State Consumer Protection Grants

This program provides low-income homeowners and multifamily property owners in Illinois with access to affordable solar panel installations, ensuring they save on electricity costs while promoting renewable energy use in underserved communities.

This grant provides financial assistance to Maui-based businesses impacted by the August 2023 wildfires, helping them cover essential expenses like rent, utilities, and inventory.

This program provides financial assistance to small businesses in Louisiana to help them expand their international sales and export activities through reimbursements for various related expenses.

This program provides financial assistance to eligible Maryland residents with low to moderate incomes for the installation of new solar energy systems at their primary homes.

The Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) Program seeks to ensure that farmers, commercial fishermen, and other local food producers are better engaged with a strong, resilient food system to help mitigate food supply and distribution disruptions, as well as to ensure that individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth have equitable access to food, with a focus on food that is produced locally. Donor Name: Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources State: Massachusetts County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/02/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Projects to enhance equitable access to food for individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth, with a focus on food that is produced locally. The FSIG program (“Program”) also seeks to ensure that farmers, fisherman, and other local food producers are better connected to markets in a strong, resilient food system, and that they have the infrastructure needed to produce and distribute healthy food efficiently and safely. Providing greater, more equitable access to local food and strengthening the role of local food in the Commonwealth’s food system is an important goal of the Program. Local food is defined through this Program as food which is grown/produced and distributed within the Commonwealth. The local food system is a network of consumers, workers, businesses, owners, and supporting organizations engaged in an array of activities, including fishing, farming, preparing, marketing, distributing, serving, and eating food. This network works to produce and distribute food that nourishes the communities, sustains businesses and workers, and supports responsible stewardship of the land, water, and other natural resources. Funding Information Part I: Agriculture Maximum funding per applicant $500,000. Part II: Local Food System Maximum funding per applicant $500,000. Grant Period July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. Eligible Projects  Eligible projects must be capital improvements including the purchase of equipment and contracted labor costs in order to implement projects, or costs associated with planning and design directly related to capital projects that will allow applicants to strengthen and improve the resiliency of the Commonwealth’s food system while allowing greater access to fresh, local food in a way that addresses systemic inequities. Eligibility Criteria  Applicants may be individuals, for-profit, or non-profit entities. Municipalities and other governmental entities may also be eligible to apply, provided all necessary requirements to submit an application can be met, the ability to utilize funding can be demonstrated, and the entity has the ability to enter into a contract with MDAR. For more information, visit MDAR.

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) offers the GO TEXAN - Event Grants as part of the Marketing Enhancement Grant Assistance Program. These grants aim to support Associate-level GO TEXAN partners who organize public events such as festivals and farmers markets, promoting Texas-made products and businesses under the GO TEXAN program. Eligible events must focus on advertising expenses and can only include one event per applicant within the designated timeline. Applications are accepted until May 16, 2024, and the projects can run from October 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025. Grant awards are determined based on the event’s adherence to GO TEXAN participation and program recognition, with funding available up to $20,000 depending on past participation and the extent of promotional activities.

This grant provides funding to farmers in Wisconsin to develop and implement innovative methods for optimizing commercial nitrogen use in their agricultural practices, in collaboration with a University of Wisconsin institution.

The Specialty Crop Assistance program, administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), provides assistance for eligible expenses related to COVID-19 that benefit the production and distribution of Florida specialty crops. Eligible expenses include Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and facility adjustments for worker and product safety. The program is open to specialty crop growers, processors, and distributors. Funding is provided through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, with a minimum reimbursement of $565.00 and a maximum reimbursement of $300,000.00 over the life of the project. The program has a total fund availability of $2,735,124.99, and applications will be processed on a first come first served basis until funds are depleted. The last day to apply for assistance is September 1, 2025. To apply, organizations must register as a state vendor at www.myfloridamarketplace.com, provide a substitute W9 form to the Florida Department of Financial Services, register or login to the FDACS online portal, complete and upload the HR133 Assistance program application to the FDACS online portal, and upload proof of purchase such as invoices marked 'paid', cancelled checks, or other substantial documentation of costs to be reimbursed. Eligible items for reimbursement include various PPE items and facility adjustments for worker and product safety. For additional questions, applicants can contact Kimberly Murphy at (850) 617-7397 or email [email protected].

