AMS grant programs enhance the marketability and competitiveness of U.S. agricultural products locally, nationally, and internationally by promoting a variety of agricultural systems. Applying for a grant is part of the pre-award phase and consists of three steps:
- Search for a funding opportunity
- Determine whether you and your organization are eligible for the funding opportunity you’ve identified
- Apply for a grant
How do I find an AMS funding opportunity?
AMS publishes Requests for Applications (RFAs) to Grants.gov for each grant program. Grants.gov provides email notifications and RSS Feeds about all federal grant opportunities, including AMS. We encourage you to use this service to keep informed of grant opportunity postings and updates.
AMS will also publish the RFA and other application resources to the grant program’s overview page and will communicate the RFA’s publication. If interested, please sign up for AMS email updates or follow us on social media.
How do I know if I’m eligible for an AMS grant?
After identifying a funding opportunity you’re interested in applying for, verify that you or your organization is eligible to receive that funding. This information is published in the RFA and is on each AMS grant program’s overview page.
How do I apply for a grant?
- Prior to submitting an application, confirm that your organization is registered with Grants.gov and the System for Award Management (SAM).
- Follow the application instructions and submission requirements in the RFA and Grants.gov Application Guide (pdf).
- To be considered for funding, all required forms must be submitted as part of a complete application package. Your application will not be considered if all required forms are not submitted together, you should review AMS’ Late Applications, Denials and/or Appeal Procedures (pdf) for further information.
- Submit application through Grants.gov.
- If you missed the deadline due to an extenuating circumstance, you should review AMS’ Late Applications, Denials and/or Appeal Procedures (pdf) for further information.
- Grants.gov issues emails to the applicant providing the submission receipt number, submission validation receipt, and Grantor Agency Retrieval notification. AMS sends confirmation of grant application receipt.
What are other resources I should consider?
Grants.gov offers applicant trainings and resources and offers support when submitting an application. If you need Grants.gov support, contact the Grants.gov Support Center at support@grants.gov or visit their Support page.
There is a lot of work that goes into applying for grants, and if you’re awarded one, there are additional commitments that you need to meet. You can find free grant training resources at https://cfo.gov/grants/training/.
If you have any questions about applying for an AMS grant, feel free to contact the grant program’s point of contact listed in the RFA or AMSGrants@usda.gov.