USDA TASC — Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
Up to $500,000/year
Researched for this program: 5 rejection traps · 6 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
Remove trade barriers for US specialty crops
TASC funds projects that break down sanitary, phytosanitary, and technical barriers that block or threaten US specialty crop exports. For-profit and nonprofit industry groups can apply for up to $500,000/year to fund trade seminars, pest surveys, phytosanitary research, market access studies, and pre-clearance programs. Funds industry-level work — not private promotion of a single company's products.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $500,000
- Realistic amount
- Most awards range from $100,000 to $400,000 per year. About 20 projects are funded annually from $9M total.
- Deadline
- Rolling tranches: June 6, 2025 (Tranche 1 closed); December 31, 2025; March 31, 2026; June 30, 2026
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- US nonprofit, for-profit, and government entities are eligible to apply
- Applicant must be a US domestic entity
- Projects must address trade barriers that affect an entire industry or commodity — not a single company's commercial interests
- For-profit applicants: may not use funds to conduct private business, promote private self-interests, supplement normal sales activities, or promote their own products/services
- Eligible specialty crops: all US-grown cultivated plants and their products EXCEPT wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, and tobacco
- Must provide at least 10% non-federal cost share
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Restricted to industry: specialty crops (not wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, tobacco)
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Trade seminars, workshops, and study tours to foreign markets
- Field surveys and pest detection studies in target export markets
- Phytosanitary and pest risk assessment research
- Pre-clearance program development and implementation
- Market access research and technical studies
- Translation of technical materials for foreign regulatory bodies
- Expert consultant fees for regulatory affairs in foreign markets
Ineligible expenses
- Private commercial promotion or advertising of specific company products
- Normal sales and marketing activities of a private business
- Consumer advertising, point-of-sale materials, or brand promotion
- Activities that primarily benefit a single company rather than the broader industry
- Lobbying activities
- Wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, or tobacco
How to apply
-
1
Identify the trade barrier and eligible activity
Document the specific sanitary, phytosanitary, or technical barrier blocking exports of your specialty crop to a target market. TASC funds: seminars/workshops, study tours, field surveys, pest and disease research, and pre-clearance programs. Must benefit the broader industry, not one company.
-
2
Register in SAM.gov and Grants.gov
Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and register in SAM.gov (free, takes 7–10 days). Create a Grants.gov account. Both are required before submitting.
-
3
Prepare and submit application via Grants.gov
Complete the full application package per the TASC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the current tranche. Include project narrative, budget, 10% match documentation, and letters of support. Submit by the tranche deadline.
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4
FAS review and award
FAS reviews applications for technical merit and alignment with US specialty crop export priorities. Awards are announced within 90–120 days of the tranche close. Multi-year projects (up to 5 years) are approved with annual renewal reviews.
Industry & certifications
NAICS codes: 111, 424490
FAS funds industry-level work — your project must benefit a whole commodity sector, not just your company. For-profit growers typically apply as industry coordinators alongside associations, not solo.
Deadline & timing
TASC accepts applications in multiple tranches per year. FY2026 tranches: Tranche 1 was June 6 2025 (closed), Tranche 2 December 31 2025, Tranche 3 March 31 2026, Tranche 4 June 30 2026. Remaining 2026 tranches are available if not yet applied.
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