The 2023 California Underserved and Small Producers (CUSP) Drought Relief Technical Assistance and Direct Producer Grant Program is currently accepting applications from eligible entities including Non-profit organizations, Tribal Governments, County Departments of Agriculture and Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs).
Donor Name: California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/16/2023
Size of the Grant: $500,000 up to $1,500,000
Grant Duration: 2 years
Details:
The 2023 CUSP Drought Relief Technical Assistance and Direct Producer Grant Program is designed to facilitate support for small-and-medium scale California agricultural producers or small-and-medium scale Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFR’s) through technical assistance with business planning and marketing strategies. The program also includes direct producer drought relief grants for those same priority groups.
This two-year grant program also includes direct farmer grants for drought relief for those same priority groups.
Applicants may apply for one or both of the funding tracks available under this grant program:
- Part 1: Drought Relief Technical Assistance grants from $50,000 up to $100,000. This funding track is for eligible technical assistance providers to support California agricultural producers in applying for Federal and State drought relief grant programs including the CUSP Drought Relief Direct Producer Grant Program, and assistance with business planning, financial and marketing strategies needed to be resilient and stay in business during the on-going drought in California.
- Part 2: Drought Relief Direct Producer Block Grant Program provides funding from $500,000 up to $1,500,000 for organizations to act as regional administrators to provide drought relief grants for small-and-medium scale producers or small-and-medium scale Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFR’s) to aid in addressing specific financial needs due to the drought.
Project Period
- Grant Term Begins May 1, 2023
- Grant Term Ends April 30, 2025
Eligibility Criteria
The following entities are eligible to apply for this program: Non-profit organizations, Tribal Governments, County Departments of Agriculture and Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs). Entities applying for Part 1 must have demonstrated technical assistance expertise in assisting small and medium scale agricultural producers in applying to economic or drought relief fund programs, marketing, or business planning. Entities applying for Part 2 must have demonstrated expertise in managing direct grants or previous rounds of CUSP Economic or Drought Relief Direct Producer Grants. Priority in both tracks will be given to organizations with language and cultural capacities in offering technical assistance and program resources in languages other than English.
For more information, visit CUSP Grant.