About UC SAREP
The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP) is a statewide program of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). UC SAREP envisions a farming and food 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.
- Is culturally responsive and reflects the ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity of California.
About the UC SAREP Small Grants Program
The Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Competitive Small Grants Program supports projects that help farming and food systems businesses and organizations be better prepared to adapt to future economic, environmental or social challenges. Our funding is focused on two support areas:
Support Area 1: Farmers, ranchers, land stewards. This area focuses on California’s farmers, ranchers and Tribal and non-Tribal land stewards of all scales as they pilot, evaluate and transition 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-based supply chains.
- Strategies that promote producer-to-producer networking and/or producer-to-supply chain networking.
Support Area 2: Supporting Urban, Rural, and Tribal Communities. This area focuses on California’s rural, urban, and Tribal communities in identifying, implementing, and evaluating 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 Points: Priority will be given to projects that directly benefit and involve ANY of the following groups:
- SB535 Disadvantaged Communities. (Map available at: 2026 SB 535 Disadvantaged Communities Map.)
- Tribal communities.
- Farmers, ranchers, and land stewards with limited resources and/or less current or historical access to applied research, technical assistance, and extension resources.
Who Can Apply
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include:
- Farm or food system businesses operating in California.
- Non-profit, tax-exempt organizations operating in California.
- State and local government agencies and Tribal governments (federally and non-federally recognized).
- California public and private institutions of higher education.
Restrictions:
- Project Scope: Projects must benefit the broader food and farming system in California and may not be designed primarily to benefit a single individual or organization.
- Limit: Only one application per project director is allowed.
- UC SAREP Staff: UC SAREP statewide staff and academics are NOT eligible to apply for or participate on the team of any project. County-based staff or academics working for UC Master Food Preservers and UC Small Farms Network are eligible to apply.
Previous Grantees
Previous grantees are eligible to apply provide they:
- Have submitted a final report for their previously funded project and are in good standing with the grant program.
- Have at least two full project periods between the end of their last grant and the start of the proposed new project.
Funding Tracks
To ensure equitable access to funding and support, UC SAREP is offering two funding tracks. This approach aims to provide greater access to those with limited formal grant writing experience but with strong community expertise and need for support.
- Standard Track: Open to all eligible applicants.
- Capacity Building Track (available for $10,000 proposal categories): Designed for food and farm businesses, non-profit organizations, and Tribal governments (federally and non-federally recognized) that meet the following criteria:
- Have not previous received UC SAREP Small Grant Program funding.
- Are in the early stage of grant-writing experience (defined as having not received a competitive state or federal grant of $50,000 or more in the past five years).
- Work directly in supporting underserved and/or beginning farmers.
While all projects will be evaluated using the same scoring criteria, proposals will be considered within their respective tracks.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
Applicants must demonstrate stakeholders were involved in the design and will be involved in the execution of the project. We encourage collaborations between different groups — for example, 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, Tribal governments, UC Cooperative Extension, and researchers from higher education. Any of these partners can be the lead applicant.
Please contact us if you have any questions regarding eligibility.
Funding and Timeline
Most grants are limited to a maximum of $10,000, with one Applied Research Grant available for up to $20,000. These are cost-reimbursable grants, with invoices submitted quarterly based on your approved budget. Only one-year projects will be considered.
Timeline: The project period is May 1, 2027 through April 30, 2028.
Important: We are unable to offer no-cost extensions. Any funds that are not expended by the project end date (April 30, 2028) and not invoiced by June 15, 2028, will be forfeited.
Proposal Categories
Proposals must address one of the Support Areas listed above. You may apply for one of the following:
- Planning Grant: Up to $10,000
- Education and Outreach Grant: Up to $10,000
- Applied Research Grant I: Up to $10,000
- Applied Research Grant II: Up to $20,000 (limited to one award per funding cycle; available only to standard track applicants). Note: The project must clearly demonstrate the need for additional funding, such as a requirement for specific equipment or specialized expertise without which the project would not be feasible.
Planning Grants
Planning grants support processes that bring together diverse stakeholders to plan for larger, more complex research and outreach projects.
Examples of previously funded planning projects:
- Creation of a new food policy council.
- Exploring how green jobs for women farmworkers can improve 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.
- Supporting coastal San Mateo County producers to collaboratively identify opportunities to overcome common challenges related to expanding markets.
Education & Outreach Grants
Education and outreach grants fund educational events, technical assistance, development and dissemination of materials, and outreach components of research results that support the Support Areas above.
Examples of previously funded Education and Outreach projects:
- 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.
- Providing training and practice workshops on low-cost agricultural technologies and techniques for new and aspiring minority farmers in the Monterey Bay Region.
