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Receive a Refund for your Organic Certification Fees

Organic Certification Cost Share Program

The Organic Certification Cost Share Program will refund up to 75% of your certification costs per scope of organic certification for the 2025 and 2026 program years, with a maximum of $750 per scope. The eligible scopes are crops, wild crops, livestock, and processing/handling. Producers and handlers must apply by December 31, 2026. Funds are available on a first-come, first-paid basis, so get your application in as soon as you have paid your inspection and certification fees for the year. Contact costshare@ccof.org for support.

To be eligible, a producer or handler must hold USDA organic certification for the applicable program year at the time of application and must have paid eligible certification fees or expenses related to obtaining or renewing certification during that program year. For Program Year 2025, operations must have held USDA organic certification at any time during the program year. 

Applications for both program years are due December 31, 2026. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) will issue payments as applications are received on a first-come, first-served basis until available funds are depleted.

Eligible expenses may include: 

  • Certification Service Fee (initial, renewal, fee addendum, prorated certification fee)
  • Global Market Access Fee: Canada, EU, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan
  • Inspection (annual, unannounced, retail)
  • New application fee
  • Add acreage
  • Add facility and annual facility
  • Add product
  • Parcel Transfer fee
  • State organic program fees
  • Uncertified/Exempt Handler Affidavit (UHA/EHA) fee
  • Postage expenses associated with obtaining or renewing organic certification

For complete program information, including eligibility requirements and application details, see the USDA announcement. 

Please reach out to costshare@ccof.org with any questions.  

Support for Transitional Operations
why organic

Producers and handlers should submit a complete application to their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county office. State agencies, such as CDFA, may accept applications in the future using a different application form.

A complete application includes:

  1. Form CCC-884
  2. A copy of the applicant’s organic certificate
  3. Itemized documentation showing eligible certification expenses paid by the applicant between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the program year.
  4. Forms AD-2047 and SF-3881, if the applicant has not previously filed these forms with FSA

Review and download the Organic Certification Cost Share Program application.

Applicants should also review the Organic Certification Cost Share Program application instructions.

Please note that eligible producers are required to complete and submit separate applications for the 2025 and 2026 program years.

Download Your Organic Certificate and Eligible Expenses on MyCCOF

MyCCOF is a convenient portal to access and download your organic certificates and invoices showing eligible expenses paid. CCOF Members can log into your MyCCOF portal here. If you’re not sure what your password is you can reset it through the log-in page. If more issues arise username or password is, email inbox@ccof.org for assistance or call us at 831-423-2263 for help.

If you are submitting an invoice that includes both eligible and ineligible fees, submit it as is along with the application, but only add the eligible fees to the total fees amount on the application Form CCC-884. Please note: All eligible costs are for payments made between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the program year based on the date they are PAID, not the date they were billed. 

If you run into any specific issues using MyCCOF, you can email us at inbox@ccof.org or call us at 831-423-2263 for help.

Get Help From FSA

To apply, producers and handlers should contact their local FSA county office.

California producers and handlers may contact Brooke Raffaele at Brooke.Raffaele@usda.gov if they run into any issues.

Producers and handlers in other states can find their local  FSA county office

Funding is limited, so eligible operations are encouraged to apply as soon as possible and no later than December 31, 2026.

The Organic Certification Cost Share Program is administered by USDA. CCOF does not process or approve applications.

organic certification cost share