Massachusetts Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant

The purpose of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (“RFSI”) is to assist U.S. states and territories (“States”) to build resilience in the middle-of-the-supply-chain and strengthen local and regional food systems by creating new revenue streams for their state’s producers. USDA has awarded states funding, and states are to make subawards in the form of Infrastructure Grants and Simplified Equipment-Only 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. Who May Apply? Entities eligible for the RFSI Infrastructure Grants and Simplified Equipment-Only Grants: -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. -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 are eligible. -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 (NAICS). For more information on these size standards, please visit SBA’s Size Standards webpage. For a quick check on whether your business qualifies, please use the Size Standards Tool. -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.