Gulf of Mexico Historically Underserved Farmer to Farmer Grants RFA

EPA expects to issue a Request for Applications (RFA) in December to solicit applications from eligible entities for a direct award from EPA to provide competitive subawards to eligible entities. Funded subawards must directly collaborate with underserved farmers on projects within the Gulf of Mexico watershed to demonstrate innovative practices within farming communities, measure the results of those practices, and identify how collaboration and effective dissemination can expand adoption of the most cost-effective and sustainable farming approaches. Subawardees MUST directly collaborate with farmers from underserved communities and/or underserved producers. Each of these is defined in the following links. For a definition of underserved communities, please see the Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. For a definition of underserved producers, please see the USDA definition found here. For the purpose of this RFA the term “farmer” refers to those individuals that make management decisions concerning agriculture lands, including cropland, forestland, and grazing lands. 

EPA plans to award approximately $12 million, with up to $3,000,000 of funding provided per cooperative agreement. EPA plans to fund ONE cooperative agreement in each of the following geographic categories:

1. Mississippi River (Upper, Middle and Lower Mississippi)
2. Ohio River (Upper and Lower Ohio)
3. Western Mississippi watersheds (Upper and Lower Missouri, Arkansas, Red and Oachita) 
4. Non Mississippi River Drainage to the Gulf of Mexico 

The applicant will need to demonstrate experience running a competitive award program and the organizational infrastructure to manage subawards in alignment with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (200.317 through 200.333). If your organization does not have experience with this, you may want to consider applying to the competitive subaward program funded by this cooperative agreement. When announced, the competition information will be sent to EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Division email list. Please send an email to gmp-rfa@epa.gov to be added to the list.

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