Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Program Objective
OTECP provides direct financial assistance to certified organic and transitional operations that incurred costs related to USDA organic certification or renewal, soil testing, or educational event registration in fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Nonprofit Organization
- For-Profit Organization
- Small Business Person
- Land/Property Owner
Applicants must be certified USDA organic operations or operations that are transitioning to organic production. Applicants must be located in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
How to Apply
Award Procedure
The assistance will be approved and awarded by FSA to eligible applicants. Payments to eligible applicants are expected to be made once applications are processed. Payments will be prorated if total calculated payments exceed available funding.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 1 to 15 days
- Appeal: From 15 to 30 days
Program details & compliance
Description
OTECP provides direct financial assistance to certified organic and transitional operations that incurred costs related to USDA organic certification or renewal, soil testing, or educational event registration in fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022. These operations incur significant costs to obtain or renew organic certification each year, and the economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic have made obtaining and renewing organic certification financially challenging for many operations. Payments will be made using funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; Public Law 116-136), which provided funding to respond to coronavirus by providing support for agricultural producers impacted by coronavirus, including producers of specialty crops, producers that supply local food systems, including farmers markets, restaurants, and schools, and livestock producers.
Mission Categories
Primary: Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
Unrestricted use. Assistance will be used by certified organic and transitional operations who incurred eligible costs in fiscal years 2020, 2021, 2022.
Required Documentation
Applicants must submit Form FSA-883, Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP). Applicants must also submit AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet, and SF-3881, ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form, if not already on file with FSA. Applicants must provide additional documentation to substantiate the information reported on their application if requested by FSA.