligible to apply directly, as long as those partners are necessary to carry out the project and NIFA reviews and approves the proposed subawards.
Is there a minimum amount of funding the primary recipient must keep when subawards are included?
Yes. When a project includes subawards, the primary recipient must retain and use at least 50 percent of the total award funds specifically for the Outreach and Assistance program priority.
Who is responsible for subrecipient compliance when subawards are used?
The primary recipient is responsible for ensuring subrecipient compliance with federal subaward rules, including 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart D on subrecipient monitoring and management.
Does the opportunity include any explicit research prohibitions?
Yes. The NOFO includes a restriction that USDA will not accept applications for grants or cooperative agreements proposing dangerous gain-of-function research as defined in Section 8 of Executive Order 14292.
How many applications can one organization submit?
The opportunity accepts only one application per organization or institution. If duplicate or multiple submissions occur, NIFA will consider only the most recent submission.
What is the opportunity identifier?
The opportunity is identified as USDA NIFA ICGP 012261.
What is the application closing date?
The original closing date listed for this opportunity is September 10, 2026.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is listed as $1,500,000.
How many awards does NIFA expect to make?
NIFA anticipates making about 36 awards.
What happens if an applicant misses eligibility or application requirements?
The notice stresses that applicants must meet all eligibility and application requirements laid out in the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Missing eligibility criteria by the deadline can lead to an application being ruled ineligible or otherwise not considered for an award.
Where can new federal applicants find help understanding NIFA's grant process?
Applicants new to federal assistance are directed to NIFA's grant process guidance resources, such as NIFA's About Grants and Grants Overview, to better understand federal requirements, review criteria, and the overall awards process.
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