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What To Know About The National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
The National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) provides financial assistance to organic producers and handlers to reduce the cost of organic certification. Certified organic farms and businesses can get reimbursed up to 75% (up to $750 per scope) for their annual organic certification costs through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program.
As of July 2, 2026, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting applications to help with organic certification costs for the 2025 and 2026 program years through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). Producers and handlers must apply by Dec. 31, 2026, for both the 2025 and 2026 program years.
Read the full press release on the program at FSA.USDA.gov.
How to Apply through FSA:
To apply, producers and handlers should contact their local FSA county office.
As part of completing the OCCSP application, producers and handlers will need to provide documentation of their organic certification and eligible expenses marked as paid in full. For copies of eligible expenses and paid costs incurred from Oregon Tilth for program years 2025 and 2026, email our team costshare@tilth.org. Each invoice will state which year of certification fees or the date the inspection occurred, so it should be clear to the FSA office and application for each cost share program year.
Who is eligible?
Eligible OCCSP applicants include any certified organic producers or handlers who have paid organic certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent.
OCCSP pays a maximum of $750 per certification category for crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling, and state organic program fees. The scopes must be listed on the producer or handler’s organic certificate to be eligible for OCCSP.
Eligible costs include:
- Application fees and administrative fees for USDA organic certification
- Inspection fees for USDA organic certification, including travel costs and per diem for organic inspectors
- USDA organic certification costs, including fees necessary to access international markets with which AMS has equivalency agreements or arrangements
- State organic program fees
- User fees and sale assessments for USDA organic certification
- Postage for materials related to obtaining or renewing USDA organic certification
For more information on organic certification and regulations, visit the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s organic website. For copies of receipts paid of eligible costs, email our team at costshare@tilth.org.
How Oregon Tilth Can Help
If you’re certified by Oregon Tilth, we’re here to support your application. We can:
- Provide copies of invoices for fees paid in full
- Provide organic certificates (when applicable
📩 Contact our team at costshare@tilth.org for assistance.
Why We Advocate for Cost Share
Oregon Tilth has long supported the Cost Share Program because it:
- Reduces financial barriers for producers, especially for
- Small and midsize farms
- New and transitioning operations
- Historically underserved communities
We are actively advocating for continued improvements to ensure the program remains accessible and impactful for organic operators nationwide.
How to Apply through Participating State Agencies:
FSA will soon announce a 30-day application period for state agencies to apply through grants.gov to administer OCCSP.
If a state agency chooses to participate in OCCSP, both the state agency and FSA county offices in that state will accept OCCSP applications and make payments to eligible certified operations. However, producers and handlers may not receive OCCSP payments for the same scope through both the state agency and their FSA county office.