CDFA opens concept proposals for Prop 4 Healthy Soils and SWEEP block grants; applications due May 15

The Department of Food and Agriculture on a webinar outlined how it will award block grants for two Proposition 4 programs — the Healthy Soils Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) — and urged eligible organizations to submit concept proposals by May 15. Scott Weekes, senior environmental scientist supervisor, said CDFA is now accepting concept proposals and will invite high‑scoring applicants to submit full proposals.

"We are currently accepting concept proposal applications and we will be doing this until May 15th," Weekes said, describing the concept stage as a preliminary review that can lead to a full proposal invitation.

Why it matters: Proposition 4 (the climate bond) earmarked funding to help farmers and ranchers adopt soil health and irrigation improvements. Weekes said the bond proposes $65 million for soil health and $40 million for SWEEP; he noted $36 million of the Healthy Soils allocation has been appropriated so far and additional appropriations are expected in a later budget tranche.

How the grants will work: CDFA expects block grant awards to range from $2 million to $4 million per recipient. Awarded recipients must direct at least 80% of funds to on‑farm practices, with up to 20% available for administration. Weekes said applicants that commit to serving socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (SDFRs) can qualify for a budget shift that effectively allows up to 77% of funds to go to on‑farm projects if at least 40% of selected on‑farm projects serve SDFRs.

Eligibility and review: CDFA emphasized Prop 4 eligibility rules: nonprofits must be 501(c)(3) organizations to serve as block grant recipients under the nonprofit category; public agencies, special districts, publicly owned utilities, mutual water companies and California Native American tribes are also eligible. Technical assistance providers are subject to Canela Act criteria and can include resource conservation districts, UC Cooperative Extension, public colleges and certain nonprofits. Weekes said eligibility will be checked before technical review and that concept proposals are scored out of 50 points (statement of need 15 points, climate bond alignment 20 points, capacity/partnerships 15 points).

Timeline and next steps: Presenters said concept proposals will undergo administrative review for eligibility, technical review by outside experts, and portfolio balancing to ensure statewide distribution. Awards are expected to be announced around September 2026, with an aim to finalize agreements by Jan. 1 so implementation can begin in time for seasonal practice windows. CDFA will publish Q&A documents during the application window and provide technical assistance through UC Riverside community education specialists and regional office hours.

What applicants should prepare: Weekes recommended tailoring the statement of need to a service area using local data (USDA, census, crop reports), defining measurable goals and performance indicators, and planning outreach and technical assistance. Applicants invited to the full proposal phase will need detailed budgets, work plans and a letter of support from their governing board. The webinar recording and guidance documents, including the application guidelines and grant award procedures manual, will be posted on CDFA's block grant web pages.