The Electric Farm Equipment Grant aims to help farmers purchase electrical agricultural equipment. An intended outcome from these projects is to reduce air pollution, especially from diesel emissions.
Eligible applicants
To be eligible, you must meet the requirements of the Pre-award Risk Assessment (PDF) and be one of the following:
- The principal operator of a farming or livestock operation in Minnesota.
- A business entity authorized to farm in Minnesota that is operating a livestock or farm business in Minnesota.
- An organization that trains or supports farmers in Minnesota.
Eligible projects
Projects must:
- Buy electric farm equipment for use on farms or by farmer-supporting organizations located in Minnesota.
- Not start until the grant contract agreement is signed by all parties and has reached its start date.
- Note: You may not buy or contract any goods or services before the full execution of the grant contract agreement or its effective date, whichever is later.
- Be completed by June 30, 2028.
Eligible expenses
Allowable expenses include:
- Electric farm equipment
- Equipment must be used for agricultural purposes, such as production, harvesting, and processing
- Costs for the purchase and installation of electric infrastructure needed for equipment charging
Funding availability
We expect to award approximately $6.6 million using a competitive review process. Project funding depends on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) making funds available to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and the MPCA making them available to the MDA.
The maximum award is $150,000 and the minimum award is $1,500. We expect over 90 grants will be awarded, but the final number depends on the size of awards.
We expect that grant contract agreements will start in January of 2027 and end in June of 2028. Grant contract agreements may be extended on a case-by-case basis.
How to apply
Applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time (CT) on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
- Carefully read the 2026 Electric Farm Equipment Grant Request for Proposals (PDF) for program eligibility requirements, priorities, and scoring criteria.
- We will accept only one application per entity type, e.g., farm, non-governmental organization, or political subdivision.
- Apply for the 2026 Electric Farm Equipment Grant using our online application system.
- If you’re a new user, you need to create an account first.
- Once logged in, select “2026 Electric Farm Equipment Grant.”
- After you’ve submitted your application, you should receive a confirmation email. If you don’t, contact us.
Note: Late applications will not be accepted. Apply early so you have time to get help. For help using the online application system:
- Call 651-201-6500.
- Email MDA.AGRIGrants@state.mn.us with “Electric Farm Equipment Grant Online Application Help” in the subject line.
Timeline and deadlines
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| May 20, 2026 | Application period begins. |
| July 24, 2026, 4 p.m. CT | Deadline to ask questions. |
| August 11, 2026, 4 p.m. CT | Applications due. |
| August to September 2026 | Phase one of the review process. |
| September 2026 | Phase two of the review process (pre-award risk assessments). |
| October 2026 | Applicants notified of decisions; grant contracting begins. |
| January 1, 2027 | Expected project start date. |
| Winter 2027 | Grantees publicly announced. |
| June 30, 2028 | Planned project end date. |
Program background
Funding for this program is made available from the United States Environmental Protection Agency through a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant awarded to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) under assistance agreement 66.046. The Climate Pollution Reduction Grant is authorized under section 60114 of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (42 U.S.C. 7437 Sec. 137). More information about all the grant programs in Minnesota related to this federal funding can be found on the MPCA's website.
Electric Farm Equipment Grant Q&A
Here are some common questions about the Electric Farm Equipment 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 "Electric Farm Equipment Grant" in the subject line. We'll post all questions and answers here.
Technically, yes, both are eligible if needed to charge/power the eligible electric farm equipment included in the application. Note, eligibility and competitiveness are different. The most competitive projects, meaning most likely to be funded, will aim to meet as many of the criteria as possible that are listed in the Evaluation Profile on page 19 of the RFP.
Yes, upgrading farm electrical infrastructure is eligible if it is necessary to charge/power electric farm equipment included in the application. An example includes replacing outdated electrical outlets and fuses.
Yes, this is eligible if it is necessary to charge/power electric farm equipment included in the application. An example includes running power to the building where the electric farm equipment will be stored to be able to charge/power the equipment.
Yes, this upgrade is eligible if needed to charge/power the electric farm equipment included in the application.
Yes, applicants can apply for multiple pieces of equipment and associated charging infrastructure in the same application. However, only one application can be submitted per entity, meaning each farm/organization can only have one application.
Yes, this would be eligible as long as it is not powered by a generator or other on-site electric generation equipment reliant on fossil fuels.
Yes, there's a question in the application that allows you to propose electric farm equipment and justify why it would be a good fit for this grant. These types of items will receive a high level of scrutiny to ensure that they are tied to agricultural uses and fit the requirements of the grant. Page 27 of the RFP shows the application questions related to these types of equipment.
Yes, grantees can benefit from other incentive programs when purchasing electric farm equipment. However, the grantee will only be reimbursed for the price paid by the grantee. So, if the price for a piece of equipment is $10,000 and manufacturer is offering an incentive of $1,000 off, then the grantee can only be reimbursed on the $9,000 that they actually paid for the equipment. In addition, grantees cannot be reimbursed for any portion of a purchase where other federal grant funds are used as the payment method. If you are planning to use other federal grant funds to pay for the equipment, be sure to read the “Matching requirement” section on page 3 of the Request for Proposals.
Yes, there is no limit to the number of electric farm equipment that you can apply for in an application. However, each entity (applicant) can only submit one application. The equipment can have purposes/functions that are unrelated to each other, but they must all tie to agricultural purposes. There are no points awarded or deducted based on the number of pieces of equipment requested. It is recommended you review the Evaluation Criteria (page 19 in the RFP). It's also good to mention that grants are taxable income so applicants should keep that in mind as they consider the type/amount of equipment that they want to include in their application.
