USDA offers $650MM in grants for Pandemic Response and Safety

USDA is currently accepting applications for the Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program. Applications must be submitted electronically through the grant portal at https://usda-prs.grantsolutions.gov/usda by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, November 22, 2021. Approximately $650 million in funding is available for the PRS grants.

Don’t wait until the last minute. The first step in applying is getting a DUNS number which can take up to 5 days.

Once you have your DUNS number, the application takes less than 10 minutes. The application, FAQs, tip sheets, and information on how to apply is on the PRS Grant Portal. Resources are also available in Spanish on the PRS webpage.

Small businesses and nonprofits in the following industries can apply for a grant to cover COVID-related expenses such as workplace safety measures (e.g., personal protective equipment (PPE), retrofitting facilities for worker and consumer safety, shifting to online sales platforms, transportation, worker housing, and medical costs:

• Specialty crop producers
• Shellfish farming, finfish farming, aquaculture, apiculture
• Specialty crop, meat, and other processors
• Distributors
• Farmers markets

Contact information for providers offering technical assistance on this grant application is available on the AMS PRS grant webpage under ‘Additional Resources’: https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/prs