USDA General Terms and Conditions

Recipients and cooperators who receive USDA grants, cooperative agreements, and similar arrangements (including mutual interest agreements), must comply with the applicable USDA General Terms and Conditions (GT&Cs) below. These terms and conditions are in addition to the assurance and certifications made as part of the award or agreement, and any terms, conditions, and restrictions reflected on or in the official award or agreement document.

Current USDA General Terms and Conditions for Federal Awards

USDA General Terms and Conditions for Federal Awards, effective December 31, 2025 (PDF, 1.1 MB)

Current USDA General Terms and Conditions for Mutual Interest Agreements

USDA General Terms and Conditions for Mutual Interest Agreements, effective December 31, 2025 (PDF, 999 KB)

Archived USDA General Terms and Conditions for Federal Awards

Archived USDA General Terms and Conditions for Mutual Interest Agreements

Deviations

All deviations listed below must be expressly incorporated into an award or agreement to be applicable to that award or agreement. Effective dates in the table below reflect the availability of that deviation to the identified USDA awarding agencies for inclusion in a new award or agreement or a modification. Such deviation remains applicable to the award or agreement regardless of the effective date listed below, pursuant to the terms of that award or agreement.

Federal Awards

Deviation #	Effective Date	Applicability	Summary	Approved Deviation
2026-USDA-0001-F	June 3, 2026	All USDA awarding agencies	Optional deviation to incorporate updates to terms relating to research security; foreign ownership, control, and influence; malign foreign talent recruitment programs; and related definitions.	2026-USDA-0001-F (PDF, 157 KB)

Mutual Interest Agreements

Deviation #	Effective Date	Applicability	Summary	Approved Deviation
2026-USDA-0001-M	June 3, 2026	All USDA awarding agencies	Optional deviation to incorporate updates to terms relating to research security; foreign ownership, control, and influence; malign foreign talent recruitment programs; and related definitions.	2026-USDA-0001-M (PDF, 158 KB)