Assistive Technology Program | USDA NIFA SLBCD 007772

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 007772

The Assistive Technology Program grant opportunity (also referred to in the notice as the AgrAbility program) is a discretionary grant funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), under CFDA 10.500. Its core purpose is to help farmers, ranchers, farm workers, and farm family members with disabilities stay productive and safe in agricultural work. The program is designed to increase the odds that people with disabilities can continue farming or working in farm-related occupations by supporting practical, on-the-ground education and assistance that adapts farm tasks, equipment, and worksites to an individual’s needs.

Projects funded under this opportunity must be built around a formal partnership between two key types of organizations: the State Cooperative Extension System (through specific eligible universities) and a private, nonprofit disability organization that provides direct services to individuals with disabilities. The intent is to combine Extension’s agricultural training and outreach capacity with disability organizations that understand accommodation, accessibility, and direct client support. Funded work generally centers on agricultural education, technical assistance, and other forms of support that help a person accommodate a disability in day-to-day farm operations, with benefits extending to the individual and their family members who are involved in the operation.

Eligibility to apply is tightly limited. Only Cooperative Extension programs at 1862 and 1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Universities may submit applications, and the notice explicitly includes institutions such as the University of the District of Columbia, Tuskegee University, West Virginia State University, and Central State University. A required element of any application is proof of partnership: applicants must include commitment letters from their nonprofit partner organizations, and if the proposal involves additional partners, commitment letters from all partnering organizations must be included as well. The solicitation makes clear that missing an eligibility requirement by the application deadline can lead to the application being excluded from consideration, or prevent NIFA from making an award even if the application is reviewed.

While only the specified Extension-based institutions can be the applicant, the program allows flexibility in how projects are carried out. Award recipients may subcontract with organizations that are not eligible to apply directly, including examples like 1994 Land-Grant Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, as long as those organizations are necessary to conduct the project. The notice also allows broader collaboration: 1862 and 1890 institutions can partner with each other and can collaborate with other Land-Grant and non-Land-Grant institutions within a state or region on joint proposals, again with the requirement that partnership commitments be documented through letters.

Administratively, the opportunity emphasizes compliance and process. Applicants are expected to follow all requirements in the Request for Applications, and the announcement highlights NIFA’s grants overview resources for organizations that are new to federal financial assistance. It also includes a strict rule against duplicate or multiple submissions: if an applicant submits more than one application (or duplicates), NIFA will disqualify both, so applicants must ensure they submit a single, final version.

Key details from the source listing include the funding opportunity number USDA NIFA SLBCD 007772, the original closing date of January 13, 2021, and an award ceiling of $531,000. The listing indicates the agency name as the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and categorizes the opportunity under agriculture, with the grant instrument type listed as a grant.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assistive Technology Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.500.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-10-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-13. (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 $531,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 007772

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