CADI: Extension Capacity Strengthening in the Country of Georgia | USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 23 0011

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 23 0011

CADI: Extension Capacity Strengthening in the Country of Georgia is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) cooperative agreement opportunity designed to strengthen agricultural extension and related support systems in Georgia, with a strong focus on the Adjara region. The grant sits under the broader Caucasus Agricultural Development Initiative (CADI), which aims to stimulate broad-based economic growth in former Soviet republics by improving how farmers and agribusinesses access practical know-how (extension), market intelligence, and trade readiness. A key theme running through the opportunity is that Georgia has a large agricultural workforce (nearly 40 percent), but the sector has not translated that labor base into high productivity or profitability. The resulting challenges are described in concrete terms: food insecurity, persistent rural poverty, young people leaving rural areas for work elsewhere, and limited ability to meet the requirements needed to compete in international markets.

The core strategy is to anchor research, education, and extension capacity at Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (BSU) and position BSU as a regional hub that coordinates stakeholders across government, academia, and producers. USDA/FAS is already working alongside the Ministry of Agriculture of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, BSU, and local producers, and this funded activity is meant to complement and deepen those collaborations. In practice, this means building durable institutional systems that can generate locally relevant research, translate it into training and advisory services, and deliver extension support that farmers and agribusinesses can actually use to improve results on the ground. The opportunity emphasizes the use of current research and structured analysis to help the Government of Georgia, Georgian universities, and other stakeholders identify sustainable ways to strengthen extension services, while also pushing forward climate-smart agricultural practices.

Three main technical and programmatic lanes are highlighted. First is youth-in-agriculture programming, specifically supporting the establishment of a Georgian initiative analogous to 4-H in the United States. This part of the work is aimed at long-term workforce development and keeping young people engaged in viable rural livelihoods by building skills, leadership, and a practical connection to modern agriculture. Second is trout aquaculture, which is treated as a priority value chain where improved farm management, better extension delivery models, and targeted business support can raise productivity and profitability. Third is broader institutional capacity strengthening, particularly for BSU and partner ministries, so that the systems built through the project can persist beyond the award period and function as credible, independent sources of technical assistance.

The methods USDA/FAS expects applicants to use are hands-on and collaborative rather than purely academic. The notice anticipates short- and long-term exchanges between U.S. and Georgian subject matter experts, including two-way learning approaches that bring practical experience into Georgian institutions while also giving U.S. experts insight into local constraints and opportunities. It also points to developing and delivering training and retraining courses, with an emphasis on having those courses officially approved by the Government of Georgia, which signals an intent to institutionalize the training within formal national systems rather than leaving it as one-off workshops. Capacity strengthening is expected across universities, ministries, and the private sector, and the work is framed as closely coordinated with USDA/FAS and U.S. Land Grant Universities (LGUs), which are traditionally central to extension and applied agricultural research in the U.S. model.

On trout aquaculture specifically, the opportunity sets clear outcome directions: increasing agricultural productivity by developing and disseminating farm management best practices, expanding private-sector and extension models, and using catalytic capital and business development support to spur adoption and growth. It also ties productivity gains to market and trade expansion, aiming to improve food safety and quality, support product innovation, and strengthen marketing across both public and private actors involved in the trout value chain. A notable deliverable expectation is building the capacity of BSU, local farmers, and the Ministry of Agriculture to provide independent and objective food safety technical assistance to trout businesses across the supply chain. That focus reflects a trade-readiness logic: if producers and processors can meet stronger sanitary and phytosanitary expectations and demonstrate reliable quality, they are better positioned to access higher-value markets domestically and internationally.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by USDA FAS under CFDA (now commonly referenced as Assistance Listing) 10.960. The instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial involvement and collaboration with the federal agency during implementation rather than a more hands-off grant structure. The funding opportunity number is USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 23 0011. The original posting indicates one expected award, with an award ceiling listed at $100,000,000, suggesting a potentially large, multi-component effort (final award size would depend on the agency decision and the selected proposal). The opportunity was created May 8, 2023, with an original closing date of June 1, 2023. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, meaning prospective applicants would need to consult the complete notice to confirm whether universities, nonprofits, consortia, or other entities qualify under the program rules.

Taken together, the grant is essentially about building a modern, durable extension ecosystem in Adjara that connects university-based research and training with real farm and business needs, while using trout aquaculture and youth engagement as concrete entry points for measurable improvements. The underlying development logic is that stronger extension capacity, better food safety and quality systems, and more market-ready value chains can raise rural incomes, reduce food insecurity, keep youth engaged in agriculture, and help Georgia compete more effectively in regional and global agricultural markets.

• The Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "CADI: Extension Capacity Strengthening in the Country of Georgia" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.960.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 08, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 01, 2023. (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 $100,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 23 0011

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