August 25, 2021 / Montpelier, VT - The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) is releasing a request for proposal that allows non-profit organizations or for-profit organizations (hereafter referred to as applicants) to apply for contracts in specific service area(s), identified by the Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB). Funding of multi-year projects is contingent on future state budget allocations, in addition to funding decisions of the Working Lands Enterprise Board. Proposals can focus on one service area (or apply to both in same proposal) for FY2022 proposals.
Each awarded contract will have a one-year time frame, with a minimum award of $50,000 and not to exceed $100,000, with the option of up to two (2) one-year contract renewals conditional upon funding, performance, and Working Lands Enterprise Board discretion. Applicants may cite any or all focus areas in their proposal. The Working Lands Enterprise Board appreciates both breadth and focus of work, thus will not give advantage to proposals which include multiple focus areas.
The primary service areas are:
a) Building Executive Business Skills and
b) Increasing Marketing Skills.
Both contracts shall provide services for the benefit of working lands businesses (farm, food, and forest enterprises) that existing programs and providers have previously struggled to reach. The WLEB encourages the entrepreneur’s understanding of the value and needed prioritization of executive and marketing business skills to augment viable businesses. To review proposal, click here: FY22 WLEF Building Executive Business and Marketing Skills Request For Proposal.
Proposals are due by 5pm, on Wednesday, September 29th, 2021, and can be sent to Lynn Ellen Schimoler, Program Lead, in a single .pdf file to LynnEllen.Schimoler@vermont.gov. Proposals will be reviewed in September and October of 2021 by the Working Lands Enterprise Board. Project decisions will be communicated in November 2021.
The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) and governing board (WLEB) were created by the legislature in 2012 to stimulate economic development in the agricultural and forestry sectors. WLEI is a collaborative effort between the Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, Department of Forest, Parks, and Recreation, and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
The next funding opportunity round for businesses to apply opens on September 10th, 2021. Please visit https://workinglands.vermont.gov/ to find out more.
For questions please contact:
Lynn Ellen Schimoler
VAAFM Senior Agricultural Business Development | Working Lands Enterprise Initiative
LynnEllenSchimoler@vermont.gov | 802-622-4477
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.