Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA SAECP 006697
The Secondary Agriculture Education Challenge Grant Program, also referred to as the SPECA program, is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The program is designed to improve and expand education pathways in the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (often shortened to FANH) by investing in projects that strengthen instruction at the secondary (high school) level and at two-year postsecondary institutions, while also building clear, coordinated connections to four-year colleges and universities. In practical terms, the program is trying to help schools and colleges modernize and enhance agricultural and related science education so students gain relevant skills, see viable career options, and can move more smoothly from high school to community college and onward to a bachelor’s degree or beyond.
A central goal of the opportunity is workforce development. USDA NIFA frames the need as ensuring the United States has a pipeline of graduates who are qualified to work across the broader FANH system, which can include agriculture and food production, environmental and natural resource management, nutrition and human sciences, and related technical and scientific fields. By supporting education and training earlier in the pipeline (high school and two-year colleges), the program targets the stages where students often decide whether to pursue these fields, and where institutions can offer practical learning experiences that align with real labor-market needs.
Another key emphasis is on creating complementary and synergistic linkages among educational levels. The program explicitly encourages projects that connect secondary programs, two-year postsecondary programs, and higher education institutions in ways that reduce barriers and improve student progression. This can include coordinated curricula, shared instructional resources, aligned course sequences, dual-enrollment or articulation approaches, mentoring and advising pipelines, and partnerships that expose students to advanced study and career opportunities. The intended outcome is not only better local programs, but also stronger continuity so that more students choose FANH majors, persist through their programs, and ultimately complete baccalaureate or advanced degrees.
From the posted opportunity details, awards were offered as grants with an award ceiling of up to $300,000 per project, with an anticipated total of about 8 awards. The funding opportunity number listed is USDA NIFA SAECP 006697, and the assistance listing is tied to CFDA 10.226. The opportunity was originally posted on February 15, 2019, with an original closing date of April 16, 2019. Eligibility is described broadly as “Others,” with additional eligibility clarification indicated in the full notice (meaning applicants typically need to consult the complete announcement to confirm which types of institutions or organizations qualify and whether partnerships are required or preferred).
Overall, the SPECA/Secondary Agriculture Education Challenge Grant Program is best understood as an education and workforce pipeline investment: it supports projects that upgrade and strengthen agricultural and related science education at the high school and community college levels while intentionally linking those efforts to four-year higher education. The bigger picture objective is to improve educational quality, expand participation, and produce more graduates prepared to enter and lead within the FANH sciences workforce in the United States.Apply for USDA NIFA SAECP 006697
- The Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Secondary Agriculture Education Challenge Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.226.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 15, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 16, 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 $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA NIFA SAECP 006697) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Crop Protection and Pest Management Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA CPPM 006698 Funding Number: USDA NIFA CPPM 006698 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $325,000 |
| Specialty Crop Block Grant Program – Farm Bill Apply for USDA AMS TM SCBGP G 19 0003 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM SCBGP G 19 0003 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Acer Access and Development Program Apply for USDA AMS TM ACER G 19 0006 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM ACER G 19 0006 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOOD FOR PROGRESS PROGRAM Apply for USDA FAS FFPR 19 Funding Number: USDA FAS FFPR 19 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Capacity Building and Development Food Assistance Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $25,000,000 |
| Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 006730 Funding Number: USDA NIFA ICGP 006730 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Hispanic-Serving Institutions - Education Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA HSI 006731 Funding Number: USDA NIFA HSI 006731 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Feed the Future Food Security Policy Leadership, Interactions, Networks and Knowledge (LINK) Apply for PD 03 2019 Funding Number: PD 03 2019 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $38,000,000 |
| Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk, and Resilience Apply for PD MRR 03 2019 Funding Number: PD MRR 03 2019 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $30,000,000 |
| Potato Breeding Research Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 006734 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SRGP 006734 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $900,000 |
| Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA CGP 006735 Funding Number: USDA NIFA CGP 006735 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR EDUCATION AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM Apply for USDA FAS MCGOVERN DOLE PROGRAM 19 Funding Number: USDA FAS MCGOVERN DOLE PROGRAM 19 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Capacity Building and Development Food Assistance Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $35,000,000 |
| UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD AID PROCUREMENT PROGRAM Apply for USDA FAS 10612 0700 19 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10612 0700 19 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Capacity Building and Development Food Assistance Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| Smith Lever Special Needs Competitve Grant Program Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 006737 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 006737 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $220,000 |
| UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOOD FOR PROGRESS PROGRAM Apply for USDA FAS FFPR 19 2 Funding Number: USDA FAS FFPR 19 2 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Capacity Building and Development Food Assistance Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Agricultural Systems Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 006739 Funding Number: USDA NIFA AFRI 006739 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Apply for USDA NIFA BFR 006742 Funding Number: USDA NIFA BFR 006742 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| New Technologies for Ag Extension Apply for USDA NIFA OP 006747 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 006747 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,488,000 |
| Radio Frequency ID Project Apply for USDA APHIS 10025 VSCEAH00 19 0001 Funding Number: USDA APHIS 10025 VSCEAH00 19 0001 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| National Food and Agricultural Sciences Teaching, Extension, and Research Awards Apply for USDA NIFA OP 006741 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 006741 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives Apply for USDA AMS TM DBII G 19 0008 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM DBII G 19 0008 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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