Last month, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $26.5 million in competitive grant funding available through the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. This year marks a notably shorter application window, but there are several resources available to support applicants. 

The deadline to apply for the FMLFPP and RFSP program is Friday, June 27, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time via www.grants.gov.

The Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) is an umbrella program that includes the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP), and Regional Food Systems Partnership (RFSP) program. LAMP was established in the 2018 Farm Bill to streamline program administration for these three programs and the Value-Added Producer Grant program (which is administered by Rural Development), and provide permanent baseline funding status for existing efforts to build and expand local and regional food and agriculture markets.

2025 Grant Cycle

FMPP, LFPP, and RFSP are each administered as separate programs by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and include three separate Request for Applications (RFA). Each program has funding available for a variety of project types, with a total of $26.5 million available for all three projects. 

The following table provides an overview of project types, award sizes, and funding available for each program.

Farmers Market Promotion Program ($11M available)

Project Type	Minimum Award	Maximum Award
Capacity Building	$50,000	$250,000
Community Development Training and Technical Assistance	$100,000	$500,000
Turnkey: Recruitment and Training	$50,000	$100,000
Turnkey: Marketing and Promotion	$50,0000	$100,000

Local Food Promotion Program ($11M available)

Project Type	Minimum Award	Maximum Award
Planning	$25,000	$100,000
Implementation	$100,000	$500,000
Turnkey: Recruitment and Training	$50,000	$100,000
Turnkey: Marketing and Promotion	$50,0000	$100,000

Regional Food System Partnership Program ($4.5M available)

Project Type	Minimum Award	Maximum Award
Planning & Design	$100,000	$250,000
Implementation	$250,000	$1,000,000

Notable Changes to 2025 RFAs

Removal of Project Prioritization Language 

In each Request for Applications (RFAs), AMS outlines “2025 Highlights and Changes.” Throughout FMPP, LFPP, and RFSP RFAs, AMS has removed language that previously encouraged applicants to propose projects that benefit farmers who are not often represented in other USDA programs, such as small operations, historically underserved, beginning, or veteran farmers and ranchers. They also removed mention of this subset of producers from the review criteria that are provided to applicants for the technical review. 

Resources for Prospective Applicants 

USDA AMS developed a variety of new, helpful tools for potential applicants on their support page. These include: 

• A decision tree to decide which of the three programs is right for you; 
• Brief overviews of each program’s RFA;
• More detailed guides for each RFA; and
• Checklists and guides for how to write a project narrative, develop your budget, and more. 

Check out the full resource on their applicant support page. 

AMS is hosting webinars and office hours for prospective applicants to FMLFPP and RFSP. They also provide easily accessible information about grant eligibility, the application process, previously awarded projects, and frequently asked questions on each individual program website. To learn more, visit the individual program webpage:

• FMPP webpage,
• LFPP webpage, or the
• RFSP webpage.

Peer Review Panels

Every year, USDA seeks members of the public to serve on its grant peer review panels. Peer review panels help USDA review grant applications and recommend which projects should receive funding. Grant reviewers, typically people with academic, non-profit, and/or on-the-ground agriculture-related experience, help to ensure that the projects funded advance the goals of the program. 

If your organization is not planning to apply or if you are interested in being part of this process and bringing your sustainable agriculture knowledge to the reviewers’ table, please consider volunteering for a FMLFPP or RFSP peer review panel. Reviewers receive a small stipend for their work. Learn more about the AMS peer reviewer application process here or sign up here.