Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 109 26 0001
The grant opportunity "Enhancing Biotechnology Market Opportunities for U.S. Exporters and American Farmers" is a discretionary USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) program designed to expand overseas market access for U.S. agricultural products made using modern biotechnology, including genome editing. The core rationale is economic and strategic: U.S. farmers depend heavily on biotech crops (the notice cites that more than 90 percent of U.S. corn and soybeans are derived from these technologies), and the U.S. exports a very large volume of biotech-derived agricultural products (over $51 billion cited for 2025). Despite that scale, many foreign governments maintain policies, approval processes, or broader regulatory approaches that slow down or block adoption and trade, limiting the commercial potential of U.S. products and, by extension, the competitiveness of American farmers.
A central problem the notice highlights is that biotechnology regulations vary widely across regions, and in many cases they are not designed to facilitate predictable trade. The opportunity specifically points to policy constraints in Europe, Africa, the Western Hemisphere (Latin America/Americas), and Asia. It also stresses a newer and growing issue: many trading partners lack clear regulatory frameworks for animal biotechnology products, which creates uncertainty for research, commercialization, and cross-border movement of innovative products already in development. In practical terms, when countries do not have workable, science-based rules for evaluating biotech products (or when their rules are overly restrictive or politically driven), exporters face delayed approvals, asynchronous authorizations, and potential trade disruptions.
The purpose of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to fund targeted international engagement that supports the America First policy agenda by removing or reducing barriers to the adoption, use, and trade of agricultural biotechnology products. Rather than funding laboratory research or product development, the program is focused on policy and capacity-building efforts that can shift the operating environment in key markets. The intended outcome is a more trade-facilitative system abroad: better-informed regulators and stakeholders, stronger and clearer biosafety and regulatory frameworks, and improved dialogue that supports science-based decision-making and smoother trade for U.S. biotech-derived exports.
Under the award, the recipient will work closely with USDA/FAS to design and deliver in-person and/or virtual seminars, workshops, and collaborative training events. These activities are expected to take place across Africa, Asia, and the Western Hemisphere/Latin America/Americas, and may also involve engagement through major regional or multilateral economic bodies and organizations. Examples named in the notice include APEC, ASEAN, the African Union, and the European Union, among others. The program emphasis is on convening high-level policy dialogue on agricultural biotechnology, meaning the events are meant to reach decision-makers and influential stakeholders who shape regulation, approvals, and trade-related practices.
USDA/FAS will be actively involved in shaping implementation. The agency will collaborate with the recipient on selecting workshop locations and identifying participants. The participant pool is intended to be broad but strategically chosen, including country and government officials, scientists, key speakers, and other stakeholders relevant to biotechnology regulation and trade. The notice also makes evaluation a required component: USDA/FAS and the recipient will jointly identify ways to measure whether participants actually increase their knowledge on biotechnology topics as a result of the activities. This suggests the project must include some form of monitoring and evaluation design, such as pre- and post-event assessments, surveys, follow-up interviews, or other learning-impact metrics that demonstrate outcomes beyond attendance.
Funding details are straightforward and relatively concentrated. The opportunity number is USDA FAS 10960 0700 109 26 0001, listed under CFDA 10.960 (Agriculture), and uses the grant instrument type. The award ceiling is $500,000, and USDA anticipates making a single award (expected awards: 1), which implies a competitive selection with one lead implementer responsible for the overall strategy, coordination, and delivery. The original closing date is 2026-08-17, and the opportunity was created on 2026-07-15.
Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of U.S.-based institutions and organizations. Eligible applicants include state public institutions of higher education (including those in the District of Columbia), public and private nonprofit organizations (including higher education institutions and hospitals), other public institutions/organizations, U.S. territories and possessions (including their higher education institutions and hospitals), quasi-public nonprofit institutions/organizations, and other private institutions/organizations. In practice, that means universities, nonprofit policy or research entities, trade and capacity-building organizations, and similar groups with demonstrated ability to convene international stakeholders and deliver technical training and policy engagement are plausible applicants.
Overall, this grant is best understood as a market-access and regulatory cooperation initiative centered on agricultural biotechnology. It aims to reduce policy friction abroad by supporting structured engagement, training, and high-level dialogue that can encourage science-based regulations and clearer pathways for biotech crops and animal biotechnology. By improving understanding and strengthening regulatory capacity in partner countries and regional bodies, USDA/FAS is seeking to protect and expand U.S. agricultural production and exports, while positioning American farmers and exporters to capture more value from biotech innovation already driving a major share of U.S. commodity production and global trade.Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 109 26 0001
- The Foreign Agricultural Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Enhancing Biotechnology Market Opportunities for U.S. Exporters and American Farmers" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.960.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-07-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-08-17. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Enhancing Biotechnology Market Opportunities for U.S. Exporters and American Farmers."
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
This is a discretionary grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program is intended to expand overseas market access for U.S. agricultural products made using modern biotechnology (including genome editing) by removing or reducing policy and regulatory barriers abroad that slow adoption, approvals, and trade.
What problem is USDA/FAS trying to solve through this funding?
