Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is administered in Indiana by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) through its Division of Economic Development. The program is authorized under Section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004, as amended, and is designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops throughout the state of Indiana. For Federal Fiscal Year 2026, the United States Department of Agriculture allocated $635,414.60 to Indiana for the program. ISDA retained a portion of the allocation for statewide specialty crop initiatives and grant administration, leaving $409,581.00 available for competitive awards. The grant opportunity is intended to support projects that create broad industry benefits for specialty crop producers, processors, distributors, and consumers across Indiana rather than providing direct support to a single private business. The program defines specialty crops as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture crops, and nursery crops including floriculture. Eligible projects must directly enhance the competitiveness of Indiana specialty crops and demonstrate benefits to the specialty crop industry or the public at large. ISDA and USDA encourage projects that improve food safety, increase compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act, expand research and development activities, improve pest and disease management, create new specialty crop varieties, increase nutrition knowledge and specialty crop consumption, improve supply chain efficiency, and promote long-term environmental sustainability. Examples of eligible activities include conducting specialty crop research, organizing educational workshops, purchasing special research equipment, planting specialty crops for approved project purposes, and distributing promotional materials tied to specialty crop marketing campaigns. The grant program places significant restrictions on projects that primarily benefit a single organization or individual. Applicants may not use funds to support activities that unfairly compete with other businesses, replace existing funding sources, or expand the commercial production capacity of one business for private profit. Ineligible activities include purchasing equipment or plants solely to increase production for one entity, advertising a single organization to increase membership or sales, and funding research projects already supported through another funding stream. The program also requires applicants to identify at least one specialty crop and one corresponding SCBGP performance outcome and indicator. Applicants are encouraged to focus on measurable, high-quality outcomes rather than selecting excessive numbers of performance indicators. Eligible applicants include registered for-profit entities, nonprofit organizations, local units of government such as cities and counties, and both public and private institutions of higher education. Sole proprietors may apply if properly registered with the Indiana Department of Revenue. Applicants must maintain an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity Identifier, must not appear on federal or state exclusion lists, and must register with the Indiana Department of Administration Supplier Division. Nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions must additionally provide Indiana nonprofit certification documentation and an IRS determination letter confirming tax-exempt status. ISDA also requires applicants to be in good standing with the Indiana Secretary of State and Indiana Department of Revenue and prohibits applicants from having excessive unresolved grant compliance issues with ISDA. Applications must be submitted electronically through the Grants Management System no later than May 13, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Technical assistance will not be available after 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date, and applicants are encouraged to submit applications at least twenty-four hours in advance. Required application components include organizational eligibility documents, project narratives explaining need and impact, timelines broken out by quarter and year, budget justifications, supporting documentation for equipment purchases, project partner commitment letters where applicable, and evidence supporting the project need. Applicants may also include maps, research evidence, sustainability plans, and letters of support. ISDA accepts a wide range of upload formats including PDF, Word, Excel, image, and CSV files. Applications undergo a threshold review for eligibility and compliance before advancing to the Competitive Application Review Board (CARB). The review board independently scores applications using a two-hundred-point scoring rubric that evaluates project summary quality, problem identification, objectives, implementation timeline, sustainability planning, performance measures, reporting methods, and budget justification. ISDA funding priorities include market enhancement, access and training initiatives, and specialty crop research projects. Following scoring and discussion, recommendations are provided to ISDA executive leadership, which retains final award authority. Selection by the review board does not guarantee funding because final awards depend upon USDA approval of the state plan and compliance with federal award requirements. The grant performance period is scheduled from September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2028, while the broader federal award term extends through September 29, 2029. The program is recurring and operates annually through the federal Specialty Crop Block Grant framework. Questions regarding program requirements and grant assistance may be directed to Emily Conwell, Director of Economic Development Grants at the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, via email at EmConwell@isda.IN.gov or by phone at 317-502-5673. Technical support is available from Leah Harmon, Director of Technology Development and Strategy. The NOFO also highlights prior successful projects, including Slaughter Orchard and Cidery, which received a 2023 award to develop safe harvesting and fermentation methods for ground apples used in hard cider production and to share best practices with industry stakeholders through field demonstrations and educational outreach.

Use simple and non-technical language throughout the application narrative. Clearly document the problem frequency and industry need with supporting evidence. Align objectives directly with measurable SCBGP outcomes and indicators. Provide a detailed quarterly timeline and sustainability plan showing long term impact beyond grant funding. Ensure budget justifications clearly connect every expense to project activities and provide vendor quotes for special equipment requests.