Indiana Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) administers USDA's Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) to fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of Indiana specialty crops - fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery/floriculture crops. Approximately $409,581 is made available per cycle through a competitive solicitation. Funds support marketing and promotion, research and development, expanding availability and access, and addressing challenges facing specialty crop producers.

For-profit entities (including sole proprietors), nonprofit entities, local units of government (towns, cities, counties), and public and private institutions of higher education may apply. Individuals acting on their own are not eligible. Projects must benefit the specialty crop industry and/or the public broadly; projects benefiting a single entity, organization, or individual are not eligible.

Award floor, no published ceiling. The FFY2026 NOFO states "Minimum Award Amount: $50,000.00" and "Available for Competitive Grants: $409,581.00." That $409,581 is the whole competitive pool, not a per-award cap — the NOFO publishes no maximum award. For scale, a 2023 Indiana awardee (Slaughter Orchard & Cidery) received $163,680.

Where the money comes from. "$635,414.60 in funding from the United States Department of Treasury (USDA) is available to the State of Indiana." Of that, "The ISDA will retain $175,000.00 (27% of the State's total allocation) for a statewide Indiana Grown specialty crop initiative" and "$50,833.60 (8% of the State's total allocation) for indirect costs ('grant administration')."

Match / cost share. None required. No cash or in-kind match is mentioned anywhere in the NOFO.

Term. Performance Period Sept. 30, 2026 – Sept. 29, 2028 (two years). Scoring asks whether the timeline "demonstrate[s] the applicant can complete the proposed projects within the two (2) year Performance Period."

Limits and conditions. Applicants "must not have more than two (2) open grants with the ISDA at the time of application" and "must not have any delinquent reports, claims, or outstanding corrective actions for any award with the ISDA." Applications are scored out of 200 total points. Special-purpose equipment over $10,000 per unit may be eligible only for research, scientific or technical activities. Selection is not a guarantee: "Projects are not considered awarded until the USDA approves the ISDA's State Plan," and selected applicants "may be required to modify scope/budget components."

Verified 2026-09-04 against the FFY2026 ISDA SCBG NOFO PDF.

Apply through ISDA per the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and supplemental documents (application instructions, SAM.gov and Indiana Secretary of State registration, W-9). The program runs on an annual cycle; the 2026 application period closed May 13, 2026. Watch for the next NOFO or request notification from ISDA.