Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA ARPA 008013
The Agriculture Risk Management Education Partnerships (ARME) Competitive Grants Program is a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant opportunity (Assistance Listing/CFDA 10.520) focused on helping agricultural producers make better, more informed decisions about risk. The program funds education, outreach, and training efforts that translate established risk management knowledge into practical tools and learning opportunities for farmers and ranchers. Rather than supporting direct production costs, ARME is built around teaching producers how to recognize, evaluate, and manage the many types of uncertainty that affect farm profitability and long-term viability.
ARME covers a broad set of risk management topics, especially those tied to financial and market exposure. Examples specifically called out include futures and options (including agricultural trade options), crop insurance, cash forward contracting, debt reduction strategies, production diversification, and the development of marketing plans and tactics. It also includes approaches that reduce operational and resource-related risk on the farm, along with other relevant strategies that help producers prepare for volatility in weather, prices, input costs, and changing market conditions. The underlying goal is to improve resilience by equipping producers with planning skills, decision frameworks, and actionable strategies they can apply in real business conditions.
A major priority of the program is reaching producer groups that are often underserved or facing transition points where risk is especially high. ARME places special emphasis on education and outreach designed for beginning farmers and ranchers; legal immigrant farmers and ranchers working to become established producers in the United States; socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; farmers and ranchers preparing to retire who are using transition strategies to help new producers get started; and new or established producers who are converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets. In practice, this means projects are expected to do more than offer general training. They should be intentionally designed to meet the needs of these audiences, using delivery methods and content that match their business realities, cultural and language needs where applicable, and the specific risks they are trying to manage (for example, financing and land access for new farmers, succession planning for retiring producers, or market development risks for operations shifting to new products or channels).
The program is intended to expand risk management education across the United States on a regional and multi-regional basis. That emphasis signals that ARME is not limited to a single community or one-off workshop approach. Projects are generally expected to leverage existing expertise and proven educational resources, coordinate across partners when appropriate, and scale learning impacts so that producers across larger geographies can benefit. The program description highlights bringing the existing knowledge base to bear, which points to practical, evidence-based instruction that is adapted for producer decision-making rather than purely academic research.
Eligibility is broad but focused on organizations rather than individuals. Applications may be submitted only by qualified public and private entities, including land-grant colleges, Cooperative Extension services, and other colleges or universities. The eligible pool also includes federal, state, and local agencies; nonprofit and for-profit private organizations or corporations; and other entities that meet the program requirements. Award recipients are allowed to subcontract with organizations that may not themselves be eligible to apply, as long as those subcontractors are necessary to carry out the project. A key compliance detail is that eligibility must be met by the application deadline; failing to meet an eligibility criterion can lead to the application being excluded or, even if reviewed, can prevent NIFA from making an award.
From the provided opportunity data, this is a mandatory grant program administered by USDA NIFA under Funding Opportunity Number USDA NIFA ARPA 008013. The opportunity was created on December 18, 2020, with an original closing date of January 21, 2021. The listed award ceiling is $2,250,000.Apply for USDA NIFA ARPA 008013
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agriculture Risk Management Education Partnerships (ARME) Competitive Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.520.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2020-12-18.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-21. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,250,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Agriculture Risk Management Education Partnerships (ARME) Competitive Grants Program?
ARME is a competitive grants program run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) that funds education, outreach, and training to help agricultural producers make better-informed risk management decisions. It is listed under Assistance Listing/CFDA 10.520.
What is the main purpose of ARME funding?
The program supports projects that translate established risk management knowledge into practical tools and learning opportunities for farmers and ranchers. The focus is on building producer skills to recognize, evaluate, and manage uncertainty that affects farm profitability and long-term viability.
Does ARME pay for direct production costs on farms?
No. ARME is designed around education and training rather than paying direct production costs. The intent is to teach producers planning skills, decision frameworks, and actionable strategies they can apply in real business conditions.
What types of risk management topics can ARME projects cover?
