Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board has announced the opening of this year's grant cycle and the availability of approximately $550,000 in grant funds for the 2016 program year. The grants will fund forestry and agriculture projects that enhance Vermont's communities, economy, and culture. The applicant guide can be found at http://workinglands.vermont.gov/apply/rfp and application information sessions for each investment area will be held October 9th and 14th (see below for details).
Since its beginning in 2012, WLEB has awarded over $3 million in grant funds to 110 grantees, leveraging an additional $4.3 million of matching and outside funds. Check out some success stories of previous WLEB grantees: http://workinglands.vermont.gov/successtories.
The Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative aims to stimulate entrepreneurism, jobs, as well as attract a new generation of entrepreneurs to the agriculture and forestry sector. Please help to spread the word and forward this on to anyone you think would be interested.
Margaret Gibson McCoy, Office and Communications Manager
Vermont Council on Rural Development
The two investment areas are as follows:
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Business Investments: $5,000-$50,000
LETTER OF INTENT DUE: 11/6/15 at noon
Projects may include, but are not limited to: Infrastructure (project-specific planning, permitting, and/or engineering/architectural plans; and/or building and equipment costs); Marketing (accessing new markets and securing new customers); Research and Development (testing new systems or technologies or developing innovative solutions)
**Note that new this year, business investment applicants will be required to include a business plan. If you've never written one, here's an online template you can use: http://workinglands.vermont.gov/apply/ta/tools. -
Service Provider Investment: $15,000-$75,000
LETTER OF INTENT DUE: 12/4/15 at noon
Projects should show direct impacts on Vermont Working Lands businesses. Types of technical assistance provided may include: Market development, marketing plans, and sales; Business and financial planning; Succession planning; Access to capital; Manufacturing efficiencies or process flow
Applicant Info Sessions will be hosted at the following locations:
Friday, October 9th, 4:30 - 6:00pm
- Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 116 State Street, Montpelier, VT, 05620, phone: 802.585.9072
- Northern Vermont Development Association, 36 Eastern Avenue, St Johnsbury, VT, 05819, phone: 802.748.5181
- Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, 76 Cotton Mill Hill, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, phone: 802.257.0294
- Springfield Regional Development Corporation, 14 Clinton Street Suite 7, Springfield, VT, 05156, phone: 802.885.3061
Wednesday, October 14th, 4:30 - 6:00pm
- Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 116 State Street, Montpelier, VT, 05620, phone: 802.585.9072
- Northern Vermont Development Association, 36 Eastern Avenue, St Johnsbury, VT, 05819, phone: 802.748.5181
- Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, 76 Cotton Mill Hill, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, phone: 802.257.0294
- Rutland Economic Development Corporation, 110 Merchants Row Suite 312, Rutland, VT, 05701, phone: 802.773.9147
- Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation & Northwest Regional Planning Commission, 75 Fairfield Street, Saint Albans, VT, 05478, phone: 802.524.5958
Or connect from your computer by logging in here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/2574274848696658434
The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative, (Act 142), is administered by the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets in partnership with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. The Working Lands funds are administered by the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB), an impact investment organization whose mission is to grow the economies, cultures, and communities of Vermont's working landscape by making essential, catalytic investments in critical leverage points of the Vermont farm and forest economy, from individual enterprises to industry sectors. For more information, contact Noelle Sevoian,Working Lands Specialist, [email protected], 802-585-9072, or visit http://workinglands.vermont.gov/. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VtWLP