The AGRI Works Grant Program helps entities and organizations that provide regional and statewide development, education, research, and marketing services that promote agriculture, horticulture, and rural communities.
Applicant eligibility
Eligible applicants include:
- Nonprofit organizations
- Units of government
- Most colleges and universities
Individuals and organizations incorporated as for-profit entities (including for-profit colleges and universities) are not eligible.
We will prioritize proposals from legislatively created entities and organizations.
Project eligibility
Projects must provide regional or statewide services. Project examples include but are not limited to:
- Performing research on topics relevant to rural communities across the state.
- Conducting outreach or providing education to farmers or horticultural growers.
We will give priority to projects not eligible for other grants from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Amounts available
We have $485,625 available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.
You may request between $5,000 and $75,000 per project. You must provide a 50% match.
Applying
Apply by 4 p.m. Central Time (CT) on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
- Carefully read the full AGRI Works Request for Proposals FY 2026 (PDF) for eligibility and requirements.
- Apply for the AGRI Works Grant using our online system.
- If you’re a new user, you need to create an account first.
- Once you’re logged in, select “AGRI Works Grant FY 2026.”
- Complete the required questions and submit.
Submit questions in writing before Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
- Email MDA.AGRIGRANTS@state.mn.us with “AGRI Works” in the subject line.
- MDA employees are not authorized to give advice on any applications. Applicants who solicit or receive advice from unauthorized MDA employees may be disqualified from eligibility for a grant award.
Contact us if you need this information in an alternative format.
Questions and answers
If you have questions that are not addressed here or in the request for proposals (RFP), email them to MDA.AGRIGrants@state.mn.us with "AGRI Works" in the subject line. We will post all questions and answers on this page.
- Are grant dollars from a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) allowable to be included in the match funding?
- No. SCBG awarded through the State of Minnesota may not be used as match since the MDA awards these grants.
- No. SCBG awarded through the State of Minnesota may not be used as match since the MDA awards these grants.
- Reading this sentence “Applicants may request up to 15% of salaries, wages, and applicable fringe benefits of W-2 employees to support indirect costs” are you referring to 15% of the Grant total? As an example, if we receive $75,000 from the grant, can we allocate $11,250 or are you looking at this in a different way?
- You may request up to 15% of the salaries, wages, and applicable fringe benefits for indirect costs. For example, if you request a $75,000 grant, and $50,000 of that request is for salaries, wages, and applicable fringe, you could include $7,500 (15% of $50,000) for indirect costs. Your total grant request may not exceed $75,000.
- You may request up to 15% of the salaries, wages, and applicable fringe benefits for indirect costs. For example, if you request a $75,000 grant, and $50,000 of that request is for salaries, wages, and applicable fringe, you could include $7,500 (15% of $50,000) for indirect costs. Your total grant request may not exceed $75,000.
- The grant allows for 15% indirect costs. Is that over and above the $75,000 request limit, or should it be included as part of the limit? Instead of asking for 15% in indirect costs, can we cite that amount as part of the match requirement?
- Grant awards are limited to $75,000, including both direct and indirect costs. You may count the 15% indirect costs towards your match; please make this clear in your application. If selected for a grant award, we will work with you to incorporate this into your approved budget and grant contract agreement.
- Grant awards are limited to $75,000, including both direct and indirect costs. You may count the 15% indirect costs towards your match; please make this clear in your application. If selected for a grant award, we will work with you to incorporate this into your approved budget and grant contract agreement.
- Would we be allowed to separate overhead/administration time and the time of employees who are building and executing the projects and programs. Much of our cost of programs has been the expertise of our team. We would like to be able to allocate the cost of the individuals working on these projects.
- Personnel costs for time staff spend working on an approved project is considered a direct cost and may be charged to the grant. Overhead costs (i.e., costs associated with running an organization but not directly associated with the project) are included in the 15% indirect cost rate and may not be charged as a direct cost.
- Personnel costs for time staff spend working on an approved project is considered a direct cost and may be charged to the grant. Overhead costs (i.e., costs associated with running an organization but not directly associated with the project) are included in the 15% indirect cost rate and may not be charged as a direct cost.
