AGRI Good Agricultural Practices/Good Handling Practices Cost Share Program

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture administers the AGRI Good Agricultural Practices/Good Handling Practices Cost Share program through its Agricultural Marketing and Development division. The program assists eligible Minnesota producers and handlers with the cost of obtaining or maintaining third-party Good Agricultural Practices/Good Handling Practices certification. Third-party certification is required for GAP/GHP certification, and eligible participants must be certified to USDA GAP/GHP standards by an accredited certifier. The program is intended to reduce the certification cost borne by qualifying Minnesota agricultural operations. Funding is specifically for GAP/GHP certification costs. Reimbursement is based on certification costs incurred during the qualifying period from May 16, 2025 through May 15, 2026. Costs associated with becoming eligible for certification are not reimbursable. Examples of ineligible expenses identified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture include installing hand sinks and drains and hiring a contractor to oversee a plan. Payments cannot exceed 75 percent of documented certification costs or $2,000. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Because reimbursement covers no more than 75 percent of documented costs, the applicant is responsible for the remaining certification costs. Eligible applicants are producers and handlers certified to USDA GAP/GHP standards by an accredited certifier. Certification must have been awarded or continuing between May 16, 2025 and May 15, 2026, and the address appearing on the certificate must be located in Minnesota. An applicant whose certificate was issued, renewed, or updated during the qualifying period, or who maintained continuing certification during that period, may qualify. The program provides eligibility for up to three years, and an applicant certified more than once during the eligibility period may be eligible for payment with each certification completed during that period, subject to the stated maximum of three years. Applicants must submit the GAP/GHP Cost Share Application Form, IRS Form W-9, proof of new or continuing certification, and detailed invoices or statements from the certifier showing certification costs incurred during the qualifying period. Proof of certification may consist of a copy of the applicant's current certificate or a letter from the certifier. Self-completed worksheets and cancelled checks are not acceptable documentation. The applicant must attest that the submitted information is true, complete, and accurate and that the applicant was certified by an accredited certification agency during the qualifying period. The application requires an applicant signature and date. Applications and all required supporting documentation must be mailed to MDA GAP Cost-Share/AMD, 625 Robert St. N., St. Paul, MN 55155-2538. Applications had to be postmarked no later than May 31, 2026. If a postmark is illegible, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture considers the application to have been postmarked one day before receipt. Late applications are denied. The application does not state a separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating requirement. It also does not state a formal scoring rubric or competitive evaluation criteria; instead, funding is expressly described as available on a first-come, first-served basis. The maximum reimbursement is $2,000 and cannot exceed 75 percent of the applicant's documented eligible certification costs. The source does not state a minimum award, total program funding amount, number of awards, award notification date, or separate performance period. The qualifying cost period is May 16, 2025 through May 15, 2026. The source does not explicitly state that the cost-share application itself recurs annually or on another fixed schedule, so no future cycle is inferred from the three-year participant eligibility language. General program questions may be directed to Agricultural Marketing and Development at 651-201-6012. Information about becoming GAP/GHP certified or scheduling an audit is available from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Fruit and Vegetable Inspections program at 651-201-6067.

Submit complete documentation by the postmark deadline and apply promptly because funding is first-come, first-served. Use detailed invoices/statements issued by the certifier; self-completed worksheets and cancelled checks are not acceptable.