Closed
California state funding opportunity
Healthy Soils Block Grant Pilot Program
CA Department of Food and Agriculture
- Portal ID28055
- StatusClosed
Competitive proposals usually start 6+ weeks out.
Program summary
Synopsis
The Healthy Soils - Block Grant Pilot Program is a part of the Healthy Soils Program, which stems from the California Healthy Soils Initiative, a collaboration of state agencies and departments that promotes the development of healthy soils on California’s farmlands and ranchlands. The Block Grant Pilot Program is designed to facilitate financial assistance to California agricultural operations through regional block grant administrators.
The grant term is four years. The minimum and maximum award per block grant application is $2,000,000 and $5,000,000 respectively. Program Structure: For the purpose of this program, there are three entities of interest. 1. Block Grant Recipients The eligible entities include (1) Resource Conservation Districts; (2) University of California, California Community Colleges, or California State Universities; (3) Federally- and California- Recognized Native American Indian Tribes; (4) Local or regional government agencies such as air pollution control districts; (5) State agricultural marketing programs, and federal marketing programs that represent California commodities; and (6) Nonprofit organizations such as Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, irrigation districts and land trusts. 2. Grant Beneficiaries The eligible entities or individuals (1) California farmers, ranchers, business entities, and federally and California Recognized Native American Indian Tribes; (2) Nonprofit organizations as agriculture operations. Grant Beneficiaries must be at least 18 years old. Project eligibility includes: · Projects must be located on agricultural operations in California. · The project boundaries must be within the state of California. · Awards are limited to one per agricultural operation using a unique tax identification number per grant cycle. Ineligible entities and project conditions: · University and research farms are not eligible. · Cannabis cultivation operations are not eligible. · Projects that use potted plants and plant growth media other than soil are not eligible. 3. Technical Assistance Providers Applicant organizations are required to provide technical assistance to Grant Beneficiaries as required by AB 2377. The eligible entities for TAPs are (1) Resource Conservation Districts, (2) University of California Cooperative Extension and (3) Nonprofit organizations. If the block grant applicant is not one of the entities, they must partner with one such entity to be eligible for this grant opportunity. Note that all entities receiving grant funds must be located in California with a physical California business address. Program Priorities The program aims to achieve at least 25% targeted funding to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers. A socially disadvantaged group is defined by the 2017 Farmer Equity Act as a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. For the program, these groups include African Americans, Native Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. CDFA also encourages BGRs to facilitate outreach and grants to projects that benefits disadvantaged communities and low-income populations as defined in SB 535 and AB 1550.
Timeline
Key dates
-
April 19, 2023
Opportunity posted to California Grants Portal -
June 19, 2023
Applications close -
July 2023
Expected award date
Who may apply
Eligibility
Eligible applicant types as published by the awarding agency:
- Nonprofit
- Public Agency
- Tribal Government
- Additional info on eligibility
- Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs); University of California (UC), California Community Colleges, or California State Universities (CSU); Federally- and California-Recognized Native American Indian Tribes; Local or regional government agencies such as air pollution control districts; California Commodities; Nonprofit organizations including, but not limited to: Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, Irrigation districts, and Land trusts.
- Geography
- All entities receiving grant funds must be located in California with a physical California business address.
Awarding agency
Additional information
- Agency name
- CA Department of Food and Agriculture
- Full announcement
- View the full announcement ↗
- Grantor contact
-
1-916-654-0466
cdfa.hsp_tech@cdfa.ca.gov
Funding
Funding source
- Source
- State
- Funding method
- Advances & Reimbursement(s)
- Notes
- the California State Budget, authorized by the Budget Act of 2022 (SB 154).
Government Grants Consulting
Federal, state, and local grant funding is highly competitive, and the gap between a complete application and a winning one usually comes down to strategy, compliance, and execution. GTC 360° Advisors supports organizations across the entire grant lifecycle — from identifying the right opportunities to managing the award long after it is won. The questions below cover how our grant consulting practice works and the organizations we serve.
What is government grant consulting, and how does GTC 360° Advisors help?
Government grant consulting means guiding an organization through the full grant lifecycle — research, eligibility review, strategy, writing, submission, and post-award compliance. GTC 360° Advisors manages this end to end, pairing grant writers, project managers, financial analysts, and compliance analysts to maximize the odds of an award and keep it in good standing afterward.What types of organizations can GTC 360° Advisors help win grants?
