Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA RMA RME 2008 01
Apply for USDA RMA RME 2008 01
- The Risk Management Agency in the agriculture education other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Commodity Partnerships Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 30, 2008 and posted on Jan 30, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 24, 2008 Applications are due 5 p.m. EDT. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,750,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $75,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligible applicants include State departments of agriculture, universities, non profit agricultural organizations, and other public or private organizations with the capacity to lead a local program of risk management education for farmers and ranchers in an RMA Region. Individuals are not eligible applicants.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Commodity Partnerships Program is a federal cooperative agreement opportunity administered by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) through the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA). It sets aside about $3.75 million in total funding (depending on final availability of funds) to support partnerships that deliver practical risk management education to U.S. agricultural producers. The focus is on helping farmers and ranchers better understand and manage production risk, marketing risk, and financial risk through training, educational materials, and outreach activities.
A key priority of the program is reaching producers who are often harder to serve through traditional crop insurance education efforts. That includes producers of crops that are not insurable under the Federal crop insurance program, specialty crop producers, and other underserved commodities. The notice also explicitly includes livestock and forage as priority areas, signaling that projects do not need to be limited to row crops and can be tailored to regional and commodity-specific needs.
Funding is structured to support up to 50 partnership agreements nationwide, with awards spread across ten designated RMA Regions (five awards per region). Individual awards can be as high as $75,000, and there is no stated minimum award amount. The program does not require cost sharing or matching funds, which can make participation more feasible for organizations that have limited ability to contribute cash match. Because this is issued as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, applicants should expect “substantial involvement” by RMA in the project, meaning the agency may collaborate on project direction, delivery, and oversight more actively than in a typical pass-through grant. Award recipients also must show “nonfinancial benefits” from the partnership arrangement, which generally means the project should produce meaningful outcomes beyond simply receiving funds (for example, improved producer decision-making capacity, stronger local networks for risk education, or expanded outreach reach and effectiveness).
Eligible applicants are organizations with the capacity to lead local or regional risk management education efforts within an RMA Region. The notice lists examples such as state departments of agriculture, universities, nonprofit agricultural organizations, and other public or private organizations able to run these programs. Individuals are not eligible to apply. The overall intent is to fund entities that already have strong ties to producer communities and can realistically deliver training sessions and information where producers live and work.
The opportunity is identified as discretionary funding and is categorized under agriculture, education, and agricultural risk management. The specific posting referenced was released January 30, 2008, with applications due by March 24, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, and late submissions were not accepted. The program also notes that similar but separate RMA education partnership programs may be announced around the same time, and applicants are encouraged to compare the different notices carefully to ensure they apply under the program that best matches their target audience and project design. Related CFDA listings mentioned include 10.455, 10.456, 10.458, and 10.459, reflecting other RMA partnership and education tracks that may have overlapping themes but different eligibility, geographic focus, or activity types.
For applicants needing the full announcement and application kit, the notice points to an additional information link for the complete “RFA for Risk Management Education.” It also provides a contact for access issues: Lon Burke, Grants and Agreements Specialist, at 202-720-5265.
Commodity Partnerships Program (FCIC / USDA RMA) - FAQs
What is the Commodity Partnerships Program?
The Commodity Partnerships Program is a federal cooperative agreement opportunity administered by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) through the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA). It supports partnerships that provide practical risk management education to U.S. agricultural producers.
What is the main purpose of this funding?
The program is designed to help farmers and ranchers better understand and manage three core types of risk: production risk, marketing risk, and financial risk. Projects may do this through training, educational materials, and outreach activities.
How much total funding is available under this opportunity?
Approximately $3.75 million in total funding is set aside, depending on final availability of funds.
What is the maximum award amount per agreement?
Individual awards can be as high as $75,000.
Is there a minimum award amount?
No minimum award amount is stated in the information provided.
How many awards are expected to be made?
The funding structure supports up to 50 partnership agreements nationwide.
