Overview
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) has received funding from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) to expand capacity and market access for Vermont’s nonprofit food hubs. Funding will support two to eight food hubs to help with critical infrastructure needs, enabling hubs to support more farm and food businesses, expand their workforce, and advance their ongoing efforts to access larger metropolitan markets.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
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Have federal nonprofit status,
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Be located in Vermont, and
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Operate a food hub in Vermont.
The organization must be able to demonstrate they have federal grant experience and organizational capacity related to economic development.
Funding Priorities
Funding priorities include projects that demonstrate:
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Large infrastructure investments that will significantly increase the amount of Vermont products reaching new or expanded markets
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Increased capacity for food hubs to expand to large metropolitan markets outside of Vermont
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Increased sales to large-scale markets, measured in dollars and number of markets, both retail and wholesale, inside and outside of Vermont
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Increased purchasing from Vermont farm and food producers going to in state or out of state metropolitan markets
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Increased number of jobs and percentage of jobs at Vermont Livable Wage, which as of 2020 is $13.39/hour [1]
Award Information
Grants will range from $25,000 to $100,000 with available funding totaling $300,000. Applicants are required to have a 25% match of requested award, which can be cash or in-kind. Projects will run from Spring 2022 – Spring 2024 and are subject to both state and federal program provisions.
How to Apply
- Download the Food Hub Infrastructure Request for Applications (RFA)
- Review the WebGrants Application Guide.
If you have not previously registered in WebGrants, complete the registration form. User registrations are approved in 1–2 business days.
- Submit your application in WebGrants by February 25, 2022 at 2:00pm EST.
If you have any questions about your eligibility, project scope, or other aspects of your application, please do not hesitate to reach out.
[1] Vermont Legislative Joint Fiscal Office. 2021. Vermont Basic Needs Budgets And Livable Wage.