Consumer Protection Grants

The Small Business and Not-For-Profit Support Grant Program is designed to provide small businesses and nonprofits with funds to assist in recovering from economic losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Donor Name: City of Chicago State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/06/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The City of Chicago, acting through the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), seeks one (1) qualified organization to administer a $21.5M Small Business Support and Not-For-Profit Grant Program funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. The awardee will be responsible for administering grants to eligible small businesses and nonprofits located in Chicago to assist in stabilizing their operations, supporting their workforce, and mitigating the long-term impact of the pandemic. The selected organization will be held to a contractual agreement by applying to Request of Proposal (RFP) that reflects a clear understanding of the potential city contractor’s needs, the local small business and nonprofit ecosystem, and City of Chicago processes.   For more information, visit City of Chicago.

The purpose of the SG Program is to assist agencies of the State of California address cybersecurity risks and threats to information systems, and improve security of critical infrastructure and resilience of the services these entities provide to their communities.

Restricted to California nonprofit organizations that are described under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (IRC) and exempt from tax under Section 501(a) of such code. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not require certain organizations such as churches, mosques, and synagogues to apply for and receive recognition of exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRC. Such organizations are automatically exempt if they meet the requirements of Section 501(c)(3).

The Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Affairs (MOLGBTQA) is soliciting grant applications for its FY2025 LGBTQIA+ Violence Prevention & Response Team (“VPART”) Grant from qualified community-based organizations (CBOs) serving the District of Columbia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender-non-conforming, questioning, queer, intersex, sexual and gender expansive (LGBTQIA+) community. Donor Name: Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs (MOLGBTQA) State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/05/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: MOLGBTQA convenes a monthly Violence Prevention & Response Team (“VPART”) meeting, which brings together representatives from relevant public safety and human services agencies and organizations serving the LGBTQ+ community. The aim of VPART is to prevent crime against members of the LGBTQ+ community. This grant seeks to support this mission and identify designated organizations that can coordinate the VPART team, services for LGBTQIA+ individuals who are victims of crime, and empower other CBOs by conducting training sessions for their staff and volunteers. The MOLGBTQA convenes a monthly VPART meeting with the mission to bring together community and government agencies to reduce violence and harm against members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Funding Areas  To qualify for the FY2025 LGBTQIA+ VPART Grant, applicants must identify at least one service area to be addressed: Violence Response Services or Victim Prevention Outreach. Applicants may indicate their interest in providing both services. Please specify the service area(s) for which you are applying and how your skills and experience are relevant to the needs and goals of the community. It is encouraged that applicants apply to as many services and programs as possible to demonstrate their full capacity to support the objectives of VPART. If selected for funding, applicants may be asked to focus on fewer services and programs within each area. This will depend on the number of grantees selected and how they are organized to be a part of VPART. Victim Response Services Objective: To address and mitigate violence within the LGBTQIA+ community through comprehensive support, education, and outreach.  Case Management: Assist LGBTQIA+ individuals who have been victimized and are navigating the criminal, civil legal, and social service systems. Provide assessments, planning, facilitation, and coordination to identify and access culturally and linguistically appropriate goods or services based on victims’ self-identified goals and needs.  Legal Services: Provide professional legal advice regarding one’s role in criminal proceedings.  Trauma-Informed Mental Health Services: Link individuals impacted by crime or addiction to treatment and care provided by mental health professionals. Services must be culturally appropriate, victim-centered, and delivered in a manner that is welcoming and suitable for trauma survivors. Violence Prevention Outreach Objective: To further reduce violence and harm within the LGBTQIA+ community by providing education, resources, and direct support aimed at harm reduction, recovery, and education and training.  Cultural Humility Training: Train and provide support to nonprofits, businesses, and government organizations that serve the LGBTQIA+ population throughout Washington, DC.  Community Education: Provide guidance and strategies for community members that may reduce the likelihood of physical or emotional harm. This includes conducting workshops, seminars, and public awareness campaigns.  Harm Reduction Intervention: Deliver essential harm reduction and overdose prevention resources to community members through outreach, potential establishment of support networks, and/or direct connection to addiction treatment services. Funding Information Award sizes will vary, and eligible organizations can be funded up to $50,000.  The grant will be awarded for one year starting on October 1, 2024, and ending on September 30, 2025. Target Population The target population for these funds are individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning, with a focus on those who are at a higher risk of being targeted by hate crimes and bias incidents. Eligibility Criteria Applicants shall meet the following conditions to apply for the FY25 LGBTQIA+ Violence Prevention & Response Grant: The organization is a CBO with a Federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or evidence of fiscal agent relationship with a 501(c)(3) organization; or be a private entity, such as a coalition or association, that is partnering with at least one or more 501(c)(3) organization(s); The organization’s principal place of business must be located in the District of Columbia; if a national or regional organization, it must have a location in the District through which it provides services; The organization must provide services to DC residents or collaborate with an organization that provides services to DC residents through the organizational efforts of the applicant; The organization must be currently registered in good standing with the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), and the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR); All services and programming funded by the grant must be provided in the District of Columbia; For more information, visit MOLGBTQA.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is seeking applications for its 2025 Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Grants to strengthen Wisconsin’s agriculture and food industries by helping farms and businesses more efficiently process, market, and distribute locally grown food products. Donor Name: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection State: Wisconsin County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/09/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 3 Years Details: Managed by DATC​P, the grants can help farms and business more efficiently process, market and distribute food in local markets including stores, schools and institutions. Keeping food dollars in Wisconsin communities supports local businesses, improves farm​ incomes, and creates jobs.​ Funding Information Grant requests must be between $5,000 and $50,000. Grant Period Projects can receive grant funds for up to three years. Eligibility Criteria Qualified applicants include individuals, groups, or businesses involved in Wisconsin production agriculture, food processing, food distribution, food warehousing, retail food establishments, or agricultural tourism operations. Funded projects must report on increased local food sales, created and retained jobs, and new investments. For more information, visit DATCP.

