The Heartland Regional Food Business Center's Business Builder (BB) Subawards program aims to provide financial assistance to food and farm businesses for expansion within local and regional food markets. This initiative directly aligns with the broader mission of strengthening regional food systems and fostering economic growth in the agricultural sector. The program targets small food and farm businesses and nonprofit organizations located in or serving the five-state Heartland Center region (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska) or its nine counties in northwest Arkansas (Benton, Carroll, Boone, Washington, Madison, Newton, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson). The core goal is to support projects focused on meeting regional needs and increasing the capacity of these businesses.
The subawards are designed to support various types of projects, including value-added opportunities, diversification of on-farm activities, expansion of and/or access to new markets, and innovations to generate income. The program prioritizes projects that achieve several desired outcomes. These include expanding and strengthening regional food systems networks, increasing food and farm business and financial acumen (especially among small and mid-size operators), creating more and better markets, increasing sourcing from local producers, improving the viability of existing businesses, and ultimately increasing the revenue of served businesses and local food capacity.
Funding for the BB Subawards ranges from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $50,000 per project. Projects are expected to be completed within 12 months of the award date, ensuring a focused and timely impact. The eligibility criteria emphasize small food and farm businesses or nonprofit organizations either located in or serving the specified Heartland Center region and its Arkansas counties. Priority is given to small business projects that align with one or more of the Heartland Center’s desired outcomes, reflecting a strategic focus on specific areas of need and opportunity within the regional food system.
The Heartland Regional Food Business Center's strategic priorities and theory of change are evident in its emphasis on addressing hardships and vulnerabilities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering business and financial acumen, and expanding market access. By providing capital for businesses to launch and expand, the program aims to build income streams and facilitate investment, thereby strengthening the economic resilience of the regional food system. This approach is designed to create a more robust and interconnected network of food and farm businesses, ultimately leading to increased local food capacity and improved economic viability for small and mid-size producers and processors across the Heartland region.
