Risk Management Education and Outreach Partnerships Program
Grant: Risk Management Education and Outreach Partnerships Program
Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Division: Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC)
Deadline: This competition is closed. The deadline was June 4, 2012.
Description: The purpose of this competitive cooperative partnership agreement program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial and human risk. Priority will be granted to projects that educate producers and provide collaborative outreach and assistance. Education activities developed under this program shall provide farmers and ranchers with training and informational opportunities to be able to better understand:
- The kinds of risks addressed by existing and emerging risk management tools.
- The features and appropriate use of existing and emerging risk management tools.
- How to make sound risk management decisions.
As part of the proposed project, activities should include:
- A promotional program including activities using media, newsletters, publications or dissemination techniques designed to raise awareness and inform producers about crop insurance and risk management.
- Trainings on crop insurance and risk management which include educational activities using instructional materials created by the grantee.
For this competition round, the FCIC is seeking projects that address one or more of the established Priority Commodities, which include agricultural commodities, specialty crops and underserved commodities. In addition, projects must designate education or training initiatives that focus on at least one of the following Special Emphasis Topics:
- Production
- Legal
- Marketing
- Financial
- Human (farm labor and safety)
Applicants are also required to identify at least one producer type. These types, predetermined by the USDA, include a wide range of producers and ranchers across the country. Detailed descriptions of these, as well as both the priority commodities and the special emphasis topics are found in the program notice. Applications that do not include at least one special emphasis topic and producer type will not be considered for funding.
Fit for Public Broadcasting: This program is an excellent fit for stations whose target audience includes agricultural ranchers and producers. Stations may find success in using their services to help establish a promotional program designed to provide outreach and educational trainings or through the development of educational materials on the subject. More information on examples of funded partnership agreements can be found in this USDA Press Release.
Eligibility: Stations are encouraged to seek out partnerships in this application. Eligible applicants include state departments of agriculture; state cooperative extension services; federal, state or tribal agencies; groups representing producers; community based organizations or a coalition of community based organizations; nongovernmental organizations; institutes of higher education; private for-profit organizations; and faith-based organizations.
All projects must be held within a specific Risk Management Agency region. A full list of these regions and corresponding offices to contact is provided in the program notice.
Anticipated Funding: An estimated $3 million is expected to be available in FY12. The minimum award for any cooperative partnerships agreement is $20,000, with a maximum of $99,999. All cooperative partnership agreements must last one year from the date of the award.
How to Apply: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov. Online submission requires registration, a process that usually takes three to five business days but can take as long as four weeks. Be sure to visit Grants.gov and begin registering well in advance of the grant deadline.
Resources:
Program notice
USDA Risk Management Agency website
Previous Partnership Agreement Awards
