Deadline: 04-Oct-2024
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Global Programs, announces this funding opportunity to support the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program by issuing new awards.
This opportunity is available to nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organizations, nonprofit state regional trade groups (SRTGs), U.S. agricultural cooperatives, and state agencies and is intended to foster expanded exports and market diversification by encouraging the development, maintenance, and expansion of diverse commercial export markets for United States agricultural commodities and products.
The RAPP is a cost share program that is designed to reimburse nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organizations, SRTGs, U.S. agricultural cooperatives, and state agencies that conduct approved market development activities to foster expanded exports and market diversification by encouraging the development, maintenance, and expansion of diverse commercial export markets for United States agricultural commodities and products. For profit U.S. commercial entities that do not exceed 300 percent of the small business size standards established for their particular industry at 13 CFR 121.201 may participate in a branded program through a RAPP Participant.
Under RAPP, FAS enters into agreements with eligible Participants to share the cost of certain overseas activities. Financial assistance under RAPP is made available on a competitive basis, and applications are reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained in this notice. FAS endeavors to enter into agreements with eligible Participants to cover as broad an array of agricultural commodity sectors as possible and to maximize the likelihood that benefits generated will be available throughout the relevant agricultural sectors and that no single entity gains an undue advantage or sole benefit from program activities. All U.S. agricultural commodities, except tobacco, are eligible for consideration. FAS gives priority to organizations that have the broadest producer representation and affiliated industry participation of the commodity being promoted. Applicants should refer to and have a common understanding of the RAPP programmatic regulations, 7 CFR Part 1489, and the definitions contained within to fully understand this opportunity.
Funding Information
- Total Available Federal Funding: Anticipated to be no more than $300 million, of which $25 million will be dedicated to activities in Africa.
- Available Funding for this Announcement: The 2025 RAPP will provide up to $300 million in funding to support eligible projects. USDA makes no commitment to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards regardless of whether or at what level program funding for FY 2025 is provided. FAS anticipates making additional RAPP funding available through future Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs).
- Projected Period of Performance: Awards will be generally granted for a period of performance of five years.
- Anticipated Number of Awards: 60–70 awards.
- Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): 01/01/2025
- Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 09/30/2030
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be a nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organization, an SRTG, a U.S. agricultural cooperative, or a state government agency. For profit U.S. commercial entities are not eligible to apply to RAPP. However, those for profit entities that do not exceed 300 percent of the small business size standards established for their particular industry at 13 CFR 121.201 may participate in a branded program through a RAPP Participant, pursuant to the RAPP program regulations at 7 CFR 1489.15.
- All applicants must have an active registration in the U.S. Government System for Award Management before the application submission deadline of the announcement. Applicants with inactive, expired, pending, or excluded listings will be deemed ineligible. Exceptions, waivers, or extensions will not be considered. Please contact the program officer(s) listed in Section G, Federal Awarding Agency Contact, if you have questions about this requirement. Applicants that do not meet the eligibility criteria will be considered ineligible.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.