Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA VSGP 011778
The Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under Assistance Listing (CFDA) 10.336. It is authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Services Act and is closely tied to the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP). The basic problem it is designed to solve is the long-running, uneven distribution of veterinarians across the country, especially the shortage of food and large animal veterinary services in rural communities where much of U.S. livestock production takes place. By investing in service capacity and workforce development, the program aims to strengthen animal health and welfare, improve food safety and security, protect public health, and support the economic viability of agricultural producers.
The program’s core objectives are to develop, implement, and sustain food animal veterinary services and to ease veterinarian shortage conditions in the United States, including eligible Insular Areas (as defined in the notice’s appendix). Projects are expected to clearly connect to three practical outcomes: (1) substantially relieving veterinary shortage situations, (2) supporting or facilitating private veterinary practices that care for food animals, and (3) addressing food safety and agricultural animal health concerns. In other words, applications need to show they will tangibly improve access to food animal veterinary care where access is limited, not just generally support veterinary activities.
VSGP supports two main tracks, each with its own eligible applicant pool. One track is Education, Extension, and Training (EET), which focuses on strengthening the food animal veterinary workforce through education and training efforts. Eligible EET applicants include state, regional, or national organizations that support food animal veterinary programs; allied or professional food animal veterinary organizations recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA); AVMA-accredited colleges or schools of veterinary medicine; university research foundations or veterinary medical foundations; U.S. Department of Education-accredited departments of veterinary science or comparative medicine; state agricultural experiment stations or research farms at 1890 institutions; and state, local, or tribal government agencies. Multiple EET submissions can come from different departments within the same eligible institution, but the program will make only one EET award per institution per year.
The second track is Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE), which is aimed more directly at on-the-ground capacity in rural veterinary practice. RPE eligibility is limited to for-profit or nonprofit clinics or hospitals (not individual veterinarians) located in the United States or an Insular Area that provide mixed, food, or large animal veterinary services in a rural area and within a current VMLRP-designated shortage area. The rural requirement is tied to the definition in Section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)). The notice highlights that VMLRP Type II shortage areas qualify as rural, while Type I shortage areas require an additional check using USDA Rural Development’s Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) mapping tool to confirm rural eligibility. RPE also allows clinics that employ a current VMLRP awardee (with an active service agreement for the specific shortage area) to apply; however, if funded, the clinic must retain that VMLRP awardee for the full 36-month RPE project period or repay the grant funds if the awardee departs early (with repayment prorated based on time served).
Application integrity rules are stricter for RPE than EET. RPE applicants are not allowed to submit duplicate or multiple applications; if they do, NIFA will disqualify both submissions. EET is more flexible in that multiple departments may apply, subject to the one-award-per-institution-per-year limit described above. In terms of repeat funding, RPE clinics can apply again only after the prior RPE award has fully ended (including the end of any no-cost extensions). For EET, institutions may hold multiple awards across different years, including awards from different departments and with different project directors.
Key administrative details from the posting include the opportunity title (Veterinary Services Grant Program), funding opportunity number (USDA NIFA VSGP 011778), agency (USDA NIFA), and category (Discretionary Grant). The application deadline listed is April 16, 2026. The award ceiling is $300,000. The listing indicates expected awards, but the number is not provided in the excerpted source. Applicants are expected to follow all requirements in the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO); missing eligibility requirements by the deadline can result in removal from consideration or prevent an award from being made.Apply for USDA NIFA VSGP 011778
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Veterinary Services Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.336.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-01-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-04-16. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) FAQs
1) What is the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP)?
The Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under Assistance Listing (CFDA) 10.336. It is authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Services Act and is closely tied to the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP).
2) What problem is VSGP designed to address?
VSGP is designed to address the long-running, uneven distribution of veterinarians across the United States, particularly shortages of food and large animal veterinary services in rural communities where much of U.S. livestock production occurs.
3) What are the program goals and intended impacts?
By investing in service capacity and workforce development, VSGP aims to strengthen animal health and welfare, improve food safety and security, protect public health, and support the economic viability of agricultural producers.
