CARSON CITY, Nev. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that the department's Business and Cooperatives Service is providing $3.5 million in technical assistance grants for nonprofits, for-profit corporations, public bodies and institutions of higher education to establish and operate "Agriculture Innovation Centers."
According to an Oct. 31 press release from USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy, grant funds may be used to provide legal, accounting and other consulting services; hire employees to establish and operate the centers; or make individual grants to agricultural producers.
"The goal is to establish an AG Innovation Center with its own board of directors and provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers on ways to add value and market their agricultural product," according to the release.
The minimum grant award is $500,000, and the max is $1 million, with a two-year project period. Matching funds are required for at least one-third of the total project budget. Matching funds may be provided in cash by the applicant or by a third party or in-kind by a third party.
Applications for the “Agriculture Innovation Demonstration Center grant” must be received at www.grants.gov no later than 9 p.m. PDT on March 20, 2020, to be considered.
For information, contact Gail Thuner at the Rural Business-Cooperative Service at 202-690-1374 or atgail.thuner@usda.gov.
-->CARSON CITY, Nev. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that the department's Business and Cooperatives Service is providing $3.5 million in technical assistance grants for nonprofits, for-profit corporations, public bodies and institutions of higher education to establish and operate "Agriculture Innovation Centers."
According to an Oct. 31 press release from USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy, grant funds may be used to provide legal, accounting and other consulting services; hire employees to establish and operate the centers; or make individual grants to agricultural producers.
"The goal is to establish an AG Innovation Center with its own board of directors and provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers on ways to add value and market their agricultural product," according to the release.
The minimum grant award is $500,000, and the max is $1 million, with a two-year project period. Matching funds are required for at least one-third of the total project budget. Matching funds may be provided in cash by the applicant or by a third party or in-kind by a third party.
Applications for the “Agriculture Innovation Demonstration Center grant” must be received at www.grants.gov no later than 9 p.m. PDT on March 20, 2020, to be considered.
For information, contact Gail Thuner at the Rural Business-Cooperative Service at 202-690-1374 or atgail.thuner@usda.gov.
