Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS)

During the next funding round, completed applications (following the AFID Infrastructure Program Application format) should be emailed to VDACS' Office of Agriculture and Forestry Development or sent by postal mail. The application period is announced as funding becomes available.

Rachel Meyers

Program Manager

Authorized by Virginia Code §3.2-312, this AFID program provides grants to political subdivisions to support processing, flash-freezing, and infrastructure projects addressing invasive blue catfish, which are documented in all of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay tributaries and harm shad, herring, striped bass, menhaden, clams, and blue crabs.



Applications must be made by a political subdivision (county, city, town, industrial/economic development authority, or planning district commission). Applicants are eligible for only one grant award per grant round and must be in good standing on any other AFID awards. Priority given to projects near small-scale blue catfish watermen, locally-owned processing facilities, and projects in the Rural Coastal Virginia Community Enhancement Authority or Planning District 23.

A lump sum of money for a specific purpose that does not need to be paid back.

Grant

Buildings

Construction

Fencing

Greenhouse

High Tunnel

HVAC

Irrigation

Lighting

Repairs

Storage

Infrastructure

Reimbursable grants of no more than $250,000 per grant, awarded competitively. Two years from award to complete deliverables (one-year extension possible); up to 75% of funds may be allocated before the end of the grant period.

Application consists of (1) a letter from the locality's chief elected/appointed official to the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, and (2) a letter from the business beneficiary, per the AFID guidelines. No online portal; interested businesses should contact their local economic development office or VDACS.

Michele Bridges

Project Manager

The Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund's Facility Grants are a discretionary, performance-based economic-development incentive for agriculture and forestry value-added or processing projects. Grants are awarded to a political subdivision for the benefit of a company, supporting produce companies, dairy/meat/poultry processors, specialty food and beverage manufacturers, greenhouse operations, forest product manufacturers, and aquaculture (e.g., oyster production).



Awarded to political subdivisions (counties, cities, towns) for the benefit of a company; the locality applies, not the business directly. The benefiting facility must produce value-added agricultural or forestal products, with a minimum of 30% of the product grown or produced in Virginia annually. Multiple localities may jointly apply.

Maximum $500,000 per project (may be exceeded for projects of statewide/regional importance). Dollar-for-dollar local match required (may be waived/reduced for statewide/regional-importance projects). Minimum 30% Virginia-grown products required. Performance-based payout split roughly evenly across Virginia-grown purchases, new jobs, and capital investment, with clawback if targets are missed.

Contact the local economic development office or the VDACS Office of Agriculture and Forestry Development; grant amount and terms are determined by the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry and approved by the Governor. Review the AFID Facility Grant Program Guidelines.

Discretionary, performance-based economic development grant from the Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund for agriculture/forestry value-added or processing projects. A facility grant is awarded to a political subdivision for the benefit of a company whose new or expanding facility the grant is critical to; supports agribusinesses of all sizes including produce companies, dairy processors, meat and poultry processors, specialty food and beverage manufacturers, greenhouse operations, forest-product manufacturers, and aquaculture projects.



Awarded to a Virginia political subdivision (locality) for the benefit of a qualifying agribusiness that is establishing or expanding a value-added or processing facility. Interested businesses work through their local economic development office.

Maximum grant: "The maximum AFID Facility grant allowed to any one project is capped at $500,000. In unique circumstances, this limit may be exceeded for projects that are determined to be of statewide or regional importance." No minimum is published — the amount and terms are set by the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry and approved by the Governor.

Local match — 1:1, required: "A dollar-for-dollar match, in cash and/or in-kind... from the locality is required for every AFID dollar requested." The match can be in-kind (infrastructure development, fee waivers, or free or reduced-price land or buildings). Previously invested local funds, other government grants, and private contributions do not count. Tobacco Region Opportunity Fund grants may cover up to one-half of the match. The Governor may waive or reduce the match for projects of statewide or regional importance. Matches "generally must be made within three years of the AFID Facility grant award and may not be spread out over more than five years."

