Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program

The purpose of the SPECA program is to award grants to; enhance curricula in agricultural education, increase faculty teaching competencies, interest young people in pursuing higher education in order to prepare for scientific and professional careers in the food and agricultural sciences, promote the incorporation of agriscience and agribusiness subject matter into other instructional programs, particularly classes in science, business, and consumer education, facilitate joint initiatives by the grant recipient with other secondary schools, institutions of higher education that award an associate degree, and institutions of higher education that award a bachelor's degree to maximize the development and use of resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to improve agriscience and agribusiness education, support other initiatives designed to meet local, State, regional, or national needs related to promoting excellence in agriscience and agribusiness education; and support current agriculture in the classroom programs for grades K–12.

Program Details

National Institute of Food and Agriculture-eRA is a federal agency that offers the Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program grant program to support arts and cultural programs, education programs, and equipment purchase. This funding opportunity is available nationally and is administered by National Institute of Food and Agriculture-eRA through Grants.gov. Organizations seeking funding for arts and cultural programs, education programs, and equipment purchase should review the details below and confirm their eligibility before preparing an application.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include eligible organizations. Organizations that meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply and to review the full program guidelines before submission. Because eligibility rules and funding priorities can change between cycles, applicants should always confirm the current requirements with National Institute of Food and Agriculture-eRA or on Grants.gov before investing time in an application.

Funding and Timeline

Funding available: $10K – $150K. The application deadline is July 27, 2026 (18 days remaining). Applicants should allow sufficient time to gather required documentation, including organizational information, project descriptions, budgets, and supporting materials as specified in the program guidelines. Submitting a complete application well ahead of the deadline reduces the risk of disqualification on technical or administrative grounds.

Program Focus

This grant supports arts and cultural programs, education programs, and equipment purchase. This grant is associated with NAICS industry classifications: 111, 112, 541712, 115, 611110. Organizations operating in these sectors are encouraged to review eligibility. Funded projects are expected to demonstrate measurable outcomes aligned with the program's stated objectives. Grant recipients may be required to submit progress reports and final evaluations as a condition of the award, and to retain records for audit and compliance purposes.

How to Apply

Eligible organizations can apply through Grants.gov. Create a free organization profile on GrantRegister to see whether this grant matches your organization's NAICS code, entity type, location, and focus area, and to receive a weekly digest of every open grant you qualify for.

GrantRegister maintains a complete, authoritative registry of US federal, state, and foundation grant opportunities — matched automatically to your organization profile and delivered every Monday.

Eligibility

• Funded by USDA-NIFA
• Programs related to k-12
• Programs related to higher education

Award details

Award range: $10K – $150K. Applications close on July 27, 2026 (18 days remaining).

Categories

Arts Culture · Education · Equipment Purchase