Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

Overview

• Type

  Grant, Request For Proposal

• Title

  Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

• Source

  Washington State Department of Agriculture

• Federal or State

  State

• Total Amount

  $4,700,000

• Award Range

  $25,000 - $250,000

Topics

Agriculture

Eligibility

• Audience

  Agriculture, Businesses, Education, Local Government, Nonprofits, State Agencies

• Sector

  Agriculture

• Activity

  Education & Outreach, Planning, Research & Development

• Eligibility

  Eligible organizations include:

  • industry associations
  • producer groups
  • commodity commissions
  • non-profit organizations
  • for-profit organizations
  • local, state, and federal government entities
  • educational institutions

  Projects cannot benefit a single commercial product. Projects cannot provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual. Recipients cannot use grant funds to compete with private companies.

  Definition of a Specialty Crop

  A specialty crop is:

  • fruits and vegetables
  • tree nuts
  • dried fruits
  • horticulture
  • nursery crops (including floriculture)

  Eligible specialty crop plants are cultivated for food, medicinal purposes, or beautification. Processed goods should consist of more than 50% of the specialty crop by weight.

  For a list of eligible and ineligible commodities, see Definition of Specialty Crop.

   

  Acceptable Projects

  • A non-profit requests funds to show the viability of organic small fruit production. They partner with University Extension to promote the working model to other regional growers.
  • A state requests funding to contract with a university to conduct research on the feasibility of planting, cultivating, and growing a specialty crop in a specific area, the results of which will be shared with growers throughout the state

  Unacceptable Projects

  • A company requests funds to buy starter plants or equipment to grow specialty crops to make a profit or to expand production for single organization.
  • A single specialty crop organization requests funds to promote themselves to increase membership.

• Location

  WA

Application Process

• Application Link

  https://agr.wa.gov/services/grant-opportunities/specialty-crop-block-grant-program?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

• Pre-Application?

  Yes

• Requirements

  A two-phase competitive process will take place to award an estimated $4.7 million dollars.

  1. Phase I, Concept Proposal: Applicants must apply online following the instructions and requirements outlined in the RFP. The deadline to submit a Concept Proposal for 2027 funding is 12:00 p.m. (PST) on November 2, 2026. Late submittals will NOT be accepted.
  2. Phase II, Grant Proposal: Successful Phase I applicants will be invited to submit a Full Grant Proposal.

  More information: Specialty Crop Block Grant Program | Washington State Department of Agriculture

• Disbursement Method

  Reimbursement

Important Dates

• Application Open Date

  Oct 2, 2026

• Application Close Date

  Nov 2, 2026

• Open Date

  Oct 2, 2026

• Period of Performance Start

  Sep 30, 2027

• Period of Performance End

  Sep 29, 2030

• Publish Date

  Oct 2, 2026

Resources & Contacts

• Contact

  For any questions regarding Washington State’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program’s requirements or eligibility, please email the Specialty Crop Block Grant team or call 360-485-1255.

• Resources

  More information: Specialty Crop Block Grant Program | Washington State Department of Agriculture.