Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 109 26 0005
The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) is offering a discretionary cooperative agreement opportunity titled "Increasing Market Opportunities in Vietnam for U.S. Innovative Biofertilizer Exporters" under its ongoing Fertilize Right Vietnam (FR Vietnam) program, which has been running since 2023. FR Vietnam is carried out in partnership with Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) and an implementing partner from an international agricultural research organization. At its core, the program is designed to help Vietnam improve how fertilizers are used so farmers can lower input costs while maintaining or improving yields, supporting a more sustainable agricultural system. The work is grounded in the "4Rs" nutrient stewardship framework, meaning fertilizer should be applied using the Right Source, at the Right Rate, at the Right Time, and in the Right Place, a concept widely recognized by USDA and the U.S. fertilizer industry.
USDA/FAS is seeking applicants to design and deliver a two-year program that advances FR Vietnam's broad goals: increasing fertilizer-use efficiency, improving fertilizer effectiveness, and expanding practical alternatives to conventional synthetic chemical fertilizers. The opportunity is especially focused on showcasing and expanding the use of U.S.-manufactured innovative fertilizer products, including biofertilizers and fertilizer enhancement technologies that can reduce environmental impacts such as nitrogen losses while still supporting strong crop performance.
The grant lays out four specific objectives that successful applicants are expected to address. First, the project must conduct a comparative analysis in both the United States and Vietnam on strategies to reduce nitrogen leaching while maintaining or increasing crop yields, using U.S.-made biofertilizers, with liquid fish fertilizer offered as an example. Second, the project must work alongside the implementing partner in Vietnam and provide technical input into Vietnam's national fertilizer management guidelines, emphasizing innovative alternatives to synthetic fertilizers, including enhanced efficiency fertilizers that use microbial coatings and other biofertilizer approaches. Third, the project must organize an informational outreach tour in Vietnam featuring U.S. organic rice farmers who have real-world experience using U.S.-manufactured biofertilizers to reduce nitrogen leaching while sustaining or improving yields, with the goal of transferring practical know-how and building confidence among Vietnamese stakeholders. Fourth, the project must evaluate whether the program results in increased Vietnamese imports of at least three U.S.-manufactured fertilizer enhancement products and biofertilizers, specifically through companies participating in FR Vietnam, tying the technical work to measurable market outcomes for U.S. exporters.
In terms of funding and logistics, the opportunity is issued as a cooperative agreement (meaning USDA/FAS expects substantial involvement during the project period rather than a hands-off grant). The award ceiling is $250,000, and USDA/FAS expects to make two awards. The original application closing date is 2026-09-02, and the opportunity was created on 2026-08-03. The funding opportunity number is USDA FAS 10960 0700 109 26 0005, and it falls under CFDA/Assistance Listing 10.960 in the agriculture category.
Eligibility is limited to state cooperative institutions or other U.S. colleges and universities as defined at 7 U.S.C. 3103, with the eligible applicant category listed as "Others" in the notice. A strict administrative requirement is that all applicants must have an active registration in the U.S. System for Award Management (SAM.gov) before the application submission deadline. If an applicant's SAM registration is inactive, expired, pending, or marked as excluded, the application will be deemed ineligible, and the announcement explicitly states there will be no exceptions, waivers, or extensions for SAM-related issues.Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 109 26 0005
- The Foreign Agricultural Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Increasing Market Opportunities in Vietnam for U.S. Innovative Biofertilizer Exporters" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.960.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-08-03.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-02. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the name of this USDA/FAS funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Increasing Market Opportunities in Vietnam for U.S. Innovative Biofertilizer Exporters."
2) Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS).
3) What program does this opportunity fall under?
This cooperative agreement is part of USDA/FAS's Fertilize Right Vietnam (FR Vietnam) program, which has been running since 2023.
4) Who are the program partners in Vietnam?
FR Vietnam is carried out in partnership with Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) and an implementing partner from an international agricultural research organization.
5) What is the overall purpose of FR Vietnam?
The program is designed to help Vietnam improve fertilizer use so farmers can lower input costs while maintaining or improving yields, supporting a more sustainable agricultural system.
6) What framework guides the technical approach of the program?
The work is grounded in the "4Rs" nutrient stewardship framework: Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, and Right Place.
7) What is USDA/FAS asking applicants to do under this award?