The CalMoneySmart program aims to enhance financial empowerment among unbanked and underbanked Californians by funding nonprofit organizations. Through financial education and empowerment services, it seeks to reduce disparities, improve financial literacy, and foster wealth-building opportunities. The program awards grantees up to $200K per year for two consecutive fiscal years to promote financial stability and security statewide. ; Grant funds may only be used for the following financial education and empowerment services for the targeted at-risk unbanked and underbanked populations: 1) Designing, developing, or offering, free of charge to consumers, classroom or web-based financial education and empowerment content intended to help unbanked and underbanked consumers achieve, identify, and access lower cost financial products and services, establish or improve their credit, increase their savings, or lower their debt. 2) Providing individualized, free financial coaching to unbanked and underbanked consumers. 3) Designing, developing, or offering, free of charge to consumers, a financial product or service intended to help unbanked and underbanked consumers identify and access responsible financial products and financial services, establish or improve their credit, increase their savings, or lower their debt. Every project funded with a grant from the Financial Empowerment Fund shall meet the following criteria: 1) Promote and enhance the economic security of consumers. 2) Adhere to the five principles of effective financial education described in the June 2017 report issued by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau titled “Effective financial education: Five principles and how to use them.” Grant awards will be announced for a two-year period covering two consecutive fiscal years. Funds for each fiscal year are disbursed separately and any unexpended funds must be returned to the DFPI. Disbursement of funding for the second fiscal year is contingent on submission of a satisfactory annual report. A mandatory in-person training for grantees will be held during the grant cycle. Final details will be included in the grant agreement.   Grantees may use no more than 15 percent of the grant to cover administrative (indirect) costs. Failure to comply shall render the Applicant ineligible for a grant during the subsequent fiscal year and until the noncompliance is corrected.  A grantee may subcontract services that it has agreed to provide under the grant agreement, so long as those services are conducted on behalf of the grantee. Subcontract arrangements must be clearly described in the scope of work and budget. Accepting grant funds with the intent of distributing those funds to other nonprofit organizations (for example, sub-grants or fiscal sponsorship) is not allowed. Grant funding may not be used for financial incentives for individuals. Prohibited incentives include, but are not limited to, match funding for savings accounts, participant stipends, or gift cards with a cash value. Grantees are required to submit preliminary and final annual reports, in a form and by a date specified by the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation, documenting: 1) The specific uses to which grant funds were allocated, 2) The number of individuals aided through use of the funds, 3) Quantitative results regarding the impact of grant funding, and 4) Any other information requested by the Commissioner. Failure to submit satisfactory reports shall render the Applicant ineligible for any DFPI grant during the subsequent fiscal year and until the required report is submitted. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is currently accepting applications for grant projects under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program (RFSI). Donor Name: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture State: Pennsylvania County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/15/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: The RFSI program will transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers, and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers. To be more resilient, the food system of the future needs to be more diversified, distributed, and local. Funding Priorities The USDA encourages projects that benefit underserved farmers and ranchers, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, veteran producers, and processors and other middle of the supply chain businesses owned by socially disadvantaged individuals, as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will prioritize funding projects that pertain to the following gaps identified in the middle of the food supply chain in Pennsylvania. Aggregation Points – Aggregation points, include food hubs or farmer cooperatives to help individual producers fulfill bigger orders while saving costs on storage, packaging, and distribution. Food Processing Infrastructure – As Pennsylvanian food processors look to expand their production capacities by adding product types, increasing production volumes, or increasing packaging and labeling capacities for retail product lines, they need to upgrade equipment and often need to move to a licensed space outside of their homes. Food processing infrastructure also includes large-scale commercial equipment. Storage – In Pennsylvania, more storage is needed to hold produce to be washed and distributed. Limited cold storage is available in urban areas. More storage is also needed to segregate and supply identity preserved grains, whole grains, and dry bean for human consumption to processing plants in Pennsylvania. Funding Information Simplified Equipment-Only Grants will range in value from a minimum award of $10,000 and a maximum award of $100,000 and do not require cost sharing or matching. The Simplified Equipment-Only Grant is a fixed price grant, meaning it will fund only equipment purchases (and not associated facility upgrades, staffing, or other costs), and the amount awarded will be equal to the cost of the equipment up to $100,000. Funds will be awarded no earlier than July 1, 2024, and projects must be completed by June 30, 2026. Eligibility Criteria  The following are eligible to apply for grants under the Program: Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors. Nonprofit organizations operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. For-profit entities operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products, whose activities are primarily focused for the benefit of local and regional producers and that meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards. Local government entities operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. Tribal governments operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. Institutions such as schools, universities or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or investing in equipment that will benefit multiple producers’ middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. For-profit entities must meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards matched to industries described in the North American Industry Classification System. Applicant businesses and organizations must be domestically owned and applicants’ facilities must be physically located within this Commonwealth. Applicants doing business along the Commonwealth’s border should only apply in one state to avoid duplication of Federal funds. For more information, visit PDA.

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.

This program provides funding to California-based organizations and businesses to promote sustainable farming practices and improve access to healthy food in diverse 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.

Description: The Illinois Grocery Initiative aims to establish new grocery stores in food deserts to increase access to fresh food in underserved areas. This grant, under the funding opportunity number FY24-2 and CSFA number 420-35-3295, anticipates awarding 8 grants with a total program funding of $14,000,000. Eligible projects must involve capital expenditures, as operational costs are not covered. Grants will range from $160,000 to $2,400,000, and applicants are required to meet cost-sharing requirements. The application window opens on 04/09/2024 and closes on 05/24/2024. Indirect costs are allowed but restricted to capital-only expenditures. There are mandatory and optional technical assistance sessions provided to assist applicants, with registration required through provided links.

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 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.

This funding opportunity is designed to support businesses, organizations, and individuals in Vermont working to improve the competitiveness of specialty crops through various projects that benefit multiple stakeholders in the agricultural community.

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.

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.