Deadline: 2-May-23
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for the fiscal year 2023 Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP).
LFPP’s purpose is to support the development, coordination, and expansion of local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer-to-consumer marketing to increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. AMS will competitively award grants to eligible applicants for projects that meet the purpose of the grant program.
Goals
- The primary goals are to:
- Connect and cultivate regional food economies through public-private partnerships;
- Support the development of business plans, feasibility studies, and strategies for value-added agricultural products and local and regional food system infrastructure;
- Strengthen capacity and regional food system development through community collaboration and expansion of mid-tier value chains;
- Improve income and economic opportunities for producers and food businesses through job creation; and
- Simplify the application and the reporting processes for the grants administered under the Program.
Purpose
- LFPP funds projects that develop, coordinate, and expand local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer to consumer marketing to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. The program focuses on:
- Supporting the processing, aggregation, distribution, and storage of local and regional food products that are marketed locally or regionally, including value-added agricultural products;
- Encouraging the development of value-added agricultural products;
- Assisting with business development plans and feasibility studies;
- Developing marketing strategies for producers of local food and value-added products;
- Facilitating regional food chain coordination and mid-tier value chain development;
- Promoting new business opportunities and marketing strategies to reduce on-farm food waste;
- Responding to changing technology needs in indirect producer-to-consumer marketing; and
- Covering expenses related to cost incurred in obtaining food safety certification and improvements to food safety practices and equipment.
Priority Areas
- Priority consideration may be given to projects located in low income/low food access (LI/LA) census tracts as defined. AMS does not require applicants to conduct projects in priority areas to be eligible to apply or receive grant funds.
- To qualify for low income/low food access (LI/LA) priority consideration, the project’s implementation address must be in a LI/LA census tract, as defined by the four major map layers on the ERS Food Access Research Atlas. “Implementation address” refers to the street address or census tract location within the targeted community where the applicant plans to conduct or deliver approved project activities.
- The applicant must provide its census tract(s) for at least one LI/LA address (priority area). If your organization or business is located in and/or primarily serves at least one LI/LA community, your application will be considered under this priority area.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $61,800,000
- Award Ceiling: $750,000
- Award Floor: $25,000.
Project Types
- LFPP offers Planning, Implementation, Farm to Institution, and Turnkey Marketing and Promotion project types:
- Planning Project: Planning projects are used in the planning stages of developing, coordinating, or expanding a food business that supports locally and regionally produced agricultural products and food system infrastructure.
- Implementation Project: Implementation projects are used to establish a new food enterprise or market channel or to improve or expand an existing food enterprise or market channel that supports locally and regionally produced agricultural products and food system infrastructure.
- Farm to Institution: Farm to Institution projects support the development, coordination, and expansion of institutional markets or institutional food service operations. They may plan and facilitate supply chains and develop relationships between local and regional producers, processors, intermediaries, and institutional markets or institutional food services operations, such as dining facilities within pre-K through grade 12 schools, college, university, hospital, local government, tribal, and state agency cafeterias or meal programs.
- Turnkey Marketing and Promotion: Turnkey Marketing and Promotion projects are intended to offer a streamlined approach to some of the most common LFPP grant activities related to the marketing and promotion of local and regional food projects. Applicants applying to the Turnkey Marketing and Promotion track agree to conduct specific activities defined by AMS that support the marketing and promotion of intermediated producer-toconsumer market opportunities.
Eligibility Criteria
- All applicants must be domestic entities owned, operated, and located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or Tribal Governments.
Ineligible
- Projects are not eligible for consideration if the proposed activities:
- Are not related to local and regional food system activities.
- Are for agricultural production related expenses, including crop production and the purchase of farm equipment, tools, materials, supplies, and other related costs
- Benefit only one agricultural producer, vendor, or individual. Applicants must collaborate with others to benefit the larger community.
- Are to purchase land, or for construction of a building or structure.
- Intend to register, train, and/or educate customers about Food Assistance Programs such as SNAP, WIC, etc. (other than how they can use those benefits at the market)
- Depend upon the completion of another project or the receipt of another grant.
- Include legal fees and other costs associated with establishing a business or organization.
- Duplicate activities in a project that has received funding from another Federal award program, including the Farmers Market Promotion Program.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.