Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA SBIR 006790
The FY 20 and FY21 SBIR Phase I RFA is a competitive grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. It is designed to help small businesses test early-stage ideas that could lead to useful, commercially viable innovations in agriculture and related fields. The focus at the Phase I level is on establishing whether the underlying science or engineering actually works, meaning applicants are expected to propose a project that demonstrates the scientific or technical feasibility of a new approach, concept, or technology rather than a full-scale product rollout.
Funding for a Phase I award is generally described as up to $100,000, with an award ceiling listed at $106,500. The program anticipated making around 90 awards under this solicitation, indicating a sizable national competition with multiple funded projects across different topic areas. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is agriculture (CFDA 10.212), which signals that projects should align with USDA priorities and deliver practical value to agricultural systems, rural communities, food and fiber supply chains, or related environmental and resource outcomes.
A notable feature of this solicitation is that it explicitly encourages projects involving agriculturally related manufacturing as well as alternative and renewable energy technologies, and it does so across all SBIR topic areas rather than limiting those themes to a single niche. In other words, applicants working on innovations tied to manufacturing processes for agricultural products, on-farm or rural energy solutions, bioenergy, renewable power integration, or efficiency improvements are specifically welcomed, as long as they fit within the broader SBIR research topics and can demonstrate feasibility within a Phase I scope.
The solicitation emphasizes USDA SBIR's flexibility in research areas, framing the program as a way to support innovative concepts that match USDA's broader vision of a healthy and productive nation in harmony with land, air, and water. This is essentially a signal that proposals should not only be technically strong but also clearly connected to real-world agricultural needs and responsible stewardship of natural resources. The long-running history of the program is also highlighted: since 1983, USDA SBIR has funded more than 2,000 research and development projects, aiming to help small businesses explore their technological potential and move innovations toward commercialization. That commercialization angle is central to SBIR in general, so even though Phase I is feasibility-focused, applicants are implicitly expected to show why the idea could eventually become a market-ready product or service if the early proof-of-concept works.
Key administrative details include the funding opportunity title "FY 20 and FY21 SBIR Phase I RFA" and funding opportunity number "USDA NIFA SBIR 006790." The opportunity was created on July 25, 2019, and the original closing date was October 23, 2019. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with clarification typically provided in an additional eligibility section of the full announcement (in SBIR programs, this commonly points to requirements tied to U.S.-based small business status and related SBIR rules). Overall, the opportunity can be summarized as a Phase I feasibility grant for small businesses proposing innovative, agriculture-relevant R and D, with particular encouragement for manufacturing and renewable/alternative energy concepts that support USDA's mission and have a plausible path to commercialization.Apply for USDA NIFA SBIR 006790
- The Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 20 and FY21 SBIR Phase I RFA" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.212.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 25, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 23, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $106,500.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 90 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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| Burkina Faso Markets and Nutrition Activity Apply for 72068519RFA00010 Funding Number: 72068519RFA00010 Agency: Agency for International Development, Senegal USAID-Dakar Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $19,620,000 |
| Scholarships for Students at 1890 Institutions Program (1890 Scholarships) RFA Apply for USDA NIFA 1890SS 006911 Funding Number: USDA NIFA 1890SS 006911 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
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| Liberia Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (LACRA) Apply for AID 669 SS 19 00002 Funding Number: AID 669 SS 19 00002 Agency: Agency for International Development, Liberia USAID-Monrovia Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $175,000 |
| Feed the Future in Senegal, Policy Systems Services Apply for 72068520RFA00002 Funding Number: 72068520RFA00002 Agency: Agency for International Development, Senegal USAID-Dakar Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $15,000,000 |
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| Mali GFSS Implementation Apply for 72068819RFA00005 Funding Number: 72068819RFA00005 Agency: Agency for International Development, Mali USAID -Bamako Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $19,950,000 |
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| Improving the Measurement of Market Systems Resilience in Kenya Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 20 0007 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 20 0007 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Office of Capacity Building and Development Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| 2020 Borlaug Fellowship Program World Food Prize Event Apply for USDA FAS 10777 0700 10 20 0004 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10777 0700 10 20 0004 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Office of Capacity Building and Development Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $60,000 |
| 2020 Borlaug Fellowship Program Mentor Focus Group Event Apply for USDA FAS 10777 0700 10 20 0005 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10777 0700 10 20 0005 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Norman E. Borlaug Intl Ag Science and Tech 10.777 Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $60,000 |
| FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Program Apply for FSIS FERN 030220 Funding Number: FSIS FERN 030220 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $230,000 |
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