The V.I. Department of Agriculture’s Marketing Division (DOA) will be accepting proposals for the 2017 Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP).
The purpose of SCMP is to support initiatives that only enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by funding collaborative, multi-state projects that address regional or national level specialty crop issues: food safety, plant pests and disease, research; crop-specific projects addressing common issues, marketing and promotion. Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture), according to a press release issued Friday by the DOA.
Review the 2017SCMP Request for Applications for detailed application instructions.
Grant awards will range from $250,000 to $1 million per project, and projects may last for up to three years. Specialty crop producer associations and groups, state government agencies, tribal government entities, universities, nonprofits and other stakeholder organizations are all eligible to apply. All SCMP proposals must include at least two partners, (referred to as multi-state partners) with substantive involvement in the project; the partners must live in two different states to qualify for the program.
The deadline to submit SCMP proposals to the V.I. Department of Agriculture’s Marketing Division is 4:59 p.m. on Sept. 18. Proposals must be submitted electronically to Director of Marketing Billy Abraham at billy.abraham@doa.vi.gov
All questions regarding the SCMP should be e-mailed to billy.abraham@doa.vi.gov
