USDA Specialty Crop Multi-State Program FY 2026

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USDA Specialty Crop Multi-State Program FY 2026

At a glance

What the program supports

The Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP) funds collaborative projects that address a regional or national issue affecting specialty crops. The central benefit is support for work that can improve the competitiveness of these crops and produce measurable results for growers across state or territory boundaries. This is a multi-state program: a project must have partners located in at least two different states or territories and benefit growers in at least two states or territories. The FY 2026 notice anticipates approximately $14.3 million for the competition, with individual three-year projects requesting between $250,000 and $1 million. These are program-level and per-project figures, not a promise that any application will receive funding. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

The notice identifies food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crop-specific shared issues, and marketing or promotion as potential areas of multi-state work. A proposal should make the connection between its activities and improved specialty-crop competitiveness clear. It should identify the specialty crops and target geography, explain why the issue calls for regional or national work, and set out measurable outcomes for growers in at least two states. Merely listing partners in several states does not explain the multi-state benefit; the narrative needs to show who benefits and how the project will assess that benefit. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

Who should apply and eligibility

The opportunity may fit state agriculture agencies and, in nonparticipating states, local governments, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations. Applicants must be domestic entities located in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands. The eligible organization types depend on whether a state participates in the program, so an organization should establish its state’s status and submission route before deciding that it can apply directly. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

For states participating in SCMP, entities must apply through their State Department of Agriculture. Eligible entities located in nonparticipating states may apply directly to AMS or through a participating state. The correct route therefore depends on both the applicant’s location and its role. Before assembling the application, check the notice’s state participation and route instructions and confirm the route with the relevant State Department of Agriculture or AMS through the official notice’s current application information. Do not assume that a partner’s route is also the lead applicant’s route.

A multi-state project must include at least two partners located in different states or territories, and its work must benefit specialty-crop growers across at least two states or territories. The narrative is expected to define the target geography and crops, address a regional or national issue, and describe measurable grower outcomes. These requirements are related but distinct: partner locations establish cross-state collaboration, while the work plan and outcome measures should establish cross-state benefit. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

Applicants generally must contribute nonfederal cash and/or in-kind support equal to 25% of the federal funds requested. Contributions must be secured and documented. State costs for administering the program are exempt from this cost-share requirement. Because the ratio is tied to the requested federal amount, calculate the contribution against the proposed request and obtain written verification for each contribution. Check the notice for the applicable cost-share details before finalizing the budget; do not count an unconfirmed contribution as secured. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through Grants.gov, but applicants should first determine whether their state and project role require submission through a State Department of Agriculture or allow a direct AMS application. The notice identifies SF-424 and SF-424A, a project narrative prepared with the SCMP template, written verification letters for each cost-share contribution, and commitment letters from every listed partner and collaborator as required application materials. The project narrative must be a PDF using the required template and may contain no more than 15 pages of applicant content. It must describe the project goals, activities, outcome indicators, fiscal plan, and resources. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

A practical sequence is to confirm the submission route; assemble the cross-state partners and define their roles; identify the crops, geography, issue, activities, and measurable outcomes; build the budget and secure the documented cost share; then complete the forms, template narrative, and letters. Before submission, compare the finished package against the current notice and portal instructions, including file format and page limit. This sequence is preparation advice; the required forms, narrative elements, and letters are the published requirements summarized above.

The organization also needs an active SAM.gov registration, a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and a Grants.gov profile with an authorized organizational representative. The notice cautions that registration can take weeks and recommends submitting early. Confirm that registrations and the authorized representative are current well before the deadline, and follow the official registration instructions if an organization is not yet ready to submit. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

Timeline and deadlines

The confirmed deadline of October 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time applies to participating States and to entities in nonparticipating states applying to AMS. The notice also set an August 31 deadline for multi-state partners submitting to participating States; that date has passed. An applicant should not treat October 16 as a universal deadline: the submission route and deadline depend on the state and the applicant’s role. Confirm the applicable path in the official FY 2026 notice and with the relevant State Department of Agriculture, especially if the project involves partners submitting through a participating state. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

The award supports a three-year project. The brief does not establish a separate award announcement date or project start date, so applicants should consult the notice or official program updates for those details rather than planning around an assumed schedule. Since SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations can take weeks, the notice recommends beginning early; applicants approaching the deadline should first confirm their registrations, route, and any state-specific submission steps. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

Preparation and common mistakes

Preparation advice: Build a simple cross-state project map before writing. For each partner, note its state or territory, contribution to the work, and relationship to the growers who should benefit. Then connect each activity to an outcome indicator and specify how the project will assess results across at least two states. This makes it easier to demonstrate both multi-state collaboration and multi-state benefit in the narrative, which are explicit program expectations. Keep the crop focus and geographic scope consistent across the narrative, budget, and partner materials.

Preparation advice: Track cost share as a secured commitment, not just a budget estimate. Maintain a record of each cash or in-kind contribution, its source, and its written verification. Match the cost-share total to 25% of the requested federal amount, while accounting for the notice’s exception for state program-administration costs. Ask partners for commitment letters early so that all listed collaborators are represented in the application package. These steps help organize the required documentation; they do not add new program requirements.

Common issues to guard against include choosing the wrong submission route, missing the earlier August 31 state-partner deadline, submitting a narrative that exceeds 15 pages of applicant content, or failing to include required letters. Another risk is describing a broad agricultural concern without identifying the specialty crops, target geography, cross-state partners, and measurable grower outcomes. Before uploading, use the notice and the relevant portal or state instructions as the controlling checklist. No award is guaranteed, and the brief does not establish the number of awards or an applicant’s chance of selection.

Frequently asked questions

Can one organization apply without partners in another state?

The project must involve at least two partners located in different states or territories and benefit growers in at least two states or territories. A proposal without cross-state partners would not meet the multi-state partnership condition described in the notice. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

Is the cost share always 25%?

The general requirement is nonfederal cash and/or in-kind cost share equal to 25% of the requested federal funds. State costs for administering the program are exempt, and contributions must be secured and documented. Consult the notice for details relevant to a particular budget or contribution. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

Is October 16 the deadline for every applicant?

No. October 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET applies to participating States and eligible entities in nonparticipating states applying to AMS. The August 31 deadline for multi-state partners submitting to participating States has passed. Confirm the correct deadline for the applicant’s state and role in the official notice or with the relevant State Department of Agriculture. (USDA AMS, FY 2026 notice)

How many awards will USDA make, and is funding guaranteed?

The notice anticipates approximately $14.3 million in total, with projects requesting $250,000 to $1 million for three years. It does not guarantee funding or a fixed number of awards. Those details and any application-specific questions should be verified in official program materials; the available brief does not provide them.

Official source

Read the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service FY 2026 Specialty Crop Multi-State Program notice for the controlling eligibility, application, cost-share, and submission instructions. The precise submission route depends on state participation and applicant role. Funding is competitive; total funding, the number of awards, award timing, and individual outcomes are not guaranteed by the figures in the notice summary above.