How are awards distributed geographically?
Awards are spread across ten designated RMA Regions, with five awards per region.
What types of activities can be supported?
The opportunity supports risk management education activities such as training sessions, creation and distribution of educational materials, and outreach efforts aimed at improving producer understanding and decision-making around risk.
What risks should the educational content address?
Projects are intended to address production risk, marketing risk, and financial risk.
Who is the program trying to reach?
A key priority is reaching producers who are harder to serve through traditional crop insurance education efforts. This includes producers of crops that are not insurable under the Federal crop insurance program, specialty crop producers, and other underserved commodities.
Are specialty crop producers specifically included?
Yes. Specialty crop producers are explicitly included as a priority audience.
Does the opportunity include commodities beyond traditional row crops?
Yes. The notice explicitly includes livestock and forage as priority areas and signals that projects do not need to be limited to row crops. Projects can be tailored to regional and commodity-specific needs.
Are producers of non-insurable crops a priority?
Yes. Producers of crops not insurable under the Federal crop insurance program are identified as a key priority group for outreach and education.
Is this a grant or a cooperative agreement?
This opportunity is issued as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
Applicants should expect "substantial involvement" by RMA in the project. In practice, that means RMA may collaborate more actively on project direction, delivery, and oversight than would be typical under a standard grant.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The program does not require cost sharing or matching funds.
Who can apply for this funding?
Eligible applicants are organizations with the capacity to lead local or regional risk management education efforts within an RMA Region. Examples listed include state departments of agriculture, universities, nonprofit agricultural organizations, and other public or private organizations able to run these programs.
Can individuals apply?
No. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
What kind of organizational capacity is expected from applicants?
The program intends to fund entities that already have strong ties to producer communities and can realistically deliver training sessions and information where producers live and work, within an RMA Region.
Are there any special expectations for award recipients?
Yes. Award recipients must show "nonfinancial benefits" from the partnership arrangement. This generally means the project should produce meaningful outcomes beyond simply receiving funds, such as improved producer decision-making capacity, stronger local networks for risk education, or expanded outreach reach and effectiveness.
What does "nonfinancial benefits" mean in the context of this program?
Based on the information provided, it refers to meaningful outcomes or improvements created by the partnership, such as better producer risk management decision-making, stronger local risk-education networks, or wider and more effective outreach.
How is this opportunity categorized?
The opportunity is described as discretionary funding and categorized under agriculture, education, and agricultural risk management.
When was the referenced posting released?
The specific posting referenced was released on January 30, 2008.
What was the application deadline for the referenced posting?
Applications were due by March 24, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
Were late applications accepted?
No. Late submissions were not accepted.
Are there other related RMA partnership or education programs?
Yes. The program notes that similar but separate RMA education partnership programs may be announced around the same time, and applicants are encouraged to compare different notices to apply under the program that best matches their target audience and project design.
What CFDA listings are mentioned as related?
The related CFDA listings mentioned include 10.455, 10.456, 10.458, and 10.459, which reflect other RMA partnership and education tracks that may have overlapping themes but different eligibility, geographic focus, or activity types.
Where can applicants find the full announcement and application kit?
The notice points to an additional information link for the complete "RFA for Risk Management Education" for the full announcement and application kit.
Who should be contacted if there are problems accessing the full announcement or application materials?
For access issues, the notice provides a contact: Lon Burke, Grants and Agreements Specialist, at 202-720-5265.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Agriculture Education Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification)
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Apply for USDA RMA RME 2008 01
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA RMA RME 2008 01) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Targeted States Program Apply for USDA RMA RME 2008 02 Funding Number: USDA RMA RME 2008 02 Agency: Risk Management Agency Category: Agriculture Education Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $754,000 |
| Commodity Partnerships Small Sessions Program Apply for USDA RMA RME 2008 03 Funding Number: USDA RMA RME 2008 03 Agency: Risk Management Agency Category: Agriculture Education Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $10,000 |
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