ARME covers a broad range of risk management topics, with a strong emphasis on financial and market exposure. Examples specifically mentioned include futures and options (including agricultural trade options), crop insurance, cash forward contracting, debt reduction strategies, production diversification, and the development of marketing plans and tactics. It also includes approaches to reduce operational and resource-related risk and other strategies for volatility in weather, prices, input costs, and changing market conditions.
What outcomes is ARME trying to achieve for farmers and ranchers?
The goal is improved resilience. ARME-funded efforts are intended to equip producers with planning skills and usable decision tools so they can better manage uncertainty and strengthen the long-term viability of their farm or ranch business.
Who are the priority audiences for ARME education and outreach?
ARME places special emphasis on reaching producer groups that are often underserved or at transition points where risk is especially high. Priority audiences include beginning farmers and ranchers; legal immigrant farmers and ranchers working to become established producers in the United States; socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; farmers and ranchers preparing to retire who are using transition strategies to help new producers get started; and producers (new or established) converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets.
Are projects expected to tailor education to underserved or transitioning producer groups?
Yes. The program emphasis suggests projects should go beyond general training and be intentionally designed for the needs of the priority audiences, using appropriate content and delivery methods. The description notes matching producer business realities and, where applicable, cultural and language needs, as well as the specific risks those producers face.
What kinds of real-world risks does ARME aim to help producers prepare for?
The program highlights helping producers prepare for volatility and uncertainty, including weather-related variability, price swings, changing input costs, and shifting market conditions.
Is ARME intended to be local, single-community programming, or something larger?
ARME is intended to expand risk management education across the United States on a regional and multi-regional basis. This emphasis indicates the program is generally not limited to a single community or a one-off workshop approach, and instead aims for broader geographic reach and scalable learning impacts.
Does ARME fund research, or education and outreach?
Based on the description provided, ARME funds education, outreach, and training that bring an existing knowledge base to producers in practical, decision-focused ways. The emphasis is on adapting established risk management knowledge for producer use rather than conducting purely academic research.
Who is eligible to apply for ARME grants?
Applications may be submitted only by qualified public and private entities. Eligible applicants include land-grant colleges, Cooperative Extension services, and other colleges or universities; federal, state, and local agencies; nonprofit and for-profit private organizations or corporations; and other entities that meet the program requirements. The opportunity is aimed at organizations rather than individuals.
Can individuals (such as farmers or ranchers) apply directly?
The eligibility description provided focuses on organizations (public and private entities) and does not indicate that individuals may apply directly.
Can an award recipient use subcontractors that are not eligible applicants?
Yes. Award recipients are allowed to subcontract with organizations that may not themselves be eligible to apply, as long as those subcontractors are necessary to carry out the project.
When must an applicant meet eligibility requirements?
Eligibility must be met by the application deadline. The description notes that failure to meet an eligibility criterion can result in the application being excluded or, even if reviewed, can prevent NIFA from making an award.
Which federal agency administers ARME?
The program is administered by USDA NIFA (the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture).
What is the Assistance Listing/CFDA number for this program?
The Assistance Listing/CFDA number provided is 10.520.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this ARME grant opportunity?
The Funding Opportunity Number provided is USDA NIFA ARPA 008013.
Is this grant opportunity mandatory or discretionary?
The opportunity data provided describes this as a mandatory grant program.
What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount listed for this opportunity?
The listed award ceiling is $2,250,000.
When was this funding opportunity created, and what was the original closing date?
The opportunity was created on December 18, 2020, with an original closing date of January 21, 2021.
What does it mean that ARME translates established risk management knowledge into practical tools?
It means projects are expected to use proven risk management concepts and resources and convert them into training, outreach, and learning materials that producers can apply directly to decisions like marketing, insurance, contracting, debt management, and adapting to changing conditions.
Does ARME encourage coordination with partners and leveraging existing resources?
Yes. The description emphasizes leveraging existing expertise and proven educational resources and coordinating across partners when appropriate, with the aim of scaling impact across regional or multi-regional areas.
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