Rural Business-Cooperative Service Inviting Applications for Value-Added Producer Grants
(US Department of Agriculture) USDA announces the availability of grants through the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program for Fiscal Year 2012. Approximately $14 million in competitive grant funds for FY 2012 is available to help agricultural producers enter into value-added activities. At the discretion of the Secretary, additional funds may be
made available to qualified ranking applications that respond to this announcement from prior year carry-over funds.
Awards may be made for either economic planning or working capital activities related to the processing and/or marketing of valued-added agricultural products. The maximum grant amount for a planning grant is $100,000 and the maximum grant amount for a working capital grant is $300,000.
There is a matching funds requirement of at least $1 for every $1 in grant funds provided by the Agency (matching funds plus grant funds must equal proposed total project costs). Matching funds may be in the form of cash or eligible in-kind contributions and may be used only for eligible project purposes. Matching funds must be available at time of application and must be certified and verified as described in 7 CFR 4284.931(b)(3) and (4). See 7 CFR 4284.923 and 7 CFR 4284.924 for examples of eligible and ineligible uses of matching funds.
Ten percent of available funds are reserved to fund applications submitted by Beginning Farmers or Ranchers and
Socially Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers, and an additional 10 percent of available funds are reserved to fund
applications from farmers or ranchers that propose development of Mid-Tier Value Chain projects (both collectively
referred to as ‘‘reserved funds’’). See 7 CFR 4284.925 and 7 U.S.C. 1632(a).
DATES: You must submit your application by October 15, 2012 or it will not be considered for funding announced in this Notice. READ MORE
