Applicants are invited to apply for Round 2 of the 2023 Keeping It Cool Grant-Business.
Donor Name: Capital Impact Partners
State: Maryland, Virginia
County: Arlington County (VA), City of Alexandria (VA), City of Fairfax (VA), Montgomery County (MD), Prince Georges County (MD)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/10/2023
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Keeping It Cool Grant Program will provide $425,000 in grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to support cold storage infrastructure and equipment needs of food businesses growing, processing, distributing, or selling food products in the Washington, DC region. Eligible locations include Arlington, VA; Alexandria, VA; Fairfax County, VA; Montgomery County, MD; Prince George’s County, MD; and Washington, DC. The grant will provide funding for investments in cold storage equipment, refrigeration infrastructure, and innovative cooling solutions.
Funding for this grant has been generously provided by The Morningstar Foundation. The Keeping It Cool Grant Program is also affiliated with the Nourish DC Collaborative, which partners with the Government of the District of Columbia to provide technical assistance, loans, and grants to support locally owned DC food businesses. Capital Impact Partners, a Community Development Financial Institution headquartered in the DMV and fund manager of the Nourish DC Collaborative, will administer this grant program.
Preference will be given to businesses:
- With budgets less than $1.5 million
- That are growing, processing, selling and/or distributing healthy food. Healthy food is defined as whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy foods, lean meats and poultry (fresh, refrigerated, frozen or canned) that have low or no added sugars.
- That are growing, processing, selling and/or distributing culturally relevant food. Culturally relevant food is defined as food that reflects the preferences and cultural contexts of a specific community.
- That are growing, processing, selling and/or distributing food in low-income, low-access food areas. A low-income, low-access food area is defined as a low-income census tract with at least 500 people, or 33% of the population, living more than one mile (urban areas) or ten miles (rural areas) from the nearest supermarket, supercenter, or large grocery store. The USDA Food Access Research Atlas will be used by the reviewers to determine low-income, low-access food areas.
- With programs, partnerships, and/or collaborations working to address the root causes of food insecurity or having a systemic, positive impact on regional food production and availability
- With food waste reduction programs in place
Eligible uses of grant funds include, but are not limited to:
- Increased or updated refrigeration or freezer space
- Increased or updated refrigerated display cases
- Cold storage-related technology such as monitoring equipment
- Refrigerated vehicles
- Real estate acquisition related to cold storage
- Physical or electrical infrastructure to support cold storage upgrades
- Expert cold storage design or engineering consultation
- Payroll and marketing expenses are NOT eligible uses
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this grant, a business must:
- Grow, process, distribute, or sell food products
- Have a physical location in Arlington, VA; Alexandria, VA; Fairfax County, VA; Montgomery County, MD; Prince George’s County, MD; or Washington, DC
- Be a registered business for six months or more
- Have generated $25,000 or more of gross revenue from sales from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023
- Use grant funds to support the food-related cold storage needs of the business
- Not have received a Keeping It Cool – Round 1 grant
For more information, visit Capital Impact Partners.
