Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Small Grants Program

The application period for the 2022/23 SAREP Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Small Grants Program has closed.

Background & Priority Areas

Background

The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP) is a statewide program of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR). UC SAREP envisions a food and farming system that:

  • supports resilience through diversified production, marketing, and distribution systems,
  • values all food system workers and supports their physical, economic, and social wellbeing,
  • contributes to the health and vitality of urban, rural, and Tribal communities,
  • is environmentally regenerative, using resources for production and distribution in a way that protects the environment in trust for future generations, including under changing climate conditions, and   
  • is culturally responsive and reflects the ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity of California.

Program Priority Areas

UC SAREP will fund projects that fall within two priority areas:

1. Support California’s farmers, ranchers, and land stewards of all scales in identifying, piloting, and transitioning to:

  • environmentally regenerative approaches to producing crops and livestock (including but not limited to soil health, organic and agroecological practices, integrated pest management, crop diversification);
  • pathways for realizing economic return from ecologically-sound crop management practices and fair labor practices;
  • marketing and distribution strategies that support diversified, decentralized, and locally self-organized supply chains;
  • strategies that promote producer-to-producer networking and producer-to-supply chain networking

2. Support California’s rural, urban, and Tribal communities to identify, implement, and evaluate strategies to:

  • expand access to healthy, sustainably produced, culturally appropriate foods;
  • ensure worker wellbeing across the food chain;
  • minimize the community and environmental costs of food production and distribution;
  • strengthen connections between consumers and producers;
  • establish and strengthen producer-to-producer connections and producer-to-supply chain connections

Priority will be given to projects that benefit socially disadvantaged communities and/or socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and land stewards. We strongly encourage projects that are led by individuals and/or community-based organizations from these groups. A map of disadvantaged communities in California can be found at https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/sb535. A “socially disadvantaged group” means a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender discrimination. These groups include the following: African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, Female farmers and ranchers (2020 Report to the California Legislature on the Farmer Equity Act).

We are interested in projects that build the capacity of farming and food systems businesses and organizations to become reflective, adaptive learning organizations that can respond effectively to ecological, economic, and social change and disruption.

Who May Apply

Who May Apply

Eligible applicants include farm or food system businesses* operating in California, non-profit, tax-exempt organizations operating in California, state and local government agencies, tribal governments, and California public and private institutions of higher education. UC SAREP staff are not eligible to participate on the team of any project.

Applicants must demonstrate meaningful collaboration and involvement of stakeholders in the design and execution of the project. Priority is also given to projects that foster cross-collaborations between multiple types of applicants, contributing to a unified approach in addressing core areas of concern. For example, partnerships may involve farmers/ranchers or indigenous land managers working with agricultural or food system professionals. These professionals can include staff of community groups and/or non-profit organizations, public agencies, and tribal governments, as well as UC Cooperative Extension specialists and advisors, and researchers at community colleges or other institutions of higher education. Any of these partners can be the lead applicant organization.

Previous grantees are eligible to apply after they have submitted a final report for their previously funded project. 

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding eligibility.

*Please note:  Business applicants must demonstrate benefit beyond the immediate recipients. Grants will not be awarded for the sole purpose of purchasing equipment or making infrastructure improvements at individual farms or businesses.

Funding Available

Funding Available

Total funding will be approximately $80,000. Individual grants will be limited to a maximum of $10,000, with one Applied Research Grant awarded up to $20,000. Grantees will be notified by March 28, 2022. Due to the limited funds available, only one-year projects will be considered. Projects may begin as soon as June 1, 2022 and must be completed by May 31, 2023.

Proposal Categories

Proposal Categories 

Proposals are requested for three types of projects: 

  • Planning Grants
  • Education and Outreach Grants
  • Applied Research Grants

Each proposal must address one or more priority areas as listed above.

Category 1: Planning Grants 

Planning grants are intended to support processes that bring together diverse stakeholders to plan for larger, more complex research and outreach projects for which larger funds are being sought. Grantees may apply for up to $10,000.

