The purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by—
(1) leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops;
(2) assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops;
(3) expanding availability and access to specialty crops; and
(4) addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers.

TDA encourages organizations to develop projects to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops pertaining to the following issues affecting the industry:

• Food Safety
• Marketing
• Nutrition
• Plant Health
• Value Added/Industry Development

Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture, nursery crops (including floriculture). See lists of eligible and ineligible crops from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) website. 

Proposals for grant funds should describe how the project potentially impacts and produces measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single organization, institution, or individual.

Responses will be accepted from Texas state agencies, universities, institutions, and producer, industry, or community-based organizations involved with, or that promote specialty crops.

• Grant applications must demonstrate that they will enhance the competitiveness of a Texas specialty crop industry.
• Grant funds may only be used for activities benefiting specialty crops.
• Grant funds must benefit more than one individual, institution or organization.

Grant funds will not be awarded for projects that solely benefit a particular commercial product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual.