The Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative is now accepting applications for its 2024 Supply Chain Impact Grants.
Donor Name: Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative
State: Vermont
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Matching Grants
Deadline: 01/19/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Funding Priorities
Applicants must demonstrate alignment with one of three funding priorities: 1) climate resiliency; 2) infrastructure, efficiency, and capacity; and 3) worker and food safety and product quality. Projects may include infrastructure or construction improvements, climate-smart investments, storage and distribution infrastructure, harvest/wash/pack systems, irrigation or heating/cooling systems, employee training and/or safety plan writing, on-farm processing infrastructure, and staff time related to project oversight. Retail-only operations, technical service providers, marketing, and research are ineligible. Hydroponic, fiber, hemp, cannabis, and grain projects are also ineligible.
Funding Information
- Up to $750,000 from State of Vermont Fiscal Year 2024 legislative appropriation.
- $50,000–$250,000 per award.
- Project Length: 24 months
Eligible Projects
Projects eligible for funding may relate to one or more of the following categories:
- Market development – professionalizing a marketing and/or branding approach to new or expanded markets; hiring a professional marketing/branding contractor to develop strategy and/or content; implementing the strategy and/or content developed by the contractor (e.g., branding, website, or social media development)
- Research and development – testing new systems or technology
- Infrastructure development – project-specific planning, permitting, engineering or architectural plans; building and equipment costs, including for labor and/or energy efficiency enhancements, such as lighting, refrigeration/cooling, heat pumps, solar panels, low-energy water management, ventilation systems, and/or energy generation; may include equipment installation and/or technical assistance costs
- Workforce training and development – technical skill training for staff, business management training, and/or business succession planning, including hiring a consultant to support any of these processes
Eligibility Criteria
- All structures are eligible (e.g., Partnerships, Limited Liability Corporations, Sole Proprietorships, Cooperatives, Corporations, S Corporations, L3Cs, B Corporations, and/or non-profits that are involved in the support of production of agriculture and/or forest products).
- All legally incorporated enterprises must be based in Vermont and registered with the Secretary of State. Sole proprietors using a business name other than their own name must have their assumed business name (formerly known as a trade name) registered with the Secretary of State.
- Applicants must be in compliance with all state regulations (i.e. water quality, taxes) and in good standing with the State of Vermont.
- Previous recipients of Working Lands Business Enhancement Grants, Service Provider Grants, or Producer Association Grants are eligible to apply for the Supply Chain Impact Grant this year.
- Previous recipients of past Supply Chain/Market Level Impact Grants or the ARPA-Funded Primary Producer Impact Grant are eligible to re-apply three years after receiving their previous grant, meaning 2021 and earlier grantees can re-apply this year.
- Businesses who have been in operation prior to January 2020 and that are primary producers of farm or forest products may choose to apply for the ARPA-Funded Primary Producer Impact Grant instead of this Supply Chain Impact Grant. The grant dollar amounts and the eligible costs are the same for both grants.
For more information, visit VWLEI.
