Opportunity Information: Apply for AMS NOP 10 0065
Apply for AMS NOP 10 0065
- The Agricultural Marketing Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "AMA Organic Certification Cost Share Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.163 Market Protection and Promotion.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 12, 2010 and posted on Aug 27, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 23, 2010 Electronic applications will close October 23rd. Contact the USDA National Organic Program for late submissions.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,495,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $450,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 16 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
- 16 states are eligible for participation Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
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Opportunity Summary:
The AMA Organic Certification Cost Share Program is a federal funding opportunity administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) through the National Organic Program. Its purpose is to help organic producers offset the cost of becoming certified organic for the first time or maintaining an existing organic certification. The assistance is delivered through participating state governments, which receive the federal award and then operate the reimbursement program for eligible producers within their state.
Under this program, organic producers who obtain either an initial certification or a continuation of certification from a USDA-accredited certifying agent can be reimbursed for a portion of their certification-related expenses. The reimbursement rate is up to 75 percent of eligible organic certification costs, with a cap of $750 per year per participant. In practical terms, this is meant to reduce a common barrier to entry and ongoing compliance in the organic marketplace by sharing the costs of inspections, certification fees, and related charges tied to maintaining USDA organic status.
The statutory basis for the program comes from the Federal Crop Insurance Act as amended in 2001, using the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) authority. A key feature of AMA is its focus on states that have historically had low participation in the Federal Crop Insurance program, and this grant reflects that focus by limiting eligibility to a specific set of states. For this particular funding opportunity, only state governments in 16 eligible states can apply: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. While the benefit ultimately flows to individual organic producers, the eligible applicants at the federal level are the state agencies that will administer the cost-share program.
The opportunity was posted on August 27, 2010, under Funding Opportunity Number AMS-NOP-10-0065, and is categorized as a discretionary grant using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, reflecting a more involved partnership model between the federal agency and the state recipient than a standard grant. The program’s funding activity category is Agriculture, and it is associated with CFDA number 10.163 (Market Protection and Promotion). No cost-sharing or matching requirement is listed for the state applicants, meaning states are not required to contribute their own matching funds as a condition of receiving the federal award under this announcement.
In terms of funding scale, the estimated total funding available is $1,495,000, with an expected 16 awards, aligning with the 16 eligible states. The award ceiling is listed as $450,000, and the award floor is $0, indicating flexibility depending on state program size, demand, and administrative plans. The original closing date for applications was December 31, 2010, but the current closing date shown is October 23, 2010, with electronic applications closing on that date. The notice also indicates that late submissions should be coordinated through the USDA National Organic Program.
For additional details and program administration resources, the announcement references an Organic Certification Cost Share Program website. For access issues with the full announcement or grants management questions, the listed contact is Betsy Rakola, Grants Management Specialist, at 202-720-0081, with a separate note indicating that program questions can be directed through the same contact pathway.
FAQs: AMA Organic Certification Cost Share Program (USDA AMS / National Organic Program)
1) What is the AMA Organic Certification Cost Share Program?
The AMA Organic Certification Cost Share Program is a federal funding opportunity administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) through the National Organic Program. Its purpose is to help organic producers offset the cost of becoming certified organic for the first time or maintaining an existing USDA organic certification.
2) What is the main purpose of this program?
The program is designed to reduce a common barrier to entry and ongoing compliance in the organic marketplace by reimbursing a portion of organic certification-related expenses, such as inspection and certification fees, tied to maintaining USDA organic status.
3) Who actually applies for the federal award under this opportunity?
State governments apply for the federal award. The USDA award goes to participating state agencies, and those state agencies then operate the reimbursement (cost-share) program for eligible producers within their state.
4) Who ultimately benefits from the funding?
Organic producers ultimately benefit, because the states use the federal funds to reimburse eligible producers for a portion of their organic certification costs.
5) How is the assistance delivered to organic producers?
Assistance is delivered through participating state governments. Each eligible state receives a federal award and administers the reimbursement program within that state.
6) Which producers can receive reimbursement?
Organic producers who obtain either an initial organic certification or a continuation of certification from a USDA-accredited certifying agent may be reimbursed for a portion of their certification-related expenses.
7) Does the producer have to work with a USDA-accredited certifying agent?
Yes. The program specifies that the certification (initial or continuation) must be from a USDA-accredited certifying agent in order for the producer to be eligible for reimbursement.
8) What costs can be reimbursed?
The program covers eligible organic certification costs and is described as helping with expenses tied to inspections, certification fees, and related charges connected to maintaining USDA organic status.
9) How much reimbursement can a producer receive?
The reimbursement rate is up to 75 percent of eligible organic certification costs, capped at $750 per year per participant.
10) Is the reimbursement guaranteed at 75 percent?
No. The announcement describes reimbursement as "up to" 75 percent, meaning the actual reimbursed amount may be lower depending on eligible expenses and how the state administers the program, but it cannot exceed the 75 percent rate or the $750 annual cap per participant.
11) Is the $750 cap per certification, per operation, or per person?
The cap is stated as $750 per year per participant. The announcement does not provide additional detail beyond that phrasing.
12) What is the legal or statutory authority for the program?
The statutory basis is the Federal Crop Insurance Act as amended in 2001, using Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) authority.
13) Why is the program limited to certain states?
A key feature of AMA is its focus on states that have historically had low participation in the Federal Crop Insurance program. This funding opportunity reflects that focus by limiting eligibility to a defined set of states.
14) Which states are eligible to apply as state government applicants?
Only state governments in these 16 eligible states can apply: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
15) If a producer is located in one of the 16 states, do they apply directly to USDA?
No. Under this announcement, the federal-level applicants are state agencies. Producers receive the benefit through the state-run reimbursement program in their state, not by applying directly to USDA under this federal opportunity.
16) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is AMS-NOP-10-0065.
17) When was this funding opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on August 27, 2010.
18) What type of federal funding instrument is being used?
The announcement describes it as a discretionary grant using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, which indicates a more involved partnership model between USDA and the state recipient than a standard grant.
19) What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is Agriculture.
20) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 10.163 (Market Protection and Promotion).
21) Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement for state applicants?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement is listed in the announcement. States are not required to contribute matching funds as a condition of receiving the federal award under this notice.
22) How much total funding is estimated to be available?
The estimated total funding available is $1,495,000.
23) How many awards are expected?
The announcement expects 16 awards, aligning with the 16 eligible states.
24) What are the award ceiling and award floor?
The award ceiling is listed as $450,000. The award floor is listed as $0, indicating flexibility depending on state program size, demand, and administrative plans.
25) What was the application closing date?
The original closing date for applications was December 31, 2010. The current closing date shown is October 23, 2010, with electronic applications closing on that date.
26) What if an application is late?
The notice indicates that late submissions should be coordinated through the USDA National Organic Program.
27) Where can applicants find additional program details and administration resources?
The announcement references an Organic Certification Cost Share Program website for additional details and program administration resources.
28) Who is the contact person for grants management questions or access issues with the full announcement?
The listed contact is Betsy Rakola, Grants Management Specialist, at 202-720-0081.
29) Who should be contacted for program questions?
The notice indicates that program questions can be directed through the same contact pathway listed for grants management (Betsy Rakola, 202-720-0081).
30) Is this opportunity aimed at first-time certification, ongoing certification, or both?
Both. The stated purpose includes helping producers become certified organic for the first time and helping producers maintain an existing organic certification through continuation of certification.
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