Illinois Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program

The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program is a federally funded initiative administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. This program is designed to build greater resilience in the middle segment of the domestic food supply chain by supporting infrastructure improvements that benefit small farms and food businesses. Funding is provided through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and authorized under section 10107 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill), with up to $420 million allocated nationally. The Illinois implementation of RFSI targets projects that enhance market access and economic opportunities for underserved and small to mid-size producers by expanding infrastructure, equipment access, and value-added product development. The core objective of the RFSI program is to provide more equitable and efficient food supply systems by enabling producers, processors, and distributors to expand their operations and reach. In Illinois, the program emphasizes projects that support processing, storage, aggregation, and distribution functions — the critical middle-of-the-chain stages between production and consumption. This approach supports the development of value-added products, contributes to fair pricing and wages, promotes entrepreneurship (particularly for cottage food industries), and creates new, safe jobs. Projects targeting underserved populations are prioritized, including small and socially disadvantaged farmers, women-, veteran-, and minority-owned small businesses, and rural communities. Importantly, the program excludes activities such as land acquisition, meat and poultry processing, and projects already funded through other federal programs. RFSI operates through a competitive subaward model. Applicants submit proposals directly to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which convenes a committee of agricultural stakeholders to review and recommend proposals to the USDA for final approval. Once approved, successful applicants enter into formal grant agreements with the Department, which outline the terms and conditions of funding, expected deliverables, and compliance obligations. All grant recipients must adhere to federal and state guidelines as well as the RFSI-specific award terms. The program offers infrastructure grants and equipment-only grants, with grant terms typically spanning up to three federal fiscal years. Eligible applicants include small to mid-size food and agricultural businesses, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions (including schools and universities), local government entities, and cooperatives involved in middle-of-the-supply-chain activities. These may include processing, cold storage, distribution, and aggregation of targeted products such as specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture, grains for human consumption, and other value-added foods — excluding meat, poultry, wild-caught seafood, and certain non-food products. Institutions working collaboratively to establish shared-use infrastructure or scale up aggregation and distribution systems are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants must submit a complete application packet as outlined in the Request for Applications (RFA) available on the Illinois Department of Agriculture website. The deadline for submission is March 15, 2024, at 11:59 PM Central Time. A pre-application coordination process is not required but applicants must ensure that all application materials align with federal and state standards. Evaluations are based on criteria established in the RFA and reviewed by an independent committee. Final approval of subawards is contingent upon USDA review. All awarded projects must comply with federal reporting and audit requirements. Grantees are required to submit quarterly and final reports, and annual reports for multi-year projects. Financial audits are required for entities expending $750,000 or more in federal awards in a given fiscal year. Records must be maintained for at least three years following the submission of the final report. Although the RFSI program was a one-time funding initiative in FY23, the Illinois program appears to be accepting applications for its implementation phase, with no new rounds planned for FY24 or FY25 at the federal level.