The Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative is requesting applications for its 2025 Business Enhancement Grants.
Donor Name: Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative
State: Vermont
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/12/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Funding Information
- $620,000 is available to award.
- Award amounts $10,000 – $50,000.
Grant Period
12 months (April 2025-March 2026).
Eligible Projects
Projects eligible for funding may relate to one or more of the following categories:
- Infrastructure development – project-specific planning, permitting, engineering or architectural plans; building and equipment costs, including labor; may include equipment installation and/or technical assistance costs. For this year (FY25), farmworker housing projects are NOT eligible. In the past, farmworker housing projects were funded through a one-time special allocation from the legislature. If more funds are available in the future, farmworker housing may become eligible again.
- Market development – professionalizing a marketing and/or branding approach to new or expanded markets; hiring a professional marketing/branding contractor to develop strategy and/or content; implementing the strategy and/or content developed by the contractor (e.g., branding, website, or social media development).
- Research and development – testing new systems or technology, including purchasing new animal genetics and new root, seed, or nursery stock.
- Workforce training and development – technical skill training for staff.
Eligibility Criteria
This grant is for Vermont working lands businesses/organizations, which include farm and forest products businesses. Some food businesses/organizations, as well as agriculture or wood processing and/or distribution businesses can be eligible if they meet the requirements below. Any food, processing, or distribution applicant must make their Vermont product sourcing clear in the application.
Due to limited funds available, this year the Business Enhancement Grant is focused on working landscape businesses producing food, fiber, and forest/wood products. Please see the bullets below for further eligibility guidelines. If more funds are available in future years, agricultural businesses and projects related to non-food and fiber products may be eligible for funding.
- Farms Producing Food & Fiber Products
- Farms within agricultural sectors producing food (for animal or human consumption) and/or fiber products are eligible: hay and forage crops; hemp grown outdoors for fiber or ingestible CBD products; herbs; honey; hops; fruit; legumes; livestock for dairy, meat, and/or fiber; poultry; maple; nut trees; mushrooms grown outdoors; vegetables; and viticulture. Any size farm in these sectors is eligible.
- Because this grant is focused on food and fiber agricultural products, projects related to the following sectors are NOT eligible: cannabis; Christmas trees; equine; flowers; hemp grown for topical CBD products; and horticulture crops.
- Businesses that exclusively grow food or other agricultural products indoors (such as hydroponics, aquaculture, or indoor mushroom production) are NOT eligible.
- Forest Product Businesses
- Logging businesses, sawmills, firewood producers, or any other primary forestry business that uses Vermont-grown logs, pulpwood, veneer, wood chips, bark, pilings, etc. are all eligible.
- Secondary wood businesses, such as woodworkers or manufacturers, pellet mills, etc. are eligible. Secondary wood businesses will be asked to identify the species mix of wood and the known origin of wood products used by the business. Secondary wood businesses that source more wood from Vermont will receive higher scores than those that do not source wood from Vermont. Businesses will need to estimate the percent and dollar value of wood sourced from within and outside Vermont.
- Wood product trucking and distribution businesses that transport Vermont produced wood products are eligible. To be competitive, businesses will need to provide the percent and dollar value of Vermont-produced wood products distributed.
- Agricultural Processing, Distribution, and Food Businesses
- Value-added food or fiber businesses that source at least 50% of raw ingredients from Vermont OR are applying for a Working Lands grant to significantly increase use of ingredients sourced from Vermont to at least 50% are eligible. Businesses need to provide the percent, dollar value, and source of Vermont-produced ingredients.
- Businesses that produce “unique food products” are NOT eligible unless the business will use grant funds to increase production of raw ingredients in Vermont. Unique food products are defined as processed food made from ingredients that are not regularly produced in Vermont or are not available in sufficient quantities to meet production requirements.
- Agricultural product trucking and distribution businesses that transport Vermont produced food and/or fiber products are eligible. This includes both non-profit food hubs and for-profit distribution businesses that are focused on strengthening the agricultural Vermont supply chain. To be competitive, businesses will need to provide the percent, dollar value, and source of Vermont-produced food and/or fiber products distributed.
- Retail businesses that primarily sell Vermont-produced food and/or fiber products are eligible. To be competitive, businesses will need to provide the percent, dollar value, and source of Vermont-produced food and/or fiber products sold.
For more information, visit VWLEI.
