SACRAMENTO — CDFA is extending the application period for the 2022 Beginning Farmer and Farmworker Training and Workforce Development Program (BFFTP). The agency is now accepting grant applications until August 15, 2022, at 5 p.m., in order to allow sufficient time for applicant organizations to connect with partnering organizations and submit proposals.
The BFFTP grant program was funded through the 2021 California general fund budget. The program will provide support to organizations to enhance or expand beginning farmer and farmworker training/apprenticeship programs.
The overall goal of the program is to ensure that resources are dedicated to strengthening support for socially disadvantaged and/or beginning farmers and ranchers in the first ten years of business, and for farmworkers who need skills training to provide job sustainability. A secondary goal of the program is to build and grow regional networks to ensure that organizations can provide adequate support and training opportunities for those most underserved in the agriculture industry.
Applicants may apply for two types of awards in this program: program planning and curriculum development grants of up to $100,000; or program implementation grants up to $1,000,000 for beginning farmer training and farmworker training and workforce development programs.
Again, applications will be accepted through August 15, 2022, at 5pm PST.
Slight modifications have been made to the 2022 BFFTP Grant Program timeline as follows:
Grant Application Opens June 1, 2022
Grant Application Closes August 15, 2022 @ 5 PM PST
Review Process September 2022
Award Announcement On or before October 7, 2022
Grant Term Begins November 1, 2022
Grant Term Ends 1-Year Projects: October 30, 2023
2-Year Projects: October 30, 2024
The following entities are eligible to apply for this program: Non-profit organizations, Tribal governments, and community colleges. Community colleges are eligible as co-applicants with local partner organizations. Entities applying must have demonstrated expertise in assisting socially disadvantaged, small-scale farmers, farmworkers and in workforce development programs.
The 2022 BFFTP request for applications (RFA) can be found on the program website www.cdfa.ca.gov/BFFTP.
The grant application can be found here: 2022 BFFTP Grant Program Application
Applications are being accepted through the Amplifund platform. All applicants need to register for an Amplifund account. To register, please follow the Amplifund prompt for new users in the 2022 BFFTP Grant Program Application link above. Additional training videos and materials can be found on the BFFTP website: Amplifund Portal Resources.
Amplifund hosted an Applicant Portal Training session on how to register for an account and answer questions about using the platform. Please follow the link below to view a recording of this session, uploaded on the BFFTP Program website.
Amplifund Applicant Training Session Link.
During the month of June 2022, CDFA’s Farm Equity Office held two informational sessions to review the components of the 2022 BFFTP grant application and answer questions about the application or the process. Video recordings of both sessions are available on the BFFTP website.
Session 1: June 15, 2022, Link.
Session 2: June 29, 2022, Link.
CDFA is seeking external reviewers for the 2022 BFFTP Grant Program Technical Review Panel until July 15, 2022. Information on the guidelines and how to apply to the 2022 BFFTP reviewing committee can be found on the BFFTP program website and through this press release.
For more information on the 2022 BFFTP Grant Program, please contact: carmen.carrasco@cdfa.ca.gov
–California Department of Food and Agriculture
