The Washington State Department of Agriculture is seeking applications for its 2025-2027 Large Project Grant.
Donor Name: Washington State Department of Agriculture
State: Washington
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/25/2025
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The purpose of the Local Food System Infrastructure Grant program is to support local food supply chains and market access for Washington farms, ranches, food processors, and food distributors. The grant funds projects that expand and strengthen collaboration across linkages in regional food supply chains in Washington. This includes equipment, and facilities for post-harvest handling, aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, distribution, or sale of Washington grown, caught, and raised foods.
Investments that strengthen linkages along the food supply chain create new opportunities for farms and food businesses to market Washington grown foods to people in Washington. Expanding market access allows farms and food businesses to remain engines for innovation, growth, and sustainability in Washington’s vibrant local food economy.
Funding Information
- Minimum of $200,000, and up to $750,000 maximum.
- $2,250,000 available, funding roughly 4 Large Projects.
Grant Period
Large Project expenditures must occur between March 2026 and June 30, 2027.
Eligible Costs
Eligible Costs Include:
- Major facility improvements that involve any ground disturbance, new utility services or structural work. For example, grading/excavation, concrete, septic systems, or framing.
- Food processing equipment.
- Food storage and distribution equipment.
- Vehicles or trailers for food delivery.
- Technology or software improvements.
- Food safety improvements.
- Worker safety improvements.
- Employee trainings.
- Business, financial, or feasibility planning for post-harvest and local market access/supply chain activities.
- Marketing or brand development that improves market access or visible presence in local/regional markets.
- Minor facility improvements that make equipment useable. For example, electrical outlets, sink plumping, or floor resurfacing.
- New for the 2025-2027 Biennium: Origination fees associated with the issuance of loans or debt that directly support completion of the proposed project.
- Other related costs that directly support completion of the proposed project.
Eligibility Criteria
Three Eligibility Categories:
- Small and mid-size owner-operated farms or ranches in Washington that sell some portion of their product in Washington.
- Small and mid-size farms must have less than $1 million in annual gross cash farm income in 2024.
- An owner-operated farm is one in which the majority of the farm business is owned by the person/s involved in the day-to-day on-farm operation.
- Small and mid-size food businesses whose primary function is to aggregate, process, manufacture, distribute, store, or sell Washington grown caught, or raised foods in Washington.
- Small and mid-size food businesses have less than 100 employees.
- Employee count is the average number of people employed for each pay period over the business’s latest 24 calendar months. Any person on the payroll must be included as one employee, regardless of hours worked or temporary status.
- Employee count must include parent company and subsidiaries across all geographies where the company operates.
- A non-profit, tribal, or local government entity that directly enables small and midsize owner-operated farms, ranches, or food businesses to sell Washington foods to people in Washington. This grant may not be used for sub-awards or pass-through funding.
For more information, visit WSDA.
