Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Competitive Grants Program

The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture is administering the Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Competitive Grants Program under Assistance Listing 10.334 to support military veterans and military families transitioning into agricultural careers. This program targets veterans seeking meaningful employment in farming, ranching, and agribusiness by providing them with tailored training, skill development, and hands-on pilot experiences designed to build sustainable livelihoods in rural communities. The solicitation, issued under number USDA-NIFA-OP-011940 and posted on July 9, 2026, with a deadline of July 31, 2026, is open exclusively to non-profit organizations that are not higher education institutions; federal agencies and for-profit entities are ineligible as lead applicants. Applicants must demonstrate strong partnerships, relevance to veteran needs, technical merit including innovation and sustainability, and achievability of objectives within the proposed timeframe. Evaluation is based on four equally weighted criteria: Partnerships and Collaborations, Relevancy, Technical Merit, and Achievability, with selection determined through a trade-off process favoring the most meritorious proposals, not the lowest cost. Proposals are limited to a 16-page narrative in 11-point Times New Roman, 1.5-spaced, with up to three additional pages allowed for figures and tables, and require mandatory attachments including a Data Management Plan, commitment letters from partners, a fiscal agent letter if applicable, and a non-profit status verification. Budget restrictions include a 30% cap on indirect costs of the total federal award and a prohibition against allocating more than 50% of funds to subawards without prior approval. Salary requests exceeding Executive Level IV require justification, and participant support costs cannot be reallocated without NIFA’s written consent. All applicants must comply with 2 CFR 200, submit applications exclusively through Grants.gov in PDF format, and ensure compliance with federal requirements for unique entity identification, conflict of interest disclosure, and fiscal accountability. Payment disbursement will occur via the Automated Standard Application for Payments system, and no-cost extensions may be granted if requested at least ten days before the project end date. Performance must occur within rural America and demonstrate measurable outcomes in veteran employment, skill attainment, and long-term program sustainability beyond grant funding.