Up to $3,000,000 in grants are available for U.S. AGRICULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE!
The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) aims to enhance the resilience of the middle of the State's food supply chain for various food crops. This program will provide financial support to expand the infrastructure and operations involved in aggregating, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distributing locally and regionally produced food products, excluding meat and poultry. The program operates through cooperative agreements between the State Department of Agriculture and USDA, with funds allocated to domestic food and farm businesses and other eligible entities.
Funding Overview
Total Funding Allocation: Up to $420 million available through the American Rescue Plan (ARP).
Minimum Funding Allocation: AMS provides at least $2 million to each state and jurisdiction.
Infrastructure Grant Amounts: Applicants can request between $100,000 and $3 million.
Cost Share or Match Requirement: State Departments of Agriculture have no cost share requirement. Infrastructure Grant Recipients must contribute a match of 50% or 25% for eligible entities.
Eligibility Requirements
The following entities are eligible to apply for funding under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program:
State Departments of Agriculture: The lead State agency in each State, including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Relevant State Agencies: AMS encourages State Departments of Agriculture to partner with at least one additional relevant state agency to enhance the effectiveness of the program. These relevant state agencies may also apply for funding in collaboration with the lead State agency.
State Departments of Agriculture: The lead State agency in each State, including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Relevant State Agencies: AMS encourages State Departments of Agriculture to partner with at least one additional relevant state agency to enhance the effectiveness of the program. These relevant state agencies may also apply for funding in collaboration with the lead State agency.
Eligible Activities
Eligible Activities through this program are as follows:
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Expansion of Capacity: Increasing capacity for aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transportation, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food products, excluding meat and poultry.
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Modernization: Modernizing manufacturing processes, tracking systems, storage facilities, and information technology systems.
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Worker Safety: Enhancing worker safety through the adoption of new technologies or investments in equipment or facility improvements.
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Compliance: Improving the capacity of entities to comply with federal, state, and local food safety requirements.
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Training: Supporting operations through training opportunities.
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Facility Construction: Supporting the construction of new facilities or the modernization and expansion of existing ones.
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Wastewater Management: Construction of wastewater management structures.
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Equipment Modernization: Modernizing processing and manufacturing equipment.
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Green Initiatives: Developing, customizing, or installing equipment that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases water use efficiency, improves air and/or water quality, and aligns with USDA's climate action goals.
Deadline
