Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities

The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity was renamed as the Advancing Markets for Producers initiative in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The initiative aims to achieve the following outcomes through a variety of pilot projects: • Prioritize producer support to develop sustained methods for expansion of markets for American agricultural products; prioritizing new markets, improving supply chains, and enable direct-to consumer sales, thereby improving economic opportunities for farmers; • Prioritize methods to improve farmers collective resource sharing, access to market infrastructure, and promotion of long-term economic sustainability within the amplification of market expansion.

Eligibility was further restricted to domestic applicants. Applicants and applications met eligibility criteria by the application deadline to be considered for award. Eligible applicant type is consistent with the statutory authority for this funding opportunity. Applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or excluded from receiving Federal contracts and certain Federal assistance and benefits were considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program (2 CFR 200.206(d)). The primary applicant demonstrated an existing relationship with and/or prior experience working with producers or landowners. Additionally, at minimum one project partner had existing experience working with underserved producers or landowners. This information was used when evaluating the application in the equity criteria. Individuals, including individual agricultural producers, farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners, may also be eligible as subrecipients but may not be the primary applicant/recipient. Recipients may only enroll agricultural producers and landowners who are compliant with highly erodible land (HEL) and wetland conservation (WC) requirements as described under 7 CFR part 12. Awards made pursuant to the relevant NOFO are not subject to any payment limitations. However, any agricultural producers or landowners receiving a payment through participation in a project awarded under a relevant NOFO must meet the eligibility requirements of 7 CFR Part 12 and 7 CFR Part 1400 and have control of the land involved for the term of the proposed award period.

Merit/technical reviews were conducted by a technical review board nominated by the approving official. Risk reviews were conducted. The approving official made the final award decisions. A multi-phase approval process may be utilized if determined necessary by the approving official. After the agency reviewed applications and made award selections, GAD prepared award packages, including a Notice of Grant or Agreement Award (ADS-093). The agency provided notice that an application had been selected before it made the Federal award. As such, the selection notification was not an authorization to begin performance. Any pre-award costs incurred by the awardee were not reimbursed. The Notice of Grant and Agreement Award (ADS-093) signed by the authorized agency official is the only authorizing document.

Other. Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are not eligible to compete with applications for new Federal awards under this listing. USDA may consider renewal or supplementation of awards issued under this listing. No-cost extensions of time may be appropriate and approved on a case-by-case basis.