Applicants must design and deliver a two-year program that advances FR Vietnam goals, including increasing fertilizer-use efficiency, improving fertilizer effectiveness, and expanding practical alternatives to conventional synthetic chemical fertilizers.
8) How long is the project period?
The project is expected to run for two years.
9) What types of products are especially emphasized in this opportunity?
The opportunity is especially focused on showcasing and expanding the use of U.S.-manufactured innovative fertilizer products, including biofertilizers and fertilizer enhancement technologies intended to reduce environmental impacts (such as nitrogen losses) while supporting strong crop performance.
10) What are the required project objectives?
The notice describes four specific objectives that successful applicants are expected to address:
- Conduct a comparative analysis in both the United States and Vietnam on strategies to reduce nitrogen leaching while maintaining or increasing crop yields, using U.S.-made biofertilizers (with liquid fish fertilizer provided as an example).
- Work alongside the implementing partner in Vietnam and provide technical input into Vietnam's national fertilizer management guidelines, emphasizing innovative alternatives to synthetic fertilizers (including enhanced efficiency fertilizers using microbial coatings and other biofertilizer approaches).
- Organize an informational outreach tour in Vietnam featuring U.S. organic rice farmers with real-world experience using U.S.-manufactured biofertilizers to reduce nitrogen leaching while sustaining or improving yields.
- Evaluate whether the program results in increased Vietnamese imports of at least three U.S.-manufactured fertilizer enhancement products and biofertilizers, specifically through companies participating in FR Vietnam.
11) Does the project need to include work in both the United States and Vietnam?
Yes. One of the required objectives is a comparative analysis conducted in both the United States and Vietnam on strategies to reduce nitrogen leaching while maintaining or increasing yields using U.S.-made biofertilizers.
12) Is liquid fish fertilizer required?
The notice gives liquid fish fertilizer as an example of a U.S.-made biofertilizer to be considered in the comparative analysis, but it is presented as an example rather than explicitly stated as the only allowable option.
13) What is meant by "enhanced efficiency fertilizers" in this notice?
The notice references enhanced efficiency fertilizers that use microbial coatings, alongside other biofertilizer approaches, as examples of innovative alternatives to conventional synthetic fertilizers to be emphasized in technical input to Vietnam's national fertilizer management guidelines.
14) What is the outreach tour requirement?
The project must organize an informational outreach tour in Vietnam featuring U.S. organic rice farmers who have real-world experience using U.S.-manufactured biofertilizers to reduce nitrogen leaching while sustaining or improving yields.
15) What is the market outcome the project must evaluate?
The project must evaluate whether the program results in increased Vietnamese imports of at least three U.S.-manufactured fertilizer enhancement products and biofertilizers through companies participating in FR Vietnam.
16) What type of award instrument is being used?
The opportunity is issued as a cooperative agreement.
17) What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
It means USDA/FAS expects substantial involvement during the project period, rather than a hands-off relationship typical of some grants.
18) What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $250,000.
19) How many awards does USDA/FAS expect to make?
USDA/FAS expects to make two awards.
20) When is the application deadline?
The original application closing date is 2026-09-02.
21) When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on 2026-08-03.
22) What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is USDA FAS 10960 0700 109 26 0005.
23) What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number for this opportunity?
The opportunity falls under CFDA/Assistance Listing 10.960.
24) What is the category of this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under the agriculture category.
25) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to state cooperative institutions or other U.S. colleges and universities as defined at 7 U.S.C. 3103.
26) The notice lists the eligible applicant category as "Others." What does that mean here?
In this notice, eligibility is still specifically limited to state cooperative institutions or other U.S. colleges and universities as defined at 7 U.S.C. 3103, even though the eligible applicant category is listed as "Others."
27) Is SAM.gov registration required?
Yes. Applicants must have an active registration in the U.S. System for Award Management (SAM.gov) before the application submission deadline.
28) What happens if an applicant's SAM.gov registration is not active?
If SAM registration is inactive, expired, pending, or marked as excluded, the application will be deemed ineligible.
29) Are waivers or extensions allowed for SAM.gov registration problems?
No. The announcement explicitly states there will be no exceptions, waivers, or extensions for SAM-related issues.
30) What kinds of environmental and performance outcomes are emphasized?
The notice emphasizes reducing environmental impacts such as nitrogen losses (including nitrogen leaching) while maintaining or improving crop yields, and connecting technical adoption to measurable market outcomes for U.S. exporters.
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