Del. Takes Applications for Food System Program Grants

The Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy is accepting grant applications for the Food System Program
Grants will be available for entities that grow, process, store, transport, distribute or sell food in Delaware, according to the State Department of Agriculture.
Funding is available through the American Rescue Plan Act. Grants come in varying amounts depending on the type and size of the operation.

“A well-functioning food supply chain moves Delaware grown food products from farmland, and indoor grow sites to market outlets, households, and consumers,” according to DDA.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture provided additional details:

To be considered for funding as a producer, the farm operation must have an annual value of sales between $20,000 and $300,000, and the farm must actively be producing no more than 300 acres of fruits, vegetables, other specialty crops, or other products for human consumption.

The following are eligible supply chain operations, and this list is not all-inclusive; some examples include:

• Storage: food hubs
• Transportation: fleet coordinators, logistics
• Processing: incubator facilities, commercial kitchens
• Distribution: retail outlets, pantries, food trucks, single or multi-site grocery stores, cooperative grocers, corner stores, mobile markets, restaurants, farmers markets, on-farm stores

The First State Food System Program offers two grant categories, with two funding levels $2,500 to $49,999 and $50,000 to $150,000. Single-use projects will be completed in 12 months or less, and funds will be used to make specific, one-time purchases for equipment or other capital expenses. Multi-use projects will last for more than a year, and funds will be expended to cover various operational, administrative, and capital expenses.

Applicants who seek funding of $50,000 or more must complete registration through SAM.gov and provide a Unique Entity ID (UEI). The UEI is assigned to an entity by SAM.gov. Applicants must meet these requirements before applying for the grant.

The Council is working with the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) to facilitate the First State Food System Program through its grant application portal. This allows applicants to apply to this grant program easily and learn more about additional opportunities available through DCF. While DCF is facilitating the grant application process, this is not a grant program of the DCF.

The online application is available at https://delcf.org/grants. Click on “Apply Now” anywhere on the page to log in or create a new profile. Once logged in, click “Apply” at the top of the page. Select “Delaware’s First State Food System Program” from the list of open opportunities to complete and submit an application, including uploaded documents.

The funding for this program is provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which was signed into law by President Joe Biden and championed by members of Delaware’s congressional delegation – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester.

The Delaware Council on Farm & Food Policy strives to facilitate and support a local food system where:

• Farmers can access viable markets;
• Delaware households can access nutritious and wholesome food options within their communities; and
• Where the impacts of supply chain disruptions can be diminished.

Contact Delaware Council on Farm & Food Policy for grant program questions at DDA_farmandfoodpolicy@delaware.gov. Complete program information can be found at: https://farm-and-food-delaware.hub.arcgis.com/. For technical assistance using the DCF grant portal, applicants can contact Kelly Sheridan at ksheridan@delcf.org.