Examples of previously funded Planning projects include: the creation of a new food policy council; exploring how green jobs for women farmworkers can improve their working conditions and the well-being of their communities; building a research team and developing plans for conducting a life cycle analysis of California’s beef production system; and community food access planning in East Salinas.

Category 2: Education and Outreach Grants

Education and outreach grants include educational events, materials and outreach components of research projects. Grantees may apply for up to $10,000.

Examples of previously funded Education and Outreach projects include: providing legal guidance to low-income entrepreneurs interested in urban and suburban farming, home-based food businesses and cooperatively owned agricultural companies in the San Francisco Bay Area; helping Southeast Asian and other small farmers in Sacramento connect with processors and buyers; implementing a bilingual educational campaign to communicate the importance of locally and sustainably grown produce from farmers of diverse backgrounds in Napa County; and developing and documenting opportunities and success stories for ecosystem services provided by rangeland stewardship.

Category 3: Applied Research Grants                    

These projects are intended to fund original, applied research in the above Program Priority Areas.

An example of a previously funded research grant includes funding to study the effects of livestock guardian dogs on wildlife species and the potential for conflict with recreationists. Research projects should include an outreach component.

Applied Research Grant I: Grantees may apply for up to $10,000.

Applied Research Grant II: Grantees may apply for up to $20,000.  Only one Applied Research Grant II will be awarded.  The project must clearly demonstrate the need for funding at a higher level, such as a requirement for specific equipment or specialized expertise without which the project would not be feasible at all.

 

For a full list of previously funded projects by this program, go to https://sarep.ucdavis.edu/past/grants-archive/summaries.

Proposal Requirements

Proposal Requirements

 

Proposal Narrative (sections A-F)

All proposal narratives should address the following points. These will also serve as criteria against which proposals will be judged.

The proposal narrative (sections A-F) should not exceed 5 single-spaced pages, 12-point font, including tables, figures, and photos. Figure and table legends cannot be smaller than 10-point font.

A. Relevance to Priority Areas/Topics

  • State which category your proposal is; which priority area your project relates to; and specifically which priority topic you are addressing (if relevant). Describe how your project helps address the issues outlined for that priority. Indicate (if applicable) which socially disadvantaged communities and/or socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and land stewards your project will benefit.
  • Describe how your project is helping to create organizations or systems that can respond or adapt effectively to ecological, economic, and social change or disruption (if applicable).

B. Relevance to Target Audience

  • Define the target audience(s)/community for the project. If the primary applicant is a business, it is essential to describe the stakeholders beyond your operation who will be involved in the project.
  • Describe the importance (need) of the proposed project to this audience.
  • Describe how the target audience/community will be involved in the development and implementation of the project.

C. Goals and Objectives

  • ​​Based on the needs of your target audience, state the goal(s) for the project. Goals are purpose statements about what you want the project to accomplish, or what specific changes you aim to achieve in the world. (They are not activities.)
  • Under each goal, state measurable, outcome-oriented objectives necessary to reach that goal. Objectives are the specific actions you will undertake to achieve your stated goals.

D. Methods/Activities/Timetable

  • For research and education/outreach projects, describe and justify your methods. For planning grants, describe and justify your activities.
  • Include a timetable linked to the various activities and phases of the project. Funding is available for one year projects only. The grant period is June 1, 2022 through May 31, 2023.

E. Products 

  • Projects should include tangible products (for example, publications, web pages, social media posts, videos, radio shows, public art, decision support tools, reports, workshops and related materials, etc.). Innovative use of media is encouraged.
  • Describe how information and results from this project will be extended to the target audience/community, and beyond to other potential statewide audiences.
  • Planning Grant projects should articulate benefits and provide evidence that the planning will be used for a future research/education proposal.

F. Evaluation/Lessons Learned

  • Describe how you plan to evaluate and measure whether your stated objectives were met.
  • Describe your plans for maintaining or expanding your project in the future (if relevant).

G. Capabilities of Investigators and Cooperators (not part of 5-page limit)

The Project Team is comprised of the Project Director, any other key personnel from the applicant’s organization who will be overseeing or implementing the project, and key personnel from external project partners.

