Plant Protection Act Section 7721 National Clean Plant Network Program | USDA APHIS 10025 PPQ NCPN 2026

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA APHIS 10025 PPQ NCPN 2026

The Plant Protection Act Section 7721 National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) Program is a USDA APHIS funding opportunity (Opportunity Number: USDA APHIS 10025 PPQ NCPN 2026; CFDA 10.025) that supports work authorized under Section 7721 of the Plant Protection Act. The program is aimed at protecting U.S. agriculture by reducing the spread and impact of plant pathogens through a coordinated national system that produces and sustains "clean" propagative plant material. In practical terms, the grant supports a nationwide network of Clean Plant Centers that provide diagnostic testing and pathogen elimination services, then maintain and distribute pathogen-tested plant stock from protected, well-managed foundation blocks located in different regions of the United States.

The core purpose of the program is to make sure that nurseries, growers, researchers, and other users can access plant material that has been tested and verified to be free of targeted pests and diseases. This matters because many high-impact plant diseases move through graftwood, cuttings, tissue culture, bulbs, tubers, or other propagation pathways. By investing in diagnostics, therapy/elimination methods, and long-term maintenance of tested source material, the NCPN program helps prevent costly outbreaks, improves plant health and productivity, and supports trade and market stability for specialty crops and other plant industries that rely on vegetative propagation.

Program priorities follow the NCPN Strategic Plan and are organized into three main areas. First is optimizing the production, maintenance, and distribution of clean plants, which generally includes activities that improve the efficiency, reliability, and scale of producing pathogen-tested material and keeping it clean over time. Second is advancing special initiatives, meaning the program is interested in proposals that bring in new technologies, novel methods, or innovative approaches, and that also increase awareness and adoption of clean plant materials by stakeholders. Third is optimizing network resources, which focuses on strengthening how the network functions as a coordinated national system, including effective use of facilities, expertise, and shared processes so that resources are not duplicated unnecessarily and gaps in service are addressed.

This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, reflecting that the work is typically collaborative and coordinated with USDA APHIS and the broader NCPN structure. The listing indicates an award ceiling of $3,500,000 and an expectation of around 25 awards. The closing date shown is 2025-09-15. Eligible applicants are listed broadly as "Others," but applicants are expected to rely on the official Notice of Funding Opportunity and the NCPN program materials for the specific eligibility rules and any limitations tied to the network structure, crop categories, or institutional roles.

Applications must include three required components using USDA APHIS NCPN-provided templates and documentation requirements. The first is the Project Proposal Work Plan, which is the main narrative describing the project in detail across all aspects of the proposed work. The work plan has strict length limits: up to 15 pages (single-spaced, 11-point font) for a proposal covering a single crop or a single special initiative. If a proposal covers multiple crops or multiple entities, applicants may add up to 5 additional pages per crop or entity, with a hard maximum of 40 pages total for the work plan. Importantly, this page limit does not include cover pages, budget materials, or appendices.

The second required component is the Project Proposal Financial Plan, which lays out the project budget and supporting details using the NCPN Financial Plan Template. Budgeting is governed by APHIS award terms and federal cost principles, including the cost principles in 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E. The opportunity also points applicants to specific APHIS and program guidance on allowable and unallowable costs, treatment of direct and indirect costs, and any cost share or matching considerations, referencing the PPA 7721 Use of Funds document (identified as #183) and additional guidance on selected items of cost (identified as #8211). In other words, applicants are expected to build budgets that comply with standard federal assistance rules as well as the more specific PPA 7721 program instructions.

The third required component is Documentation of the Pre-Proposal Review Process. For most proposals, this means submitting a letter of support showing that the applicant coordinated and completed pre-proposal review with the appropriate NCPN specialty crop governing body. This requirement is meant to ensure proposed work fits within network priorities, avoids duplication, and aligns with crop-specific governance and standards. Proposals focused on cross-network special initiatives do not have to follow the same crop-governing-body pre-review requirement, but they are still expected to coordinate with the relevant NCPN working group. Applicants who need the right points of contact can request that information from ncpn@usda.gov.

Beyond the required items, applicants may optionally attach appendices such as strategic plans or annual reports, particularly if they are seeking network support and already produce these documents for their operating units. While optional, these attachments can help demonstrate organizational readiness, operational track record, and alignment with longer-term goals.

Overall, this grant is designed for projects that strengthen the national clean plant pipeline: detecting and eliminating pathogens, producing verified clean propagation material, maintaining it in secure and monitored settings, and ensuring it is distributed and used in ways that reduce disease risk across U.S. agriculture. The strongest applications are likely to be those that clearly align with the NCPN Strategic Plan priorities, demonstrate coordination with the relevant NCPN governance structures, and present a well-justified, compliant budget tied directly to deliverable outcomes in clean plant production and network capacity.

• The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Plant Protection Act Section 7721 National Clean Plant Network Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.025.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-09-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-09-15. (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 $3,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA APHIS 10025 PPQ NCPN 2026

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