The United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) has announced the 2026 funding cycle for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program. This program supports projects aimed at identifying and addressing sanitary, phytosanitary, or technical barriers that hinder the export of U.S. specialty crops. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S.-based private and government entities with a vested interest in the export of these crops. With anticipated funding of $9 million, the program is expected to issue approximately 20 awards during this cycle.

The purpose of the TASC program is to remove or reduce existing or potential trade barriers that restrict the market access of U.S. specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined broadly as all cultivated U.S. crops except wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, and tobacco. The program emphasizes industry-wide benefits and encourages proposals that include impactful interventions such as research and development, government-to-government exchanges, and technical training sessions.

TASC funds are limited to a maximum of $500,000 per award and require a minimum cost share of 10 percent from all applicants, excluding federal agencies. Applications will be accepted through a tranche-based system with four deadlines. The initial application deadline is June 6, 2025, followed by additional tranches on December 31, 2025, March 31, 2026, and June 30, 2026. All applications must be submitted through the Unified Export Strategy (UES) web-based system.

Eligible entities must demonstrate technical capability and past performance in federal projects. Applications are evaluated on a range of criteria, including the severity and impact of the trade barrier, the expected trade outcomes, cost-effectiveness, market competitiveness, and the effectiveness of the proposed performance measures. Only applications scoring 70 or above will be considered for funding, and applicants may request funding for up to five years, subject to performance and availability.

Applicants are required to submit a comprehensive package that includes organizational information, detailed project plans, cost share documentation, performance metrics, and market assessments. Submission through the UES system requires registration with SAM.gov and identity verification via login.gov. Additional compliance documents such as lobbying disclosures may be needed for funding requests over $100,000.

Successful applicants will be notified via email and must comply with all post-award administrative requirements, including periodic performance and financial reporting, site visits, and conflict of interest disclosures. The USDA/FAS maintains oversight throughout the grant lifecycle, from award to closeout, to ensure accountability and program impact.