Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Published: May 13, 2026

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Source: grants_gov

This tender is closed

The submission deadline for this tender has passed. It is no longer accepting bids.

Browse open Agriculture & Food Security tenders in United States

About This Opportunity

United States procurement, agriculture & food security: Beginning Farmer. Issued by National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Submission deadline Jun 2026.

This is a grants contract in the agriculture and food security sector. Located in United States, North America, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of USD 49,999 – USD 750,000.

Published through Grants.gov, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for grants in the agriculture and food security sector. Grant applications generally require a detailed project proposal, a clear results framework, and evidence of the applicant's capacity to deliver the proposed activities.

Description

The primary goal of BFRDP, under assistance listing number 10.311, is to help beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States and its territories enter and/or improve their successes in farming, ranching, and management of nonindustrial private forest lands, through support for projects that provide education, outreach, and technical assistance to give beginning farmers and ranchers the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make informed decisions for their operations and enhance their sustainability.

Agency: Joseph Perez
Lead Policy Analyst

CFDA: 10.311

Eligible Applicants: Applicants for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or, preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

Applications may only be submitted by a collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally based network or partnership of qualified public and/or private entities. These collaborations may include the following entities: State Cooperative Extension Services; federal, state, municipal or tribal agencies; community-based organizations (CBOs); non-governmental organizations (NGOs); junior and four-year colleges or universities or foundations maintained by a college or university; and private for-profit organizations. Collaboratives led by State Cooperative Extension Services; federal, state, municipal or tribal agencies will be given funding priority.

Application submission of a project effort that is a duplicate of a current beginning farmer project will not be accepted for review under this program.

Incorporating beginning and/or non-beginning farmers and ranchers as part of the collaborative group is strongly encouraged.

Applications submitted by individuals, or by organizations that do not involve other entities in a network or partnership, are not eligible for consideration under any category applicable to the BFRDP and will be excluded from review.

To meet regional balance, multiple awards will not be made to the same organization, institution, or Project Director in the same calendar year. Further, organizations and institutions that have received a regular standard or education team grant in the last funding cycle (FY 2024) are ineligible to apply. To avoid chances of Project Directors providing oversight on two BFRDP grants concurrently, Project Directors of active awards can apply for new BFRDP awards when they are in their final year of project work. It is unallowable to have a new project and at the same time have a project that has not yet been terminated. Please do not apply for another simplified standard grant if you were previously awarded a simplified standard BFRDP grant. Simplified standard grants are designed for new trainers who have never received grants nor gained more than three years of experience in assisting with the development of beginning farmers and ranchers.

Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the application deadline may result in the application being excluded from consideration or, if reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award. Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.

USDA will not accept competitive applications for grants proposals for dangerous gain-of-function research, as defined in Section 8 of E.O. 14292.
Duplicate or Multiple Submissions. NIFA will accept the most recent application if an applicant submits duplicate or multiple submissions. For those new to federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

Applicant Types: Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Cost Sharing: Yes

More Info: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program — https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/beginning-farmer-rancher-development-program

Contact: Joseph Perez
Lead Policy Analyst

Email: grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from Grants.gov and was originally published on May 13, 2026. Last refreshed 2 days ago. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About National Institute of Food and Agriculture

National Institute of Food and Agriculture has issued 23 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 13 currently open and 0 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Agriculture & Food Security, Research & Innovation, and Education & Training. All notices are published for United States. Notices are distributed via Grants.gov. Most recent publication: June 16, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by National Institute of Food and Agriculture in United States. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Grants contract in the Agriculture & Food Security sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is $49,999 - $750,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United States. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit Grants.gov to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions provided by the contracting authority.

Is this tender still accepting bids?

No — the submission deadline has passed. The notice is archived for reference. To find open opportunities, use the filters above to browse current tenders.