The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (Department) is seeking applications for the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Equipment-only Program (RFSI).
Donor Name: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
State: Maine
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/28/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The purpose of the Maine RFSI Equipment-only program is to build resilience across Maine’s middle of the food supply chain. Funds will support expanded capacity for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of Maine-produced food and beverage products within 5 targeted agricultural product categories:
- Foods and beverages inclusive of 51% or more specialty crops (farm cultivated and processed for human food consumption);
- Foods and beverages inclusive of 51% or more Maine dairy or eggs;
- Food and beverages inclusive of 51% or more Maine grains intended for human consumption;
- Foods and beverages inclusive of 51% or more Maine farmed aquaculture;
- Maine specialty food and beverages products produced with 51% or more Maine-grown and harvested ingredients OR specialty foods and beverages that include one or more Maine-grown and harvested ingredients but are unable to be manufactured with 51% or more Maine grown and harvested ingredients.
Funding Information
The Department anticipates making multiple awards of no less than $10,000 and no more than $100,000 each as a result of this RFA process.
Grant Period
Contracts are estimated to start on or after March 1, 2025, and must be completed by May 24, 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
All applicant businesses and organizations must be domestically owned, and applicants’ facilities must be physically located in Maine. Applicants doing business along the state’s border or have locations in multiple states should only apply in one state to avoid duplication of federal funds. Applicants who have received prior state or federal funding are eligible to apply for RFSI funding for specific equipment that will not be funded through other state or federal funds. The applicant must be the entity primarily responsible for operating, maintaining, and reporting on the proposed special purpose equipment.
Entities eligible for RFSI Equipment-only grants are:
- Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors (applicants must indicate if they are for-profit or a nonprofit organization).
- Nonprofit organizations operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, and distribution of targeted agricultural products.
- For-profit entities operating middle of the supply chain activities such as processing, aggregation, or distribution of targeted agricultural products, whose activities are primarily focused on the benefit of local and regional producers and that meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards.
- For-profit entities must meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards matched to industries described in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
- Local government entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, and distribution of targeted agricultural products.
- Tribal governments operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, and distribution of targeted agricultural products.
- Institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or invest in equipment that will benefit multiple producers in middle-of-the-supply chain activities such as processing, aggregation, and distribution of targeted agricultural products.
For more information, visit DACF.
