Northwest and Rocky Mountain USDA Regional Food Business Center (RFBC)

Interested in applying? You could get a subscription to Ambrook subsidized by this grant. This grant covers software costs for financial management and bookkeeping tools - Ambrook helps you track your income and expenses, by enterprise, so you can run a financially sustainable business. Questions? Go to ambrook.com to learn more or contact sherry@ambrook.com to incorporate this into your grant.

The Business Builder Grant Program is a dynamic funding initiative developed through the USDA’s network of Regional Food Business Centers (RFBCs). In the Northwest and Rocky Mountain (NWRM) region, these grants are designed to empower small- and mid-sized farm and food businesses, helping them scale, enter new markets, and expand their impact. The program also extends to essential partners—aggregators, processors, distributors, and more—who play a critical role in bringing local food to market.

The NWRM RFBC has designed its grant program to address regional priorities and support the unique characteristics of its six-state area (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming).

With $6,755,000 total to distribute in grants across our region between 2024 and 2027, we are:

• Making primarily small- and medium-sized grants, from $3,000 to $50,000

• Creating opportunities for businesses to receive a grant after successful completion of a technical assistance program

• Providing a $500,000 funding pool for each state

• Designating a $500,000 funding pool for “Native Grown and Gathered”

• Providing one pool of $470,000 for each of our four priority topics:

  • Building Meat Supply Chain Capacity

  • Creating Diverse Markets for Climate Resilient Ag

  • Connecting and Scaling Food Entrepreneurs

  • Supporting Right-Size Investing and Infrastructure

• Designating one pool of $400,000 for topics that emerge as regionally important *will be identified 2025/2026

• Designating $975,000 for projects that will impact farm and food businesses across states in our region

Each Business Builder Grant Program has different eligibility. **Please review the specific Request for Applications (RFA) webpage to learn more about the specific criteria needed for eligibility. **While each program is different, there are some similarities across all Business Builder Grant Programs, which are explained below.

Each Awardee needs an Unique Entity Identification (UEI) Number

To apply for a Business Builder grant, your business must have a Unique Entity Identification (UEI) number issued by the U.S. government. If you do not have one, here is a Quick Guide for Getting a UEI. At no cost, you can apply for one on the SAM.gov website, which is managed by the General Services Administration of the United States government. While you may apply for a Business Builder grant before receiving your UEI, if you are selected for a grant, you will not be able to sign your grant agreement or receive grant funds until you provide your UEI.

Each Program is designed for Regional Connectivity

As a strategy to strengthen local and regional food systems, while each Business Builder Grant Program has a different audience type, the overall goal remains the same. Typically, the programs are meant to serve the following audience types:

• Small- and mid-scale farm, ranch, fish/seafood, and value-added food businesses producing in, sourcing from, and focused on local and regional markets

• Food processors, aggregators, and distributors that source locally and/or regionally, serve multiple small- and mid-scale food and farm businesses, and focus on local and/or regional markets. (Processors, aggregators, and distributors do not have to be small- or mid-scale themselves.)

• Value-Added Food Businesses that are the following:

  • Farm businesses that make value-added products out of what they produce and/or source from other producers in their region

  • Food businesses that are currently sourcing or actively trying to increase the ingredients they source from producers locally or regionally

Given the variety of programs that we offer, it is important to understand the current offerings to see which one is more aligned with your business/project.

In addition to audience type, business type can be a factor. The Business Builder program is designed for for-profit businesses, which includes cooperatives; however, there are some exceptions to this. Non-profits that operate a farm or food business are eligible as long as the grant funds are used solely for the business operations or market development. In addition, non-profits with educational farms or food processing businesses are eligible as long as they can show at least 50% of the funds will improve market access for farmers, ranchers, and/or fishers.

Each Program has shared language

For the Business Builder Grant programs, there is a shared language among all of our programming. For this opportunity, “small” and “mid-scale” are based on income, not acreage or sales volume.

For Farms, Ranches, and Seafood Harvesters:

• Small = Up to $350,000 in gross cash farm income (GCFI) *Read grant specific RFA carefully for details

• Mid-scale = $350,000 to $999,999 GCFI

For Other Eligible Food Businesses:

• Small = Up to $350,000 in annual sales

• Mid-scale = $350,000 to $999,999 in annual sales

In contrast, “local” and “regional” may vary by grant program. For example, one state may define “local” as within state boundaries, while another might define it as within 400 miles of the business. In some cases, businesses will need to confirm they focus on local and regional markets. Always check the specific guidelines for the grant program you’re applying for.

Business Builder grants are for businesses to strengthen their business viability and/or expand their markets. While there are many ways to achieve this, below are some eligible project ideas to consider for your application:

• Business planning, feasibility studies, writing grants and loan applications

• Value chain coordination salaries, operating costs and equipment/vehicles

• Developing your brand and marketing materials, including websites

• Market analysis, brokering services, and outreach to potential customers

• Attending, developing marketing materials and buying supplies for trade shows focused on local or regional markets

• Developing new products, labels, or packaging, including pilots to trial new formulations or recipes

• Improving processing, marketing, and distribution activities for your products

• Legal support for business resilience, market risk management, and growth

• Food safety training, planning, compliance for owners and/or employees

• Worker safety improvements for post-harvest handling and market management: training staff, purchasing safety equipment

• Creating, updating or expanding a farm stand, U-Pick, CSA, or other farm-direct sales platform

Please ensure your project aligns with the specific RFA you are applying for.

Application Process