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USDA Department: Regional Food Business Center, administered through the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation
Awards Range: $15,000-$100,000
Match: No
Intended applicants: Any small- or mid-size food or farm businesses that are making or harvesting food for human consumption and participating in post-harvest activities. Depending on the funding track, farm and food businesses with $1M or less in annual sales or $350,000 or less in annual sales are eligible to apply. Eligible entities may include:
1. Start-up businesses
2. Farmers, ranchers and fishermen
3. Meat processors
4. Food producers and value-added product producers
5. Aggregators and Distributors
6. Shared-used kitchens
7. Herb-growers or processors
8. Food businesses' training operations
Unique Entity ID: Applicants must either present a valid Unique Entity ID (UEI) or provide proof that they are in progress of obtaining a UEI at the point of application submission. Explore the Application Checklist for resources on obtaining a UEI.
Summary: The Business Builder sub-award program will equip small- and mid-sized farm and food businesses with funding to develop and amplify regional supply chains. In the first funding round, the Center anticipates distributing around $10 million and between 180 and 350 awards.
Generally, items and activities that support post-harvest business development and capacity building to increase market access are eligible. Some examples of this include:
1. Walk-in coolers and freezers
2. Commercial kitchen equipment
3. Post-harvest processing or food safety equipment
4. Marketing, product development or branding costs
5. Business planning or strategy planning
6. Packaging and labeling expenses
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