The Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative is requesting applications for the 2024 Primary Producer Impact Grant Program.
Donor Name: Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative
State: Vermont
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/19/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Funding Priorities
Applicants must demonstrate alignment with one of three funding priorities: 1) climate resiliency; 2) infrastructure, efficiency, and capacity; and 3) worker and food safety and product quality. Projects may include infrastructure or construction improvements, climate-smart investments, storage and distribution infrastructure, harvest/wash/pack systems, irrigation or heating/cooling systems, employee training and/or safety plan writing, on-farm processing infrastructure, and staff time related to project oversight. Retail-only operations, technical service providers, marketing, and research are ineligible. Hydroponic, fiber, hemp, cannabis, and grain projects are also ineligible.
Funding Information
- Up to $913,000 from Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds appropriated by the Vermont legislature to the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative.
- $50,000–$250,000 per award.
- Project Length: 24 months
Eligible Projects
Projects eligible for funding may relate to one or more of the following categories:
- 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
- Infrastructure development – project-specific planning, permitting, engineering or architectural plans; building and equipment costs, including for labor and/or energy efficiency enhancements, such as lighting, refrigeration/cooling, heat pumps, solar panels, low-energy water management, ventilation systems, and/or energy generation; may include equipment installation and/or technical assistance costs
- Workforce training and development – technical skill training for staff, business management training, and/or business succession planning, including hiring a consultant to support any of these processes.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant organizations/businesses must be based in Vermont.
- 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).
- All legally incorporated enterprises must be registered with the VT Secretary of State. Sole proprietors using a business name other than their own name must have their assumed business name (formerly known as a trade name) registered with the Secretary of State.
- Applicants must be in compliance with all state regulations (i.e. water quality, taxes) and in good standing with the State of Vermont.
- Businesses must have been operational prior to January 2020.
- Only primary producers of farm or forest products are eligible to apply for the ARPA-Funded Primary Producer Impact Grant. Examples of eligible primary production activities are farming, livestock rearing, sugaring, dairy, and logging. Applicants will need to provide a narrative description of their primary production activities and submit one of the following documents to confirm their status as a primary producer:
- Profit and loss statement from 2021 showing revenue from primary production activity.
- Filed 2021 Schedule F Profit of Loss from Farming tax return form. Available to farmers.
- And, if available, submit one of the following:
- State issued registration or license that captures primary producer status (e.g., Farm registration; Produce program registration; Water quality designations for Medium Farm Operation (MFO), Large Farm Operation (LFO), or Certified Small Farm Operations (CSFO))
- Registration with the Secretary of State that shows NAICS Code 11.
- While typically the forest industry includes sawmills and other primary wood manufacturing as primary production, from the forest sector only businesses involved in harvesting timber are eligible for this grant because of federal definitions of primary production.
- Primary producers can use grant funds to invest in market development, infrastructure, and workforce development initiatives that advance their usage of primary products they have produced. Grant funds can be used for investments in processing primary products.
- Applicants will need to demonstrate how their business experienced a negative economic impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., experienced an increased operational cost, decreased revenue or gross receipts, increased costs, challenges covering payroll, or other harm that can be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic). Grant funds must be used to support your businesses recover from the economic harm experienced. Additionally, a business that received the Vermont COVID-19 Agriculture Assistance Program (VCAAP) must use these grant funds for a different scope of work.
- Previous Working Lands Standard Business and COVID-19 Response Business Development grantees are eligible to apply for this grant.
- Previous Working Lands Supply Chain Impact, Market Level Infrastructure Impact, or Meat Slaughter and Processing Development Grants are eligible to apply for further Working Lands funding after three years, meaning that Fiscal Year 2021 and earlier grantees in those categories are eligible to apply this year.
- Secondary processors/producers looking for larger dollar amount grants should apply for the Supply Chain Impact Grant.
- Primary producers looking for smaller dollar amount grants should apply for the Business Enhancement Grant.
For more information, visit VWLEI.
