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FY26 Application Now Open 

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is offering grants for eligible county agricultural inspectors (CAI) and county-designated employees (CDE) to support their required duties under the Noxious Weed Law (Minnesota Statues 18.75 – 18.91). Funding will be allocated through a non-competitive application process.

Applicant Eligibility

To be eligible for this grant, a county must employ a county agricultural inspector or county-designated employee. The applicant must submit a work plan, budget narrative, and budget table with their application. Additionally, the applicant must acknowledge that their county board supports the application.

Application Deadline

The full request for proposals (RFP) and online application will open in mid-July and will be open for 6 weeks. Applications are due by 3:00 p.m. on September 4, 2025. MDA staff will review the applications after the deadline closes. Applications must be submitted through our online application system.

  • If you are a new user, you’ll need to create and account first.
  • Once you’re logged in, select “County Agricultural Inspectors Grant FY26”.

Questions

Direct questions about the grant, completing the application, or additional accommodations to:

Emilie Justen
emilie.justen@state.mn.us
651-201-6360

 

Frequently Asked Questions for CAI Grant

No, the appropriation explicitly states that only counties employing a CAI/CDE are eligible for this grant.

We don’t require a county board resolution, we just want to make sure anyone applying for the grant can accept the award and to avoid delays in processing the grant contract.

$500,000 is available, which must be divided evenly between eligible applicants, so each eligible county could receive between $5,000 and $10,000 in FY26.

No, but you will need to submit one by May 31, 2026 before receiving your reimbursement.