Apply now for Choose Iowa Value-Added Grants

The Choose Iowa Value-Added Grant Program exists to identify, evaluate, and financially support programs and services that add value to agricultural products, enable new technologies, and support alternative marketing strategies.

Donor Name: Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

State: Iowa

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 12/15/2023

Size of the Grant: $5,000

Details:

These cost-share grants leverage additional private investment and were created to assist Iowa farmers, businesses and non-profits with their efforts to increase or diversify their agricultural product offerings, expand markets and shorten the supply chain.

Value-added agriculture increases the value of raw commodity products through production, processing or manufacturing.

Funding Information

Maximum grant awards shall not exceed $25,000.

Applicants must provide a minimum of one-to-one (1:1) financial match from private sources such as cash, financing or other grant funds for total project costs. In-kind contributions are not accepted.
Example: An individual applying for a grant of $5,000 must provide at least $5,000 from other sources.
Additional points will be awarded to applicants that provide more than the required match amount.

Eligible Projects

Projects must:
- Increase sales of Iowa agricultural products by increasing production capacity or expanding market access for value-added projects
- Not be in progress until a grant is awarded
- Be completed in 12 months or less
- Be conducted in Iowa
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Purchase and installation of equipment used in the production of value-added agricultural products.
- On-farm store or commercial kitchen.
- Food hub development or expansion.
- Direct to consumer technology.
- Cooler walls and refrigeration units.
- Grading, packing, labeling, packaging or sorting equipment.
- Refrigerated trucks to access new markets.
- Food processing short courses and workshops.

Eligibility Criteria

Be an individual, business, agricultural cooperative, non-profit organization, or local government.
Be in good standing with the State of Iowa
Currently reside or conduct business in Iowa.

Ineligibility

Equipment and infrastructure for meat processing (funding available through IEDA).
Infrastructure for renewable fuels (funding available through IDALS-RFIP).
Dairy processing and dairy labor-reducing technology (funding available through IDALS-Dairy Innovation Fund)
Expenses incurred prior to grant award.
Start-up costs such as inventory, license fees, working capital, etc.
Costs associated with advertising, public relations, entertainment.
Employee wages and benefits.
Paying off existing debt, related collection costs or legal fees.
Paying off existing fines, penalties or settlements for failure to comply with laws or regulations.