Agricultural Workforce Development Program
Agricultural Workforce Development Program supports Colorado agricultural businesses in offering paid, hands-on internships that build skills and prepare people for careers in agriculture.
Funder: Colorado Department of Agriculture
Due Dates: November 2, 2026, at 5:00 pm MT (Application) | January 1, 2027 (Earliest internship start) | December 31, 2027 (Latest internship end)
Funding Amounts: Up to 50% of eligible internship costs, capped at $5,000 per intern; up to three internships per business annually
Summary: Supports Colorado agricultural businesses in providing paid, hands-on internships that prepare people for careers in agriculture.
Key Information: Internships must provide at least 130 hours, and interns cannot be current or past employees or relatives of the owner or operator.
Description
The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Workforce Development Program (AWDP) provides financial incentives for farms, ranches, and other agricultural businesses to hire and train interns. It connects workplace learning with practical experience in day-to-day agricultural operations, helping students, recent graduates, and beginning farmers and ranchers develop skills for agricultural careers. Businesses receive partial reimbursement for the costs of delivering paid, educational internships.
Preference goes to businesses producing agricultural crops, livestock, dairy, timber, or greenhouse and nursery products. Internship activities need not focus solely on production: research and development, processing, and marketing activities can also qualify. Created through legislation in 2018, the program aims to build Colorado’s agricultural talent pipeline by aligning education, training, and work-based learning. The legislature extended the program through July 2029.
