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Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program 2025

Grantor:

CA Department of Food and Agriculture

Departmental Grant ID:

10.190

Portal ID:

109185

Status:

Forecasted

Opportunity Type:

• Grant

Last Updated:

May 23, 2025, 10:24 am

Details

Purpose:

RFSI will create more and better processing options for local and regional producers across various sectors by targeting opportunities in the programs supporting the agricultural supply chain. RFSI will build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain; provide more and better markets to small farms and food businesses; support the development of value-added products for consumers, fair prices, and fair wages; and create new and safe jobs.

Description:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), has awarded the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) a Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) cooperative agreement. CDFA, in cooperation with USDA, will conduct a competitive solicitation to award RFSI funds to projects that maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. Projects should support infrastructure in the middle-of-the-supply-chain for California food and farm businesses and other eligible entities. The food supply chain involves the following stages: 1. Production, including growing and harvesting, 2. Processing, 3. Aggregation and Distribution, and 4. Markets and Consumers. RFSI proposals must support the middle of the supply chain, which refers to stages 2. Processing and 3. Aggregation and Distribution. This program supports food system crops and products meant for human consumption. Meat and poultry products are excluded, because they are funded through other USDA programs.

CDFA anticipates that approximately $2.3 million will be awarded to projects that expand middle-of-the-food-supply-chain capacity for locally and regionally produced foods and offer more and better market opportunities and new streams of revenue to small and mid-sized agricultural producers, including those who may not have access to value-added opportunities or processing to meet market demand for premium or value-added products, such as underserved producers. Projects can begin upon USDA approval and are expected to take place in the first half of 2026.

All projects must benefit crops grown in California. Middle-of-the-supply-chain activities refers to activities in the Processing and/or Aggregation and Distribution stages.

This solicitation is an extension of the 2024 solicitation. Any prior recipients of RFSI funding are not eligible to request or receive additional funding, including under another business entity and/or Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Only Simplified Equipment-Only Grants will be available in this solicitation. This option is a Fixed Price Grant, meaning it will fund only one equipment purchase and the amount awarded will be equal to the cost of the equipment up to the award maximum. Only one piece of equipment may be purchased; processing lines that accomplish a single task are counted as one piece of equipment.

 

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

• Business
• Individual
• Nonprofit
• Other Legal Entity
• Public Agency
• Tribal Government

·         Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors.

·         Nonprofit organizations 

·         Local government entities 

·         Tribal governments 

·         Institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or to invest in equipment that will benefit multiple producers’ middle-of-the-supply-chain activities.

 

Eligible Geographies:

All applicant businesses and organizations must be domestically owned, and applicants' facilities must be physically located within the State of California. All projects must benefit crops grown in California.

Matching Funding Requirement:

No match is required for the Simplified Equipment-Only Grants. Match is allowable to cover any costs above the maximum award amount of $100,000. Equipment with a total cost of $200,000 or greater is not eligible for this solicitation, even if the applicant is able to cover the costs above $100,000 with matching funds.