The State of Vermont is accepting applications for grants to grow the economies, cultures, and communities of Vermont’s working landscape.
Donor Name: Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative
State: Vermont
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/23/2022
Size of the Grant: $20,000
Grant Duration: 18 months
Details:
Approximately 20% of Vermont’s working landscape is used for agricultural purposes, and 75% is forested. Vermont prospers and its unique sense of place thrives because of intelligent investments in the people and enterprises that comprise its farm, food, and forest-based systems. Strong community engagement and support for the farm and forest sectors leads to enhanced quality of life for Vermont citizens and working lands business owners. The mission of the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative is to grow the economies, cultures, and communities of Vermont’s working landscape. The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) achieves this by making essential, catalytic investments in critical leverage points of the Vermont farm and forest economy and facilitating policy development to optimize the agricultural and forest use of Vermont lands.
Service Provider Grant projects will include the provision of direct and indirect services to support the development of Vermont-based working lands businesses through technical assistance and other forms of support, which may cover topic(s) such as:
- Market development, marketing plans, and sales;
- Business and financial planning;
- Business responses to COVID-19;
- Enterprise transitions for next generation business owners and post succession;
- Access to capital;
- Manufacturing efficiencies or process flow;
- Business research and development
- Workforce development, professional engagement training;
- Import substitution, assistance to businesses emphasizing or exploring Vermont production to fill in or address gaps (packaging, ingredients, etc.) along forest and agriculture supply chains.
Funding Information
- Minimum Award – $10,000
- Maximum Award – $20,000
Project Length
- 18 months
Eligibility Criteria
- Service provider organizations must be based in Vermont and registered with the Secretary of State at the time of application submission.
- 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).
- Applicants must be in compliance with all state regulations (i.e., water quality, taxes, child support) and in good standing with the State of Vermont at the time of applying and must remain so during the entire grant period.
For more information, visit State of Vermont.