The ConnectALL Initiative is accepting applications for its Municipal Infrastructure Program to support the development of open-access and publicly owned and/or controlled last mile fiber broadband infrastructure to deliver reliable high-speed internet service to homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions across the state. Donor Name: ConnectALL Initiative State: New York County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/12/2024 Size of the Grant: More than $1 million Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The mission of the New York State Urban Development Corporation d/b/a Empire State Development (“ESD”) is to promote a vigorous and growing state economy, encourage business investment and job creation, and support diverse, prosperous local economies across New York State (“NYS”) through the efficient use of loans, grants, tax credits, real estate development, marketing, and other forms of assistance. To support broadband access for communities across the state, ESD’s ConnectALL Office (“CAO”), offers a Municipal Infrastructure Program (“MIP”) Request for Applications (“RFA”).  Through this RFA, CAO intends to establish the Municipal Infrastructure Program (“MIP”) to support the development of open-access and predominantly publicly controlled last mile fiber broadband infrastructure that will directly connect homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions to reliable high-speed internet service, using funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury Capital Projects Fund (“CPF”). The objective of this RFA is to improve broadband access in communities across the state facing connectivity challenges due to the lack of affordable, high-speed internet infrastructure. Funding Information Total funding available: $228 Million Grant size: $30 million max per award Eligible Uses of Funds Eligible uses for program funding include construction of new infrastructure or acquisition of existing infrastructure under the following categories:  Last mile fiber connections to address: Last mile infrastructure: The cabling, wires, necessary pole replacements and make-ready and/or radios that ISPs use to distribute the internet from local Internet Exchanges to network and/or customer endpoints.  Drops to a building: The cabling or wires necessary to make the connection from passing fiber or cable on a street pole or in-street conduit into a building structure.  Fiber connections to Internet Exchange Points or Data Centers:  Middle mile fiber: The fiber necessary to transport internet services to a local Data Center where an Applicant is connecting its CPF-funded last mile infrastructure.  Networking equipment: The routers, switches, and other equipment necessary to interconnect networks in a Data Center.  Acquisition of existing infrastructure assets and related agreements:  Acquisition: The purchase of network assets from a public or private entity for incorporation by an Applicant into a Project Area, and related legal agreements. Eligibility Criteria Public Entities: Municipalities (cities, counties, towns, villages); Tribal Nations; state and local authorities; entities established pursuant to Section 99-y of the NYS General Municipal Law; not-for-profit entities with authorization from public entities; and regional planning boards formed under the provisions of NYS General Municipal Law. Municipal Utilities: Local government entities, including those established by a municipality as nonprofit Utility Cooperatives Eligible Private Partner Applicants, fitting one or more of the following descriptions, may submit applications with letters of endorsement from an Eligible Public Applicant. Eligible Private Partner Applicants can have an ownership structure that may be in the form of public-private partnership, private or shareholder ownership, nongovernmental nonprofit, non-utility cooperative, or community trust. Internet Service Providers (ISPs): Entities providing internet services to consumers, not limited to providers of cable television or telephone services.  Managed Service Providers (MSPs): Entities operating networks and providing service to residents and businesses by using existing internet infrastructure or partnering with construction entities to build networks.  Broadband Infrastructure Builders: Entities that construct and/or deploy open-access broadband infrastructure assets.  Broadband Infrastructure Owners: Entities that own, operate, or hold last mile or middle mile fiber infrastructure. For more information, visit ConnectALL Initiative.

