Opportunity Information: Apply for AMS OCCSP AMA 2015
Apply for AMS OCCSP AMA 2015
- The Agricultural Marketing Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agricultural Management Assistance Cost Share Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.171 Organic Certification Cost Share Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 3, 2015 and posted on Mar 3, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 6, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $900,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 16 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
- The following sixteen (16) States Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, may participate in the AMA, through their Departments of Agriculture, by completing an Application for Financial Assistance (SF 424) and entering into a cooperative agreement with USDA AMS.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Agricultural Management Assistance Cost Share Program, specifically the Agricultural Management Assistance Organic Certification Cost Share (AMA), is a USDA grant opportunity designed to help certified organic producers in a limited set of states recover some of the costs tied to maintaining organic certification. The program is authorized by the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524) and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) in line with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and the federal Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR 200). The basic idea is straightforward: organic certification can be expensive, and AMA helps offset certain eligible certification-related expenses for producers who are already certified organic.
A key point is that the funding does not go directly from USDA to individual farmers or organic businesses. Instead, AMS awards funds through cooperative agreements to state agencies, typically the participating State Departments of Agriculture. Those state agencies act as pass-through administrators: they accept applications from certified organic producers, review and approve them under the program rules, and then issue reimbursements for eligible certification costs. This structure means the primary applicants to USDA under this opportunity are state governments, not individual producers.
Eligibility is limited to state governments in sixteen specific states: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. These states may participate through their Departments of Agriculture by submitting an Application for Financial Assistance (SF-424) and entering into a cooperative agreement with USDA AMS. For federal fiscal year 2015, AMS anticipated making up to 16 awards (generally one per eligible state), with an estimated total program funding level of about $900,000. The award ceiling listed for a single award is $500,000, and the award floor is $0. The funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding within the agriculture activity area. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement listed for applicants.
For producers, the program functions as a reimbursement (cost share) opportunity for specific organic certification costs incurred during the defined expense window of October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015. While the notice emphasizes that support is for certified organic operations and specifies "only producers," it also makes clear that producers do not apply to AMS directly. To pursue reimbursement, certified organic producers must contact their own State Department of Agriculture in one of the participating states and follow that state office's process and documentation requirements, which are governed by AMS program terms and conditions.
The formal federal opportunity details include a posting date of March 3, 2015, with an application closing date of April 6, 2015 (and an archive date of May 6, 2015). The CFDA number associated with the program is 10.171 (Organic Certification Cost Share Programs). Program requirements, eligibility rules, and the operating expectations for state agencies are laid out in the "AMS Organic Certification Cost Share Programs Fiscal Year 2015 Terms and Conditions" document, which is linked at http://bit.ly/CostShareGen. For access issues with the full announcement, the contact listed is Kristen Nelson, Chief of Staff, at (202) 690-3962.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Agricultural Management Assistance Organic Certification Cost Share (AMA) program?
The Agricultural Management Assistance Organic Certification Cost Share (AMA) is a USDA grant opportunity that helps certified organic producers recover a portion of certain costs associated with maintaining organic certification. It is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and is intended to reduce the financial burden of organic certification for eligible producers.
What is the purpose of this cost share program?
The program exists because organic certification can be expensive. AMA is designed to offset eligible certification-related expenses for producers who are already certified organic, through a reimbursement (cost share) approach.
Who is the primary applicant to USDA under this opportunity?
The primary applicants to USDA AMS are state governments (typically the participating State Departments of Agriculture), not individual producers or organic businesses.
Do individual certified organic producers apply directly to USDA AMS for reimbursement?
No. Certified organic producers do not apply to AMS directly. Instead, they must apply through their participating State Department of Agriculture, which administers the program as a pass-through entity.
How does the funding flow from USDA to producers?
AMS awards funds to eligible state agencies through cooperative agreements. Those state agencies then accept applications from certified organic producers, review and approve requests under program rules, and issue reimbursements for eligible organic certification expenses.
Which states are eligible to receive AMA funding from USDA AMS?
Eligibility is limited to state governments in sixteen states: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
If I am a producer, how do I know whether I can participate?
Based on the program description, participation for producers depends on being a certified organic producer and being located in one of the participating states listed in the opportunity. Producers must contact their own State Department of Agriculture to confirm the state-specific process and requirements.
Is this program only for certified organic operations?
Yes. The notice emphasizes that the support is for certified organic operations and specifies "only producers." Reimbursement is tied to maintaining organic certification.
What type of financial assistance is provided to producers?
The assistance functions as a reimbursement (cost share) for eligible organic certification costs incurred within the defined expense window. Producers submit documentation through their state program administrator, and approved expenses are reimbursed according to program rules.
What is the eligible expense period for reimbursement under this opportunity?
The eligible expense window identified in the opportunity is October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015.
What is the federal funding instrument used for this opportunity?
The funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement between USDA AMS and the participating state agency.
Is this opportunity considered discretionary or mandatory funding?
It is categorized as discretionary funding within the agriculture activity area.
Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement for state applicants?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is listed for applicants in the opportunity description.
How many awards were anticipated for federal fiscal year 2015?
For federal fiscal year 2015, AMS anticipated making up to 16 awards, generally one per eligible state.
What was the estimated total funding level for the program in federal fiscal year 2015?
The estimated total program funding level for FY 2015 was about $900,000.
What is the maximum (ceiling) and minimum (floor) award amount?
The listed award ceiling for a single award is $500,000, and the award floor is $0.
What federal forms do state agencies use to apply?
Eligible state agencies apply by submitting an Application for Financial Assistance (SF-424) and entering into a cooperative agreement with USDA AMS.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The CFDA number associated with the program is 10.171 (Organic Certification Cost Share Programs).
What laws and regulations authorize and govern this program?
The program is authorized by the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524). It is administered by USDA AMS in line with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and the federal Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR 200).
Where are the program rules and operating expectations described for state agencies?
Program requirements, eligibility rules, and operating expectations for state agencies are described in the "AMS Organic Certification Cost Share Programs Fiscal Year 2015 Terms and Conditions" document, linked at: http://bit.ly/CostShareGen
What were the key dates for the federal opportunity posting and application period?
The opportunity posting date was March 3, 2015. The application closing date was April 6, 2015, and the archive date was May 6, 2015.
Who should be contacted for access issues with the full announcement?
The listed contact for access issues with the full announcement is Kristen Nelson, Chief of Staff, at (202) 690-3962.
What should a certified organic producer do to pursue reimbursement?
A certified organic producer should contact their own State Department of Agriculture in one of the participating states and follow that state office's process and documentation requirements, which are governed by AMS program terms and conditions.
What does it mean that the state agency is a "pass-through" administrator?
It means the state agency receives funds from USDA AMS under a cooperative agreement and then administers the producer-facing portion of the program. The state accepts producer applications, determines eligibility under program rules, and issues reimbursements for approved certification expenses.
Does the federal notice describe the exact producer documentation requirements?
The notice indicates that producers must follow their state office's process and documentation requirements, governed by AMS terms and conditions. Specific documentation requirements are administered through the participating state agency and referenced through the terms and conditions document.
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