Producer-Engaged Agricultural Technology Projects

Request for Proposals

Application Deadline:

July 19, 2026

Producers, Startups, Innovators, and Researchers are encouraged to apply.

Funding Areas:

  • Water & Resource Resilience
  • Intelligent Operations & Logistics
  • Breeding, Genetics, & Predictive Biology
  • Regenerative Systems & Crop Protection
  • Quality, Nutrition & Value-Added Markets
Apply Here

For any questions please send an email to: [email protected] 

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Opportunity Overview

The NSF AgTech Engine in North Dakota is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals supporting innovative  agricultural technology projects that deliver real, on-the-ground value. This funding opportunity prioritizes practical  solutions that improve efficiency, resilience, and profitability in agriculture, with a strong emphasis on deployment and  adoption in working operations. 

Each project must include an active agricultural producer and or an end user as a lead or key partner, ensuring that  proposed innovations are grounded in real-world needs and positioned for immediate field impact. 

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Maximum Request

Up to $100,000 per project

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Award Approach

Multiple awards anticipated,  subject to the availability of funds.

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Required Partner

Active agricultural producer or end user as the lead or a key partner
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Primary Emphasis

Deployment, adoption, and field  impact in working operations

Why this funding opportunity exists

North Dakota agriculture is facing a widening gap between promising agricultural technologies and practical adoption in  working operations. Producers need solutions that respond to constrained water and natural resources, weather volatility, labor  and logistics pressures, crop protection challenges, rising costs, and evolving market expectations for quality, traceability,  nutrition, and value-added production. This RFP is designed to close that gap by funding producer/end user-engaged projects  that translate practical agricultural problems into deployable technology solutions with measurable on-the-ground value. 

Intent of the RFP

The AgTech Engine seeks projects that can move promising agricultural technologies closer to practical use. Strong proposals
will demonstrate producer/user-informed problem definition, credible implementation capacity, and a clear route to field
impact in North Dakota.

NSF AgTech Engine Technology Focus Areas

Projects should align with one or more of the focus areas below. Alignment may be direct or cross-cutting, provided the proposal clearly explains the agricultural problem, the producer or market need, and the intended pathway to impact.

Water & Resource Resilience
Focus:

Technologies that improve how water, weather, and other
constrained resources are measured, managed, and optimized.

  • Irrigation efficiency and water-use optimization
  • Soil moisture sensing and field-scale water intelligence
  • Water quality monitoring and nutrient movement tracking
  • Weather-informed decision support and forecasting
  • Controlled Environment Agriculture

Intelligent Operations & Logistics
Focus:

Automation, autonomy, sensing, and operational coordination
from field operations through post-harvest movement and storage.

  • Robotics, autonomy, and machine vision
  • Weed management, targeted spraying, and precision application
  • Equipment coordination and field asset orchestration
  • Smart grain handling, storage monitoring, and logistics optimization
  • Operational copilots and decision support for producers and agribusinesses

Breeding, Genetics & Predictive Biology Focus:

Breeding, genetics, and bioinformatics capabilities linked to
future agronomic, nutritional, and market outcomes.

  • Breeding support tools and advanced selection methods
  • Genomics, phenomics, and multi-omics analysis
  • Bioinformatics platforms and data integration
  • Trait prediction and model-assisted breeding
  • Decision tools connecting breeding targets to agronomic, nutritional, or end-use outcomes

Regenerative Systems & Crop Protection Focus:

Soil health, biological inputs, nutrient efficiency, and crop protection approaches emphasizing resilience and reduced avoidable
loss.

  • Soil health measurement and verification
  • Biological inputs and alternative fertility approaches
  • Nutrient-use efficiency and chemistry-sparing systems
  • Integrated pest, disease, and weed response
  • Pollinator resilience and whole-system agronomic stability

Quality, Nutrition & Value-Added Markets Focus:

Innovation beyond field productivity, including quality
differentiation, identity preservation, nutrition-linked traits, and new
value capture.

  • Traceability and identity-preserved systems
  • Post-harvest quality measurement and monitoring
  • Nutrition-linked traits and quality differentiation
  • Ingredient innovation, bioproducts, and processing opportunities
  • Tools that align breeding, production, and end-use market needs

Proposal Emphasis

  • Clear problem statement and producer need
  • Active producer leadership or partnership
  • Practical deployment or validation plan
  • Measurable deliverables and reasonable budget
  • Pathway to adoption, commercialization, workforce development, or ecosystem growth

Applicants should use the Step One RFP Submission Template to prepare project overview, team, deliverables, budget justification, and priority alignment.