Performance-based payout with clawback: grants "are generally paid out on a performance basis" and are not front-end financing. The grant is split into thirds: "AFID Facility grants are broken into 33% for purchase of Virginia grown products, 33% for new jobs and 33% for capital investment." Miss a target in any category and the locality must claw back a proportionate amount. A 100% clawback of all grant funds is triggered if the locality or the Secretary concludes the business cannot meet at least half (50%) of any one of the three targets.

Performance period: "Generally, the performance date will be the date 36 months after the date of award." If the business has not hit 90% of its targets at least 60 calendar days before the performance date, the locality may grant a one-time extension of up to 15 months.

Virginia-grown content: a minimum of 30% of the agricultural or forestal products the facility adds value to must be produced in Virginia on an annual basis in normal production years. Higher percentages earn additional consideration in ranking.

Who holds the grant: the grant goes to the locality (a political subdivision), not to your business. The locality signs a performance agreement with you before it can receive the funds. Work through your local economic development office.

Review the AFID Infrastructure Grant Guidelines, complete the AFID Infrastructure Program Application and budget form, and submit during an open funding round. The Fall 2026 round opens Sept 14 and closes Oct 30, 2026.

Joyce Blankenship

Reimbursable, matching grants of up to $50,000 per grant to Virginia political subdivisions for capital infrastructure projects that support local food production and sustainable agriculture - food hubs, farmers' markets, commercial kitchens, and value-added facilities for processing/packaging meat, dairy, or produce. Awarded competitively through semi-annual (Fall and Spring) funding rounds; requires a 1:1 match, reduced to a 2:1 match for economically distressed localities or projects benefiting multiple small-scale producers.



Applications must be made by a Virginia political subdivision (typically counties and cities, but also towns, industrial/economic development authorities, or planning district commissions). Small farmers and food producers work with their localities to identify and develop projects.

Farmers Market

Food Systems

Local Food

Grants of up to $50,000 per grant to political subdivisions. Awards are competitive, paid out as reimbursements, and require matching funds.

Match: "The AFID Infrastructure Program generally requires that the applicant provide a dollar-for-dollar match (1:1). However, Economically Distressed Localities and/or projects benefiting multiple small-scale agriculture producers are eligible for a reduced 2:1 match." Up to 50% of the applicant's match may be in-kind or "Other Match" funds — locality in-kind contributions, federal grant awards, nonprofit contributions, or Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission funds.

Payment: reimbursement only. "Reimbursements may be requested periodically throughout the grant period; up to 75 percent of the grant funds may be allocated prior to the end of the grant period." The final reimbursement payment is made upon verification of the final grant report and budget close-out form with all receipts, invoices, and backup documentation.

Term: "Grant awardees have two years from the award announcement to complete their deliverables; they may request an extension from the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for up to one additional year" (requested at least 90 days before the end of the grant period). An interim grant report is due one year into the grant.

Limits per applicant: applicants may hold multiple active AFID Infrastructure grants but are eligible for only one grant award per grant round, and must be in good standing on other AFID awards.

Source: AFID Infrastructure Grant Program Guidelines (PDF).

Submit the AFID Infrastructure Program Application with a grant budget form; reviewed competitively through semi-annual funding rounds (Fall and Spring). Fall 2026 round opens September 14, 2026 and closes October 30, 2026.

AFID Infrastructure Program grants awarded to political subdivisions for capital projects at new and existing food hubs, farmers' markets, commercial kitchens, and other value-added facilities (processing/packaging of meats, dairy, produce, or other Virginia agricultural products). Small farmers, food producers, and local food systems advocates are encouraged to work with their localities to develop projects.



Applications must be made by a political subdivision (county, city, town, industrial/economic development authority, or planning district commission); multi-locality applications allowed with one lead applicant. Applicants may hold multiple active AFID Infrastructure grants but are eligible for only one award per grant round.

