The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Grant Program offers designated grants for businesses and organizations operating in the middle of the food supply chain in Minnesota.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/03/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The purpose of the funding is to invest in infrastructure for aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food intended for human consumption, including specialty crops, dairy, grains, aquaculture, and other food products (except meat and poultry, which are funded through other programs).
Priorities
This grant program will prioritize:
- Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers as defined by the USDA, including Beginning; Socially Disadvantaged; Veterans; and Limited Resource
- Small and underserved business owners and other businesses that qualify under the Small Business Administration (SBA) categories of small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, and veteran-owned small business
- Projects that involve Minnesota-produced dairy, annual and perennial grains, fruits and vegetables, dry beans, or aquaculture.
This program will also focus on projects that:
- Offer family-supporting job quality and safe treatment of workers.
- Focus on small and medium-sized enterprises that add options and choices for consumers and producers, with an emphasis on value-added products.
- Demonstrate local support for the project.
- Support and benefit underserved communities.
- Are submitted by cooperatives or farmer-owned/worker-owned enterprises.
Funding Information
- MDA expects to award approximately $9.6 million in this round of grant funding using a competitive review process.
- The smallest award will be $100,000 and the largest will be $3 million. Although you may request up to $3 million, you should expect that very few, if any, applicants will receive the largest award amount. They expect to award between 25 and 40 grants, but the final number of grants will depend on the size of each grant award.
Uses of funds
MDA expects to award approximately $9.6 million in this round of grant funding using a competitive review process. The smallest award will be $100,000 and the largest will be $3 million. Although you may request up to $3 million, you should expect that very few, if any, applicants will receive the largest award amount. They expect to award between 25 and 40 grants, but the final number of grants will depend on the size of each grant award.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants must be operating middle-of-the-food-supply-chain activities for the benefit of local and regional producers. This includes aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of food meant for human consumption (but not meat or poultry). Eligible entities include:
- Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors (including cooperatives or associations)
- For-profit entities
- Nonprofit organizations
- Local and tribal governments
- Institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals that are bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or invest in equipment that will benefit middle-of-the-supply-chain activities for multiple producers.
For more information, visit MDA.
