Value-Added Producer Grants — USDA Rural Development funding opportunity
USDA Rural Development · Federal agency

Value-Added Producer Grants

This program assists agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products. The goals of this program are to generate new products, create and expand marketing o...

64
match
Award Up to $50k Deadline Rolling Location Alabama Type grant Level Federal Open
✦ AI Summary
  • Who can apply: Federal-level applicants (see eligibility for details).
  • Funding amount: up to $50,000.
  • Deadline: Rolling — applications accepted any time.
  • Issued by: USDA Rural Development.
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How was this generated?

The “key facts” mode pulls structured fields directly from the official source posting (amount, deadline, eligibility tags). The AI mode adds a short plain-English narrative on top, generated from the same source. Always verify with the agency before applying.

AI-generated. Always verify with the official source.

Who can apply — at a glance

  • Eligible applicants: see the Eligibility tab for the criteria from the official announcement.
  • Where: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, District of Columbia.
  • Award: Up to $50k.
  • Matching funds: not required.
  • Deadline type: Rolling.

Compiled from the official listing's structured fields — always verify with the funder before applying.

About the funder

USDA Rural Development is a federal-level funder.

See all 32 open programs from this agency →

Award amount
Up to $50k
Deadline
Rolling

About this opportunity

This program assists agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products. The goals of this program are to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities and increase producer income. Value-Added Producer Grants Application Window: Closed Program Application Period: Applications are accepted for processing from Agricultural Producers from February 17, 2026, through 1:00 Eastern Time (ET), April 22, 2026. Good to Know: To begin, contact a program official in your state (see contact tab below) to review the requirements for completing an application. The preparation process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the application and the completeness of the materials provided. For state specific information: -- Select State -- Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Rhode Island Delaware and Maryland Florida and Virgin Islands Georgia Hawaii and Western Pacific Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico South Carolina South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont and New Hampshire Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Fact Sheet Grants.gov Posting Overview To Apply Other Requirements Contact Events Overview VAPG Application Portal Grant Application Portal User Guide| PDF This guide is your tool for completing a VAPG applications and provides step-by-step instructions to help you navigate the portal. Are you experiencing issues with the Grant Application Portal? •For program-related issues, please reach out to your State Office contact. Select your state from the “For State Specific Information” dropdown menu above and then select the contact tab. •For technical issues, please contact the helpdesk . FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) What Does the VAPG Program Do? The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities that: Generate new products from raw agricultural commodities Create and expand marketing opportunities Increase producer income through enhanced product value and market reach These grants support either: Planning activities ( feasibility studies, business and marketing plans) Working capital needs ( salaries) Who Gets Priority? Applicants may receive priority consideration if they meet any of the following criteria: Beginning farmer or rancher Veteran farmer or rancher Socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher Small or medium-sized farm or ranch structured as a family farm Farmer or rancher cooperative Proposing a Mid-Tier Value Chain project Additionally, 10% of total funds are reserved for: farmers/ranchers Mid-tier value chain proposals Food safety projects where the majority of funds improve market access Funding Overview Total Available Funding: Approximately $25 million Maximum Grant Amounts: Planning Grants: Up to $50,000 Working Capital Grants: Up to $200,000 Matching Requirement: 1:1 match (100% of the grant amount), which may include cash or eligible in-kind contributions Grants are awarded through a nationally competitive process based on criteria outlined in 7 CFR 4284, Subpart J . Who May Apply? Eligible applicants include: Agricultural producers (including harvesters and steering committees) Agricultural producer groups Farmer- or rancher-cooperatives Majority-controlled producer-based business ventures Applicants must demonstrate that they: Own and produce more than 50% of the raw commodity Will retain greater revenue from the value-added product than from the raw commodity alone How to Check Eligibility A VAPG Sel

Funding agency

USDA Rural Development
Federal agency

Tags

Agriculture & Farming Arts & Culture Veterans Rural Development Transportation & Logistics Agriculture rural rural-development
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Who can apply

Eligibility details aren't on file yet — check the agency source link in the Documents tab for the latest rules.

Geographic eligibility

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
  • District of Columbia

How to apply

We don't have application instructions on file yet — head straight to the official source.

Apply on agency site
Tip from our team:

Read the agency's eligibility checklist before you start — it's almost always shorter than the full NOFO and will tell you in 90 seconds whether to keep going.

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Source documents

View on agency site
Canonical NOFO, application packet, and forms
No supplemental documents yet.

Direct downloads (NOFO PDFs, application forms, FAQs) will appear here once our team attaches them. For now, the agency site has the canonical packet.

Citation details

Source systemusda-rd
Source IDvalue-added-producer-grants

Frequently asked questions

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