Opportunity Information: Apply for OPPE 15
The Department of Agriculture, through its Office of Advocacy and Outreach, offered a mandatory grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number OPPE 15) titled "Solicitation for Applications to Assist Persistent Poverty Farmers, Ranchers, Agriculture Producers and Communities through Agriculture Resources." The purpose of the program is to strengthen agricultural and natural resource outcomes in persistent poverty communities by intentionally pulling together USDA programs and complementary state, local, and private-sector resources. A core theme is collaboration: the funding is meant to help communities coordinate partners, build local leadership capacity, and turn existing programs and services into practical, community-driven results.
The focus population includes limited resource farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged agricultural producers, and veteran farmers and ranchers, with special emphasis on persistent poverty areas. Rather than simply distributing direct financial assistance to producers, the program is structured around technical assistance and community organizing support. Funded applicants are expected to work within identified persistent poverty communities to help producers and local stakeholders form a local working leaders group, surface the community's priority issues and challenges, identify assets and opportunities already present, and develop a plan of action. That plan is then connected to concrete resources and pathways for implementation, including navigating and accessing relevant USDA and other programmatic services.
Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, other Native American tribal organizations (that are not federally recognized tribal governments), and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The activity areas tied to the opportunity reflect its cross-cutting intent, spanning agriculture, community development, education, food and nutrition, natural resources, and opportunity zone benefits. The assistance is meant to be comprehensive enough to address local agricultural and natural resource concerns while also building durable partnerships that continue after the grant period.
In terms of scale, the maximum award amount (award ceiling) was set at $450,000, and the agency anticipated making about 50 awards. The opportunity was associated with CFDA numbers 10.443 and 10.902. The solicitation was created on July 15, 2020, with an original application closing date of August 24, 2020. Overall, the grant is best understood as a capacity-building and coordination effort designed to help persistent poverty communities organize, plan, and successfully connect underserved producers to existing assistance and market or program opportunities through stronger local leadership and partnerships.Apply for OPPE 15
- The Department of Agriculture, DM-Office of Advocacy and Outreach in the agriculture, community development, education, food and nutrition, natural resources, opportunity zone benefits sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Solicitation for Applications to Assist Persistent Poverty Farmers, Ranchers, Agriculture Producers and Communities through Agriculture Resources" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.443, 10.902.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 15, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 24, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $450,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity?
This is a Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant opportunity offered through the Office of Advocacy and Outreach. It is titled "Solicitation for Applications to Assist Persistent Poverty Farmers, Ranchers, Agriculture Producers and Communities through Agriculture Resources" and is identified by Funding Opportunity Number OPPE 15.
What is the purpose of the program?
The program is designed to strengthen agricultural and natural resource outcomes in persistent poverty communities by intentionally pulling together USDA programs and complementary state, local, and private-sector resources. A major focus is collaboration, coordination, and building local capacity so communities can turn existing programs and services into practical, community-driven results.
Who is the program meant to benefit?
The focus population includes limited resource farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged agricultural producers, and veteran farmers and ranchers, with special emphasis on producers and communities located in persistent poverty areas.
What are "persistent poverty communities" in the context of this opportunity?
The opportunity emphasizes work in persistent poverty areas/communities. The program’s intent is to concentrate assistance where poverty is persistent and where better coordination of resources can improve agricultural and natural resource outcomes.
Is this grant meant to provide direct financial assistance to individual farmers or ranchers?
No. The opportunity is structured around technical assistance and community organizing support rather than simply distributing direct financial assistance to producers. The goal is to help communities organize, plan, and connect underserved producers to existing programs, services, and opportunities.
What kinds of activities are applicants expected to carry out?
Funded applicants are expected to work within identified persistent poverty communities to:
- Help producers and local stakeholders form a local working leaders group
- Surface the community’s priority issues and challenges
- Identify existing assets and opportunities in the community
- Develop a plan of action
- Connect that plan to concrete resources and pathways for implementation, including navigating and accessing relevant USDA and other programmatic services
What is the "core theme" of the grant?
Collaboration is a core theme. The funding is meant to help communities coordinate partners, build local leadership capacity, and translate existing programs and services into results that are practical and driven by the community.
What is meant by "capacity-building and coordination" in this grant?
In this opportunity, capacity-building and coordination refers to organizing local partners and leaders, improving local ability to plan and act, and creating clearer pathways for underserved producers to access USDA programs and other complementary resources. The emphasis is on durable partnerships and community leadership that can continue after the grant period.
What role do partnerships and local leadership play in this program?
Partnerships and local leadership are central. The program expects applicants to help coordinate partners, build local leadership capacity, and support a local working leaders group that identifies priorities and drives a plan of action connected to available resources.
What subject areas or sectors does the grant cover?
The opportunity is cross-cutting and spans multiple activity areas, including agriculture, community development, education, food and nutrition, natural resources, and opportunity zone benefits. This reflects the program’s intent to bring together multiple programs and resources around local needs.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include:
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Other Native American tribal organizations (that are not federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education)
Are nonprofit institutions of higher education eligible under the nonprofit category?
No. While 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible, the eligibility statement excludes institutions of higher education from the nonprofit category.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling (maximum award amount) for this opportunity is $450,000.
How many awards did the agency anticipate making?
The agency anticipated making about 50 awards.
Which USDA office offered this opportunity?
The opportunity was offered by the Department of Agriculture through its Office of Advocacy and Outreach.
What are the CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity was associated with CFDA numbers 10.443 and 10.902.
When was the solicitation created?
The solicitation was created on July 15, 2020.
What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date was August 24, 2020.
What does the program aim to produce by the end of the organizing and planning process?
A key expected output is a community-driven plan of action based on locally identified priorities, challenges, and assets, with clear connections to resources and implementation pathways (including access to relevant USDA and other services).
How does this program connect communities to USDA resources?
The program’s model is to help local producers and stakeholders organize, set priorities, and then navigate and access relevant USDA programs and complementary resources. The intent is to make existing assistance more usable and better coordinated at the community level.
What makes this grant different from a typical agricultural grant?
This grant is best understood as a coordination and capacity-building effort. Instead of focusing on direct producer payments, it focuses on technical assistance, community organizing, partner coordination, and local leadership development to improve how persistent poverty communities connect to existing programs and opportunities.
Does the opportunity emphasize long-term impact beyond the grant period?
Yes. The assistance is intended to be comprehensive enough to address local agricultural and natural resource concerns while also building durable partnerships that continue after the grant period.
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