Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

Background
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) aims to help beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States and its territories enter and/or improve their successes in farming, ranching, and management of nonindustrial private forest lands. The program provides support for projects that offer education, mentoring, and technical assistance to give beginning farmers and ranchers the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make informed decisions for their operations and enhance their sustainability.

Grant Details
The BFRDP for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 funding cycle aims to support delivery of education, mentoring, and technical assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers. The program offers two project types: Standard Grants and Education Team Grants. Standard Grants are available in large, medium, small, and simplified categories with maximum award amounts ranging from approximately $250,000 per year for up to three years for large standard grants to $49,999 or less for a simplified standard grant application process for one year.
Education Team Grants have a maximum award amount of approximately $250,000 per year for up to three years. The program encourages applications that engage diverse communities and have broad impacts through research, education, extension, and integrated activities to address current and future challenges.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally based networks or partnerships of qualified public and/or private entities. These collaborations may include State Cooperative Extension Services; Federal, State, municipal or tribal agencies; community-based organizations (CBOs); nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); junior and four-year colleges or universities or foundations maintained by a college or university; and private for-profit organizations. Applications may only be submitted by these collaborative networks or partnerships. Organizations that have received a regular, standard, or education team grant in the last two funding cycles (FY 2021 or FY 2022) are ineligible to apply.

Period of Performance
The application deadline is April 27, 2023. The period of performance varies based on the type of grant applied for but can be up to three years.

Grant Value
$28,000,000 is available in FY 2023 with individual grant awards ranging from $49,000 to $750,000.

Place of Performance
Projects funded under BFRDP will be performed in the United States and its territories.