  • Describe the specific roles of members of the project team, and their relevant experience as it relates to the proposed project.
  • Attach an abbreviated CV or resume (2-page limit) for the Project Director
  • Attach a letter of support from each collaborating organization, agency, or business. Letters should state how the organization will participate in the project.

H. Budget Requirements

  • Provide a complete budget in the indicated format and a separate budget justification that includes how line items are calculated.
  • Small* non-governmental organizations, tribal governments, and farm or food businesses may include indirect (overhead) costs up to 10% of total direct costs in their project budget. Indirect costs are not allowed for institutions of higher education and governmental entities.

* Small businesses are defined as entities that meet the same requirements as California Small Business Certification requirements (actual certification is not required): https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Services/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Services-List-Folder/Certify-or-Re-apply-as-Small-Business-Disabled-Veteran-Business-Enterprise

 

Format and Submission Requirements

Proposal must be in 12 pt. font size with one-inch margins. Please observe the word and page limits stated below. Refer to Criteria/Requirements section for description of what should be in each section.  The following sections must be combined into a single document in the order listed (proposal may be .pdf, .doc, .docx.  PDF preferred).

Cover Page

Complete the Cover Page form provided. Download the Cover Page form HERE

The Cover Page consists of basic applicant information, as well as an abbreviated project title (3-word maximum), and a project summary (150-word maximum).

 

Body of Proposal  

Combine the following sections into a single document in the order listed.

Proposal Narrative: Sections A-F combined, must not exceed five single-spaced pages, 12 pt. font

  1. Relevance to Priority Areas and Topics in this RFP
  2. Relevance to Target Audience (Justification)
  3. Goals and Objectives
  4. Methods/Activities/Timetable
  5. Products
  6. Evaluation/Lessons Learned
  7. Capabilities of Project Team (not part of 5-page limit)
    • Description of Project Team roles and experience
  8. Budget Requirements (not part of 5-page limit)
    • Budget, completed the Budget Form provided.  Download the Budget Form HERE.
    • Budget Justification
  9. Attachments
    • CV of Project Director, not to exceed 2 pages
    • Letters of Support
    • Literature cited (if appropriate)
Required Forms: 

Submission Instructions

Submission Instructions  

Applications for the SAREP Small Grants program must be submitted via Google Forms.  Applicants must sign into Google in order to complete the form.  Applicants must complete the required questions in each section before advancing to the next section.  Applicants may go back to review and make changes to previous sections before submitting the form.  Once submitted, applications cannot be changed.  It is recommended to have all application materials compiled before beginning Google Forms.

Section I of the application, Project Information and Funding Request, requires applicants to respond to the questions in the Google Form.  The questions are an abbreviated version of the Cover Page.  Applicants must both respond to the questions in the Google Form and complete the Cover Page template provided as part of Section II.

Section II of the application requires applicants to upload the Cover Page and Body of the Proposal (sections A-I) in a single document.  Please refer to the Format and Submission section of the RFP for more details on what to include in the Body of the Proposal document (proposal may be .pdf, .doc, .docx.  PDF preferred).

Once all sections of the form have been completed and the applicant is ready to submit, click the “Submit” button at the bottom of Section II.  There will be a confirmation screen confirming that your application has been successfully submitted and a copy of the application will be sent via email to the email address used to submit the application.

If you need assistance with the submission process, please contact Rachael Callahan at rmcallahan@ucanr.edu

 

Submission & Review Schedule

Submission and Review Schedule

 

Proposals must be received by Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 12:00pm PST. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered for review.

All proposals will be reviewed by a committee of ANR personnel, outside reviewers with relevant experience, and members of SAREP’s staff.  We expect that successful applicants will be notified of awards by March 28, 2022.

For technical questions about the online submission process or disability accommodation, please contact Rachael Callahan (rmcallahan@ucanr.edu). For questions about content or program requirements, please contact Sonja Brodt (sbbrodt@ucanr.edu) or Gail Feenstra (gwfeenstra@ucanr.edu; 530-574-4794).

 

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