Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA AMS TM RFSP G 21 0009
The Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), designed to help communities build stronger, more connected local and regional food systems. At its core, the program funds partnerships that bring together public and private resources so they can plan, coordinate, and develop food system projects that improve the viability and resilience of local or regional food economies. A key emphasis is strengthening resilience in ways that also support pandemic response and recovery, recognizing that disruptions like COVID-19 exposed weaknesses in supply chains and local market access.
This opportunity focuses on organizing and activating partnerships rather than supporting isolated efforts by a single organization. Applicants are expected to work with a network of partners to catalyze local or regional food system development, meaning they help move ideas into coordinated action across a defined geography or food shed. The partnership is responsible for setting shared priorities, linking people to services and resources, and creating a practical way to track and measure progress toward common goals. In other words, RFSP is meant to fund collaboration that leads to measurable improvements in how food is produced, processed, distributed, marketed, and accessed within a region.
RFSP gives partnerships flexibility in how they define their working area and approach. Partnerships are explicitly authorized to determine the size and scope of the local or regional food system where the project goals, outreach objectives, and eligible activities will take place. They are also expected to coordinate with AMS to receive technical assistance, which suggests USDA intends to be an active support resource during project implementation rather than just a funder. In addition, partnerships must conduct outreach and education to encourage participation in the partnership agreement and in the eligible activities that flow from it, which helps ensure the work is inclusive, widely understood, and able to attract the producers, businesses, and organizations needed for real system change.
To be competitive, applicant partnerships need to show they can bring a mix of financial and technical capabilities to the table. This typically means the group as a whole can handle planning and coordination, community engagement, and the practical technical work needed to move food system projects forward (for example, market development, aggregation and distribution planning, food safety or value-chain coordination, or business and infrastructure support). USDA also expects evidence of experience or clear readiness to collaborate effectively across sectors, including both public and private entities. The program places value on approaches that are innovative but also sustainable and measurable, so proposals should not only describe what they want to do, but how it will last and how success will be tracked.
From the posted details, RFSP is listed under CFDA (now Assistance Listing) 10.177, and the funding instrument is a grant. The award ceiling is $1,000,000 per award, and the agency anticipated making about 50 awards for this cycle. The opportunity number is USDA AMS TM RFSP G 21 0009. The original posting indicates it was created on May 5, 2021, with an original closing date of July 6, 2021. Eligibility is broadly described as "Others" with clarification referenced in an additional eligibility section, which typically means applicants needed to consult the full notice to confirm which types of organizations and partnership structures qualified.
Overall, RFSP is best understood as a program that funds organized regional collaboration to strengthen food system capacity and resilience. It supports partnerships that can define a regional strategy, coordinate participants and services, engage the community through outreach and education, use USDA technical assistance, and deliver results that can be demonstrated through clear metrics tied to stronger, more resilient local and regional food economies.Apply for USDA AMS TM RFSP G 21 0009
- The Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Regional Food System Partnerships" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.177.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 05, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 06, 2021 No Explanation. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) Grant FAQs
What is the Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant?
The Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). It is designed to help communities build stronger, more connected local and regional food systems by funding organized partnerships that plan, coordinate, and develop projects across a defined region or food shed.
What is the main purpose of RFSP funding?
RFSP funds collaboration that leads to measurable improvements in how food is produced, processed, distributed, marketed, and accessed within a region. The focus is on building viability and resilience in local or regional food economies through coordinated partnership activity, rather than supporting isolated, single-organization efforts.
How does RFSP define a “partnership” approach?
RFSP emphasizes organizing and activating a network of partners that can align around shared priorities, coordinate action, connect people to services and resources, and track progress toward common goals. The partnership is expected to catalyze food system development across a region by moving ideas into coordinated action.
Does RFSP fund single-organization projects?
Based on the program description provided, RFSP is not meant to support isolated efforts by a single organization acting alone. It is intended to fund partnerships that bring together public and private resources and work collectively across a region.
What types of outcomes is RFSP trying to achieve?
RFSP aims for measurable improvements in regional food system function and strength, including improvements tied to production, processing, distribution, marketing, and access. It also places a strong emphasis on resilience, including resilience that supports pandemic response and recovery, reflecting the supply chain and market-access weaknesses highlighted by COVID-19.
How does the program address resilience and pandemic recovery?
A stated emphasis of RFSP is strengthening resilience in ways that also support pandemic response and recovery. The program recognizes that disruptions like COVID-19 exposed weaknesses in supply chains and local market access, and it supports partnerships working to address those vulnerabilities through coordinated regional action.
Can applicants define their own geographic scope or “food shed”?
Yes. RFSP provides flexibility for partnerships to determine the size and scope of the local or regional food system where project goals, outreach objectives, and eligible activities will take place. In other words, the partnership can define its working area based on what makes sense for the strategy and activities it proposes.
What is expected of the partnership in terms of planning and coordination?
The partnership is expected to set shared priorities, plan and coordinate activities, link participants to services and resources, and create a practical way to track and measure progress toward common goals. The program is centered on structured collaboration that produces demonstrable results.
Is outreach and education required under RFSP?
Yes. Partnerships must conduct outreach and education to encourage participation in the partnership agreement and in the eligible activities that flow from it. This requirement supports inclusive engagement and helps ensure that producers, businesses, organizations, and other participants understand the effort and can take part.
What role does USDA AMS play after an award is made?
The description indicates partnerships are expected to coordinate with AMS to receive technical assistance. This suggests AMS is intended to be an active support resource during project implementation, not only a funding source.
What makes an RFSP application competitive?
Competitive partnerships are expected to demonstrate a mix of financial and technical capabilities across the group. This typically includes the ability to handle planning and coordination, community engagement, and the technical work needed to move food system projects forward. USDA also expects evidence of experience or clear readiness to collaborate effectively across sectors, including both public and private entities.
What kinds of capabilities might a partnership need to demonstrate?
The opportunity description highlights capabilities such as planning and coordination, community engagement, and technical food-system work. Examples mentioned include market development, aggregation and distribution planning, food safety or value-chain coordination, and business and infrastructure support.
Do proposals need to include metrics or a way to measure success?
Yes. RFSP places value on approaches that are sustainable and measurable. Proposals should explain not only what the partnership wants to do, but how the work will last and how success will be tracked through clear metrics tied to stronger, more resilient local and regional food economies.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for RFSP?
RFSP is listed under CFDA (now called Assistance Listing) 10.177.
What type of funding instrument is used for RFSP?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $1,000,000 per award.
How many awards were anticipated for this cycle?
The agency anticipated making about 50 awards for this cycle.
What is the opportunity number for this RFSP posting?
The opportunity number is USDA AMS TM RFSP G 21 0009.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The original posting indicates it was created on May 5, 2021, with an original closing date of July 6, 2021.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broadly described as "Others," with clarification referenced in an additional eligibility section. This typically means applicants needed to consult the full notice to confirm which organization types and partnership structures qualified for this funding opportunity.
Does RFSP require both public and private sector participation?
The program expects evidence of readiness to collaborate across sectors, including both public and private entities. The core model is a partnership that brings together public and private resources to plan and execute coordinated regional food system work.
Is innovation required, or is sustainability more important?
The description indicates the program values approaches that are innovative but also sustainable and measurable. Strong proposals should balance new or improved approaches with practical plans for durability and clear measurement of results.
What is RFSP “best understood” as funding?
RFSP is best understood as a program that funds organized regional collaboration to strengthen food system capacity and resilience. It supports partnerships that define a regional strategy, coordinate participants and services, conduct outreach and education, use USDA technical assistance, and deliver results demonstrated through clear metrics.
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