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Food and Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is announcing its intention to receive and consider a single source application for the award of a cooperative agreement in fiscal year 2024 to Cornell University to support the Center for Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The purpose of this support is to:1. Carry out multidisciplinary applied research projects on raw milk cheese aging to examine factors that affect Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1) virus inactivation, to include pH and water activity.2. Carry out multidisciplinary applied research projects on commonly used acidification methods for treatment of waste milk to be fed to calves, or for disposal, to understand effects on HPAI H5N1.3. Carry out multidisciplinary applied research projects to characterize the thermal inactivation kinetics of HPAI H5N1 in a wide variety of dairy products.4. Provide additional capabilities and capacity for HPAI H5N1 testing as needed to help meet the needs of FDA's research agenda. 5. Engage with academic and industry stakeholders to help ensure work is complementary of other ongoing research in these research spaces and to facilitate the use of the information produced by the research program.

AmeriCorps improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. AmeriCorps brings people together to tackle some of the countrys most pressing challenges through national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities and those serving. AmeriCorps helps make service a cornerstone of our national culture. This funding announcement is an opportunity for communities to apply for funding to engage adults ages 55 and older in tackling the communitys most pressing needs through the AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP program. This is an open competition across all states and territories.

In 2023, FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received a record number of complaints from the American public: 880,418 complaints were registered, with potential losses exceeding $12.5 billion. This is a nearly 10% increase in complaints received, and it represents a 22% increase in losses suffered, compared to 2022. Small businesses are attractive targets because they have information that cybercriminals want, and they typically lack the security infrastructure of larger businesses. Surveys have shown that many small business owners feel their businesses are vulnerable to a cyberattack. Yet many businesses cannot afford professional IT solutions, have limited time to devote to cybersecurity, or do not know where to begin. The Consolidated Appropriations Acts, 2022, 2023 and 2024, authorized the U.S. Small Business Administration to make grants to States, and the equivalent thereof, to carry out projects that help new small business concerns with tools to combat cybersecurity threats during their formative and most vulnerable years.

