Posted March 13, 2025 at 01:13pm by VDW Admin
Business Builder Sub-Awards


The Northeast Regional Food Business Center recently launched the first round of Business Builder sub-awards, designed to strengthen local and regional food systems by providing direct funding to small- and mid-sized farm and food businesses. $10 million will be made available in this round, with awards ranging from $15,000 to $100,000 to support businesses in scaling their operations, expanding markets and connecting various segments of the regional food supply chain.
The Business Builder program will fund projects through three specialized funding tracks:
- Track 1: Equipment ($25,000 - $50,000)
- Supports the purchase of special-purpose equipment for post-harvest
activities, from processing to market. Farm and food businesses with
$350,000 or less in annual sales are eligible to apply
- Supports the purchase of special-purpose equipment for post-harvest
- Track 2: Business Development ($15,000 - $25,000)
- Supports business financial acumen and industry knowledge. Farm and
food businesses with $350,000 or less in annual sales are eligible to
apply.
- Supports business financial acumen and industry knowledge. Farm and
- Track 3: Product & Market Expansion ($50,000 - $100,000)
- Assists businesses in expansion through new products, broader
markets and wider distribution. Farm and food businesses with $1M or
less in annual sales are eligible to apply.
- Assists businesses in expansion through new products, broader
Applications will close April 7. Awardees will be announced in July, and funded projects are anticipated to begin activities in August.
The Center launched a pre-recorded webinar on February 24 to walk potential applicants through eligibility requirements, allowable activities, external resources and an application checklist. On March 3, March 11, March 19 and March 27, the Center will host informational sessions to answer any technical- or program-related
questions