Yes, under the Procurement Standards section of Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR Part 200.317 to 200.326), grant recipients must have documented policies and processes for purchasing goods and services with federal (SCBG) funding. Additionally, your organization must follow the same policies and procedures for procurements from non-federal sources.
As an example, see the State of Minnesota’s bidding requirements for non-governmental organization grantees. These should conform to most Federal laws and standards for most non-university or government grantee organizations for most typical SCBG grant purchases.
You are not required to submit financial documentation for the pre-award risk assessment as part of the application process. However, if you are selected for an award, you will be required to submit the financial and other documentation required for the pre-award risk assessment (based on your organizational structure) at that time.
You are not required to submit financial documentation for the pre-award risk assessment as part of the application process. However, if you are selected for an award, you will be required to submit the financial and other documentation required for the pre-award risk assessment (based on your organizational structure) at that time.
There are no exclusions on who may be the beneficiary of an SCBGP project as long as the project fulfills the program’s purpose of enhancing the competitiveness of specialty crops in Minnesota. However, projects that can demonstrate a benefit to beginning farmers (defined as an individual or entity that has not operated a farm or ranch for more than 10 years and substantially participates in the operation) can receive up to five additional points during the scoring process. We encourage you to review the Evaluation Profile to understand how applications will be scored.
There are no exclusions on who may be the beneficiary of an SCBGP project as long as the project fulfills the program’s purpose of enhancing the competitiveness of specialty crops in Minnesota. However, projects that can demonstrate a benefit to beginning farmers (defined as an individual or entity that has not operated a farm or ranch for more than 10 years and substantially participates in the operation) can receive up to five additional points during the scoring process. We encourage you to review the Evaluation Profile to understand how applications will be scored.
As of early March 2025, federal funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant remains uncertain.
USDA typically releases their Request for Applications (RFA), which outlines the program parameters and due dates, in late January. In early March 2025, USDA staff indicated they don’t have any specific dates for releasing their RFA, but they would provide more information as they receive it. State agencies typically release their Request for Proposals (RFPs) before USDA releases their RFA so there's enough time to receive and review proposals, work with subrecipients, and put together a state plan for submission to USDA. Like many other state departments of agriculture, we released our RFP in anticipation of receiving the RFA and are awaiting further guidance from USDA.
As of early March 2025, federal funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant remains uncertain.
USDA typically releases their Request for Applications (RFA), which outlines the program parameters and due dates, in late January. In early March 2025, USDA staff indicated they don’t have any specific dates for releasing their RFA, but they would provide more information as they receive it. State agencies typically release their Request for Proposals (RFPs) before USDA releases their RFA so there's enough time to receive and review proposals, work with subrecipients, and put together a state plan for submission to USDA. Like many other state departments of agriculture, we released our RFP in anticipation of receiving the RFA and are awaiting further guidance from USDA.
During the state level review, applications will be scored based on the criteria in the Project Evaluation Profile in the MDA’s RFP. Maximize your points by clearly answering the application questions. Following the state level review, selected project proposals are submitted to USDA as part of our state plan.
As of early March 2025, USDA staff indicated they don’t have any specific dates for releasing their Request for Applications (RFA). Without an RFA to outline program priorities, it remains unclear how recent executive actions will impact the priorities and goals of the SCBG program. While we cannot provide specific advice on how to answer the application questions, it's always advisable to consider current events when preparing your grant application.
During the state level review, applications will be scored based on the criteria in the Project Evaluation Profile in the MDA’s RFP. Maximize your points by clearly answering the application questions. Following the state level review, selected project proposals are submitted to USDA as part of our state plan.
As of early March 2025, USDA staff indicated they don’t have any specific dates for releasing their Request for Applications (RFA). Without an RFA to outline program priorities, it remains unclear how recent executive actions will impact the priorities and goals of the SCBG program. While we cannot provide specific advice on how to answer the application questions, it's always advisable to consider current events when preparing your grant application.
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.
