Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP)

2024 Usda/Ams Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) For Georgia

USDA/AMS SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM (SCBGP) FOR GEORGIA
The deadline for acceptance for 2024 Concept Proposals/Applications is now CLOSED
Please check back on or around February 1, 2025 when the 2025SCBGP Request for Applications (RFA) will be posted (2024 RFA, provided for reference only)
Note that ONLY Georgia-headquartered: grower associations, commodity commissions, colleges, universities, state/local governments, and IRS-designated non-profits (in partnership with a Georgia college or university) may apply for this grant. Individuals and businesses (including farms) are not eligible to apply for the SCBGP.

About the SCBGP

The purpose of the SCBGP is to provide funding for projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Georgia. Your proposal must focus on research, education, or marketing, and it must benefit the specialty crop industry.

Specialty crops eligible for the SCBGP are: fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, Christmas trees, turfgrass/sod, and nursery and greenhouse crops (including floriculture). See a full detailed list at the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.

The current funding priorities for the SCBGP for Georgia are

increasing consumption of specialty crops in Georgia’s schools,
enhancing specialty crop food safety,
helping the industry develop improved practices,
increasing sales and marketability for commercially grown specialty crops, and
research projects.

Got a suggestion for other funding priorities? Contact us at the email below.

We aim to fund projects that benefit Georgia’s specialty crop producers. Pre-Applications will be scored based on their potential impact on Georgia’s Specialty Crop industry.

Who can apply

Your group MUST be based in Georgia.
Your group MUST fall into one of the following categories: grower associations, commodity commissions, colleges, universities, state/local governments, and IRS-designated non-profits (in partnership with a Georgia college or university).
Individuals and businesses (including farms) are NOT eligible to apply for the SCBGP.
Non-profit organizations that are applying for the first time MUST partner with a principal Investigator (PI) from a Georgia college or university, preferably from either of Georgia’s Land Grant institutions (UGA or FVSU).
If you have submitted the same project to GDA twice in the past and it hasn’t been funded, it cannot be submitted again. You’re welcome to submit a new project for consideration.