The purpose of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.

State agriculture agencies apply directly to the USDA for these grant funds. In an effort to reach specialty crop initiatives throughout the state, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) established a competitive grant process:

• VDACS accepts grant proposals for the development of specialty crop projects that will support and enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Virginia. 
• Once all proposals are submitted, VDACS carefully reviews and evaluates each proposal based on the criteria in the application. All VDACS-approved projects are developed into one Virginia grant submission to the USDA. 
• Upon approval from USDA, VDACS notifies applicants (sub-grantees) of their status. No final awards to any sub-grantee are made until a final grant award is made to VDACS (grantor) by USDA.

Please note that all deadlines and funding are contingent upon the final U.S. Farm Bill and Notice of Funds Availability from USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service.

Eligible Applicants

Applications are accepted from agricultural associations, industry and producer groups, community-based organizations and academia that seek to improve the competitiveness of specialty crops in Virginia. Applications should describe how the project potentially impacts and produces measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single organization, institution or individual.

How to Apply

When you click on “Project Profile Template,” a “Please Wait” screen will likely display. Click the download button and “save as” to your computer. You can only open and view the document as a file on your computer-it cannot be viewed in the web browser. Please contact janelle.otieno@vdacs.virginia.gov with any questions.

• Guidelines & Instructions (pdf)
• Project Profile Template (pdf)
• Allowable & Unallowable Costs (pdf)
• Budget Example (pdf)
• Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (docx)

Eligible Specialty Crops

Specialty crops are defined in law as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.” Learn more about Specialty Crops

Anticipated Timeline

• December 2025: Announce grant opportunity
• January 26, 2026 at 5 PM: Pre-proposal submission deadline
• February 2026: Evaluation and Review
• March 2026: Full-proposal process
• May 2026: VDACS submits grant submission to USDA
• September 2026: VDACS announces awards.

Informational Sessions

To be scheduled in December 2025 and Jaunary 2026.