Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) — Nebraska

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is a federally funded program, administered in Nebraska by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA), to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). NDA runs a competitive solicitation process and anticipates awarding approximately $820,000 to projects enhancing the competitiveness of Nebraska specialty crops. A maximum grant award does not exist, and neither NDA nor the SCBGP requires a cost-sharing or matching requirement; all projects are subject to the availability of funds.

Applicants proposing projects that solely enhance the competitiveness of Nebraska specialty crops (fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery/floriculture crops). Refer to the USDA specialty crop definition for the full list of approved specialty crops.

NDA states plainly that there is no ceiling and no match: "NDA anticipates awarding approximately $820,000 to projects enhancing the competitiveness of Nebraska specialty crops. A maximum grant award does not exist and neither NDA nor the SCBGP requires a cost sharing or matching requirement. All projects are subject to the availability of funds."

So an applicant may request what the project actually costs, with no cap and no obligation to put up matching dollars. Two caveats come straight from the same passage: awards are subject to the availability of funds, and "NDA reserves the right to offer an award amount less than the amount requested" — a full request is not a guaranteed full award.

The $820,000 is the total pool NDA expects to distribute across all funded projects for the round, not a per-applicant figure.

All funding must go to projects that "solely enhance the competitiveness of Nebraska specialty crops" (fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery/floriculture crops). No interest rate, fee, cost-share percentage, or contract length applies — this is a competitive federal block-grant pass-through, awarded through NDA's Request for Concept Proposals.

NDA announces a competitive solicitation via a Request for Concept Proposals (FY 2026). Interested applicants apply through the link provided on NDA's SCBGP page; an FY 2025 application webinar recording is available for reference.