California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross is welcoming volunteers with knowledge and expertise regarding California's specialty crop industry to serve as reviewers on the 2021 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) Technical Review Committee.

This committee reviews, evaluates, and makes recommendations to CDFA on proposals submitted for funding to California’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which is now accepting proposals from would-be recipients.

The SCBGP is a competitive solicitation process designed to enhance the competitiveness of California specialty crops. Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).

Grant awards will range from $50,000 to $450,000 per project and projects may last for up to two years and six months.

The Technical Review Committee consists of representatives from government and non-government organizations. Technical Review Committee members will attend one training webinar in October 2020 and two phases of online reviews in December 2020 and March/April 2021 respectively, to make recommendations on concept and grant proposals.

Application form

All individuals interested in serving on the Technical Review Committee must submit a completed application form and a copy of their résumé to [email protected] before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Reference the first page of the application form for requirements and restrictions.

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Within the form, applicants must identify one primary and one alternate funding category related to their area of expertise. The SCBGP funding categories are as follows: 

For a description of each funding category and more details about the program, please reference the 2021 SCBGP Request for Concept Proposals. The application form and the 2021 SCBGP Request for Concept Proposals can be found on the CDFA SCBGP website.

Prospective applicants may contact CDFA’s Office of Grants Administration at (916) 657-3231 or [email protected] for additional information.

SCBGP proposals accepted

The CDFA announced Sept. 18 that it is now accepting proposals for the 2021 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP).

Each year, CDFA conducts a two-phase competitive solicitation process to award funds to projects that enhance the competitiveness of California specialty crops. Review the 2021 Request for Concept Proposals for detailed application instructions.

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Phase I of the competitive process begins with the submission of concept proposals, which undergo both an administrative review and a technical review. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a detailed grant proposal in Phase II of the process.

Grant awards will range from $50,000 to $450,000 per project and projects may last for up to two years and six months(projects submitted to the Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Organizations will range from $25,000 to $100,000 and may last up to two years).

Non-profit and for-profit organizations; local, state, federal, and tribal government entities; and public and private colleges and universities are eligible to apply (only non-profits and tribal governments may apply to the Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Organizations Program).

Register online

All applicants must register online with the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST), https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov, to apply. Concept proposals must be submitted electronically using FAAST by Friday, October 23, 2020, at 5 pm PST.

CDFA will conduct a series of webinars, featuring an overview of the program, a review of concept proposals questions, a live demonstration of the online application system and helpful grant writing tips. 

Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the program’s website, www.cdfa.ca.gov/grants for full details or contact CDFA’s Office of Grants Administration at (916) 657-3231 or [email protected] for additional information. 

Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.