1. State agricultural experiment station;
2. College and universities;
3. University research foundation;
4. Other research institutions and organizations;
5. Federal agencies;
6. National laboratories;
7. Private organizations or corporations;
8. Individuals; or
9. Any group consisting of two (2) or more of the entities described in subparagraphs (A)
through (H).
Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such
organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.
Consistent with 7 U.S.C. 5925f, NIFA is soliciting applications for the Farm Business
Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) program to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers by maintaining and expanding a national, publicly available farm financial management database to support improved farm management.
The FBMB program aims to strongly support innovative extension approaches and collaborative efforts to maintain and expand the publicly available national farm financial management database (FINBIN). Such efforts are needed to meet the challenges facing the nation’s agriculture and food systems. Farm management producers must be educated and prepared to work effectively across disciplines to solve agricultural and educational challenges. Meeting these challenges will require projects that are timely, strategic, creative, and multi-disciplinary.
The FBMB program supports all producers to develop farm management knowledge and skills that are consistent with the agriculture and food systems priorities of the USDA.
Extension projects supported by the FBMB program, to the extent possible, shall be coordinated and delivered in cooperation with similar services or assistance by other federal agencies or programs supporting improved farm management.
The Secretary may give priority to grants that demonstrate an ability to work directly with
agricultural producers; collaborate with farm management associations and financial
management education programs; address the farm management needs of a variety of crops and regions of the United States; and contribute data to support the national farm financial management database (FINBIN).
The FBMB program supports novel projects that encompass the management of money at the personal, firm, and public levels to support livelihoods and quality of life for agricultural
producers and farm communities. The FBMB program also supports projects that incorporate social and behavioral science disciplines, leadership skills development, and decision-making which are important elements to address the many challenges facing agriculture and farm communities. These challenges may include but are not limited to increasing global demand for food production in the face of limited natural resources; improving health opportunities and outcomes; reducing food loss and waste; and alleviating poverty by creating economic opportunity and supporting workforce development.