North Dakota Offers $7.5 Million in Grants to Advance Autonomous Agriculture

The North Dakota Department of Commerce has announced the 2025 Autonomous Agriculture Grant Program, a competitive funding opportunity offering up to $7.5 million to support transformative projects that advance autonomous agriculture in the state.

The program is designed to accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation agricultural technologies, infrastructure and workforce solutions. Funding may be awarded as a single grant or divided among multiple recipients.

"North Dakota is uniquely positioned to lead the future of autonomous agriculture," said Commerce Economic Development & Finance Deputy Director and Head of Investments and Innovation Shayden Akason. "This program is about catalyzing bold, collaborative ideas that integrate technology, research and rural economic development."

Key details:

• Total funding available: $7.5 million
• Application opens: Sept. 2, 2025, at 1 p.m. CDT
• Proposal deadline: Oct. 2, 2025, by 5 p.m. CDT
• Funding must be used by: June 30, 2027

Eligible projects may include the development of autonomous agriculture proving grounds, commercialization of ag-tech innovations, workforce training programs, and research and deployment of unmanned systems and precision equipment.

Applicants must be nonprofits, public-private partnerships or industry consortia with a permanent presence in North Dakota. Proposals will be evaluated based on their potential to accelerate automation in agriculture, strengthen the workforce, drive commercialization and deliver measurable economic impact in rural communities.

A selection committee composed of state leaders and industry representatives will review submissions based on a 100-point scoring system. Proposals must be submitted via email to Shayden Akason at [email protected].

For more information and application guidelines, visit https://ndgov.link/AutonomousGrant.