4) What are the core objectives of VSGP?
The core objectives are to develop, implement, and sustain food animal veterinary services and to ease veterinarian shortage conditions in the United States, including eligible Insular Areas (as defined in the NOFO appendix).
5) What outcomes are VSGP projects expected to demonstrate?
Projects are expected to clearly connect to three practical outcomes: (1) substantially relieving veterinary shortage situations, (2) supporting or facilitating private veterinary practices that care for food animals, and (3) addressing food safety and agricultural animal health concerns.
6) Does VSGP fund general veterinary activities, or does it require a specific focus?
Applications are expected to show tangible improvements in access to food animal veterinary care where access is limited, rather than generally supporting veterinary activities without a clear shortage-area access impact.
7) What are the two main funding tracks under VSGP?
VSGP supports two tracks: (1) Education, Extension, and Training (EET) and (2) Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE). Each track has its own eligible applicant pool and focus.
8) What is the purpose of the Education, Extension, and Training (EET) track?
The EET track focuses on strengthening the food animal veterinary workforce through education and training efforts.
9) Who is eligible to apply under the EET track?
Eligible EET applicants include state, regional, or national organizations that support food animal veterinary programs; allied or professional food animal veterinary organizations recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA); AVMA-accredited colleges or schools of veterinary medicine; university research foundations or veterinary medical foundations; U.S. Department of Education-accredited departments of veterinary science or comparative medicine; state agricultural experiment stations or research farms at 1890 institutions; and state, local, or tribal government agencies.
10) Can multiple departments at the same institution submit EET applications?
Yes. Multiple EET submissions can be submitted by different departments within the same eligible institution. However, the program will make only one EET award per institution per year.
11) What is the purpose of the Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE) track?
The RPE track is aimed at strengthening on-the-ground capacity in rural veterinary practice, with eligibility and project conditions tied to rural practice location and VMLRP-designated shortage areas.
12) Who is eligible to apply under the RPE track?
RPE eligibility is limited to for-profit or nonprofit clinics or hospitals (not individual veterinarians) located in the United States or an eligible Insular Area that provide mixed, food, or large animal veterinary services in a rural area and within a current VMLRP-designated shortage area.
13) Are individual veterinarians eligible to apply for RPE funding?
No. The RPE track is limited to clinics or hospitals and explicitly does not allow individual veterinarians to apply.
14) What rural definition is used for RPE eligibility?
The rural requirement is tied to the definition in Section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)).
15) How do VMLRP shortage area types relate to rural eligibility for RPE?
The notice states that VMLRP Type II shortage areas qualify as rural. VMLRP Type I shortage areas require an additional check using USDA Rural Development's Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) mapping tool to confirm rural eligibility.
16) Can a clinic apply for RPE if it employs a current VMLRP awardee?
Yes. RPE allows clinics that employ a current VMLRP awardee (with an active service agreement for the specific shortage area) to apply.
17) What retention requirement applies if an RPE clinic is applying based on employing a VMLRP awardee?
If funded, the clinic must retain the VMLRP awardee for the full 36-month RPE project period. If the awardee departs early, the clinic must repay the grant funds, with repayment prorated based on time served.
18) Are duplicate or multiple applications allowed under the RPE track?
No. RPE applicants are not allowed to submit duplicate or multiple applications. If they do, NIFA will disqualify both submissions.
19) Are multiple applications allowed under the EET track?
EET is more flexible: multiple departments may apply, subject to the limitation that only one EET award will be made per institution per year.
20) Can a clinic receive more than one RPE award over time?
Yes, but only after the prior RPE award has fully ended, including the end of any no-cost extensions.
21) Can an institution receive EET awards in multiple years?
Yes. For EET, institutions may hold multiple awards across different years, including awards from different departments and with different project directors.
22) What is the funding opportunity title and number?
The opportunity title is Veterinary Services Grant Program. The funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA VSGP 011778.
