Rural Business-Cooperative Service · Department of Agriculture
Agriculture Innovation Center Grant Program
In short: Rural Business-Cooperative Service expects to make 3 awards of $600,000 to $1 million. Open to many kinds of groups. See who can apply.
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Jan 31, 2027 · 114 days left
- Award size
- $600K – $1M
- Total available
- $2.5M · about 3 awards
- Match ?
- Required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- County government, Public college or university, State government, Tribal government, Private college or university, Nonprofit without 501(c)(3), City or town government, Small business, Nonprofit with 501(c)(3), Larger business
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist
How this fits you
- Available in Madison County (nationwide program)
- Needs a match (see how much in the notice)
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
About this grant
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/960d6026-0db6-45e9-b268-db4ab6ea2b75 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/81d78062-d8bf-4d1d-b77a-8362481ce39c
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct9
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov - Jan10
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Jan25
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Jan29
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Jan31
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
Writing the need statement? Madison County facts with citations.
Similar grants open or opening soon
From other funders, about the same kind of work in Madison County.
- Fund-a-Farmer Systems Change and Innovation Grant · Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) · Opening date not announced
- Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives Program (DBI) Fiscal Year 2026 · Agricultural Marketing Service · Due Dec 1, 2026 · 53 days left
- Agricultural Resources Conservation Fund (ARCF) Cost-Share – FY2027 · TN Department of Agriculture – Land and Water Stewardship Section · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Agricultural Enterprise Fund (AEF) · TN Department of Agriculture · Due Oct 10, 2026 · 1 day left
More from Rural Business-Cooperative Service
- MPPEP Phase 3 Invasive Wild-Caught Catfish · Due Dec 7, 2026 · 59 days left
- Value-Added Producer Grant · Next round: about Feb 17 – Apr 22, 2027 Estimate, not confirmed by the funder
- Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program · No deadline listed: see the official notice
About the federal program
Agriculture Innovation Center Demonstration Program, also called “AIC”
Program number 10.377 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Business Cooperative Service · Grant
How applications are judged
In each year's official notice: read this year's.