Resilient Food Systems SIMPLIFIED EQUIPMENT-ONLY Grant

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Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program Background Information

The Resilient Food System Infrastructure Program is being funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), through a cooperative agreement with the District of Columbia Executive Office of the Mayor - Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED). Capital Impact Partners is the grant administrator for the District of Columbia (District or D.C.) and will conduct a competitive solicitation to award a total of $1.4 million of RFSI funds to projects that maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. Projects should support infrastructure and equipment in the middle of the supply chain for District food and farm businesses and other eligible entities.

The purpose of the RFSI program is to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain, provide more and better markets to small farms and food businesses, support the development of value-added products for consumers, encourage fair prices and fair wages, and create new and safe job opportunities. 

Middle-of-the-Food-Supply-Chain Definition

The USDA defines the middle of the food supply chain as activities that take place after the production of an agricultural product but before the product is sold to consumers. These activities include food aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of regionally produced food products between leaving the field and entering the consumer marketplace. 

Food products supported by the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program include specialty crops, dairy, grains for human consumption, aquaculture, and other food products, excluding meat, poultry, and wild-caught seafood. This program does not support growing crops or direct food sales to consumers.

Entities Eligible for RFSI Grants 

  • Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors conducting middle-of-the-supply-chain aggregation, processing, or distribution of targeted agricultural products;
  • Nonprofit organizations operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as aggregation, processing, or distribution of targeted agricultural products;
  • For-profit entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as aggregation, processing, or distribution of targeted agricultural products, whose activities are primarily focused for the benefit of local and regional producers, and that meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards are eligible, (SBA’s Size Standards webpage); and 
  • Eligible entities must have a physical location in the District of Columbia. 

RFSI Simplified Equipment-Only funding priorities for the District will include food projects that:

  • Expand capacity for aggregation, processing, or distribution;
  • Modernize manufacturing, tracking, and storage through information technologies; and
  • Upgrade or install cold storage equipment to increase supply chain resilience. 

RFSI funds will support two different grant types: Infrastructure Grants and Simplified Equipment-Only Grants. An applicant can receive either a RFSI Infrastructure Grant OR a Simplified Equipment-Only Grant. An applicant can apply for both grants, but only one type of grant will be awarded to an enterprise. 

RFSI Simplified Equipment-Only Grants

  • Award size is $10,000 to $100,000;
  • Matching funds are not required;
  • More than one piece of specialty equipment may be funded if all equipment purchases are directly related to the same primary purpose and all equipment purchases total between $10,000 to $100,000.

RFSI Simplified Equipment-Only Grants Timeline

  • Grant Submission:  November 19, 2024 - January 12, 2025
  • Grant Competitive Review:  January - February 2025
  • Approved Applications Submitted to USDA:  March 2025
  • Final decisions:  No earlier than July 1, 2025
  • RFSI Funding Period Begins:  No earlier than August 1, 2025
  • Grant Period Ends:  When grant fund expenditures are approved  

Grant Application Support

Grant Informational Webinars

In-Person Office Hours 

Schedule: https://outlook.office365.com/book/InnoED@o365.dc.gov/ 

  • December 4, 2024 @ 2pm - 5pm EST
  • December 11, 2024 @ 2pm - 5pm EST
  • January 8, 2025 @ 1pm - 4pm EST

Hosted by the District Dept. of Small & Local Business Development at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St NW, Washington, D.C.

Virtual Office Hours  

Schedule: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/d81524c6/appointment/41845065/calendar/6701215?calendarIds=6701215

  • December 17, 2024 @ 10am - 12pm EST 
  • January 7, 2024 @ 1 - 3pm EST 

Assistance for Spanish-speaking Applicants

  • If a Spanish-speaking applicant would like assistance in completing the grant application, please contact Alison Powers, Director, Economic Opportunities, Capital Impact Partners, apowers@capitalimpact.org, (703) 647-2369.
  • Si usted habla español y necesita ayuda para completar la aplicacion por favor conectese con Alison Powers, Directora de Oportunidades Economicas de Capital Impact Partners, apowers@capitalimpact.org. , 703-647-2369.

Questions

Please contact Alison Powers, Director, Economic Opportunities, Capital Impact Partners, apowers@capitalimpact.org, 703-647-2369.

Applicant Resources

Additional Resources

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