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Yes, as long as the project involves and primarily benefits growers/producers that reside in Minnesota and will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops grown in Minnesota. Whether inside or outside of Minnesota, any entities that are involved in a grant-funded project must be able to account for the grant-related work separately from their other activities.

All costs covered by this grant program must be direct costs. When determining what is considered a direct cost, you must follow your organization’s normal written policies/procedures. The personnel costs claimed in the budget section of the application cannot normally be included in your organization's overhead costs or included in calculating your organization's indirect cost rate. Direct costs for staff time spent doing a project’s administrative work, like arranging project activities (such as a workshop or outreach event) may be eligible for SCBG funding.

Labor costs must be based upon actual wages, salaries, and fringe costs earned and time worked solely on the awarded project. The work activities must be attributable to the project through payroll documentation, timesheets, or activities logs, which you may be required to submit to the MDA at least once during your project as part of a desk audit.

No — grant funds cannot be used for business start-up or expansion costs. SCBG projects proposed by individual producers, for-profit businesses, or commercial entities need to demonstrate a significant benefit to a segment of the specialty crop industry, and not just the applicant or partner organization.

Yes, subawards and subcontracts by SCBG grantees are allowable and have been a part of previously approved projects.

In the “Contractual/consultant” budget section of the application, you are asked to list the contractors’ names, hourly/flat rates, and total costs, as well as a justification for why contractual/consultant services are being used to meet the anticipated outcomes and objectives of your project.

Contractors' hourly rates may not exceed the salary of a GS-15 step 10 federal employee in your area. If contractor employee and consultant hourly rates of pay will exceed that rate, you need to provide a justification for the expenses. Note that we do not allow indirect costs for contractors and consultants.

When selecting your contractors/consultants, your organization needs to follow the same policies and procedures used for procurements from non-federal sources, which reflect applicable state and local laws and regulations and conform to the applicable federal laws and standards identified in 2 CFR Part 200.317 through 200.326.

You should be aware that if you are awarded a grant, your organization will need to pass down and enforce the requirements of the AMS 2024 General Terms and Conditions Updated (PDF) with any subawardees or contractors/consultants in their subaward or subcontract agreements.

There is no matching requirement for the SCBG grant, so there is no place on the application to provide that information. No additional priority is given to applications that include a cost share.

However, if you would like to explain that you are covering additional costs that are necessary for the completion of your project but are not part of your SCBG budget, you may describe that in the narrative budget justifications. For example, you could explain in your personnel justification that SCBG funds will cover part of a graduate student’s time, but the remainder of their time will be covered by other funding sources.