Research, education, and market development are pillars of the Kansas Soybean Commission, and they all start with a request for proposals.

The Kansas Soybean Council  has opened the request for proposals (RFP) process, looking for projects that will bolster the profitability of Kansas soybean farmers.

According to the organization, the RFP process is the first step towards the next fiscal year’s funding portfolio, which begins July 1, 2027. Funded projects for the current year include building export markets, developing input recommendations and testing management techniques for the biggest yield robbers in Kansas, such as Soybean Cyst Nematode.

Once commissioners have received and reviewed the proposals, projects will be invited to present at the December board meeting, where commissioners will make final funding decisions. At the heart of this process is the farmer-led board, stewarding checkoff dollars to focus on the issues that impact their peers.

“The soybean checkoff exists to improve profitability for soybean farmers, so it’s very important to get all our priorities in line with what we need for production,” says Keith Miller, KSC chairman and Great Bend farmer. “That’s where your checkoff dollars are making a big difference for the future of the soybean industry.”

Commissioners met in August to set their priorities, which keep production research at the top of the list. They highlighted specific areas like water use efficiency, optimizing inputs, and disease and pest management, especially SCN.

Other priorities include increasing soy usage in animal feed and food, as well as developing new ways to use soybeans in industrial products. So far, these products range everywhere from biofuels to sneakers, cosmetics, firefighting foam and road sealant.

“Anything they can do with petroleum, we can do with soybean oil,” says Lance Rezac, commissioner and Onaga farmer. “It’s a chance to be renewable, and to increase demand for soybean farmers.”

The submission deadline for proposals to the KSC office is Monday, October 5. Instructions for submitting proposals can be found at kansassoybeans.org/forms. To learn more about the RFP or suggest additional funding priorities, reach out to KSC Administrator Kaleb Little at [email protected] or call the office at 877-KS-SOYBEAN (877-577-6923).