The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, including the Department of Agricultural Resources and the Department of Fish and Game (collectively, “EEA”), and in coordination with the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Department of Public Health (DPH) is pleased to announce the opportunity for funding from the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program (FSIG).
Donor Name: Project Bread
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/02/2023
Size of the Grant: Up to $500,000
Details:
The program seeks to ensure that farmers, fisherman and other local food producers are better connected to a strong, resilient food system to help mitigate future food supply and distribution disruption, as well as ensuring that individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth have access to food, with a special focus on food that is produced locally and food that is equitably accessible.
This grant opportunity is from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program is available to a wide variety of businesses and organizations in the local food system (including Summer Meal sponsors) who are focused on addressing food access and/or improving and strengthening the resiliency of the Commonwealth’s food system by increasing distribution of locally grown and sourced food.
Eligible grantees include applicants that are part of the Massachusetts local food system including production, processing and distribution, the emergency food distribution network, community and food organizations, school meal programming (including summer meal sponsors), urban farms and community gardens, non-profits, and organizations that provide business planning, technical assistance and information technology services. Applicants may be those representing farms, small retailers (under 50 full-and part-time employees), food banks, fisheries, seafood dealers & processors and other food system businesses or organizations who are focused on addressing food access and/or improving and strengthening the resiliency of the Commonwealth’s food system by increasing distribution of locally grown and sourced food. Applicants may also include those experiencing difficulty in sourcing food for those facing food insecurity. This call for grant application proposals does not apply to the purchase of food for consumption.
Providing greater, more equitable access to local food and strengthening the role of local food in the Commonwealth’s overall food system is an important outcome for the FSIG program. Local food is defined through this program as food which is grown/produced and distributed within the Commonwealth. The local food system is a network of consumers, workers, businesses, owners, and supporting organizations engaged in an array of activities, including fishing, farming, preparing, and marketing, distributing, serving, and eating food. This network works to produce and distribute food that nourishes our communities, sustains businesses and workers, and supports responsible stewardship of their land and water.
Funding Information
Funding is anticipated to be awarded in amounts up to $500,000 (maximum).
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be part of the local food production and distribution system, including entities that are principally and substantially engaged in the business of production agriculture, farming, or seafood production, processing and distribution, the emergency food distribution network, community and food organizations, school meal programming (including summer meal sites), and including organizations that provide business planning, technical assistance and information technology services. Eligible applicants must be legally recognized entities within the Commonwealth and must have the ability to enter a legally binding agreement with the Commonwealth. Applicants are limited to a single application. Projects that support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and urban producers and minority and woman owned businesses are encouraged to apply.
The following list of applicants includes, but is not exhaustive of, eligible commodities, businesses, or organizations:
- Agricultural Operations (including not-for-profit) as defined by M.G.L. c. 128, Section 1A
- Fisheries and Commercial Fishermen
- Aquaculture
- Buy Local Organizations
- Urban Agriculture and Community Farms that provide food for food insecure residents
- Farmers’ Markets
- Food Banks and Food Pantries
- Food System Organizations
- Massachusetts Food System Access Points/Retailers
- Community Gardens/Spaces
- Livestock and Poultry for Food Production
- Non-Profit Organizations
- Distribution and Transportation
- Municipalities and School Districts
- Colleges and Universities
- Community Organizations and services (including summer meal sites)
- Emergency Food Distribution Network
- Seafood Businesses (including not-for profit) as defined by M.G.L. c. 130, Section 80
- Seafood Dealers and Processors
- Technical Assistance Providers
- Value-Added (must identify MA-grown components)
- Small grocery stores, corner stores (under 50 full-and part-time employees)
- Partnerships and collaborations among multiple sectors
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects must be for capital improvements or the purchase of durable equipment and costs of labor in order to implement said projects. Competitive projects will demonstrate equity and food access for the most vulnerable households as core components of the proposal. In addition, we strongly encourage applicants to address food insecurity initiatives though multisector partnerships. The grant program acknowledges that some producers and meal distribution sites do not have sufficient infrastructure to provide direct-to-consumer sales or to get food to vulnerable and insecure communities and populations, which is creating food supply challenges across the state and exacerbating food insecurity for vulnerable populations. Therefore, this program will provide flexible resources to awardees to support efforts to strengthen the Commonwealth’s food system by providing greater access to local food, especially for those experiencing food insecurity.
Eligible projects will allow applicants to strengthen and improve the resiliency of the Commonwealth’s food system while allowing greater access to fresh, local food in a way that addresses systemic inequities. Projects will support immediate and long term needs of the Commonwealth’s local food system, including:
- Storage and processing equipment to expand local food production and distribution
- Facility adaptations and renovations to increase capacity
- Information technology needs
- Implementation of strategies l including multisector collaborations that connect local food production with food insecure communities and residents and increase food equity for all residents
- Regional projects that address or study systemic causes and impacts of food insecurity throughout the Commonwealth; and projects that intend to increase long-term resilience to drought or extreme weather events including
- The digging of new wells and surface ponds, expansion of existing wells and surface ponds, and services to support well maintenance and rehabilitation, with the necessary local and state regulatory approvals
- Water efficiency-related projects such as but not limited to, drip irrigation. Applicants are limited to one grant application
For more information, visit Project Bread.
