Funding Inquiry Forms are Due Monday, Oct. 14
West Virginia Press Association
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development West Virginia State Director Ryan Thorn has announced that USDA and Reinvestment Fund launched the application window for the Food Access and Retail Expansion (HFFI FARE Fund), a new program under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the program in June to highlight how funding will support food retail and food enterprises working to improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas.
The HFFI FARE Fund is made possible by President Biden’s historic American Rescue Plan Act, which provided $155 million to the Healthy Food Financing Initiative.
“Having access to fresh, healthy food shouldn’t depend on where you live,” said Thorn. “This program helps increase access to healthy foods, opens new market opportunities for West Virginia farmers, stabilizes small and independent retailers, and creates good-paying jobs and economic opportunity in underserved rural communities.”
Under the HFFI FARE Fund, USDA and Reinvestment Fund are making available $60 million of this funding through loans, grants and technical assistance for food retail and food retail supply chain projects that increase access to healthy food in communities underserved by grocery stores.
Eligible organizations include food retailers and food retail suppliers. To apply, organizations must first submit a funding inquiry form to Reinvestment Fund. Funding inquiries are accepted on a rolling basis and loan and technical assistance will be offered on a rolling basis. To be considered for the first round of grant funding, inquiry forms must be received by Monday, Oct. 14.
Funding inquiries must demonstrate how projects will help create, expand, or retain a food retail or food enterprise business model. They must also show how projects will increase access to staple and perishable foods.
Organizations with eligible projects will be invited to apply for funding to implement healthy food projects. Available funding includes:
- Loans ranging from $500,000 to $5 million to support predevelopment, land acquisition, renovations and/or equipment purchases.
- Grants up to $250,000 to support project management, equipment purchases and/or construction.
- Financing for technical assistance to support market and feasibility studies, business planning and store design for projects in their early stages.
Stakeholders and potential applicants are invited to attend the following webinars to learn more about the program. Recordings will be uploaded to www.investinginfood.com.
- HFFI FARE Fund Overview: Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 2:00 p.m. ET
- Grant and Technical Assistance Overview: Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET
- Loan Overview: Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 3:00 p.m. ET
For more information about the program, visit the Request for Applications.
