Specialty Crop Grant Proposals

June 10, 2009

To:          Potential Specialty Crop Grant Applicants

From:     Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring

Re:         Specialty Crop Grant Proposals

Greetings!

I am pleased to report that North Dakota will be receiving a Specialty Crop Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture - Agriculture Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) in the amount of $526,675.46.

Our office will be distributing these funds through a competitive grant program. The purpose of this letter is to invite proposals. The grants are to be used to “enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops”. This is the scope of the grant as stated in the federal register:

``Enhancing the competitiveness'' of specialty crops includes, but is not limited to: Research, promotion, marketing, nutrition, trade enhancement, food safety, food security, plant health programs, education, ``buy local'' programs, increased consumption, increased innovation, improved efficiency and reduced costs of distribution systems, environmental concerns and conservation, product development, and developing cooperatives.

We have prepared a very detailed manual of general program information, application instructions, scoring criteria for applications received and an application template. It can be found our Department of Agriculture web site- www.agdepartment.com. Click on the icon specialty crop grant 2009.

To those that have applied for this grant in the past, you are going to find that the application process is much more thorough and requires much more information. Successful applicants will also find that there will be much more monitoring and reporting required. The requirements that are outlined in the manual that is on line are a result of the Congress and USDA tightening up the program.

While the website provides all of the information listed below, here is a highlight of some of the provisions:

• Eligible crops that are classified as ‘specialty crops’ are listed in the manual. If there are any questions, please contact our office.
  
  
• All applications will be received and reviewed by our Department and only those selected by our Department will move forward for USDA approval.
  
  
• Grant applications are capped at $100,000.
  
  
• Applications must be received by July 15, 2009 in both electronic and written form.
  
  
• Projects will be awarded in October-November of 2009 and must be completed by December 31, 2010.
  
  
• Multi-state projects are eligible.
  
  
• No expenses can be incurred until the grant is approved and a sub-contract is issued by our Department.
  
  
• Grant funds will not be awarded for projects that directly benefit a particular commercial product, or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual.
  
  
• Applicants must show measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single organization, institution, or individual.
  
  
• Funds cannot be used to supplant current organization’s activities.
  
  
• Applicants are not allowed to charge indirect (administrative support) costs to the projects.
  
  
• Payments to recipients will be on a quarterly basis and will require an itemized invoice, a brief interim progress report, and documentation of the work or expenses for which payment is requested. This is much different than previous specialty crop grants where 50% or 75% of the money was paid up front.
  
  
• Applicants will need to follow the instructions and format in the manual when submitting proposals.
  

We have tried to give you detailed guidance in the manual as you prepare your application. We understand that it might be an onerous process. However, it is necessary if we are going to successfully access these funds from USDA.

If you have any questions concerning this grant, please feel free to contact Chuck Fleming of our Marketing Staff at 701-328-4759 or cfleming@nd.gov.