Reimbursable grants up to $50,000 per grant. Two funding rounds per fiscal year (Fall, target award by Dec 31; Spring, target award by June 30). Dollar-for-dollar match generally required, reduced to 2:1 for Economically Distressed Localities or multi-producer-benefit projects; up to 50% of match may be in-kind. Two years to complete deliverables (one-year extension possible). NOTE: the live program page lists the contact as Joyce Blankenship, Project Manager, while the guidelines PDF lists Rachel Meyers, Program Manager — the two authoritative VDACS sources disagree; the live page (more likely current) was used but this is flagged for human confirmation.

Accepted on a rolling basis. Submit the AFID Planning Program Application and grant budget form, plus a Chief Administrative Officer letter of support.

AFID Planning Grant program supports Virginia agriculture and forestry by funding innovative local efforts to assist agriculture- and forestry-based businesses and encouraging local governments and the ag/forestry community to work together on economic development. Supports strategic plans, feasibility studies, business/marketing plans, local ordinances, working-lands preservation policies, and entrepreneurship/business development efforts.



Funds awarded as reimbursable grants to political subdivisions; applicants may not hold more than one active planning grant at a time (excluding multi-locality projects). Applications primarily benefiting an individual for-profit business are not allowed, nor education/youth training. Requires a letter of support from the applicant's Chief Administrative Officer and active participation of an agriculture/forestry advisory board or committee.

Certification

Distribution

Diversification

Events

Trade Show

Certified Organic

Trade Relief

Legal & Finance

Matching grants up to $20,000 (single locality) or $35,000 (multi-locality). 1:1 match required (2:1 for Economically Distressed Localities); at least 50% of match must be cash. Capital expenditures capped at $10,000. Two years to complete deliverables (one-year extension possible). NOTE: the live program page lists the contact as Joyce Blankenship, Project Manager, while the guidelines PDF lists Rachel Meyers, Program Manager — flagged for human confirmation.

Review the AFID Planning Grant Guidelines and submit the AFID Planning Grant Program Application and budget form; interested localities should contact the VDACS Office of Agriculture and Forestry Development.

Matching grants of up to $20,000 (single-locality application) or $35,000 (multi-locality application) awarded through the AFID Fund in partnership with Virginia local governments to promote or support agriculture and forestry - developing strategic plans, feasibility studies, business or marketing plans or ordinances; generating policies or programs to preserve working lands; creating local plans supporting ag/forestry businesses; or funding entrepreneurship and business development. Requires a 1:1 match, with reduced match available for economically distressed localities.



Virginia local governments (single locality or multiple localities in partnership) working with the agriculture/forestry community. A 1:1 match is required, reduced for economically distressed localities.

Award size. "Single locality applicant – An individual applicant may apply for up to $20,000 per grant application." "Multi-locality applicant – Applications made on behalf of more than one locality may apply for up to $35,000 per grant." No minimum is published. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and "Applicants cannot have more than one active planning grant at any time, excluding participation in multi-locality projects."

Match. "The AFID Planning Program generally requires that the applicant provide a dollar-for-dollar (1:1) match to the project. However, Economically Distressed Localities are eligible for a reduced 2:1 match." Composition of the match is constrained: "At least 50% of the applicant's match must be a cash match. These are funds that are newly committed to the project. A cash match cannot include previously invested funds or funding from other sources." The rest "may be in-kind or composed of Other Match funds" — defined as federal grant awards, private foundations, non-profit organizations, and Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission funds. Reduced match for multi-locality applicants "may be evaluated by the Secretary under special circumstances."

Capital costs. "Applications may include requests for capital expenditures of up to $10,000."

How you get paid. "An AFID Planning Grant Program award is a reimbursable grant" made to political subdivisions, so the locality spends first and is repaid. "Reimbursements may be requested periodically throughout the grant period; up to 75 percent of the grant funds may be allocated prior to the end of the grant period." The final reimbursement is released only "upon verification of the final grant documents," which include all receipts, invoices, and deliverables such as feasibility studies.

