The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets announces the availability of Specialty Crop Producer Association Grant funds to establish or strengthen producer associations and cooperatives that serve Vermont specialty crop businesses.
Donor Name: Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
State: Vermont
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 02/27/2022
Size of the Grant: $300,000
Grant Duration: 24 Months
Details:
Purpose
Projects should focus on establishing or strengthening producer associations and cooperatives that serve Vermont specialty crop businesses.
Funding Information
- There is no minimum or maximum award; however, they expect to award approximately $300,000 to support producer associations.
- Projects can be funded for up to 24 months (2 years).
Funding Priorities
- Producer collaboration—including establishing or strengthening producer associations and cooperatives
- Responding to priority needs relating to COVID-19 impacts.
Eligible Projects
- Projects must be supported by and address the needs of Vermont specialty crop producers.
- Specialty Crop Producer Association Grants must enhance the competitiveness of U.S. or U.S. territory-grown specialty crops in domestic or foreign markets. Visit What is a Specialty Crop? for a list of eligible commodities.
If matching funds will be used to ensure all grant funds enhance the competitiveness of eligible specialty crops, you must keep adequate records to identify and document the specific costs or contributions proposed to meet the match, the source of funding or contribution, and document how the valuation was determined. - Applicants must identify at least one outcome measure (see Appendix A) that specifically demonstrates the project’s impact in enhancing the competitiveness of eligible specialty crops.
- They will not award funds to an entity to compete unfairly with private companies that provide equivalent products or services.
- Projects where one organization specifically attempts to disparage the mission, goals, and/or actions of another organization are unallowable.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants:
- Producer associations, cooperatives, and groups of three or more producers/businesses
- Nonprofit or for-profit service providers that serve producer associations, cooperatives, and groups of three or more producers/businesses.
For more information, visit Specialty Crop Producer Association Grant.
