Equine Grant Program

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in partnership with the Horse Racing Advisory Commission (HRAC), offers this grant opportunity to eligible organizations within the equine industry. This program, established by the Horse Racing Law of 1995, will assist in the promotion of horse racing and equine related support within the state. Total funding available for this grant program is up to $125,000 for fiscal year 2026.

Funding purpose (from the Horse Racing Law of 1995):

• Promotion and marketing of horse racing

• Equine-related research

• Equine-related support and aftercare

• Other equine-related or horse racing programs

Eligible organizations within the equine industry. MDARD's grantfund index lists the applicants as "Horse owner and breeder organizations, organizations that host and/or promote harness racing."

Eligibility requirements:

• Must be in business for at least 2 years

• Must submit the previous fiscal year financial statements

• Must be in good standing with the state

• Must submit all required reports for grants received in the previous grant cycle by the deadline indicated in the grant agreement

• Applicant must be owner/operator/authorized agent of the entity seeking the grant

• Cost reimbursement grant; there are no match requirements.

• Project/program duration: May 2026 through August 2027. Interim reports due October 5, 2026; final reports due September 30, 2027. A report on the impact resulting from the project will be due after completion of the grant project.

• HRAC may utilize a third party to score grant requests and will make final determinations on grant awards.

• Scoring (100 points): Relevance to the Michigan Horse Racing Industry 30, Project Purpose 15, Expected Measurable Outcomes 15, Potential Impact 10, Work Plan 10, Budget 15, Sustainability 5.

• Emergency funding: for unforeseen situations and acts of God, HRAC allocates emergency funding in addition to this grant program to support the equine industry; additional information on that process is forthcoming on the HRAC website.

Complete the provided fillable-PDF application form per the instructions included on the form; ensure all required fields are completed and the application is signed; include the verification letter (page 4 of the application); attach vendor quotes if able. A letter of recommendation from a commissioner on the Michigan Horse Racing Advisory Commission is optional.

Proposals are emailed in Word or PDF format to MDARD-Equine@michigan.gov — this program does not use the MiAgGrants portal.

FY2026 timeline: press announcement and applications publicly available January 2026; grant proposals due February 27, 2026, 5pm EST via email; JEC review March 2026; HRAC approval at the April 2026 meeting; recipients announced April 2026.

Questions: Jeff Haarer, Program Manager, Agriculture Development Division, HaarerJ@michigan.gov, 517-896-2236.

• Equine Grant Program Guidelines 2026 (PDF)

• FY26 Equine Grant Program Application (PDF)

• MDARD grant recipients dashboard

• Sign up for email updates about Michigan agriculture grants