Official application deadline: November 2, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) 2026 California Agriculture License Plate Grant Program RFP funds legitimate applicant-facing grants for agricultural education, K–12 and postsecondary agricultural career awareness, agricultural training and leadership development. Released October 5, 2026, the 2026 competition has a stated overall program pool of up to $230,000, which is not an individual applicant award.
Tier 1 individual project awards: $10,000–$195,500. The program allocates up to 85% ($195,500) of its overall $230,000 funding pool to Tier 1; this is a limited reserved allocation, not a $230,000 award to any applicant. Actual Tier 1 award determinations may differ from requested amounts.
CRITICAL DIRECT-APPLICANT RESTRICTION: The 2026 RFP reserves Tier 1 solely for the California FFA Association, the nonprofit representative of state-adopted agricultural education under California Education Code 52450–52454. Ordinary schools, school districts, other nonprofits, universities and government agencies cannot submit independent Tier 1 proposals. Organizations interested in Tier 1 participation must coordinate directly with California FFA at (209) 744-1600 or mpatton@calagteachers.org / mfreitas@californiaffa.org. See the separate Tier 2 CalAgPlate track for other qualified California nonprofits and agencies.
Fundable projects: California state-adopted agricultural education curricula, K–12 technical and career preparation, agriculture workforce awareness and mentorship, statewide agricultural training, leadership programs and agricultural field/industry experiences with measurable outcomes and public educational benefits. Eligible project costs must be specific, documented and within the January 2027–June 2028 award window.
Allowable expenses and exclusions: Reasonable directly attributable personnel, fringe, necessary travel, project supplies, qualified contractor services, eligible special-purpose equipment and program activity expenses are potentially fundable. The maximum allowable indirect cost amount is 5% of combined Labor plus Fringe costs, not 5% of the total award. Disallowed expenses include administrative costs presented as direct costs, general-purpose equipment and capital improvements, fundraising, hospitality/entertainment, gifts and public giveaway items, and scholarships. The RFP does not prescribe a universal cash matching percentage and specifically instructs applicants not to complete the Match-In Kind budget category.
Payments and timeframe: Grant activities may occur January 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028, for no longer than 18 months. Awards are ordinarily reimbursement-based: supporting invoices are required no less frequently than quarterly and no more frequently than monthly. Eligible section 501(c)(3) nonprofit recipients may request an advance of up to 25% of the award, subject to CDFA approval. The agency withholds 10% of award funding until it receives and approves the Final Performance Report.
Apply through GOATS only: Create a registration in the CDFA Grant Opportunity and Administration and Tracking System (GOATS), select the appropriate CalAgPlate tier, prepare complete organizational/contact details, a grant project narrative with measurable outcomes, planned activity schedule, line-item budget, budget justification and other required answers. Only one application per organization will be considered; late, non-GOATS, ineligible and incomplete submissions are disqualified. The official 2026 FAQ confirms the mandatory electronic deadline. Grant-related questions: grants@cdfa.ca.gov, (916) 657-3231.