The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will open the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program in early October 2021. This is a shift from the originally scheduled opening date.
Once open, applicants will still have 45 days to apply. The PRS grant program will provide assistance to small businesses in certain commodity areas, including specialty crop producers, shellfish farming, finfish farming, aquaculture and apiculture; specialty crop, meat, and other processors; distributors; and farmers markets. Approximately $650 million in funding is available for the PRS grants, which are funded by the Pandemic Assistance provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
For detailed descriptions of eligible entities, please see the Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program forecast at USDA-AMS-TM-PRS-G-21-0011. Eligible entities should visit the PRS grant portal for complete information on the program, including how to obtain a free of charge DUNS Number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) BEFORE applying for this program.
The application portal for the PRS grant program will open in October 2021.
Avoid Grant Scams
USDA has received reports of fraud attempts regarding the PRS grant program.
USDA does not call, text, or email grant applicants to request personal or financial information. No legitimate federal government employee would ever call to tell you that you qualify or have been approved for a grant for which you never applied. Protect yourself from scammers that tell you that you need to pay a small processing fee to qualify to receive a grant for education costs, home repairs, home business expenses, or "money for nothing" grant offers. View how to spot potential grant scams – and avoid them.
If you think someone has fraudulently represented USDA or Grants.Gov, you can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online or call toll-free at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.