Applied Research Grants
These projects are intended to fund original, applied research in the Support Areas listed above. Research projects should include an outreach component.
Examples of previously funded research projects:
- Quantifying the effectiveness of different planting times and termination dates for cover crops for scavenging excess nitrogen in the soil and reducing nitrate leaching.
- Developing an initial understanding of current livestock-crop integration economics, describing the spectrum of practices and economic arrangements in California.
- Demonstrating the effect of regenerative grazing and conservation grazing on Blue oak populations.
- Examining how the growing trend toward online sales and marketing is affecting farmers who normally sell through direct-to-consumer market channels in California.
Proposal Requirements & How to Apply
Important Proposal Requirements
Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be forwarded to the review committee.
- Completeness: All sections of the application must be complete.
- Funding limit: Proposals that exceed RFP funding limits will not be considered for funding.
- Supporting documents: Applicants must provide the required supporting documents.
- Scope: Proposed activities must be fully executable with the grant award amount. Your responses must only describe the objectives and activities that will be accomplished with the funding requested in this proposal.
- Limit: Only one application per project director is allowed.
- Eligibility: Any applications that do not meet the eligibility requirements will be disqualified.
- Impact: Applicants must demonstrate impact beyond their own operations or internal stakeholders.
Format & Submission
Applications must be submitted via Google Forms (Google sign in required). 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. We recommend having all application materials compiled before beginning Google Forms application.
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 III. 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.
Please visit the UC SAREP Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Small Grants Program 2027-2028 webpage for more information and to submit your application.
Pre-Application Preparation
All proposals should address the ‘About Your Project’ prompts listed below. Your responses to these prompts will also serve as the basis for scoring your proposal on a 100-point scale. Please adhere to character limits specified in each field.
To ensure a smooth submission process, please complete the following steps before starting the online application:
- Prepare your responses. Prepare your answers to the prompts in the ‘Application’ section below. This will allow you to copy and paste your final text into the Application.
- Compile supporting documents. Combine the following items into one single PDF file to be uploaded to Section III of the Google Forms Application. Use the online Adobe Merge Tool or contact Kristen Farrar for assistance.
- Community support (required): Letters of support from your target audience and community stakeholders (2-3 letters are recommended).
- Project director CV (required): A CV or resume for the project director, no longer than two pages.
- Collaborator commitment (required): Letters of commitment from each collaborator detailing their specific contributions to the project (please do not include photos of the project team).
- Tribal Council approval (if applicable): If the project involves a Tribe, include a letter from the Chairperson on letterhead that states they are aware of the grant proposal.
- Complete the Budget Form. This will be uploaded to Section III of the Google Forms Application.
Application
The section is identical to the prompts in the Small Grant Application Google Form. You will enter all your responses to the prompts below in the Google Forms Application.
Section I: Cover Page
Email: (A valid email is required; someone may submit the application on behalf of the project director.)
Project Director Name:
Project Director Organization:
Project Director Email Address:
Project Director Phone Number:
Collaborators (Enter each collaborator in the following format: name, organization, email address and phone number.):
Project Title:
Abbreviated Project Title (three words or less):
Support Area (choose one):
- Support Area 1: Supporting Farmers, Ranchers, and Land Stewards
- Support Area 2: Supporting Urban, Rural, and Tribal Communities
Funding Track (choose one):
- Standard Track
- Capacity Building Track (eligible applicants only; see above for eligibility requirements)
Proposal Category (choose one):
- Planning Grant (up to $10,000)
- Education and Outreach Grant (up to $10,000)
- Applied Research Grant I (up to $10,000)
- Applied Research Grant II (up to $20,000)
Project Summary (1,000 character limit):
Total Grant Funds Requested (may not exceed proposal category funding limits):
Section II: About Your Project
A. Relevance to Support Area (15 points)
2,250 character limit
- Describe how your project helps address the goals and issues outlined for one of the grant program’s Support Areas.
- How will this project help your organization or community be better prepared for future economic, environmental or social changes?
B. Relevance to Target Audience (15 points)
3,000 character limit
- Who is your target audience, and why is this project necessary? If applying as an organization or business, describe the stakeholders beyond your operation who will be involved with and benefit from the project.
- Describe the need and demand of the proposed project to your target audience. Explain how the community was engaged in the development of the project and how they will be involved its implementation.
- Provide letters of support and/or current/previous needs assessments demonstrating that the target audience’s interest in this work. (These will be uploaded in the next section.)
*PRIORITY POINTS (Optional – up to 5 additional points; 1,000 character limit): If applicable, detail the specific involvement of socially disadvantaged communities, Tribal communities, and/or limited resource farmers, ranchers, or land stewards in the project conception, design, implementation, and impacts.
