Vermont Food and Nutrition Grants

This funding opportunity is designed to support Vermont schools, childcare providers, and community organizations in developing innovative programs that improve child nutrition and connect youth with local agriculture, particularly in underserved areas.

This grant provides financial support to Vermont-based artists and artist groups for the creation of new works of art, covering expenses such as materials, studio space, and the artist's time.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is offering the Trade Show Assistance Grants program to support Vermont-based agricultural and forestry businesses in expanding their market reach. These grants are designed to offset the costs of participating in trade shows that connect businesses with wholesale buyers and open new domestic and international markets. The program provides matching grants for up to five trade shows within the eligible period, allowing businesses to request between $2,000 and $5,000 in reimbursements for shows held between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. However, businesses cannot apply for funding to support attendance at trade shows they have participated in five or more times previously. Eligibility requirements include being registered with the Vermont Secretary of State and operational for at least one year, having headquarters or principal operations within Vermont, maintaining at least three wholesale accounts, and ensuring products meet the Vermont Local Definition as outlined in Act 129. Trade shows must target out-of-state buyers and operate in a business-to-business format. Shows that are direct-to-consumer are not eligible, although exceptions are made for regional or international trade shows held in Vermont. Applicants must also demonstrate a 1:1 cash match for their budget, as the grant will reimburse up to 50% of eligible costs. Approved expenses for reimbursement include travel and accommodation costs, booth design and fees, marketing materials, shipping, and other associated costs. The application process is open until January 20, 2025, at 11:59 PM, with notifications of awards expected by mid-February 2025. Applicants can include up to five trade shows in their marketing plans and are encouraged to carefully align their proposals with the program's requirements. To apply, businesses must register in WebGrants if they have not done so previously, review the WebGrants Application Guide, and submit their applications through the platform. The submission period runs from December 6, 2024, to January 20, 2025. Detailed instructions are provided in the Request for Applications, available on the program’s website. Businesses are encouraged to prepare their applications early to ensure timely submission and maximize their chances of securing support for their trade show activities.

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.

This grant provides financial support to Vermont-based farms and forest businesses to improve their infrastructure, expand market reach, and enhance workforce development, fostering a sustainable working landscape economy.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Vermont businesses and organizations involved in agriculture, food production, and forest products, helping them improve their sustainability and viability.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Vermont municipalities, nonprofits, and government entities for the development, maintenance, and repair of public recreational trails, enhancing outdoor accessibility and recreational options across the state.

This program provides financial support to Vermont's agricultural fairs and field days, helping them with infrastructure projects and operational costs to promote local agriculture and community engagement.

This grant provides financial and technical support to Vermont schools and early childhood education centers to improve student health and nutrition by connecting them with local farmers and enhancing farm to school programs.

This funding opportunity supports affordable housing projects and capacity-building efforts for organizations serving low-income households in Burlington.

This grant provides financial support to Vermont organizations that offer business services to agricultural and forestry businesses, as well as to producer associations that promote and represent the state's agricultural and forestry products.

This program provides financial assistance to Vermont farmers, custom operators, and non-profit organizations for purchasing innovative equipment that improves water quality and reduces agricultural waste runoff.

This funding opportunity supports Vermont farms and food businesses in expanding their sales to local institutions like schools and hospitals, while increasing the amount of local food served in these facilities.

This grant provides financial support to schools, nonprofits, and municipal entities in Poultney and nearby communities for projects that enhance educational opportunities, family services, and community sustainability.

This grant provides financial support to Vermont nonprofits facing unexpected expenses that hinder their ability to deliver essential services related to basic human needs, such as food, shelter, and health.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture is offering the Resilient Food System Infrastructure grant, ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, to support Vermont-based businesses and organizations in strengthening local and regional food systems by increasing market access, production, and product diversity, with a focus on creating new revenue streams and economic opportunities, improving job quality, and enhancing compliance with food safety requirements.

