Agriculture Innovation Center Grant Program | RBCS AIC 2021

Opportunity Information: Apply for RBCS AIC 2021

The Agriculture Innovation Center Grant Program (Funding Opportunity Number: RBCS AIC 2021) is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is designed to support Agriculture Innovation Centers that help agricultural producers improve how they market and sell value-added agricultural products. In practical terms, the program focuses on funding organizations that can deliver hands-on technical assistance to producers who want to move beyond selling raw commodities and instead develop, position, and market products with added value, such as processed, branded, packaged, or otherwise enhanced agricultural goods.

At its core, the program is about strengthening the business and market side of agriculture. By funding Agriculture Innovation Centers, USDA aims to expand producers ability to reach buyers, develop viable marketing strategies, and navigate the steps needed to successfully sell value-added products. The assistance provided by these centers typically involves business development and commercialization support, helping producers understand market opportunities, improve product presentation, build supply chain connections, and make informed decisions that improve profitability and long-term sustainability. The funding activity category reflects this blend of agriculture with business and commerce, since the program is as much about market readiness and entrepreneurship as it is about production.

The program is associated with CFDA Number 10.377 and uses a grant as the funding instrument. The opportunity was created on June 28, 2021, with an original closing date of September 26, 2021. While those dates reflect that particular cycle, they also give a sense of how the program is structured and administered through time-limited application windows.

A wide range of applicant types are eligible, which signals that USDA is open to funding many kinds of entities that can credibly deliver technical assistance to producers. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. This broad eligibility suggests the program is oriented toward practical service delivery capacity, whether that capacity sits in government, universities, nonprofit organizations, or the private sector.

The award ceiling is $1,000,000 per award, and the program expected to make about 10 awards under this announcement. That combination indicates a competitive opportunity aimed at supporting a limited number of well-developed centers or initiatives with enough funding to provide meaningful, sustained assistance. Overall, the Agriculture Innovation Center Grant Program is best understood as a USDA investment in regional or organizational hubs that can help agricultural producers successfully develop and market value-added products, improving market access and strengthening rural and agricultural economies through better commercialization support.

• The Department of Agriculture, in the agriculture, business and commerce sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agriculture Innovation Center Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.377.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 28, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 26, 2021. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for RBCS AIC 2021

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: