Connecticut Farm Viability Grant

Connecticut Department of Agriculture

Closed May 21, 2020

About

The Farm Viability Grant provides matching funds to Connecticut municipalities, groups of municipalities, regional councils of governments, and/or agricultural non-profit organizations for projects that directly impact and/or foster agricultural viability.

All projects funded by the Farm Viability Grant must advance farming and agriculture as defined by Connecticut General Statutes Section 1-1(q).

Eligibility

The following entities are eligible to apply for the Farm Viability Grant:

Municipalities with a current Plan of Conservation and Development
Regional councils of governments organized under the provisions of sections 4-124i to 4-124p, inclusive
Groups of municipalities that have established a regional inter-local agreement pursuant to sections 7-339a to 7-339l, inclusive
Agricultural non-profit organizations

To qualify for the Farm Viability Grant as a non-profit, the non-profit must be registered with the Connecticut Secretary of State and provide a copy of the federal IRS exemption letter. Nonprofits must have submitted Form 990 and been in existence for the previous three years.

Prior grantees may reapply for a Farm Viability Grant. However, open awards, past awards, and corresponding project completion and outcomes will be taken into consideration.

NEW: Starting in November 2020, applicants which have received two years of consecutive funding will be ineligible for an award for one year. Applicants can reapply for funding after taking a year hiatus. For example:

2019: Project awarded
2020: Project awarded
2021: Ineligible for an award
2022: Eligible for an award

All projects which focus on a farmers’ market, must pertain to a Certified Connecticut Grown Farmers’ Market for the full duration of the project to be eligible.

Terms

Matching funds from the applicant must be a minimum of 40% of the total cost of the project budget; this must be clearly outlined in the application. The match can consist of in-kind and/or cash contributions directly associated with the project. All match expenses must be clearly documented and justified.

After the issuance of a purchase order, one cash advance of up to 50% of the total grant award may be requested by the grantee. The balance of the award will be reimbursed upon project completion and submission of required documents.