Getting a jump start on grant applications across the Great Lakes Midwest: What you need to know

On June 20, 2024, the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center hosted a webinar aimed at helping food and farm businesses navigate federal grant applications. The session, titled "Get a jump on grant applications across the Great Lakes Midwest: What you need to know," provided crucial insights for business owners preparing for upcoming funding opportunities.

The webinar featured experienced producers Dan Cornelius of Yowela Farms and Aje Elliott of Workin' Roots Farm, who shared their firsthand experiences with obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through https://sam.gov, a prerequisite for many federal grant applications. Their practical tips and strategies offered attendees a roadmap for success in this critical process.

Jamie Rahrig and Julie Jesmer from the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems also presented information on upcoming assistance and funding opportunities. Information was shared about the Business Builder grant program, set to launch in late 2024. This initiative will distribute over $10 million in awards and technical assistance across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin over the next four years, providing significant support to regional food and farm businesses.
For more information about future events and resources, interested parties can visit https://www.canr.msu.edu/glm-rfbc/ or email [email protected].

About the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center

The Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center is dedicated to offering coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building opportunities for small- to mid-sized or historically marginalized food and farm business entrepreneurs in support of a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system. Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems (MI) coordinates the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center that is comprised of network coordinators – Chicago Food Policy Action Council (IL) https://www.chicagofoodpolicy.com/, Northwest Indiana Food Council (IN) https://www.nwifoodcouncil.org/, Food Finance Institute of the University of Wisconsin System (WI) https://foodfinanceinstitute.org/ , and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Food Systems https://www.menominee-nsn.gov/ – who seek to take a transformational, rather than transactional, approach. Learn more at https://www.canr.msu.edu/glm-rfbc.

Support for the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service Regional Food Business Centers Program. The 12 USDA Regional Food Business Centers support all 50 U.S. States and Territories, and are inclusive of all types of agricultural products produced locally or regionally.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. USDA Non-Discrimination Statement: https://www.usda.gov/non-discriminati...