OpenFederal grantUSDA-NIFA-NLGCA-011938

Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program

National Institute of Food and AgricultureCloses Nov 10, 2026(28 days left)$30,000 – $750,000

Does this fit your business?

This is a federal capacity-building grant exclusively for NIFA-certified Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture—public colleges or universities offering baccalaureate or higher degrees in agricultural sciences or forestry. If your institution is not already certified as an NLGCA (or eligible to seek that designation), do not apply; for-profit businesses, small businesses, and nonprofits are all ineligible. Certified institutions can use awards of $30,000 to $750,000 for equipment, faculty growth

Best for
NIFA-certified Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture, Public colleges or universities offering baccalaureate or higher degrees in agricultural sciences or forestry, NLGCA institutions building capacity in agriculture education, research, and outreach
Not for
For-profit businesses and small businesses, Nonprofit organizations, Institutions without NIFA NLGCA certification
Estimated fit by industry, best first
IndustryEstimated fit
Agriculture & FarmingLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Arts & CultureLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring
Construction & InfrastructureLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Education & TrainingLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring
Energy & Clean TechLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Environment & ConservationLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring
Show all 15 industries
Estimated fit by industry, best first
IndustryEstimated fit
Finance & BankingLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Food & BeverageLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Healthcare & BiotechLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Housing & Real EstateLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
ManufacturingLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Retail & E-CommerceLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Social Services & NonprofitLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring
Technology & SoftwareLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Transportation & LogisticsLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring

These are our matcher’s estimates for a typical business in each industry. A real match depends on your size, your state and what you need the money for — check your own fit.

What this funds

Money can be used for
Equipment, Infrastructure, Training, Research, Technical assistance, Operating support
Who can apply
Colleges and universities
Award range
$30,000 – $750,000

Questions about this grant

When is the application deadline?
The application deadline is 2026-11-10.
How much funding can an applicant receive?
Awards range from $30,000 to $750,000, with total program funding of $5,700,000.
Who can apply for this grant?
Only NIFA-certified Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture may apply. These are public colleges or universities offering baccalaureate or higher degrees in agricultural sciences, forestry, or both, among 32 specified areas of study. For-profit businesses and small businesses are not eligible.
Can a sole proprietor or single-member LLC apply?
No. Only NIFA-certified NLGCA institutions—public colleges or universities—may apply, and for-profit businesses including sole proprietors and LLCs are not eligible.
Can a nonprofit apply?
No. This program does not accept nonprofit applicants; only NIFA-certified Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture may apply.

Summary

Only NIFA-certified Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture—public colleges/universities offering baccalaureate or higher degrees in agricultural sciences or forestry—may apply. Funds build institutional capacity for agriculture-related education, research, outreach, and integrated activities, including equipment acquisition, faculty development, graduate assistantships, and grant competitiveness.

About this grant

The NLGCA Program, under assistance listing number 10.326, will assist NLGCA institutions in maintaining and expanding their capacity to conduct education, research, outreach, and integrated activities relating to agriculture, renewable resources, and other similar disciplines. NLGCA institutions may use the funds to maintain and expand capacity: 1. to successfully compete for funds from Federal grants and other sources to carry out educational, research, outreach, and integrated activities that address priority concerns of national, regional, State, and local interest; 2. to disseminate information relating to priority concerns to: a. interested members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities; b. the public; and c. any other interested entity; 3. to encourage members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities to participate in priority education, research, outreach, and integrated activities by providing matching funds to leverage grant resources, and through: a. the purchase or other acquisition of equipment and other infrastructure (not including alteration, repair, renovation, or construction of buildings); b. the professional growth and development of the faculty of the NLGCA Institution; and c. the development of graduate assistantships.

Who can apply

Our reading of the listing: for-profit businesses are not eligible for this one.

Applicants for the NLGCA Program must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA's About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

Applications may only be submitted by an NLGCA certified as such by NIFA at the time of application. A current list of NLGCAs certified by NIFA can be found on the NLGCA Program webpage or the NLGCA List webpage. Section 7102 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 removed the opt-in, opt-out language that had previously required Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU) and McIntire-Stennis Colleges and Universities to relinquish that status if they wanted to pursue NLGCA designation (See Part I, A for legislative authority). There are no longer any such limitations, and HSACUs as well as McIntire-Stennis Colleges and Universities may request NLGCA designation. Non-land-grant colleges and universities may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply, provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. All institutions certified as NLGCA prior to December 21, 2018, must reapply for certification and meet the new criteria for NLGCA certification contained in the Federal Register Notice.

In order for an institution to qualify as a NLGCA, it must be a public college or university offering a baccalaureate or higher degree in the study of agricultural sciences, forestry, or both, among the 32 specified Areas of Study: Agricultural and domestic animal services; agricultural and extension education services; agricultural and food products processing; agricultural business and management; agricultural communication or agricultural journalism; agricultural economics; agricultural engineering; agricultural mechanization; agricultural production operations; agricultural public services; agriculture; animal sciences; applied horticulture or horticulture operations; aquaculture; equestrian/equine studies; floriculture or floristry operations and management; food science; forest sciences and biology; forestry; greenhouse operations and management; international agriculture; natural resource economics; natural resources management and policy; natural resources or conservation; ornamental horticulture; plant nursery operations and management; plant sciences; range science and management; soil science; turf and turfgrass management; urban forestry; and wood science and wood products or pulp or paper technology. If you are not sure if you are eligible to request NLGCA designation, please consult the NLGCA Eligibility Flow Chart.

Topics and uses of funds

Topics

  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Higher ed

Program contact

Joseph Perez Lead Policy Analystgrantapplicationquestions@usda.gov202-445-5402

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