Term. "Grant awardees have two years from receipt of funds to complete their deliverables and may request an extension from the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for up to one additional year." Extension requests must be made at least 90 days before the grant period ends. An interim report is due one year in. "An application for a new grant will not be considered until the conditions of any previous grant are substantially completed."

Submit a completed application (AFID Infrastructure Program Application format) with the Blue Catfish budget form during the next funding round, by email to Rachel Meyers (rachel.meyers@vdacs.virginia.gov) or by mail to VDACS Office of Agriculture and Forestry Development, 102 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

Reimbursable grants of no more than $250,000 per grant, awarded to Virginia political subdivisions to support the processing, flash freezing, and infrastructure of the invasive blue catfish. Authorized under Va. Code Sec. 3.2-312 and administered through the AFID Fund; awards are competitive based on application strength. Priority is given to projects that create capacity near small-scale blue catfish watermen, primarily locally owned processing facilities, projects incorporating existing seafood processors, and projects in the Rural Coastal Virginia Community Enhancement Authority or Planning District 23.



Virginia political subdivisions applying to support blue catfish processing, flash-freezing, and infrastructure projects. Applicants must follow the AFID Infrastructure Program Application format.

Award ceiling: $250,000 per grant. Va. Code §3.2-312 as summarized by VDACS: "Any funds awarded by the Governor shall be awarded as reimbursable grants of no more than $250,000 per grant to political subdivisions to support blue catfish processing, flash freezing, and infrastructure projects." The guidelines restate it as "grants of up to $250,000 per grant." No minimum is published.

Reimbursement, not cash up front. "These grants are awarded competitively and paid out as reimbursements." "Reimbursements may be requested periodically throughout the grant period; up to 75 percent of the grant funds may be allocated prior to the end of the grant period." The final 25% is paid only after the closeout package — final report, deliverables, and a budget close-out form with all receipts, invoices and backup documentation — is verified.

Grant period: "Grant awardees have two years from the award announcement date to complete their deliverables and may request an extension from the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for up to one additional year." An interim report is due one year in. Each grantee signs a Memorandum of Agreement setting the grant period and reporting requirements.

Match: not required. A local match is only a scoring factor — the review criteria include "projects providing a local match, if any."

Use of funds: "Grant funds should be used primarily for capital expenditures."

Note on who can apply: the recipient must be a Virginia political subdivision, so a farm, waterman, or processing business would need to work through its locality rather than apply directly.

Apply during the annual application period, which opens in the spring, using the RFSI Infrastructure or Equipment-Only grant application via VDACS; supporting documents include an evidence-of-critical-infrastructure letter, environmental pre-screening worksheet, grant checklist, and match verification letter. Currently closed.

Keisha Williams

Grant Specialist

USDA cooperative-agreement program administered by VDACS that makes competitive subawards to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain - expanding capacity for aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transport, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food (specialty crops, dairy, grains for human consumption, aquaculture, and other food products, excluding meat and poultry). Infrastructure and equipment-only grant tracks are offered, with matching funds required.



Domestic food and farm businesses and other eligible entities operating in the middle of Virginia's food supply chain. A Unique Entity ID (SAM.gov registration) is required and matching funds apply.

Marketing

Two grant tracks; an eligible entity may apply for only one and cannot apply for both.

Infrastructure Grants — "Minimum of $100,000 up to $3 million." Match: "Infrastructure grant recipients are required to contribute 50% of the total project cost as a match to federal funding. This may be as cash, in-kind, or a combination of the two." A "Reduced Match of 25% of total proposed project cost" applies to small and underserved business owners, historically underserved farmers or ranchers, and businesses qualifying under the SBA categories of small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, or veteran-owned small business; for nonprofits and formal cooperatives, "the majority (51% or higher) of the board of directors or owners/operators need to meet the criteria." Federal funds cannot be used as match, and each match source needs a signed Letter of Match Verification submitted with the proposal.

