Agriculture Grants for Small businesses

Department of Pesticide Regulation · $100K–$1M

California's Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) 2027 Sustainable Pest Management Grants Program is open to a broad range of applicants, including nonprofits, businesses, individuals, universities, and government and tribal agencies. It funds projects that advance integrated pest management practices, such as alternatives to weed, rodent, and fumigant use, through research, outreach, and implementation in agricultural, urban, or wildland settings, with award budgets ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000. Principal investigators may submit at most two proposals per year, and all applicants must meet DPR's specific eligibility requirements outlined in the official solicitation. Applications are due by September 2, 2026.

CA Department of Food and Agriculture · Amount varies

California's Dairy Plus Program provides supplemental funding (about $34 million total, capped around $750 per cow and $1.25 million per project) for advanced manure management practices at commercial dairy operations, building on the state's Alternative Manure Management and Dairy Digester programs. Eligible applicants are California farmers, ranchers, and California Native American tribes operating a commercial dairy in the state; funds are paid on reimbursement. The deadline is September 14, 2026.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture · $10K–$650K

The USDA AFRI Education and Workforce Development program funds projects that develop the next generation of food and agricultural sciences professionals, including K-14 educator development, youth education, community-college training, undergraduate research, and pre/postdoctoral fellowships. Eligibility is broad and includes colleges and universities, experiment stations, research institutions, private organizations, federal agencies, and U.S.-citizen or permanent-resident individuals; foreign and international organizations are not eligible. Awards range from about $10,000 to $650,000. Eligibility varies by project type, so applicants should check the NOFO.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture · $10K–$10M

The USDA AFRI Foundational and Applied Science program funds research, education, and extension projects across six agricultural priority areas. Eligibility is broad and includes universities and colleges, state agricultural experiment stations, research institutions, private organizations or corporations, federal agencies, and U.S.-citizen or permanent-resident individuals; foreign and international organizations are not eligible. Awards range widely from about $10,000 up to $10 million depending on project type. Eligibility for specific grant types varies by program area, so applicants should check the RFA.

Food and Drug Administration · Up to $250K

An FDA R01 funding safety and effectiveness testing to support approval of drugs for minor uses or minor species (MUMS) in veterinary medicine. Eligibility is limited to entities developing such drugs (or their research partners) that already hold an INAD file and a MUMS designation from FDA/CVM, with a protocol pre-reviewed by FDA, so this requires existing regulatory standing with FDA. Awards reach up to about $250,000. Not a fit unless the applicant is already in the FDA veterinary drug development pipeline.

Food and Drug Administration · Up to $200K

This FDA cooperative agreement funds state and academic partners to strengthen antibiotic-resistance surveillance in retail food specimens as part of the NARMS program. Eligibility is broad, spanning universities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), small and large businesses, and state, local, and tribal governments. Awards range up to $200,000.

Food and Drug Administration · Up to $600K

This FDA award (up to $600,000) funds natural history studies that generate high-quality data to support medical product development for rare diseases with unmet needs. Eligibility is very broad, covering universities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), small and other for-profit businesses, tribal and local/state governments, and even foreign organizations and their non-U.S. components. No unusual disqualifiers are noted, and the deadline is not imminent.

DOC NOAA - ERA Production · $15K–$75K

Open to individuals (as legal entities), commercial organizations, state/local/tribal governments, universities, and nonprofits; federal agencies and employees can't apply, and projects must be conducted in Alaska. Funds marine workforce training, seafood-safety and management education, fishing innovation, and consumer outreach. Awards are small, roughly $15,000–$75,000.

Food and Drug Administration · Up to $900K

Open to nearly any organization — universities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3)), for-profits and small businesses, state/local/tribal governments, and foreign organizations. This FDA R01 funds clinical trials of orphan products evaluating safety and efficacy to address unmet needs in rare diseases. Awards up to about $900,000; clinical trials are required.

Food and Drug Administration · $225K–$2.5M

This FDA grant (U18, $225,000 to $2,500,000) funds veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the Vet-LIRN network to build capacity for animal food safety and antimicrobial resistance testing, including equipment and method development. Eligibility is broad, covering nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses, for-profit organizations, universities, tribal governments, and state/local governments. No unusual disqualifiers are noted, and the deadline is not imminent.

Fish and Wildlife Service · Amount varies

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers Cooperative Agriculture Agreements that let private individuals or small businesses farm, hay, or graze on National Wildlife Refuge lands in support of conservation objectives. This is a non-financial program: no federal funds are awarded, and arrangements are cost-sharing or in-kind (labor, equipment, crop yield) and may involve bids or payments to the Service. Pre-application coordination is required, and only private individuals or small business entities are eligible.

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection · Amount varies

Open to businesses, individuals, nonprofits, other legal entities, and public agencies owning 20 to 5,000 acres of forest land in California; this program provides cost-share assistance (not full grants) for forest management planning, reforestation, and related improvement activities performed under a Registered Professional Forester. Broadcast, controlled, or cultural burning is not an eligible cost. No specific award amount or deadline is listed, and applicants should expect to cover part of the cost themselves.

Rural Business-Cooperative Service · $1.5K–$500K

Open to agricultural producers, the USDA REAP program funds renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements, with awards ranging from about $1,500 up to $500,000. Eligibility is limited to agricultural producers (and, under the broader REAP program, certain rural small businesses), so general applicants and urban organizations typically do not qualify. Review the application package and contact a State Energy Coordinator for required forms and current terms.

CA Department of Food and Agriculture · $1–$190K

Businesses, individuals, nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments can apply for this CA Department of Food and Agriculture program funding research into new management methods for controlling the beet leafhopper and curly top virus, with awards up to $190,000. Proposals must be submitted 30 days before posted Beet Curly Top Virus Control Board meetings, and funding priority goes to no-pesticide or DPR-approved pesticide approaches, making this a narrow, specialized agricultural research opportunity.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open to a broad range of applicants in California, including businesses, individuals, nonprofits, other legal entities, public agencies, and tribal governments, but specifically for livestock producers seeking compensation for confirmed or probable wolf depredation losses. No set award amount or deadline is listed; compensation is determined case-by-case following a CDFW investigation of each incident. Not a general grant program — it only applies to documented wolf-livestock conflict losses in California.

Rural Business-Cooperative Service · $1.5K–$500K

USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program (REAP) funds agricultural producers for renewable energy and efficiency projects, with awards ranging from about $1,500 to $500,000. Eligibility is limited to agricultural producers rather than nonprofits or businesses generally, and applicants should contact their State Energy Coordinator for full application requirements.