Providing Financial Support

About cost share

The National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP) helps certified operators afford the expense of organic certification. The program refunds up to 75 percent, or a maximum of $500, of certification costs per “scope” — crops, wild harvest, livestock, processing, and handling — for eligible organic operations.

Cost share assistance helps small and mid-sized organic farm businesses afford annual certification costs. As the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition notes, “Farm businesses are a core part of the domestic organic supply chain, and without them, companies that use their product would be forced to source from abroad in order to meet the demand for organic in the U.S.” OTCO encourages all certified operators to apply in order to make sure future funds are available for new entrants to organic farming and food production.

Cost share is available to operations certified organic under the National Organic Program that are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

How to participate

The program is noncompetitive, providing approximately $11.5 million annually in financial assistance for organic certification fees. New and renewing certified farmers and handlers must provide proof of payment for eligible fees and additional documentation of your organic certificate. OTCO is happy to provide assistance and copies of invoices for fees paid and certificates (when applicable).

Please visit our Help Center for up-to-date cost share application options, resources and deadlines.