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.
Recent executive actions ban the use of certain terms on federal government websites; does this also mean applications using terms like "climate change/resiliency," "emerging farmer," or "historically underserved" risk not being approved?
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.
We will be covering some costs for the project in addition to the funds provided by the SCBG program. Is there a place where I can indicate this cost share?
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.
March 11, 2025
Three community development organizations in Minnesota will receive grant funding to strengthen agriculture-focused financial services through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA)’s new Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Technical Assistance Grant.
The MDA awarded $270,000 in total to three CDFIs for the following purposes:
- African Economic Development Solutions: $80,000 to train staff on resources for farm businesses, establish partnerships with agriculture-related organizations, and create new loan products, programs and policies to serve farmers.
- Hmong American Partnership: $90,000 to increase staff expertise in agricultural financial services, enhance farmers’ knowledge through loan readiness workshops and technical assistance, and develop tailored loan products to fit the financial needs of farmers.
- Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC): $100,000 to strengthen their agricultural lending program through a new ag loan policy manual, a dedicated ag loan fund, technology and processes that deploy capital to farmers faster, and professional development for LEDC staff to better serve farmers.
Awardees for this grant are certified CDFIs who serve or intend to serve farmers in Minnesota and have participated in at least one U. S. Department of Agriculture grant or loan program. A certified CDFI is defined as a bank, credit union, microloan fund, or venture capital provider who has completed a certification process with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s CDFI Fund.
The grants were offered to CDFIs in two main areas of technical assistance:
- Technical assistance provided by CFDIs to farmers (e.g. assisting farmers with loan readiness or expanding outreach efforts toward targeted groups with agriculture-focused financial services).
- Technical assistance for CDFIs to increase their own capacity to serve farmers (e.g. to develop their agriculture lending program or internal knowledge and processes as a foundation to provide financial services to emerging farmers).
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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
Larry.Schumacher@state.mn.us
Please Note: The corporate farm renewals were mailed out last week, and they inadvertently added a $5.00 surcharge
For data requests relating to data maintained by a specific Division within MDA, please contact the appropriate Divisional
