A brand-new, regionally-managed funding opportunity made available by USDA through its 12 Regional Food Business Centers.
New Opportunity
Strengthen the viability of your business and overcome barriers to market access and expansion.
This funding program is designed to support development of farm and food businesses serving local and regional markets.
Business Builder Subaward grants are integrated with business counseling offered by Heartland Regional Food Business Center partners across Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.
Contact us to connect with a Heartland Center business counselor.
Here are some basics to help you decide if a Business Builder Subaward grant may be an opportunity for your farm or food business:
Small- and mid-scale farm, ranch, and value-added food businesses producing in, sourcing from, and focused on local and regional markets.
Food processors, aggregators, distributors, and retailers that source locally and/or serve multiple small- and mid-scale food and farm businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Underinvested businesses and geographic areas
Farm businesses making value-added products out of what they produce and/or source from nearby producers in their region
Food businesses sourcing/trying to increase the ingredients they source locally
Businesses and projects with a focus on fair and ethical labor practices, community benefit, and/or environmental sustainability with clearly defined outcomes related to those benefits
Business planning, feasibility studies, preparing loan applications
Local food aggregation and distribution or food hub development
Developing brand and marketing materials, including websites
Market analysis, brokering services, and outreach to potential customers
Marketing materials and supplies, and attendance at trade shows focused on local or regional markets
Developing new products, labels, or packaging, including testing new formulations or recipes
Improving processing, marketing, and distribution
Legal support for business resilience, market risk management, and growth
Training in food safety planning compliance for owners and/or employees
Worker safety improvements, such as training staff, purchasing safety equipment
Creating or expanding a farm stand, U-Pick, CSA, or other farm-direct sales platform
Hiring outside business services and expertise, including consultants and mentors (Note that USDA generally caps rates at $65/hour, with some exceptions.)
Paying current staff to work on the project beyond roles they normally hold with the operation
Supplies for the project.
Equipment for the project – purchase or lease. For example:
Internet and computer access, software, other information technology platforms/investments
Incubator and commissary kitchen equipment and dry/cold storage capacity
Cold storage: walk in, reach in refrigerators, freezers
Packaging and labeling equipment
Projects related to on-farm production
Projects related to meat and poultry slaughter and initial processing (value-added products beyond boxed meat, such as pemmican, jerkies, stews, and ready-to-eat meals are allowable.)
Purchase of land or buildings
Construction costs (with some exceptions, for example installing allowable equipment such as coolers)
The Business Builder grant application will be available in Spanish.
Applications submitted in Spanish will be accepted.
