The USDA announced Wednesday that almost $3.5 million will be available for the Small Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant program (SSDPG) which provides competitive grant funds for cooperatives or an association of cooperatives to provide technical assistance to socially disadvantaged, small-scale producers.

Applications are due by July 27, 2010.  Applicants may propose projects up to $200,000 for up to one year.  No matching funds are required.

Projects must provide technical assistance to socially disadvantaged producers that have averaged $250,000 or less in annual gross sales in the last  years.  The applicant must be from a rural area, with a population less than 50,000 people; applicants from smaller towns are prioritized.  The membership or board of the cooperative that is applying must be comprised of at least 75 percent socially disadvantaged producers.

Examples of eligible technical assistance under the SSDPG program are market research, business planning, legal advice, product development or improvement, and feasibility studies.

SSDPG applications are available online here, and on Grants.gov, or on paper at your local Rural Development offices.  You are strongly encouraged to contact your local office for assistance with the grant. Click here to find your local Rural Development office.  Or call for contact information: 1–800–670–6553

To download the full Notice of Funds Available (NOFA), click here.

If you need more information, contact the Program Manager, Gayle Auman, gayle.auman@wdc.usda.gov, 334-279-3620.

The Small Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant program (SSDPG) is one of the many programs highlighted in NSAC’s newly released Guide to USDA Funding for Local and Regional Food Systems Development.  Click here to download the full PDF, including short examples of groups who have received these grants in the past.