C. Goals & Objectives (15 points)
3,000 character limit
Please only describe goals and objectives that can be accomplished by funding requested in this proposal.Goals and objectives of the project should be new or significantly expand a previous effort.
- Goals: Based on the needs of your target audience, state the project goals — the overall changes or accomplishments you aim to achieve.
- Objectives: For each goal, list measurable, outcome-oriented steps (specific actions) necessary to reach that goal.
- Optional: If this project builds upon previous work, explain how it expands upon and differs from that earlier work.
D. Methods/Activities & Timeline (15 points)
3,000 character limit
- Describe and justify your methods or activities you will use to achieve your goals and objectives stated above.
- Provide a narrative timeline describing the various activities and phases of the project and when they will occur. All work must be completed during the grant period: May 1, 2027 through April 30, 2028. (Funding is available for one-year projects only.)
E. Products & Outcomes (15 points)
2,250 character limit
- Describe the products and outcomes from this project. Please include tangible products (such as, publications, digital media, technical tools, etc.) and non-tangible outcomes (such as, increased knowledge or improved system resilience). Describe how these results will be shared with your target audience and other statewide audiences.
- For Planning Grants: Explain the benefits of this planning phase and provide evidence of how it will be used for a future research or education proposal.
- For projects with equipment purchases and/or infrastructure improvement: Projects must also include an education component that extends beyond the direct recipient(s) of the equipment or infrastructure. Individual equipment items may not exceed $5,000.
F. Evaluation/Lessons Learned (10 points)
2,250 character limit
- Describe your plan for evaluating and measuring the success of your project objectives. If relevant, describe your plans for maintaining or expanding your project in the future.
G. Capabilities of Project Team (10 points)
3,000 character limit
The project team includes the project director, key personnel from the applicant’s organization who will be overseeing or implementing the project, and key personnel from external project partners.
- Provide a list of team members and describe their specific roles and relevant experience as it relates to the proposed project.
- Include a letter of support from each collaborator, organization, agency, or business on the project team that states how the collaborator/organization will participate in the project. Please do not include photos of the project team. (These will be uploaded in the next section.)
*PRIORITY POINTS (Optional – up to 5 additional points; 1,000 character limit): If applicable, describe your project team's history of collaboration and engagement with socially disadvantaged communities, Tribal communities, and/or limited resource farmers, ranchers, or land stewards.
H. Budget (5 points)
The budget should only include funds requested from UC SAREP. The total budget request may not exceed the amount specified in your selected proposal category. Your completed the Budget Form will be uploaded in the next section.
Important:
- Indirect costs: Small non-governmental organizations (entities that meet California Small Business Certification requirements, actual certification not required), Tribal governments, and farm or food businesses may include indirect costs up to 10% of total direct costs. Higher education and governmental entities may not charge indirect costs.
- Compensation: Additional compensation or academic salary cost recovery for UC and other university academics or staff is prohibited.
- Equipment: Individual items may not exceed $5,000. Grants will not be awarded for the sole purpose of purchasing equipment or making infrastructure improvements.
Budget Summary (500 character limit): Please provide the totals from your budget form for each category:
- Personnel costs [salary and benefits]:
- Materials and supplies:
- Travel:
- Other and sub-awardees:
- Total direct costs:
- Indirect costs:
- Total budget request:
Budget Justification (3,000 character limit): Describe project costs in detail for each category in your budget. For example, type and duration for personnel salaries and benefits; quantities and descriptions of materials and supplies; and purpose and location of travel. The justification should clearly explain how each cost was calculated and why it is necessary for the project.
Section III: Upload Your Files
Please upload the following documents combined into one single PDF file as described in the Pre-Application Preparation section.
- Supporting Documents (Single PDF): This file must include:
- Letters of Community Support.
- Project Director CV (max 2 pages).
- Letters of Collaborator Commitment.
- Tribal Council Approval letter (if applicable).
- Completed Budget Form: Please upload the Budget Form as a separate Excel file.
Review Schedule
Proposals must be received by Wednesday, January 13, 2027, 5:00 pm PST. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered for review.
All proposals will be reviewed by a committee of ANR personnel, external reviewers with relevant experience, and members of SAREP’s staff. We expect that successful applicants will be notified of awards in March 2027.
For questions, please contact Kristen Farrar at [email protected] or (530) 786-0390.
The University of California prohibits discrimination or harassment of any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (including childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran (covered veterans are special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, Vietnam era veterans, or any other veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized) in any of its programs or activities. University policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable State and Federal laws. Inquiries regarding the University's nondiscrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action/Staff Personnel Services Equal Opportunity Director, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1111 Franklin Street, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA 94607, (510) 987-0096.
Please also see: