The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program is designed to develop and administer state-coordinated initiatives that enhance resilience in the middle-of-the-supply-chain operations while strengthening local and regional food systems.
Donor Name: Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI)
Territory: U.S. Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/30/2025
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
The goal of the program is to create more and better processing options for local and regional producers across the food supply chain. The USVI RFSI Program, prioritizes expanding capacity and infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of locally and regionally produced food products (excluding meat, poultry, and wild-caught seafood, among others).
In partnership with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), CFVI will conduct a competitive solicitation process to distribute funds. The Equipment Only Grant Program will provide support to projects expanding middle-of-the-food-supply-chain capacity for locally and regionally produced foods and offer more and better market opportunities and new streams of revenue to small and mid-sized agricultural producers, including those who may not have access to value-added opportunities or processing to meet market demand for premium or value-added products, such as underserved producers.
Funding Priorities
- Territorial funding priorities based on community outreach:
- Expand capacity for processing, aggregation and distribution of agricultural products to create more and better markets for producers;
- Improve the capacity of entities to comply with federal, state, and local food safety requirements;
- Modernize processing and manufacturing equipment
- Federal funding priorities:
- Underserved farmers and ranchers
- New and beginning farmers and ranchers
- Veteran producers
- Processors and other middle of the supply chain businesses owned by socially disadvantaged individuals, as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
- The RFSI program will focus on funding projects that:
- Expand capacity for processing, aggregation and distribution of agricultural products to create more and better markets for producers;
- Modernize manufacturing, tracking, storage, and information technology systems;
- Enhance worker safety through adoption of new technologies or investment in equipment or facility improvements;
- Improve the capacity of entities to comply with federal, state, and local food safety requirements;
- Modernize processing and manufacturing equipment; and
- Develop, customize, or install equipment that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases efficiency in water use, improves.
Funding Information
The Infrastructure Grant Program will provide up to $500,000 in funding and the Simplified Equipment-Only Grant Program will provide an additional $1,000,000.
Grant Period
The period of performance will begin on September 1, 2025 and must end on or before December 31, 2025. Equipment must be purchased by December 31, 2025.
Allowable Activities
Allowable activities or tasks that could be part of such projects may include:
- Purchasing special purpose equipment, including the purchase of special purpose equipment for institutions or others that will benefit multiple producers through middle of the supply chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution of targeted agricultural product;
- Purchase of drying equipment, freezing equipment, freezer, or cold storage;
- Purchase of a special use vehicle to transport items post-harvest.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility is open to domestically owned entities with facilities physically located within the territory of the US Virgin Islands, including:
- Agricultural producers or processors, and groups thereof;
- Nonprofit organizations engaged in middle-of-the-supply-chain activities, such as processing, aggregation, and distribution of designated agricultural products;
- For-profit entities involved in middle-of-the-supply-chain activities like processing, aggregation, or distribution of designated agricultural products, with a primary focus on local and regional producer benefit, that meet SBA small business size standards;
- Local government entities participating in middle-of-the-supply-chain activities, such as processing, aggregation, and distribution of designated agricultural products;
- Tribal governments engaged in middle-of-the-supply-chain activities, such as processing, aggregation, and distribution of designated agricultural products; and
- Institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals that facilitate collaboration among producers or invest in equipment to benefit multiple producers in middle-of-the-supply-chain activities, including processing, aggregation, and distribution of designated agricultural product.
For more information, visit CFVI.
