2025 Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program

Background
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Global Programs, announces this funding opportunity to support the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program by issuing new awards. This opportunity is available to U.S. entities to provide funding for projects that seek to remove, resolve, or mitigate existing or potential sanitary, phytosanitary, or technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops.

Grant Details
The Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program (TASC) is designed to assist U.S. organizations by providing funding for projects that seek to remove, resolve, or mitigate existing or potential sanitary, phytosanitary, or technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops. The TASC program is authorized by Section 203(e) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5623(e)), as amended. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 provided $9 million in funding for each of the fiscal years FY 2019 through FY 2023. Congress has not yet determined funding levels for FY 2025.

Eligibility Requirements
To participate in the TASC program, an entity must be a U.S. organization, either government or private, with a demonstrated role or interest in exporting U.S. agricultural specialty crops. Eligible organizations may include non–profit trade associations, universities, agricultural cooperatives, state regional trade groups, and private companies. Foreign organizations are not eligible for direct funding assistance through the program.

Period of Performance
Awards will generally be granted for a project period not exceeding five years with a projected period of performance start date on 10/01/2024 and end date on 09/30/2030.

Grant Value
The total available federal funding is anticipated to be $9 million with an anticipated number of awards between 15–20 and funding per award limited to a maximum of $500,000 per year.