This funding opportunity is designed to support academic research institutions in developing innovative solutions to combat animal diseases, enhance agricultural resilience, and address unmet veterinary medical needs.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/ Center for Food and Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is announcing its intention to receive and consider a single source application for the award of a cooperative agreement in fiscal year 2024 to the Illinois Institute of Technology to support the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH). The purposes of this continued support are to:1. Carry out multidisciplinary applied research projects on pre- and postharvest processing preventive control measures, on food processing and packaging technologies, on the impact of these processing strategies on the nutritional quality of food, and on laboratory method performance (including method validation) that address research needs associated with FDA-regulated products, fill knowledge gaps identified in prevention strategies, and that are consistent with the Deputy Commissioner of Foods vision for the implementation of the new Human Foods Program (HFP) Science and Research Strategic Plan;2. Maintain and facilitate the further development of the IFSH collaborative research program by leveraging resources among U.S. government agencies, universities (including other IIT components), and the food industry to achieve practical Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)-based, technology-enabled New Era of Food Safety solutions to food safety and food processing issues.3. Engage with stakeholders to develop and implement training, outreach and communication programs, to identify research needs, and to facilitate the use of the information produced by the research program; and4. Support the implementation of the new unified HFP FSMA-based New Era of Food Safety priorities through research, education, and outreach, with emphasis on the development of strategies for prevention, exploration of opportunities for data sharing, and adoption of root cause analysis (RCA) into agency post-response efforts associated with the safe and sustained manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding of food.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agriculture Marketing Services (AMS), is entering into cooperative agreement with Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) for the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program Cooperative Agreements (RFSI). Donor Name: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) State: Michigan County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/17/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The purpose of the Michigan RFSI program is to build resilience in the middle-of-thefood-supply-chain and strengthen local and regional food systems by creating new revenue streams for Michigan producers. MDARD will make subawards in the form of Infrastructure Grants to middle-of-the-supply businesses to create more diverse local and regional market options and create more economic opportunities for communities, allowing them to retain more of the value chain dollar. RFSI investments aim to create a food systems infrastructure to support competitive and profitable market access for domestic farm products. The program also aims to: Support development of value‐added products available to consumers; Support proposals that provide fair prices, fair wages and new and safe job opportunities that keep profits in rural communities; and Increase diversity in processing options in terms of business model approaches, geography, and availability to underserved communities. Priorities USDA intends for RFSI program to focus funding Infrastructure Grant activities that: Expand capacity for processing, aggregation, and distribution of agricultural products to create more and better markets for producers; Modernize manufacturing, tracking, storage, and information technology systems; Enhance worker safety through adoption of new technologies or investment in equipment or facility improvements; Improve the capacity of entities to comply with federal, state, and local food safety requirements; Improve operations through training opportunities; Support construction of a new facility; Modernize or expand an existing facility (including expansion and modifications to existing buildings and/or construction of new buildings at existing facilities); Construction of wastewater management structures, etc.; Modernize processing and manufacturing equipment; and Develop, customize, or install equipment that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases efficiency in water use, improves air and/or water quality, and/or meets one or more of USDA’s climate action goals. Funding Information Michigan has been awarded over $10 million dollars. Equipment Only Grant: These projects offer a simplified application to fund smaller grants from $10,000 up to $100,000 Infrastructure Grants: Infrastructure grants will have a maximum award of $475,000. Eligibility Criteria The following entities are eligible for Infrastructure Grants made by MDARD: Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors Nonprofit organizations operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution of targeted agricultural products Local government entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution of targeted agricultural products Tribal governments operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution of targeted agricultural products. Institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or invest in equipment that will benefit multiple producers middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution of targeted agricultural product. For more information, visit MDARD.

The Food Safety Education Fund grants program is funded through assessments of $3 to $5 from each licensed Michigan food establishment to provide food safety training and education to consumers; and training and education to food service establishment employees and agents of the director who enforce Michigan’s food regulations (i.e., local health department sanitarians and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development food safety inspectors). Donor Name: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) State: Michigan County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/24/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Funding Information Up to $365,000 is available for the 2024-2025 grant cycle for projects focused on food safety training and education. Of the $365,600, $242,500 will be available for consumer food safety education and $114,100 for education to food service establishment employees and agents of the director of MDARD. The monies that go into the fund come from assessments of $3.00 to $5.00 on food establishment licenses. Grant Period The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is now accepting proposals for grants that will run from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. Multi-year proposals will be considered on an individual basis, contingent on future year funding. Eligibility Criteria  The Michigan Food Law of 2000, Section 4117, directs money in the fund to be used for providing food safety training and education to consumers, food service establishment employees and agents of the director who enforce the Michigan Food Law of 2000. Applicants must be Michigan governmental and non-profit organizations and entities. Producers, marketers, processors, growers are NOT eligible for this grant opportunity. Proposals with subgrantees will be considered. Proposals should not include funding for required routine training such as HACCP or manager certification such as ServSafe. Proposal Considerations and Selection Criteria  Proposals will be scored and selected based on the following criteria: Goals/objectives to improve food safety Statewide need and audience Measurable outcomes Partnering with other organizations Matching funds Opportunities to build upon previously funded projects. For more information, visit MDARD.

