Business Builder
Grant Program

PROGRAM UPDATES

Business Builder Update

The Heartland Center received notification from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on July 15, 2025, that it may submit a plan to proceed with Round 1 Business Builder awards on an expedited timeline.

The Heartland Center will provide finalists with more information directly by email.

USDA will no longer fund a Round 2 of the Business Builder grant program.

The Heartland Regional Food Business Center selected 90 food and farm enterprises for Round 1 funding through its Business Builder Subaward grant program. The grantee finalists are among 479 enterprises that applied in Round 1 of the program with a total request amount of $20,071,000 million.

Heartland Center operations continue in full until September 15, 2025, when USDA funding ends for activities outside of Round 1 Business Builder grant support. Learn more about recent USDA funding changes for the national Regional Food Business Centers program.

The 5-state Heartland Center team of 32 organizations will continue deliberations to maintain the regional network of business and technical assistance to local and regional food enterprises, including support navigating and accessing resources. Contact us for assistance.

Scroll through the USDA Heartland Regional Food Business Center StoryMap below to learn more about Business Builder Subaward grantee finalists or click HERE to explore in a new tab.

Business Builder Matters

Business Builder grants of $5,000 to $50,000 are designed to support projects focused on meeting regional needs and increasing capacity among food and farm businesses working towards expansion in local and regional markets. The program supports development of local food businesses and supply chains in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and northwest Arkansas.

Business Builder Round 1 grantee finalists are family farmers and ranchers, rural grocers, urban market gardeners, and food manufacturers and distributors.

Each aims to grow their business with Business Builder grant support for such critical investments as automation, packaging, delivery vehicles, e-commerce, processing equipment, and other diversification and expansion steps.

Communities across the Heartland Center’s region will benefit when these local and regional food businesses grow. Benefits include local commerce and jobs, farmland preservation, availability of fresh and nutrient-dense local foods, and greater food security as new local food businesses and supply chain connections build resilience into the larger food economy.

The Heartland Center is a regional team of organizations focused on delivering these benefits through technical assistance to local food entrepreneurs, coordination with other resource providers and funding sources, and capacity building support.

Program Details

The Business Builder grant supports food and farm businesses that produce in, source from, and focus on local and regional markets. These grants provide capital to help businesses launch or expand while working toward sustainable income streams.

Eligibility

Eligible for the Business Builder grant are small food and farm businesses or nonprofit enterprises located in or serving the Heartland Center’s five-state region (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska) or nine counties in northwest Arkansas (Benton, Carroll, Boone, Washington, Madison, Newton, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson).

Funding Priorities
Priority projects are those that help the Heartland Center achieve its desired outcomes:

• Strengthen regional food systems and partnerships, addressing challenges revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Create and expand market opportunities for small and mid-size producers and processors.
• Increase sourcing from local producers by distributors, retailers, and foodservice buyers.
• Support the launch of new food and farm businesses and improve existing ones.
• Boost revenue for food and farm businesses or increase local food capacity in communities served.

Grant Details

• Maximum award: $50,000
• Minimum award: $5,000
• Duration: 12 months from award date