The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) is offering a grant opportunity to promote the expansion of value-added agriculture production, processing, develop food systems, and healthy food access within the state to enhance Michigan’s food and agriculture industry.
Donor Name: Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
State: Michigan
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/24/2022
Size of the Grant: $100,000
Grant Duration: 18 months
Details:
The Value-Added and Regional Food Systems Grant Program are designed to help retain, expand, attract, or develop agricultural processing in Michigan through targeted investments in technology and equipment, feasibility studies, healthy food access, regional food systems, and urban agriculture.
Funding Areas
Funding will be focused on the following types of projects:
- Food hub development
- Food access, including access to fresh/nutritional foods
- Value-added food processing
- Innovation and equipment
- Technical assistance, including feasibility studies that lead to jobs/investment
- Outreach and training.
Funding Information
- Grants will be awarded a maximum amount of $100,000.
- Grantees will be eligible for reimbursement up to three (3) times at specified dates, during the 18-month grant cycle, with the final reimbursement provided at the completion of the project.
Grant Criteria
- Applicants must provide a minimum 30% match.
- The match is 30% of the grant amount you are requesting. For example, if you are requesting a $100,000 grant, you must provide a matching amount of at least $30,000 making the total project amount $130,000. If you are requesting a $50,000 grant, you must provide a matching amount of at least $15,000 making the total project amount $65,000.
- A cash match is required, and in-kind contributions will not be counted as part of the required match.
- Salaries may only be included as cash matches. Applicant must demonstrate that the time and salaries included were directly spent to support the project seeking grant funding.
- Travel costs are only allowed under match funds.
- Match Commitment- The funds being provided under this grant require the Grantee to provide a funding match in order to secure disbursement of funding. Project costs, grant amount, and match amount committed by the Grantee are identified in the Project Budget included in the Grant Agreement. If a Grantee fails to provide the match amount identified in the Grant Agreement, or If the total project cost for a completed project is less than the amount identified in the Grant Agreement, which leads to a reduction of the match amount, the Grantor may reduce the grant amount. The amount of this reduction will be communicated to the Grantee before a final grant payment is made to the Grantee. If total project costs are less than what is included in the Project Budget in the Grant Agreement, the Grantor will typically reduce the grant payment amount to a level that equals the percentage of the project identified in the proposed Project Budget that would have been funded by the grant payment. Under no circumstances will a grant payment be made if the Grantee fails to provide at least a 30 percent match.
- Only one proposal per applicant will be considered. Your organization may be a partner on more than one application.
- If you have received an MDARD Value Added & Regional Food Systems Grant in the last two years, you are not eligible for this grant round.
- Applicants must use the provided application form, and all sections must be complete to be considered for review.
- Up to 10%, Administrative Cost is allowed if the grantee is a non-profit. Administrative costs are the grantee’s allowable direct costs for the overall management of the grant.
- All applicants must be registered as a vendor in the Vendor Self Serv system with the State of Michigan prior to submitting an application.
- This grant is a cost-reimbursement program. Grantees are responsible for costs until proper reports/invoices/receipts are received and reviewed.
- Each grantee will be required to submit written reports and appropriate financial documentation to MDARD for payment. Grantees may also be required to report on the outcomes and impact of their grant for a period of time (up to three years) after the grant period ends.
For more information, visit Value Added & Regional Food Systems Grants.
