Grants and Funding

Federal grant information is available in a searchable format on the grants.gov website. There are very few federal grant opportunities for backyard beekeepers. The exception to this rule is educators. There are accountability practices and a considerable amount of paperwork associated with the grant/award process.

• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

  • Conservation Innovation Grants

    • https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/cig/

  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program

    • https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/fl/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=stelprdb1265870

• Small Business Association (SBA)

  • Grants for small businesses that are engaged in scientific research and development

    • https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/topic/current/?f%5B0%5D=im_field_agencies%3A105727

  • Grants for minority business owners and veterans

    • https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/grants/grants-programs-eligibility 

• Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

  • Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP)

    • www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/lfpp

• Rural Development (RD)

  • Loans, loan guarantees, and grants

    • https://www.rd.usda.gov/page/all-programs

There are private entities that offer funding for bee research. Private grants are highly competitive. Awards are given for project proposals, rather than applications. See:

• Pollinator Project

  • www.pollinator.org/honeybee-health

• Dadant & Sons

  • https://www.dadant.com/honey-bee-research-funding-proposals-requested/

• Eastern Apiculture Society

  • www.easternapiculture.org/honey-bee-research.html

Reimbursement

2018 Farm Bill

• The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) covers losses due to adverse weather conditions or Colony Collapse Disorder, including equipment and feed.

• Payments are based on the fair market value at the time of the loss.

• Recordkeeping through the FSA must be thorough, including acreage reports made within 30 days of acquiring, splitting, purchasing, or selling bees or equipment.

Insurance

Standard homeowner insurance policies may not cover loss of hives or bees due to inclement weather conditions.

Insurance companies generally consider your beekeeping operation to be a business if you intend to profit.

Backyard and sideline beekeepers may benefit by changing their coverage to farm and ranch insurance, or adding supplemental coverage.

The Apiculture Pilot Insurance Program (API) provides a safety net for beekeepers’ primary income sources – honey, pollen collection, wax, and breeding stock. Apiculture systems consist of different types of plants or crops and often contain mixtures of different species, each with different growth habits and seasons, precipitation requirements, and other climate conditions necessary to maintain plant growth over extended periods of time. API was designed to provide maximum flexibility to cover these diverse situations.

https://www.rma.usda.gov/en/Fact-Sheets/National-Fact-Sheets/Apiculture-Pilot-2017