SBIR & STTR Topics for Agriculture & Food Companies in New Jersey

There are 15 open federal SBIR/STTR topics right now that match Agriculture & Food capabilities, across DOD, NIH, NSF, DOE, NASA, USDA, and 5 other agencies. Below: the current open topic list, recent Agriculture & Food winners headquartered in New Jersey, the New Jersey SBDC SBIR contact, and how TopicScout compares to SBIR.gov / Grants.gov / HigherGov / Instrumentl for finding the next topic to apply to.

Open Agriculture & Food topics (15)

1. Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-12
   In FY 2026, under Assistance Listing 10.330, ASAFS will support the development of improved alfalfa seed and forage production systems, practices, and supporting technologies. NIFA is soliciting applications for FY 2026 under the following …
2. Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit — Geological Survey · closes 2026-06-14
   The U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) seeks to provide financial assistance for a research project to help build a program to use new remote sensing platforms to improve understanding of how southwestern U.S.…
3. Specialty Crop Research Initiative — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-15
   The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crops industries (as defined in Appendix III) by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and mult…
4. Resident Instruction Grants for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas Agriculture and Food Science Facilities and Equipment Program for Insular Areas — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-15
   The purpose of the RIIA and AGFEI programs, under Assistance Listing number 10.308, is to promote and strengthen the ability of eligible institutions in the Insular Areas to carry out education and research, respectively, within the food an…
5. Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-15
   The purpose of the DEG program, under assistance listing number 10.322, is to strengthen the capacity of institutions of higher education in insular areas to carry out resident instruction, curriculum, and teaching programs in the food and …
6. Special Research Grants Program for Aquaculture Research — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-15
   The purpose of the Special Research Grants Program for Aquaculture Research (Assistance Listing Number 10.200) is to support the development of a vibrant, robust, and profitable aquaculture industry in the United States by generating new, s…
7. Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-16
   The purpose of this program, under Assistance Listing Number 10.228, is to promote and strengthen the ability of Alaska Native-serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-serving Institutions to carry out education, applied research, and relat…
8. Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-23
   The Rural Health and Safety Education Program, under ALN 10.516, seeks to foster quality of life in rural communities by providing the essential knowledge necessary for successful programs of rural development; improving coordination …
9. Assistive Technology Program for Farmers with Disabilities — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-23
   The AgrAbility program works to increase the likelihood that individuals with disabilities, including veterans, and their families engaged in the agricultural enterprise (AgrAbility customers) will become more successful. The program suppor…
10. Supplemental and Alternative Crops — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-25
    The SAC program, Assistance Listing Number 10.200, supports projects that lead to expanded adaptation and increased acreage in the United States of alternative crops grown for food/feedstuff, oil, and feedstocks for industrial value-added p…
11. Equipment Grants Program — National Institute of Food and Agriculture-eRA · closes 2026-06-25
    The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) serves to increase access to shared-use special purpose equipment/instruments for fundamental and applied research for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs at institutions of higher education…
12. Open Data Framework — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-26
    The purpose of ODF, under assistance listing 10.233, is to build frameworks to create neutral and secure data repositories and cooperatives where producers, universities and nonprofit entities can store and share data in ways that will fost…
13. Methyl Bromide Transition Program — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-29
    The primary goal and objective of the Methyl Bromide Transition program is to support the discovery and implementation of practical pest management alternatives to methyl bromide. The MBT program seeks to solve pest problems in key agricult…
14. Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative - Research Grants — National Institute of Food and Agriculture-eRA · closes 2026-06-29
    The National Institute of Food and Agriculture"s Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI), Assistance Listing 10.332, is intended to: Study agriculturally significant crops and animals in production environments to achieve via…
15. Evaluation of Muskellunge Management and Stocking Strategies in Iowa — Engineer Research and Development Center · closes 2026-06-29
    The primary purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of Muskellunge stocking effectiveness and efficiency within Iowa's lakes and reservoirs, including those managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Th…

How to find SBIR topics: TopicScout vs alternatives

SBIR.gov is the canonical source — every SBIR/STTR topic posts there first. TopicScout's value isn't access; it's the cap-statement scoring + weekly digest so you stop scanning portals by hand. Try the free matcher against your statement — takes a paragraph, no signup.

FAQ

How do I find open SBIR topics for a Agriculture & Food company in New Jersey?

The canonical source is SBIR.gov, which lists every open SBIR/STTR topic across all 11 federal agencies. To filter to Agriculture & Food-relevant topics that match your specific tech, paste your capability statement into TopicScout's free matcher — it scores all open topics against your cap statement in ~60 seconds. New Jersey SBIR firms also get help from the NJSBDC (America's SBDC New Jersey) and state matching-fund programs.

What's the best SBIR matching tool for Agriculture & Food startups?

For solo founders: TopicScout's $29/mo plan covers all 11 agencies with weekly AI-scored digests. For consulting firms supporting multiple clients: TopicScout institutional plan ($500–2k/mo flat) or HigherGov ($500–5k/yr). For nonprofits (not SBIR-eligible): Instrumentl. SBIR.gov itself is free but requires manual scanning.

Which agencies fund the most Agriculture & Food SBIR/STTR work?

Based on the current open topic list, the top agencies for Agriculture & Food are visible in the topic list above. Historically: DARPA + AFWERX + Navy SBIR for defense-adjacent Agriculture & Food, NIH + CDC for health-adjacent, NSF + DOE for foundational R&D.