Here are some common questions about the AGRI Works Grant.
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'll post all questions and answers on this page.
- Are grant dollars from a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) allowed 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.
- 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.
- Are cooperatives eligible for AGRI Works grants?
- Cooperatives can be organized as either for-profit or nonprofit entities. Most cooperatives are organized as for-profit entities. However, if the applicant cooperative is a nonprofit and meets the other eligibility criteria, they would be eligible to apply.
- The scoring criteria includes a 20-point priority for organizations that are not eligible for other MDA grants. Is our organization eligible for other MDA grants?
- The 20-point prioritization in the scoring criteria applies to each project, not the organization. For example, if an applicant is applying for funds to perform applied crop research, this project would likely not receive the 20 points because that project would be eligible for the AGRI Crop Research Grant or the Specialty Crop Block Grant. The same organization, however, could be proposing a project that is not eligible for other grants and therefore would receive the priority points.
- Are salaries and fringe benefits paid by non-state funds allowable as matching funds?
- Yes. Salary and fringe paid for with non-state funds can be used as match. You will still need to report these expenses and provide cost documentation to us, in the same way that you will need to report the salary and fringe personnel expenses that are paid for by your AGRI Works funds.
- Is the matching ratio 1:1?
- Yes. The grant requires that you match every grant dollar received with one dollar of your own non-state funding.
- We currently have several sources of non-state funding that would allow our organization to match every grant dollar received with one dollar of our own. However, we’d like to apply for 3 years of funding at $25,000 each year (2027-2030). Each of our non-state grants are restricted, and they end in 2027 or 2028. For the 1:1 match requirement to be met, do we need to prove that we currently meet the 1:1 match, or that the 1:1 match will be met during each year of the grant?
- Reviewers often like to see that you have match secured, but it is not a requirement. If your project is funded and awarded a grant contract agreement, we typically reimburse grantees for 50% of each eligible cost. If you need the match set up a differently because of other restricted funds, we can discuss it during the grant award process.
- Regarding the geographically diverse priority criteria, does this mean that our project will be prioritized if it occurs in areas across Minnesota, or if it occurs in one area that differs from other applicants’ project locations?
- Geography is not a formal priority area in the scoring rubric; however, the MDA has the authority to use geographic diversity when making award decisions. In the rare cases where it has been used, it’s to ensure that grantees and their impact are spread throughout the state.