- Can funds also be used to pay 1099 contractors, or is support limited strictly to W-2 staff?
- Grant funds can be used to pay 1099 contractors; however, you may not request indirect costs on payments to contractors.
- Grant funds can be used to pay 1099 contractors; however, you may not request indirect costs on payments to contractors.
- Do organizations need to provide the certification regarding board members and key staff not being convicted of final financial crimes with the application or is this submitted afterwards?
- You will indicate in the application that board members/key staff have not been convicted. If you are selected for the second phase of the review process, we will ask you to sign an additional certification.
- You will indicate in the application that board members/key staff have not been convicted. If you are selected for the second phase of the review process, we will ask you to sign an additional certification.
- We were not created by the Minnesota legislature, but we have routinely received a legislatively named pass-through grant from the State of Minnesota. Are we able to get full or partial points in that Priority Area: Legislatively Created Entities criteria?
- Since your organization was not created by the Minnesota legislature, you would not receive the priority points.
- Since your organization was not created by the Minnesota legislature, you would not receive the priority points.
- We are a nonprofit organization, but we use another organization (also a nonprofit) as a fiscal agent. Is this allowable?
- Yes, this is allowable. Please clearly explain the roles and responsibilities of each organization in the application. We will work with you to determine which entity to award the grant contract agreement to if selected. We may also need to adjust the pre-award risk assessment requirements.
- Yes, this is allowable. Please clearly explain the roles and responsibilities of each organization in the application. We will work with you to determine which entity to award the grant contract agreement to if selected. We may also need to adjust the pre-award risk assessment requirements.
- We are group of individuals, not an independent nonprofit, that are working together on a project that meets the goals of the grant. Does the applicant organization need to be an independent 501(c) entity, or can a project operate under a fiscal sponsor?
- The applicant must be a nonprofit organization. The project leaders would need to establish a relationship with a nonprofit organization to act as the applicant and fiscal sponsor, and the grant contract agreement would be with the nonprofit organization.
- The applicant must be a nonprofit organization. The project leaders would need to establish a relationship with a nonprofit organization to act as the applicant and fiscal sponsor, and the grant contract agreement would be with the nonprofit organization.
- We are a non-profit organization. While our educational experiences are available to all, and we partner with a farm cooperative to utilize our farmland for crop research to share with farmers, a majority of our mission is to share the story and value of MN agriculture with non-farmers. Are we eligible to apply even if a majority of our projects are geared toward educating the general public?
- You are eligible to apply as a nonprofit if you can demonstrate that your projects support regional or statewide development of Minnesota agriculture, horticulture, and rural communities through activities such as education, research, and marketing service. In your application, you should demonstrate how your organization meets these requirements and how your proposed activities advance these goals.
- You are eligible to apply as a nonprofit if you can demonstrate that your projects support regional or statewide development of Minnesota agriculture, horticulture, and rural communities through activities such as education, research, and marketing service. In your application, you should demonstrate how your organization meets these requirements and how your proposed activities advance these goals.
- Are AGRI Works funds eligible to support the establishment of local incentive programs or other economic development initiatives?
- Yes, as long as all costs are eligible and allocable to the project. You should clearly explain in your application how the project promotes agriculture, horticulture, or rural communities through regional or statewide development, education, research, or marketing services.
- Yes, as long as all costs are eligible and allocable to the project. You should clearly explain in your application how the project promotes agriculture, horticulture, or rural communities through regional or statewide development, education, research, or marketing services.
- The Ineligible Expenses section lists “advertising and public relations” as an ineligible expense. The Project Evaluation Profile includes reference to “marketing efforts and tracking of sales” in the Work plan and Timeline criteria. Will you explain what is allowable?
- There is an error in the Project Evaluation Profile. The phrase “Work plan includes marketing efforts and tracking of sales” was accidentally carried over from another Request for Proposals. The Ineligible Expenses section is correct and grant reviewers will disregard the Project Evaluation Profile language regarding “marketing efforts and tracking of sales” when scoring proposals.
