Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) 2012 Key Facts:
- USDA Rural Development has announced the availability of approximately $14 million in competitive grants for fiscal year (FY) 2012 to help independent agricultural producers enter into or expand value-added activities.
- Businesses of all sizes may apply, but priority will be given to Operators of Small and Medium-Sized Farms or Ranches that are structured as Family Farms, Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, Mid-Tier Value Chain projects, and Farmer or Rancher Cooperatives.
- The maximum grant amount for a planning grant is $100,000 and the maximum grant amount for a working capital grant is $300,000. Grant recipients must provide matching non-Federal funds, which can be cash, “in-kind” non-cash contributions, or a combination of both.
- There is no restriction on the minimum grant size that will be awarded. In FY 2011, 49 percentof awards were $50,000 or less.
- Applications for grants must be submitted on paper or electronically no later than October 15, 2012, to be eligible for FY 2012 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2012 grant funding.
- The anticipated award date is Janurary 18, 2013
Please browse through all the resources presented below, to get a complete understanding of the details that are required in your application for funding from the USDA VAPG grant program.
USDA Invites Applications for Value Added Producer Grant to Assist Farmers
| Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) for 2012 VAPG | www.foodinnovation.rutgers.edu/2012-20082.pdf |
| 2012 VAPG Application Template | www.foodinnovation.rutgers.edu/USDAApplicationTemp.pdf |