GTC 360° Advisors supports municipalities, state agencies, nonprofits, school districts, tribal governments, higher education institutions, and private companies pursuing grant funding. Clients have included the City of Los Angeles, Texas A&M University, the Montana State University System, Virginia Commonwealth University, and nonprofit partners such as the Walton Family Foundation and Blue Meridian Partners.What federal agencies has GTC 360° Advisors secured funding from?
GTC 360° Advisors has secured funding from agencies including the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Commerce (EDA and NIST), Education, and State, as well as FEMA, EPA, NSF, NIH, HRSA, SAMHSA, and the CDC. The firm has won over $860 million and counting in federal and state contracts and grants for its clients.Does GTC 360° Advisors handle state and local grants, or only federal?
GTC 360° Advisors pursues grant funding at the local, state, federal, and international levels. The firm’s advisor network is positioned in every state to help clients identify and compete for regional and state-level funding in addition to federal opportunities.What is GrantSignal AI, and how does it help find grant opportunities?
GrantSignal AI is GTC 360° Advisors’ AI-powered funding intelligence platform. It aggregates federal, foundation, and other public funding sources into a single dashboard, then uses AI to match opportunities to an organization’s mission, eligibility, and capacity — rather than relying on simple keyword search — and sends alerts as new, winnable opportunities appear.Does GTC 360° Advisors provide grant compliance and post-award management?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors manages grants through close-out, including compliance with 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance), Davis-Bacon labor standards, Section 3, environmental review requirements, and funder reporting obligations. The firm builds compliance systems and reporting frameworks so clients stay in good standing with federal and state grantors.What is GTC 360° Advisors’ track record on grant applications?
GTC 360° Advisors has historically maintained an 88%-plus win rate on the grant applications it has submitted, including a 100% win rate in 2024 across several highly competitive programs. Recent wins include $180 million in EDA Tech Hubs funding for three consortia and $20 million in EDA Recompete funding for the City of Birmingham, Alabama.Can nonprofits and higher education institutions work with GTC 360° Advisors on grants?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors regularly supports nonprofits and universities with grant strategy, writing, and administration, including current work with the Walton Family Foundation, Blue Meridian Partners, Texas A&M University, the Montana State University System, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Working With GTC 360° Advisors
Every engagement is scoped around the organization in front of us — its goals, its deadline, and the internal capacity it already has. Pricing, team assignments, and project milestones are agreed before any work begins, so there are no surprises mid-project. Below are the questions prospective clients and partners ask us most often.
How much does it cost to work with GTC 360° Advisors?
Pricing is customized to the scope, timeline, and budget of each engagement, with both hourly and fixed-fee options available depending on the deliverable. GTC 360° Advisors prices transparently, with no hidden fees for administrative or incidental work, and structures fees so clients gain a full team of senior professionals for less than the cost of a single in-house hire.What is the process for getting started with GTC 360° Advisors?
Engagements typically start with a conversation about your organization’s goals, funding needs, or growth targets, followed by a scoped proposal outlining services, team, and pricing. From there, GTC 360° Advisors assigns team members matched to the work and begins with research, strategy, or capture planning, depending on the engagement.How long does it take to see results from a grant or contract engagement?
Timelines vary by opportunity: some grant or contract cycles run a few months from research to submission, while others (large infrastructure or multi-year programs) take longer and continue through post-award management. GTC 360° Advisors sets clear project timelines and milestones at the start of every engagement so clients know what to expect.Does GTC 360° Advisors work with organizations outside the United States?
GTC 360° Advisors primarily supports U.S.-based government contracts, grants, and business development, but its public affairs and business development services extend internationally through its global partner network for clients running cross-border campaigns.Can I join the GTC 360° Advisors Network as a consultant or subject matter expert?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors welcomes applications from experienced firms and freelancers who align with its mission and values to join the GTC 360° Advisors Network, giving members access to mutual marketing, referrals, and new client opportunities.How do I contact GTC 360° Advisors to discuss a project?
You can reach GTC 360° Advisors at info@gtc360.com or through the contact form at gtc360.com/join-our-network. The firm typically responds to discuss goals, funding needs, or growth targets and outline next steps for an engagement.
Planning for the next cycle?
Tell us the opportunity and we will come back with an honest read on fit, the partners you would need, and what a compliant submission takes.