Vermont Business Magazine The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) and governing board (WLEB) were created by the legislature in 2012 to stimulate economic development in the agricultural and forestry sectors. WLEI is a collaborative effort between the Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, Department of Forest, Parks, and Recreation, and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) is releasing a Request For Application that will allow a Vermont farm, food, or forest business grant opportunities to invest in and scale-up their business.
The Pre-Application for Supply Chain and Market Level Infrastructure Grants opened for reading and reviewing on October 8, 2021. Submittals to this Pre-Application opens on October 22, 2021, and are due on December 6, 2021. These Pre-Applications will be reviewed by the WLEB in December, and applicants will be notified in January of denial or invitation to submit Full Applications.
- Supply Chain project activities under these grants will demonstrate how the market or product the applicant is developing or expanding, will positively impact multiple businesses within its own supply chain, for projects ranging from $25,000 - $75,000.
- Market Level Infrastructure project activities under these grants will illustrate how the market or product the applicant is developing or expanding will positively impact multiple businesses and/or create a new market. Only low-grade wood, forest products and/or value-added agriculture product sectors are eligible, for projects ranging from $75,000-$250,000.
The Working Lands Enterprise Board is also currently accepting applications for other grant opportunities, to help Vermont businesses with everything from infrastructure, marketing, meat processing, professional development projects and more.
The following are the funding opportunities currently open:
- Standard Business Grants for projects ranging from $10,000 - $25,000
- Meat Slaughter and Processing Grants for projects ranging from $50,000 - $100,000
- Producer Association Grants for projects ranging from $10,000 - $20,000
Applications for the above three grants are due by 11:59pm, on November 1st, 2021.
Applications will be reviewed in December of 2021 by the Working Lands Enterprise Board. Project decisions will be communicated in late January 2022. Please visit https://workinglands.vermont.gov/ to find out more.
For questions contact:
Lynn Ellen Schimoler
VAAFM Senior Agricultural Business Development | Working Lands Enterprise Initiative
[email protected] | 802-622-4477
The mission of the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative is to grow the economies, cultures, and communities of Vermont's working landscape. The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) achieves this by making essential, catalytic investments in critical leverage points of the Vermont farm and forest economy and facilitating policy development to optimize the agricultural and forest use of Vermont lands.
Source: October 13, 2021 / Montpelier, VT - VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets