Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program
🏛 National Institute of Food and Agriculture-eRA (USDA-NIFA-ERA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations that teach agricultural education to K-12 or postsecondary students. Public secondary schools, nonprofit junior and community colleges, and 4-year colleges may apply. Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status are also eligible. Projects must enhance agricultural curricula, increase teaching competency, or promote agriscience in K-12 classrooms. Awards support joint initiatives and agriculture-in-the-classroom programs. Cost-sharing is not required.
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Program description
The purpose of the SPECA program is to award grants to; enhance curricula in agricultural education, increase faculty teaching competencies, interest young people in pursuing higher education in order to prepare for scientific and professional careers in the food and agricultural sciences, promote the incorporation of agriscience and agribusiness subject matter into other instructional programs, particularly classes in science, business, and consumer education, facilitate joint initiatives by the grant recipient with other secondary schools, institutions of higher education that award an associate degree, and institutions of higher education that award a bachelor’s degree to maximize the development and use of resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to improve agriscience and agribusiness education, support other initiatives designed to meet local, State, regional, or national needs related to promoting excellence in agriscience and agribusiness education; and support current agriculture in the classroom programs for grades K–12.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative/Proposal
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- 501(c)(3) status documentation (if applicable)
- Letters of support or partnership agreements from collaborating institutions
Program contact
- 👤 National Institute of Food and Agriculture-eRA
- 📧 grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov
- 📞 202-445-5402
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 10.226 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$1,920,000
-
$307,577
-
$296,340
-
$295,309
-
$281,143
-
$276,889
-
$262,701
-
$150,000
-
$150,000
-
$150,000
Top States by Funding
- AR 3 awards $2.2M
- OR 6 awards $0.6M
- TX 4 awards $0.4M
- MI 2 awards $0.4M
- WV 2 awards $0.3M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 10.226). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,064,482 | |
| 2025 | $1,080,566 | |
| 2026 est. | $750,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply?
Public secondary schools, nonprofit junior/community colleges, 4-year institutions of higher education, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. For nonprofits, attach IRS 501(c)(3) status documentation.
What projects do you fund?
Curriculum enhancement in agricultural education, faculty training, agriscience/agribusiness integration into science and business classes, joint K-12 to college initiatives, and agriculture-in-the-classroom programs.
What is the funding range?
Awards range from $10,000 to $150,000. Total program funding is $750,000 annually.
Is cost-sharing required?
No, cost-sharing is not required for this program.
What is the deadline?
The deadline is July 27, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Connect your project to local or state agricultural needs. Emphasize how it prepares students for careers in agriculture.
- Include partnerships with secondary schools, community colleges, or 4-year institutions if possible. Joint initiatives score competitively.
- Document how your project will improve teacher competency and student interest in agricultural sciences.
- Show a clear plan for integrating agriscience into existing courses like science, business, or consumer education.
- Include measurable outcomes like student enrollment increases, course completion rates, or student advancement to postsecondary programs.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Unclear connection between project activities and agricultural workforce development or student career preparation. Failing to show how the project addresses specific local or regional agricultural education gaps. Weak partnership letters or lack of institutional commitment from collaborating schools or colleges.
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