While this program isn’t technically considered a grant, it is a funding opportunity that I wanted to make Indiana Organic Producers aware of. The Indiana State Department of Agriculture offers the USDA National Organic Certification Cost Share Program to Organic Producers in the state who become organically certified or re-certified between October 1, 2009 and September 30, 2010. This program will reimburse producers for 75% of the cost of their certification or recertification up to $750.

The application is relatively easy and can be found on ISDA’s website at http://www.in.gov/isda/2740.htm along with a “New Vendor form” which allows the state to reimburse producers through direct deposit. These forms will need to be sent along with copies of their organic certificate, invoice and proof of payment (cancelled check, money order or bank statement.) If you do not have these documents, contact your certifier and request them, as they are all require in order to receive the reimbursement.

The information I’m going to share with you today only pertains to companies, state or local governments, academia or research institutions, not-for-profit or any other institution that plans to apply for federal grants. In order to actually apply with the federal government you will need to get registered and obtain some identification numbers before you submit that first application. Several times I have seen people find their grant and are ready to apply, yet didn’t realize they need these registrations until it is too late. These registrations do take some time to process, so it is best to at least start the process in obtaining them now and, once you do find a grant you will be ready to apply and can submit your federal grant application without having to backpedal to get registered.

The first step in the process of getting registered is to apply for a Data Universal Number (DUNS). This is a one time process you will go through but again, it is required for all federal grant applications. Obtaining this number could take up to two weeks depending on the complexity of your organization. The form can be filled out and applied for directly on line at: http://www.dnb.com/US/duns_update/

Information required for a DUNS consist of: Organization name, address, phone, CEO/Owner, Legal structure of the organization (corporation, partnership, proprietorship), year organization founded, Primary line of business, total number of employees.

After you receive your DUNS you will next need to register for a Central Contractor Registration (CCR) which basically sets you up to do business with the federal government. This form will ask for contact information on people who perform certain roles within your organization, such as Accountant/Treasurer or Directors/Presidents, but will also ask more detailed information about what all your organization does. The online site to register for this is http://www.ccr.gov/ and can take a couple of days to process.

Lastly, once both the DUNS and CCR are complete you will need to register as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) with grants.gov This is the easiest step in the process but requires both your DUNS and CCR in order to obtain. Once both of these numbers are entered you will be given a username and password for grants.gov and then you can officially apply for federal grants!!

I know it takes time to obtain these registrations but like I said if you get started now you will be all ready to go once that perfect grant opportunity comes along.

Did you know Indiana is a major exporter of food and agricultural products?!?!? According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) the U.S. exported over $115 billion in food and agricultural products in 2008. Indiana exported $2.4 billion in food and agricultural products in 2007 and is consistently the tenth leading agricultural exporting state. The ERS further estimates the value of one in three production acres in the U.S. and Indiana to be exported to international customers.

That being said I wanted to highlight a recently opened grant by USDA called the Federal State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) Grant in this week’s blog post. This grant will fund research projects that address barriers challenges, and opportunities in marketing, transporting, and distributing US food and agricultural products domestically and internationally. Eligible agricultural categories include livestock, livestock products, food and feed crops, fish and shellfish, horticulture, viticulture, apiary and forest products as well as processed or manufactured products derived from such commodities.

Please note that applications have to be submitted by state departments of agriculture or state agricultural experiment stations, but funds can flow through these organizations to yours. Applications are due February 10, 2010 and the average sized grant award is $50,000. And more details can be found by visiting this link; http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5081443&acct=gpfsmip

I received a calendar this year for Christmas, and while the last days of the 2009 linger I am already planning ahead for grant opportunities in the coming new year.

What federal funds can we expect? Well, we know all the funding outlined in the farm bill will cover another round of the Specialty Crop Block Grant. That is a great program that specifically targets the fruit and vegetable commodities. Also the Farmers’ Market Promotion Program will be out in the spring and give markets a chance to apply directly to USDA for funding.

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) is now open year round for all your bio-energy and energy efficiency needs. I anticipate more funding this coming year for biomass and solar as well.

For the folks in conservation there should be another round of Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education (SARE). As well as the Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) through NRCS which is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development of innovative conservation technologies; funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or non-governmental organizations.

May 2010 bring you many new resources, opportunities and….. grants!!!!!

One piece of advice I always give to groups who are starting to search for grants is that sometimes you have to think outside the box. There may not always be a grant out there that is a perfect fit and meets all the needs of your group. In those cases you have to be open to start looking for workarounds.

One example is when there is a grant to do the project you have in mind but only schools are eligible applicants. Ask to partner with the school on the project and offer to use your groups assets and resources to enhance the outcomes of the project. (See my blog post from two weeks ago on the value in establishing partnerships for more benefits.) Granted the school will have to be the applicant and will receive the funding but, your project will get accomplished. This scenario can be replicated with; businesses, non-profits, and government agencies.

Next, lets say your group wants to do Project A, but can’t find a grant. However, there is a grant that funds a project (will call this one Project B) that you are already doing and is currently funded. Why not go ahead and apply for the grant for Project B and use the funds that you had for B to now accomplish A.

Finally, let’s say you found a grant but it requires a match (cost share) and your group does not have the cash on hand to meet this requirement. Sometimes you can use in-kind contributions to meet your match. The dollar amount of people’s time, office equipment, supplies and various other resources can be applied to your matching requirements.

As long as you are willing to be flexible and creative you can make grants work for your group.

This week I wanted to give a shout out to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Biofuels Grant Program. This program is a way to increase the access to, and usage of, biofuels by Hoosier consumers and therefore move Indiana’s economy forward. E85 is an 85 percent ethanol fuel blended with 15 percent petroleum fuel.

This program awards funds (up to $20,000) for the installation of E85 refueling infrastructure at public refueling stations. The equipment purchased and installed for an E85 refueling station should be compatible with E85. Commercial refueling facilities or local units (defined as: cities, towns, counties, or townships) are eligible to apply. Those who own or operate multiple locations are allowed to apply for more than one location; however, each location needs to be on its own application and each will be scored separately.

Costs that are eligible under this grant program include: biofuels equipment, installation and site preparation for biofuels pumps only, and signage. Under the equipment category, only tank, pump, canopy and lighting expenses directly related to the dispensing of biofuels will be considered eligible costs. Eligible projects must apply commercially available technologies. Biofuels grants will not be awarded to fund research projects.

This grant has an open application period and more information about this grant along with an application can be found on ISDA’s website at: http://www.in.gov/isda/2401.htm

This week I have two random foundations that have funding available for young people (ages 5-25) trying to address issues in their local communities that focus on environmental sustainability through a service oriented type of project. These types of foundation funding are ideal for the local 4-H, FFA and Young Farmers groups to take advantage of. The applications are relatively simple to fill out, and the funding on the two I have identified ranges from $500 to $25,000 which could address both small and large projects. Think of a project your group could do in your community and apply. It’s that simple.

Starbucks Foundation-Young Social Entrepreneurs
No due date, funds range from $10,000-25,000.
More information can be found at: http://www.starbucksfoundation.com/index.cfm?objectid=998EF1C4-1D09-317F-BBF7F71F7B681A12

Youth Service America-Global Grants Program for Young Volunteers
Due: February 22, 2010. Grants are $500 each.
More information can be found at: http://www.ysa.org/grants/announcements/get-ur-good-grants-launched