Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA FBMB 010313
The Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) Competitive Grants Program is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA). Its core purpose is to strengthen the business and financial management capabilities of agricultural producers by supporting the maintenance and expansion of a national, publicly available farm financial management database. In practical terms, the program is designed to improve how producers and the organizations that serve them use real-world financial and operational data for benchmarking, decision-making, and overall farm business planning, with the broader goal of better farm management outcomes across the sector.
The program is focused less on direct on-farm infrastructure and more on the systems, tools, and data resources that help producers understand financial performance. By funding projects that grow and improve a national farm finance dataset, FBMB supports benchmarking efforts where producers can compare their costs, revenues, profitability, and other financial metrics against relevant peer groups. The emphasis on a publicly available database signals that NIFA is aiming for broad public benefit: the resulting data resource is meant to be accessible and useful beyond a single institution or region, supporting widespread learning, extension, and applied analysis tied to farm financial management.
Eligibility is intentionally broad, but applicants still have to meet the specific requirements laid out in the program's Request for Applications (RFA) by the application deadline; missing eligibility elements can lead to an application being excluded or make an award impossible. Under 7 U.S.C. 3157(b)(7), eligible applicants include state agricultural experiment stations, colleges and universities, university research foundations, other research institutions and organizations, federal agencies, national laboratories, private organizations or corporations, and individuals. The program also allows applications from partnerships or coalitions consisting of two or more of those eligible entity types, which encourages multi-organization efforts that can combine technical capacity, producer networks, and data expertise. Even though some entities may not be eligible to apply on their own, award recipients are allowed to subcontract with ineligible organizations as long as those partners are necessary to carry out the project work.
Key opportunity details include the funding opportunity title "Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program" and funding opportunity number USDA NIFA FBMB 010313. The assistance is offered as a grant under the agriculture funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 10.319. The agency listing identifies "Others" as eligible applicants, consistent with the expansive eligibility language in the authorizing statute and the RFA. The original closing date for applications was February 7, 2024, and the opportunity information shows an award ceiling of $500,000 with an expectation of about five awards. The opportunity record lists a creation date of December 11, 2023, indicating when the notice was posted or formally established in the system.
Overall, FBMB is best understood as a competitive grant program aimed at building and improving shared national capacity for farm financial benchmarking. Successful projects would be expected to contribute to a stronger and more usable public farm financial management database and, through that database, improve the financial management knowledge, skills, and decision support available to agricultural producers and the professionals who advise them.Apply for USDA NIFA FBMB 010313
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.319.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-11.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) Competitive Grants Program - FAQs
What is the Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) Competitive Grants Program?
The Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) Competitive Grants Program is a discretionary competitive grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It supports projects that strengthen farm business and financial management by maintaining and expanding a national, publicly available farm financial management database.
What is the main purpose of FBMB funding?
The program is designed to improve farm business management outcomes by supporting better benchmarking, decision-making, and farm business planning using real-world financial and operational data. The central focus is on building and improving a national dataset that helps producers and those who serve them understand financial performance.
What types of projects does FBMB prioritize?
FBMB prioritizes projects that contribute to the maintenance and expansion of a national farm financial management database and improve how financial and operational data are used for benchmarking and decision support. The emphasis is on systems, tools, and shared data resources rather than direct on-farm infrastructure.
Is this grant intended to fund on-farm infrastructure or equipment?
Based on the program description, FBMB is focused less on direct on-farm infrastructure and more on the systems, tools, and data resources that support farm financial benchmarking and business planning.
What does "benchmarking" mean in the context of this program?
Benchmarking refers to using farm financial and operational data to compare costs, revenues, profitability, and other financial metrics against relevant peer groups. The goal is to help producers understand performance and support better management decisions.
Why does FBMB emphasize a national, publicly available database?
The publicly available database requirement signals a broad public-benefit purpose. The resulting data resource is intended to be accessible and useful beyond a single institution or region and to support widespread learning, extension, and applied analysis related to farm financial management.
Who is the awarding agency for this opportunity?
The awarding agency is USDA NIFA (U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture).
Is FBMB a competitive grant?
Yes. FBMB is described as a competitive grants program, meaning applications are evaluated competitively and only a limited number of awards are expected.
What is the funding opportunity title?
The funding opportunity title is "Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program."
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA FBMB 010313.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 10.319.
What type of assistance is provided under this opportunity?
The assistance is provided as a grant.
What is the funding activity category for this grant?
The funding activity category is agriculture.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The opportunity record lists an award ceiling of $500,000.
How many awards are expected to be made?
The opportunity information indicates an expectation of about five awards.
When was the application closing date?
The original closing date for applications was February 7, 2024.
When was this opportunity created or posted in the system?
The opportunity record lists a creation date of December 11, 2023.
Who is eligible to apply for FBMB grants?
Eligibility is broad under 7 U.S.C. 3157(b)(7). Eligible applicants include state agricultural experiment stations, colleges and universities, university research foundations, other research institutions and organizations, federal agencies, national laboratories, private organizations or corporations, and individuals.
Can partnerships or coalitions apply?
Yes. Applications may be submitted by partnerships or coalitions consisting of two or more eligible entity types, which supports multi-organization projects that combine capabilities such as technical expertise, producer networks, and data experience.
Can ineligible organizations participate on a project?
Yes. Even if an organization is not eligible to apply as the primary applicant, award recipients are allowed to subcontract with ineligible organizations as long as those partners are necessary to carry out the project work.
Does broad eligibility mean every applicant will be accepted?
No. Applicants still must meet the specific requirements in the program's Request for Applications (RFA) by the application deadline. Missing eligibility elements can lead to an application being excluded or make an award impossible.
What is the authorizing statute referenced for eligibility?
The eligibility language referenced is under 7 U.S.C. 3157(b)(7).
What does it mean that the program is "discretionary"?
Based on the description provided, FBMB is identified as a discretionary grant opportunity, meaning funding is awarded through an agency-run competitive process rather than automatically distributed by formula.
How does FBMB help agricultural producers in practical terms?
FBMB supports tools and data systems that help producers (and advisors who work with producers) use real financial and operational information for benchmarking, decision-making, and farm business planning. The expected end result is stronger financial management knowledge and better decision support across the sector.
What kind of outcomes are successful projects expected to deliver?
Successful projects would be expected to contribute to a stronger and more usable public farm financial management database and, through that database, improve benchmarking and farm financial management capacity for producers and professionals who advise them.
What does the listing "Others" mean for eligible applicants?
The opportunity record lists "Others" as eligible applicants, which aligns with the broad eligibility described in the authorizing statute and the RFA (including organizations, corporations, and individuals, among others).
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