2027 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is a federal assistance program administered in California by the California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Grants Administration with funding contingent on availability from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service. Federal Assistance Listing 10.170 applies. The program funds projects that enhance the competitiveness of California specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. The program is intended to support all sectors of the California specialty crop industry and improve the performance of California specialty crops in local, domestic, national, and international markets. Projects must benefit the California specialty crop industry broadly rather than primarily benefiting one individual, organization, institution, farm, business venture, nonprofit organization, or cooperative association. For the conventional program, CDFA expects to award up to $28 million, subject to available USDA Agricultural Marketing Service funding. Individual grant requests must be between $100,000 and $600,000. CDFA may offer an award amount different from the amount requested. Separately from the competitive process, CDFA may award up to $4 million for proposals addressing urgent or critical issues affecting California specialty crop agriculture. The maximum grant duration is two years and eight months. Grant funds cannot be expended before November 1, 2027 or after June 30, 2030. Allowable project budgets may include appropriate salary and wages, fringe benefits, project travel, special purpose equipment, supplies, contractual expenses, other project expenses, and indirect costs. Indirect costs are limited to 8 percent of total personnel costs, defined as salary and wages plus fringe benefits. General purpose equipment, significant unallowable costs, operational costs unrelated to the specific project, donations, unfair competitive advantages, and activities outside the grant period can result in disqualification. Eligible applicants include nonprofit and for-profit organizations, local, state, and federal government entities, federally and non-federally recognized Tribal governments, and public or private colleges and universities. Individuals are not eligible. Projects must benefit the California specialty crop industry, may not benefit non-specialty crops, and must address one or more CDFA program priorities. Applicants may submit multiple Concept Proposals, but each must represent a unique project, and the same project cannot be submitted to multiple funding categories. Funding areas cover Market Enhancement; Access, Education, and Training; and Research, with specified categories and program priorities under each. The conventional solicitation does not require cost share as of the release date. However, USDA previously announced an intent to require nonfederal cash or in-kind cost share equal to 25 percent of requested federal funds, and CDFA states that applicants will be subject to the final USDA Notice of Funding Opportunity and Terms and Conditions when issued. The solicitation uses a two-phase competitive process. Phase I requires submission of a Concept Proposal through CDFA's Grant Opportunity and Administration and Tracking System, or GOATS. Applicants must create a GOATS account and complete all required questions in the required format. Proposals submitted outside GOATS will not be considered. The Concept Proposal includes organization and contact information, prior SCBGP project information, other federal or state grant submissions, Unique Entity Identifier information if known, project partners, project title and description, funding area and category, program priorities, project purpose, sustainability, beneficiaries, outcome measures, project duration, a detailed budget narrative, and a work plan and outreach plan. Additional attachments should not be uploaded unless required because unsolicited attachments will not be considered. Successful Phase I applicants will be invited to submit a more detailed Grant Proposal through GOATS during Phase II. Concept Proposals can receive up to 50 points. Scored areas include program priorities, project purpose, project sustainability, project beneficiaries, outcome measures, budget, and work plan and outreach. CDFA seeks projects producing the highest degree of measurable benefit to California specialty crop producers relative to each dollar spent. The review process includes an administrative review for compliance and, when applicable, past CDFA grant performance, followed by technical review by a committee of growers and experts from industry, universities, public agencies, and nonprofits. Marketing and promotion proposals must include Outcome 1, Indicator 1.5, Increasing Consumption and Consumer Purchasing of Specialty Crops. Applications can be disqualified for incomplete or minimally answered questions, ineligible applicants or commodities, insufficient industry benefit, unallowable costs or activities, excessive indirect costs, missing required information, submission outside GOATS, or projects primarily benefiting individual organizations or persons. The Request for Concept Proposals was released August 24, 2026, and Concept Proposals are due September 21, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Late submissions will not be accepted. Webinars and office hours run from August 31 through September 10, 2026. General solicitation questions may be submitted through September 15, 2026 at noon Pacific Time, with the final posted responses scheduled for September 17, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Applicants not disqualified are expected to receive Concept Proposal status notifications in December 2026. Successful applicants will then be invited to Phase II, with Grant Proposals due in January 2027 and proposals forwarded to USDA for approval in May 2027. Funding announcements and awards are expected in fall 2027. The program operates an annual competitive solicitation process, so a future annual cycle is anticipated. Questions concerning the solicitation or GOATS may be directed to the California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Grants Administration at grants@cdfa.ca.gov or 916-657-3231. The office is located at 1220 N Street, Suite 120, Sacramento, California 95814. Applicants are encouraged to review the program FAQ, Q&A materials, GOATS User Guide, Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities Table, and procurement guidance before submission. Applicants should allow adequate time for preparation and submission, keep responses clear and concise, confirm that the selected funding category is the most appropriate category for the project, verify all budget amounts, and ensure every required question is answered because omissions and significant compliance problems can result in disqualification.

Start preparation early and do not wait until the deadline. Draft responses in a word processor and check grammar, spelling, clarity, and character limits before GOATS entry. Keep responses clear and concise. Select the funding category that most accurately reflects the project because it cannot be changed after submission. Demonstrate a specific existing need, industry support, measurable benefits to the California specialty crop industry, and a credible outreach plan. Limit outcome indicators to those that can be tracked and achieved during the grant period. Marketing and promotion projects must select Outcome 1 Indicator 1.5. Review allowable and unallowable costs before finalizing the budget, keep indirect costs within the 8 percent limit, verify budget totals, and answer every required question because omissions or significant unallowable costs can result in disqualification.