This grant invites private sector companies and organizations to collaborate with USAID on projects that address economic growth, financial inclusion, and environmental sustainability, leveraging their resources and expertise to achieve shared development goals.

The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to contribute to the knowledge base of and development of food safety systems globally due to the increasingly diverse and complex food supply. This cooperative agreement will:1) enhance and broaden FDAs ability to address global food safety and public health issues associated with food,2) provide opportunities to leverage additional resources among WTO member countries, and3) support the FDAs Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and its International Food Safety Capacity Building Plan, which emphasizes the concept of preventing food safety- related problems before they occur and the importance of establishing strong relationships and mutual support among all stakeholders, including multilateral organizations, to improve worldwide food safety. 4) Support global research and capacity building to improve best practices to build effective food safety systems in low- and middle-income countries

Grants will be awarded for specific eligible activities, such as speaking on a panel, participating in a working group, or participation in other decision-making processes. The PP Grant Account cap per organization of $15,000 will ensure a proportional distribution of funds over time and across various organizations. Submissions for grant awards will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the grant period and payment for these discrete engagements will be prompt.

This grant provides financial support to organizations that participate in California Public Utilities Commission activities, helping to remove barriers to their involvement in policy decision-making processes.

The City of Milwaukee has launched a new round of grant funding for 2024 focusing on healthy food access in the communities. Donor Name: City of Milwaukee State: Wisconsin City: Milwaukee Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/27/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Fresh Food Access Fund (FFAF) provides financial support to activities that increase fresh food access in underserved communities. Goals The Milwaukee Fresh Food Access Fund (FFAF) aims to financially support activities that increase the access of underserved communities to healthy food choices, partner with community organizations, businesses, and other government entities with a fresh food component, and address the issues identified in the Milwaukee Fresh Food Access Report. Funding Information Grant applicants are required to provide a full budget for the proposed project, identifying the sources and uses of all funds. FFAF grants can cover up to 50% of the cash expenditure required to implement a project, up to a maximum of $25,000. Awards of less than $5,000 may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Eligible uses of Fresh Food Access Fund grants FFAF grants may only be used for capital expenditures related to the establishment, expansion, or improvement of a food-related business that increases access to fresh, healthy food for underserved residents. For example, the following could be considered eligible uses: Purchase of equipment to store and/or prepare healthy food Purchase of furniture, fixtures, and start-up inventory for a healthy food business Build-out of space to house or expand a food retail or production operation Purchase of vehicles to transport healthy food Improvements to the exterior and signage of a fresh food retail operation Construction or equipment activities related to community gardens Soft costs that are specifically necessary to carry out another eligible use of funds. Eligible Projects  The FFAF provides 1:1 matching grants to projects that advance one or more of the following strategies: Attract grocery stores and mobile market stops to underserved neighborhoods Develop other retail outlets in underserved neighborhoods as sources of fresh foods Increase the stock of fresh foods in corner stores Increase the amount of locally grown food that is available to Milwaukee consumers Meet the fresh food needs of populations with special dietary requirements Improve transportation to grocery stores and farmer’s markets for individuals who live in underserved areas. Eligibility Criteria  Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organizations with current 501(c)3 registration with the US Internal Revenue Service, and for-profit businesses. Other types of entities may be considered on a case-by-case basis. For more information, visit City of Milwaukee.

This grant provides funding to organizations in Texas that promote financial literacy and consumer credit education, helping communities improve their financial stability at little or no cost.

The Tobacco Grant Program, administered by the Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice, aims to foster a healthier California by curtailing illegal cigarette and tobacco sales and marketing to minors. This highly competitive program, enabled by Proposition 56, allocates funds to applicants with robust enforcement capabilities. Funded agencies will focus on enforcing tobacco-related laws, conducting retailer and online inspections, and enhancing local coordination and education efforts.