National Sheep Industry Improvement Program Grant

National Sheep Industry Improvement Program Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: National Sheep Industry Improvement Center (NSIIC)
Amount: Approximately US $29,000
Last Updated: August 18, 2025

Summary

The National Sheep Industry Improvement Program Grant aims to enhance the U.S. sheep industry by funding research and innovative projects. It focuses on improving production, marketing, and sustainability through grants that support leadership training, infrastructure development, and technology research. Eligible entities include various organizations and businesses committed to the sheep sector's advancement. This program prioritizes projects that align with strategic goals to foster efficiency and quality within the industry.

Overview

Grant Program The Center may use grants to provide funding for research on new products, technologies, or knowledge that will improve the efficiency, profitability, or quality of the sheep industry, and for the production and commercialization of new and innovative products or processes. The primary objective of the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program (SPMGP) is to fund a number of projects determined by industry leaders to be priorities for benefiting the sheep industry. That list is: Strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United States through the improvement of infrastructure, business, resource development and the development of innovative approaches to solve long term problems. Provide leadership training and education to industry stakeholders. Enhance sheep and sheep products in the United States through assistance to all segments of the industry to address sustainable production and marketing of sheep and sheep products. Promote marketing of sheep and sheep products through an organized method that can measure tangible results. Enhance the sheep industry by coordinating information exchange and by seeking mutual understanding and marketing within the industry community.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. An eligible entity means any entity that promotes the betterment of the U.S. sheep industries including LLC's, partnerships, corporations, cooperative organizations, associations, a federally recognized Indian Tribes and public or quasi-public agencies. The entity may be operated as a for-profit or a not-for-profit entity. Applicant must have credentials demonstrating expertise in project content.  The eligible overhead limit is 7.5% of the total award.Eligible grant purposes:Grant purposes must be consistent with the statutory purposes of the Center and the goals stated in the strategic plan.  Grants will be used to contribute to: basic production research and efforts to commercialize new services and products; new processes that can be utilized in the production of sheep products, and new enterprises or cooperatives that can add value to sheep products through processing or marketing.  They include but are not limited to the following:Contributions to production research such as: sheep disease prevention and control; predator control, and genetic and reproductive performance.Technology research, investigations, and basic feasibility studies in any field or discipline for the purpose of generating principles, facts, technical knowledge, new technology, or other information that may be useful to the sheep industry in the development and commercialization of new products, processes, or services.The collection, interpretation, and dissemination of principles, facts, technical knowledge, new technology, or other information that may be useful to the sheep industry in the development and commercialization of new products, processes, or services.Providing grants to small businesses and cooperatives for purposes of generating, evaluating, developing, and commercializing new products, processes, or services.Matching funds to Federal, State or private projects where the primary purpose is to enhance the production or marketing of sheep products. Start-up capital to new eligible producers of sheep.Sponsoring of special industry meetings, seminars, or workshops.

Ineligibility

Proposals submitted more than twice will not be evaluated.Grant funds may not be used to:Pay more than 50 percent of project costs except as expressly approved by the Board. Pay more than 7.5 percent of the award for overhead. Duplicate research in progress or completed. Pay costs of preparing the application package for funding under this program. Pay costs incurred prior to the effective date of the grant made. Fund political activities. Fund any activity that does not benefit the sheep industry.