SARE Partnership grant deadline
November 20, 2025
Contact: Contact Sarah Zeiler at szeiler@msu.edu or Katie Brandt at brandtk7@msu.edu for more information.
SARE Partnership Grants
Farm educators and agriculture professionals can team up with three or more farmers to apply for SARE Partnership Grants up to $50,000. These grants support on-farm research, demonstration, and education activities related to sustainable agriculture. Proposals should address all three aspects of sustainability, including:
- Farmers’ economic viability
- Natural resources
- Quality of life of farmers and their communities
Each proposal should clearly outline project outcomes, evaluation methods and anticipated impacts. If your project involves climate or bioenergy, be sure to detail both direct and indirect impacts on farmers.
Farmer collaborators must be substantially involved in both the development and implementation of the project. Importantly, they must represent three separate farms—two farmers from the same farm count as one. Farmers should be compensated at a minimum of $25/hour for their time.
To prepare a strong proposal, carefully review the Request for Proposals (Word or PDF), especially:
- Budget requirements (p. 5)
- Selection Criteria (pp. 6–7)
- Proposal section descriptions (pp. 9–13)
- USDA-NIFA priorities (p. 15)
Join the webinar on October 9 at 1 p.m. that will offer insights into applying for the Partnership grant and will allow for Q & A with SARE grant program coordinators. The North Central SARE Grant How-To Video Series is another excellent resource to prepare you for writing a competitive grant proposal.
Deadline: November 20 at 5 p.m. Eastern (4 p.m. Central)
Project Start Date: April 1, 2026
Funding Rate: In 2025, 30% of proposals were funded; the 5-year average is 46%—a strong success rate for this type of grant.
Print
Email