23) Which agency administers this grant?
The grant is administered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
24) What type of grant is VSGP?
VSGP is listed as a discretionary grant opportunity.
25) What is the application deadline?
The application deadline listed is April 16, 2026.
26) What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $300,000.
27) How many awards will be made?
The listing indicates expected awards, but the number of awards is not provided in the excerpted information.
28) What role does the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) play?
Applicants are expected to follow all requirements in the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Missing eligibility requirements by the deadline can result in removal from consideration or prevent an award from being made.
29) Does VSGP apply only to the states, or are Insular Areas included?
VSGP includes the United States and eligible Insular Areas, as defined in the notice's appendix.
30) How is VSGP connected to the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP)?
VSGP is described as closely tied to the VMLRP, including the use of VMLRP-designated shortage areas and specific RPE eligibility/verification rules related to those shortage areas.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Agriculture
Previous opportunity: Value-Added Producer Grant
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for USDA NIFA VSGP 011778
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA NIFA VSGP 011778) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 011596 Funding Number: USDA NIFA AFRI 011596 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $650,000 |
| New World Screwworm Grand Challenge Apply for USDA APHIS 10025 OA000000 26 0001 Funding Number: USDA APHIS 10025 OA000000 26 0001 Agency: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Strengthening Agricultural Systems Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 011677 Funding Number: USDA NIFA AFRI 011677 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Feed the Future Innovation Labs Apply for DFOP0017826 Funding Number: DFOP0017826 Agency: Office of Global Food Security Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $40,000,000 |
| Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative - OREI Workshop Projects Apply for USDA NIFA D113A 32483 Funding Number: USDA NIFA D113A 32483 Agency: Electronic Research Administration Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative - OREI Planning Projects for Assistance in Development of Future OREI Proposals Requiring Multi-regional or Regional Coordination Apply for USDA NIFA D113A 32357 Funding Number: USDA NIFA D113A 32357 Agency: Electronic Research Administration Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative - OREI Research Projects with Extension and/or Education Components Apply for USDA NIFA D113A 32481 Funding Number: USDA NIFA D113A 32481 Agency: Electronic Research Administration Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $3,500,000 |
| Coordinating Agricultural Development & Innovation (CADI) Uzbekistan: U.S. Soy Marketing Promotion Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 25 0011 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 25 0011 Agency: Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $115,000 |
| Coordinating Agricultural Development & Innovation (CADI) Armenia Exchanges: U.S. Food Safety Regulations and Standards Training Program Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 25 0010 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 25 0010 Agency: Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $110,000 |
| Coordinating Agricultural Development & Innovation (CADI) Uzbekistan Exchanges: Promotion of U.S. Distilled Spirits Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 25 0009 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 25 0009 Agency: Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $115,000 |
| Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA KMB 32361 Funding Number: USDA NIFA KMB 32361 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $115,000 |
| Renewable Resource Extension Act National Focus Fund Projects Apply for USDA NIFA EME 32358 Funding Number: USDA NIFA EME 32358 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant Program 2026 Apply for USDA AMS TM SCMP G 26 0020 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM SCMP G 26 0020 Agency: Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Specialty Crop Research Initiative Apply for USDA NIFA SCRI 011676 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SCRI 011676 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Farm Bill 2026 Apply for USDA AMS TM SCBGP G 26 0004 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM SCBGP G 26 0004 Agency: Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Farmers Market Promotion Program Fiscal Year 2026 Apply for USDA AMS TM FMPP G 26 0005 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM FMPP G 26 0005 Agency: Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Regional Food System Partnership Fiscal Year 2026 Apply for USDA AMS TM RFSP G 26 0006 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM RFSP G 26 0006 Agency: Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Local Food Promotion Program Fiscal Year 2026 Apply for USDA AMS TM LFPP G 26 0004 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM LFPP G 26 0004 Agency: Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 011858 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 011858 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $102,000 |
| Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA TCRGP 011697 Funding Number: USDA NIFA TCRGP 011697 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "USDA NIFA VSGP 011778", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.