USDA: 2023 Farmers Market Promotion Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP).

Donor Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture

State: All States

County: All Counties

Territory: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 05/02/2023

Size of the Grant:$500,000

Grant Duration: 3 years

Details:

Purpose of the Program

FMPP funds projects that develop, coordinate, and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. The program focuses on:

Supporting and promoting domestic direct producer-to-consumer (including direct producer-to retail, direct producer-to-restaurant, and direct producer-to-institutional marketing) marketing such as farmer markets, roadside stands, agritourism activities, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, or online sales;
Encouraging the development of value-added agricultural products;
Developing marketing strategies for producers of local food and value-added products;
Facilitating regional food chain coordination development;
Promoting new business opportunities and marketing strategies to reduce on-farm food waste;
Responding to changing technology needs in direct producer-to-consumer marketing; and
Covering expenses related to costs incurred in obtaining food safety certification and improvements to food safety practices and equipment.

Project Types

FMPP offers Capacity Building (CB), Community Development Training and Technical Assistance (CTA), and Turnkey Marketing and Promotion project types.

Capacity Building- Capacity Building projects are intended to build long-term organizational capacity to develop, coordinate, and expand direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities. CB projects should demonstrate a direct benefit to farm and ranch operations serving local markets (including new, beginning, and underserved farmers and ranchers, veteran producers and/or underserved communities) and maximize the involvement of farmers, ranchers, and community organizations. Projects can include, but are not limited to:

Developing tools, techniques or practices that can be adopted or replicated by local agriculture markets, including those that provide direct financial support to a network of markets, or other relevant organizations.
Market analysis and strategic planning for a direct producer-to-consumer market opportunity.
Local farmer, rancher, or market manager startup training and education. This may include but is not limited to, educating vendors about the eligibility requirements and the process for participating in or applying to accept SNAP, WIC, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition program benefits, or other (state or local or nonprofit) benefit programs at farmer markets.
Farmer’s market, roadside stand, CSA, agritourism or online sales activity startup, operationand/or expansion.
Recruitment, outreach and retention of new, beginning, and underserved farmers and ranchers in support of direct producer-to-consumer markets.
Recruitment, outreach and retention of new and existing consumers in support of direct producer-to-consumer markets

Community Development Training and Technical Assistance (CTA)- projects are intended to provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to farm and ranch operations serving local markets to develop, coordinate and expand direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities. CTA projects should engage a diverse set of local and regional food stakeholders, including new, beginning, and underserved farmers and ranchers, to illustrate a substantive effect on the local and regional food system. Projects can include, but are not limited to:

Developing and disseminating tools, techniques, or practices that can be adopted or replicated by local agriculture markets.
Conducting statewide or regional training for farmers, ranchers, or farmers market managers to help them develop or maintain their own direct producer-to-consumer enterprise
Assisting farmers and ranchers in advertising and promoting their locally and regionally produced agricultural products, including value-added products, through training and technical assistance.
As part of a marketing and promotion project, promoting that a market accepts SNAP or other public benefits (such as WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program) to customers and how customers can use those programs at the market or with individual vendors
Establishing or expanding producer-to-consumer networks and organizations on a state, regional, or national level, which includes efforts to develop sourcing channels using direct producer-to[1]consumer market opportunities with corporate, non-profit, and institutional buyers.
Providing technical support for small- and mid-sized producers to become compliant with regulatory and buyer specifications and standards to increase their direct market opportunities.

Turnkey Marketing and Promotion- projects are intended to offer a streamlined approach to some of the most common FMPP grant activities related to the marketing and promotion of local and regional food projects. Applicants applying to the Turnkey Marketing and Promotion track agree to conduct specific activities defined by AMS that support the marketing and promotion of direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities. Applicants must select a minimum of 3 pre-defined activities listed below.

Identify and analyze new/improved market opportunities.
Develop/revise a marketing plan.
Design/purchase marketing and promotion media.
Implement a marketing plan.
Evaluate marketing and promotion activities.

Applicants to the Turnkey project type should not propose any additional activities beyond the above list, doing so may disqualify the application from consideration. Planning, Implementation, and Farm to Institution project types are eligible to apply under the Turnkey track if they focus on marketing and promotion and meet all other Turnkey requirements.

Funding Information

It is anticipated that approximately $15.4 million is available to fund applications in FY 2023. Funding may be contingent on Federal appropriations actions. USDA does not guarantee minimum funding levels or a specific number of awards.

Capacity Building

Minimum Award: $50,000
Maximum Award: $250,000
Grant Period: 36 months

Community Development Training and Technical Assistance (CTA)

Minimum Award: $100,000
Maximum Award: $500,000
Grant Period: 36 months

Turnkey Marketing and Promotion

Minimum Award: $50,000
Maximum Award: $250,000
Grant Period: 24 months

Eligibility Criteria

All applicants must be domestic entities owned, operated, and located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or Tribal Governments.

Eligible applicants include:

Agricultural Businesses or Cooperatives- Businesses or member-owned entities that provide, hold, deliver, transport, offer, or sell agricultural products or services for member benefit as well as the organization or other business that they represent.
Producer Networks or Association Producer group- or member-owned organizations or businesses that provide, offer, or sell agricultural products or services through a common distribution system for the mutual member benefit as well as organizations or other businesses that assist, represent, or serve producers or producer networks.
CSA Networks or Associations- Formal groups of farms that work collectively to offer consumers regular shares (usually weekly) of locally grown farm products during one or more harvest season(s) often on a subscription or membership basis. This includes organizations or other businesses that assist, serve, or represent CSAs or CSA networks. Customers have access to a selected share or range of farm products offered by the group of farmers based on partial or total advance payment of a subscription or membership fee.
Food Council- Food policy council or food and farm system network that represents multiple organizations that addresses food and farm related issues and needs within city, county, State, Tribal region, multicounty region, or other regions.
Local Governments- Any unit of government within a State, including a county; borough; municipality; city; town; township; parish; local public authority, including any public housing agency under the United States Housing Act of 1937 (50 Stat. 888 (Pub. L. No. 75—412); special district; school district; intrastate district; council of governments, whether or not incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law; and any other agency or instrumentality of a multi-state, regional, or intra-state or local government.
Nonprofit Corporations- Any organization or institution, including nonprofits with State or IRS 501 (c)(3) status and accredited institutions of higher education, where no part of the organization’s or institution’s net earnings inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.
Public Benefit Corporations- Corporations organized to construct or operate a public improvement, the profits from which inure to the benefit of one or more State or to the people therein.
Economic Development– Corporations Organizations whose missions are to improve, maintain, develop, and/or market or promote a specific geographic area.
Regional Farmers Market Authorities- Entities that establish and enforce regional, State, or county policies and jurisdiction over State, regional, or county farmers markets. State agencies are eligible if their State’s regulatory statutes identify the specific State agency as a regional farmers market authority.