Solicitation for Applications to Assist Persistent Poverty Farmers, Ranchers, Agriculture Producers and Communities through Agriculture Resources | OPPE 15

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.

• 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.

Apply for OPPE 15

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