The notice highlights that biotechnology regulations and approval processes vary widely across countries and regions, and many are not designed to support predictable, trade-facilitative outcomes. These differences can lead to delayed approvals, asynchronous authorizations, and trade disruptions that limit the commercial potential of U.S. biotech-derived agricultural exports and reduce competitiveness for American farmers.
Why does the notice emphasize the importance of biotechnology to U.S. agriculture and exports?
The notice frames biotechnology as economically and strategically important for U.S. agriculture, citing that more than 90 percent of U.S. corn and soybeans are derived from these technologies and that the U.S. exports a large volume of biotech-derived agricultural products (over $51 billion cited for 2025).
What types of biotechnology are within scope for this opportunity?
The scope includes modern biotechnology used in agriculture, explicitly including genome editing. The notice also emphasizes a growing issue around the lack of clear regulatory frameworks for animal biotechnology products in many trading partner countries.
Is this grant intended to fund laboratory research or new product development?
No. The program is described as focused on policy and capacity-building efforts and international engagement. It is designed to improve the operating environment in key markets rather than to fund lab research or product development.
What kinds of activities will the award support?
The recipient is expected to work with USDA/FAS to design and deliver in-person and/or virtual seminars, workshops, and collaborative training events. The emphasis is on convening high-level policy dialogue related to agricultural biotechnology to reach decision-makers and influential stakeholders.
Where are activities expected to take place?
Activities are expected to take place across Africa, Asia, and the Western Hemisphere (Latin America/the Americas). The notice also references engagement through major regional or multilateral economic bodies and organizations and specifically names APEC, ASEAN, the African Union, and the European Union among examples.
Who is the target audience for the seminars and workshops?
The participant pool is intended to include a strategically chosen set of stakeholders such as country and government officials, scientists, key speakers, and other stakeholders relevant to biotechnology regulation and trade, with an emphasis on those who shape regulation, approvals, and trade-related practices.
How involved will USDA/FAS be after an award is made?
USDA/FAS is expected to be actively involved in shaping implementation. The agency will collaborate with the recipient on selecting workshop locations and identifying participants, and will work jointly with the recipient on evaluating knowledge gains and outcomes from the activities.
Is evaluation or measurement of outcomes required?
Yes. The notice states that USDA/FAS and the recipient will jointly identify ways to measure whether participants increase their knowledge on biotechnology topics as a result of the activities. This implies the project should include a monitoring and evaluation approach that demonstrates outcomes beyond attendance.
What outcomes is USDA/FAS aiming to achieve through this program?
The intended outcomes described include better-informed regulators and stakeholders, stronger and clearer biosafety and regulatory frameworks, and improved dialogue that supports science-based decision-making and smoother trade for U.S. biotech-derived exports.
Which regions are specifically noted as having policy constraints or regulatory barriers?
The notice specifically points to constraints in Europe, Africa, the Western Hemisphere (Latin America/the Americas), and Asia.
Does the notice mention animal biotechnology specifically?
Yes. A central emerging issue highlighted is that many trading partners lack clear regulatory frameworks for animal biotechnology products, creating uncertainty for research, commercialization, and cross-border movement of innovative products.
What is the funding amount and maximum award size?
The award ceiling is $500,000.
How many awards does USDA/FAS expect to make?
USDA anticipates making a single award (expected awards: 1), meaning one lead implementer is expected to be selected to coordinate and deliver the overall strategy and activities.
What is the instrument type for this opportunity?
The instrument type is a grant.
What is the opportunity number and CFDA listing?
The opportunity number is USDA FAS 10960 0700 109 26 0001. It is listed under CFDA 10.960 (Agriculture).
When was the opportunity created and what is the closing date?
The opportunity was created on 2026-07-15. The original closing date is 2026-08-17.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes a broad range of U.S.-based institutions and organizations, including: state public institutions of higher education (including those in the District of Columbia); public and private nonprofit organizations (including higher education institutions and hospitals); other public institutions/organizations; U.S. territories and possessions (including their higher education institutions and hospitals); quasi-public nonprofit institutions/organizations; and other private institutions/organizations.
What types of applicants are implied to be a good fit based on the described work?
While eligibility is broad, the described activities suggest that organizations with demonstrated ability to convene international stakeholders and deliver technical training and policy engagement (such as universities, nonprofit policy or research entities, and trade/capacity-building organizations) are plausible applicants.
What does the notice mean by "high-level policy dialogue"?
Based on the description, it refers to events and engagements intended to reach decision-makers and influential stakeholders who shape biotechnology regulation, approvals, and trade-related practices, rather than general public outreach or purely technical academic discussions.
How does the program relate to trade barriers and market access?
The program is positioned as a market-access and regulatory cooperation initiative. It seeks to reduce policy friction abroad by supporting structured engagement, training, and dialogue that encourage science-based regulations and clearer pathways for biotech products, helping reduce the risk of delayed approvals and trade disruptions affecting U.S. exporters.
Does the opportunity address engagement with regional or multilateral organizations?
Yes. The notice indicates activities may involve engagement through major regional or multilateral economic bodies and organizations, with examples including APEC, ASEAN, the African Union, and the European Union.
What is the policy framing mentioned in the notice?
The NOFO states the work is intended to support the America First policy agenda by removing or reducing barriers to adoption, use, and trade of agricultural biotechnology products in overseas markets.
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