Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (10.179)
Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (Assistance Listing 10.179) is run by the Agricultural Marketing Service, part of the Department of Agriculture. It awarded $30.8 million in 27 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $1.1 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $237,100. Half of the 27 awards fell between $136,352 and $2.2 million, and they ranged from $121,160 to $3.8 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$30.8 million
- Grant awards27
- Typical award$237,100
- Awarded in FY 2025$4.7 million
- Size rank1178 of 1824
- Type of assistanceGrant
Key findings
- Annual funding fell from $9.0 million in fiscal 2021 to $4.7 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 1178th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 7 largest recipients received 100% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 6 states and territories.
What the program funds
Eligible agricultural agencies or departments competitively distribute grant funds through subawards to eligible entities. Subaward projects funded through MGFSP help increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food insecure communities. These projects may include small-scale gardening, herding, livestock and other projects that expand access to food and knowledge of food security. The eligible agencies or departments are responsible for designing and administering the subaward competition, including defining program requirements, announcing funding availability, conducting public outreach, recruiting reviewers, and making subaward selections. In addition, eligible agricultural agencies or state departments are responsible for administratively and programmatic oversight of awarded subrecipients. This includes ensuring subrecipients maintain appropriate records, monitoring subaward projects for compliance with applicable Federal statutes and regulations and applicable AMS General Terms and Conditions, collecting and validating project data, reporting on program outcomes and statutory requirements, and submitting reports to AMS.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Applications submitted by other states or entities are not eligible for consideration under the MGFSP and will be excluded from review.
What the money can and cannot pay for
• Eligible entities must engage in activities that will increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food for food insecure individuals, families, neighborhoods, and communities. Activities may include: Small-Scale Gardening; • Purchase gardening tools or equipment, soil, soil amendments, seeds, plants, canning equipment, refrigeration, or other items necessary to grow and store food. • Purchase or assembly of composting units and towers designed to grow leafy greens. • Extend the growing season, as well as start or expand hydroponic and aeroponic farming. • Expand an area under cultivation or engage in other activities necessary to be eligible to apply for the funding under the USDA’s Natural Resources and Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for a high tunnel. Small-Scale Herding and Livestock Operations • Purchase animals • Buy, erect, or repair fencing for livestock, poultry, or reindeer. • Setting up or equipping a slaughter and processing facility approved by the Secretary, including purchasing mobile slaughterhouses. Expanding Access to Food and Knowledge of Food Security • Create or expand avenues for the sale of food commodities, specialty crops, and meats that are grown by the eligible entity for sale in the local community, or increase the availability of fresh, locally grown, and nutritious food. • Shipping of purchased items related to growing or raising food for local consumption or purchase.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. As a condition of receiving a subgrant under this section, an eligible entity shall provide funds equal to 10 percent of the amount received by the eligible entity under the subgrant, to be derived from non-Federal sources. A State or insular area may waive the matching requirement for an individual who otherwise meets the requirements to receive a subgrant by the eligible State/insular area.This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. This listing has a matching requirement for the subgrant recipient. The matching requirement does not apply to the agency, commission, or department of agriculture.
Deadlines
Funding opportunities are available annually. Applicants must review the applicable Request for Applications (RFA) for specific application deadlines. Refer to the program webpage at https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants and visit the How to Apply tab for additional information.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
The approximate grant allocation for each eligible state or territory is as follows: Alaska and Hawaii receive 40% each of available funding and all eight (8) eligible territories receive 2.5% each of available funding, per statutory requirements. The eligible state and territories receiving the funding will distribute subawards to eligible entities through a competitive application process. The period of performance for each subaward shall not exceed three (3) years. Individual applicants may not receive more than $5,000 per year, while all other eligible entities may not receive more than $10,000 per year. An eligible entity must apply every year it would like to be considered for funding.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: The Hawaii Department of Agriculture will conduct a grant proposal opening for the 2025 Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP). The MGFSP grants are available to all individuals in the state of Hawaii, including the Islands of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, and Kauai. Organizations will apply with a project proposal as usual, and applicants will be scored by a Review panel of experts familiar with Hawaii Islands and regions, using the measures of food insecurity rank, and direct and indirect beneficiaries. Projects will engage in activities to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food for areas that are food insecure to individuals, families, neighborhoods and communities through outreach.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (10.179) awarded$30.8 million across 27 grant awards, an average of $1.1 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity | Hawaii | 6 | $16.0 million |
| Alaska Department of Natural Resources | Alaska | 5 | $12.2 million |
| Government of Guam- Department of Administration | Guam | 6 | $997,350 |
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands | Northern Mariana Islands | 4 | $733,333 |
| Asg Department of Agriculture | American Samoa | 3 | $491,262 |
| Executive Office of the Government of the Us Virgin Islands | U.S. Virgin Islands | 2 | $358,260 |
| Office of the Governor | Northern Mariana Islands | 1 | $121,160 |
Who usually wins
Almost all of the money went to state and local governments.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 27 | $30.8 million | 100% |
By state
2 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are Hawaii and Alaska.