The Windham Foundation is seeking grant applications to enhance economic, cultural, and civic life in Vermont. Donor Name: Windham Foundation State: Vermont County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 07/01/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Grants are awarded multiple times a year to support educational programs, local food initiatives, land conservation for public use, environmental protection, social services, cultural resources, and historic preservation. The grants program recognizes that the social and economic vitality of a town is maintained through many activities — social, cultural, and educational. The well-being of small towns comes through the success of local organizations involved in this work and the Foundation is proud to be their partner. Funding Guidelines Through its grant making, the Windham Foundation seeks to support organizations concerned with the needs and quality of life of Vermonters. Those organizations include, but are not limited to, those dealing with: Agricultural preservation and the food systems Environmental enhancement Education in the broadest sense Promotion of the arts, crafts and Vermont traditions Meeting basic human needs Historic Preservation where it serves a broad community purpose. In making decisions, the Foundation will look at an organization’s competence in the proposal area and its track record, the stability of its financial base and fundraising strategies, the strength of its leadership and the long-term viability of the program in question. Approximately $65,000 in grants will be awarded each quarter. An organization should apply no more than three consecutive years of funding. After three years, the organization should take at least one year off. Grant amounts rarely exceed $10,000 with an average of $2,500-$5,000 The Windham Foundation will not fund more than 50% of a project. The applicant should inform The Windham Foundation of confirmed and anticipated funding for the balance of the project. Project collaboration with other non-profit organizations where applicable should be encouraged. Show the specific project budget including expenses and anticipated project funding of $1,000 or more (they request copies of organization’s overall financial statements as part of the application). The Windham Foundation reserves the right to request a recent audit of a grantee organization. Grant recipients of $5,000 or more will be expected to report back to The Windham Foundation on success of project implementation. The types of proposals the Foundation funds are wide ranging. They include operational support, special initiatives, capacity building, matching and challenge grants. Support for operations will be considered where it strengthens organizational capacity. Eligibility Criteria  Qualified applicants must be either a private, non-profit organization tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code or a public institution or entity. The organization, or program to be funded, must be in Vermont. An organization may submit only one application during a 12-month period. For more information, visit Windham Foundation.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture has entered into a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to administer the Resilient Food System Infrastructure (RFSI) grant program in Vermont. Donor Name: Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets (VAAFM) State: Vermont County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:  06/05/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 3 Years Details: The program aims to: Promote development of Vermont value-added products; Support initiatives that provide fair prices, fair wages, and new and safe job opportunities that keep profits in rural communities; Increase and diversify processing capacity across the state, with an emphasis on underserved communities; Improve the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of Vermont food products for local and regional markets; Target gaps and opportunities in pandemic assistance and existing USDA grant programs that support the agricultural supply chain. Funding will be focused on projects that: Improve job quality through increased wages, benefits, and/or worker safety and well being; Focus on small and medium-sized enterprises that expand services and product offerings for consumers and producers (with an emphasis on value-added products); Demonstrate local support for the project; Are submitted by cooperatives, farmer, and worker-owned enterprises. Funding Information Approximately $2,000,000 will be available for infrastructure projects. Grants can range from $100,000 – $500,000 and will run from fall 2024 through February 2027.  Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants must be domestically owned, physically located in Vermont, and registered in Vermont with the Vermont Secretary of State. Sole proprietors using a business name other than their own name must have their assumed business name (formerly known as a trade name) registered with the Vermont Secretary of State. Eligible entities can include: Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution of targeted agricultural products. 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. 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. These include organizations such schools (K-12; colleges/universities), hospitals, food banks, gleaners, food rescue, workplace cafeterias, correctional facilities, farmers markets, and care centers (senior, preschools). 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 Small Business Administration (SBA) small business size standards, matched to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. For more information, visit VAAFM.

The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program, funded by the USDA, allocates approximately $2 million for infrastructure grants to Vermont businesses and organizations aiming to strengthen local and regional food systems. The grants support projects that improve the aggregation, distribution, manufacturing, processing, storing, transporting, and wholesaling of Vermont food products. This track encourages development of Vermont value-added products and promotes fair wages and job creation. A 50% match is required, which can be reduced to 25% for historically underserved farmers. Grants range from $100,000 to $500,000 and are available from fall 2024 through February 2027.

This track of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program provides approximately $1 million for grants aimed at purchasing equipment necessary for the middle of the food supply chain activities in Vermont. The grants range from $30,000 to $100,000 with no match requirement. Applications for this track are set to open in late August 2024 and close in early October 2024, with grant activities beginning in early 2025.