Simplified Equipment-Only Grants — "Minimum of $10,000 and maximum of $100,000 for equipment-only, fees, and delivery." It is a fixed-price grant that funds equipment purchases only: "It will not fund associated facility upgrades, staffing, installation, or other costs." Equipment must be valued at "$5,000 or higher, per unit," and "No Match required."

Approximately $6.5 million was available for competitive subaward grants across the round.

Apply through the VDACS WebGrants system (register for an account, then complete the application) and submit a Commonwealth of Virginia (COV) W-9. The 2026 round is closed (pre-applications were due Feb 6, 2026; awards announced Sept 2026); the program runs annually.

Lorraine Bruner

Grants Specialist

Competitive USDA grant, administered in Virginia by VDACS, that funds projects to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops - fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture/nursery crops including floriculture. Uses a two-phase process (pre-application, then full application by invitation); selected projects are compiled into the Virginia State Plan and submitted to USDA for final award. Deadlines and funding are contingent on the final Farm Bill and USDA Notice of Funds Availability.



Agricultural associations, industry and producer groups, community-based organizations, and academia in Virginia. Projects must improve the competitiveness of specialty crops and produce measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry or the public rather than a single organization, institution, or individual.

No award ceiling, award floor, or matching/cost-share requirement is published for the Virginia round. The VDACS program page covers eligibility, the two-phase process, and the timeline but states no dollar figures at all, and neither the allowable-costs guidance nor the accounting questionnaire linked from it sets a per-project cap. Past award sizes can only be inferred from USDA's national list of previously funded SCBGP projects, which VDACS links to rather than publishing Virginia amounts itself.

What is published about the money: awards are made to USDA first and then passed down. "USDA reviews and approves the final grant award," and "disbursement of awards are made to the applicant (sub-grantee) after the grant award is made to VDACS. (Anticipated October 1, 2026)." Applicants should also treat the whole round as provisional: "All deadlines and funding are contingent upon the final U.S. Farm Bill and Notice of Funds Availability from USDA's Agriculture Marketing Services."

Cost rules are the real constraint. Applicants "must follow USDA and VDACS cost guidelines," and the 2025 Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities table makes several categories unallowable outright — among them acquiring buildings, facilities or land, and any construction, renovation or alteration of an existing building (including site grading and the purchase of building materials such as lumber, concrete, roofing or plumbing). Renting land or building space is allowable, but "lease agreements to own (i.e., lease-to-own or rent-to-own) are not allowable" and the lease "must terminate at the end of the grant cycle." Alcoholic beverages and contingency/rainy-day funds are unallowable.

One structural condition worth noting for individual farmers: projects must "produce measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single organization, institution or individual," so a project that benefits only one farm does not qualify.

Apply through the VDACS WebGrants system (register for an account, then complete the application) and submit a Commonwealth of Virginia (COV) W-9; see the VAFAP WebGrant Application Guide. The Spring 2026 round is closed; VDACS announces future rounds.

Reimbursable grants to charitable food-assistance organizations to purchase Virginia Grown agricultural products (food grown, packaged, or minimally processed in Virginia) for distribution to food-insecure Virginians. Awarded through a competitive panel review; applicants must present a plan to engage local farmers and growers and demonstrate improved access to nutritious food and community impact. A total of $1.1 million in reimbursable funding was available for the Spring 2026 round.



Charitable food assistance organizations - non-profit or community-based organizations operating in Virginia that provide nutrition assistance to relieve emergency and distress - with a plan to purchase locally grown, minimally processed products from Virginia farmers.

Award size: No per-award ceiling, floor, or cost-share percentage is published. VDACS made "a total of $1.1 million in reimbursable funding" available for the Spring 2026 round (a program-wide pool, not a per-grant cap), and the size of each individual grant is set case by case: "the review panel may also recommend an award amount for selected projects."

How you are paid: Reimbursement. Grants reimburse the purchase of Virginia Grown agricultural products (food grown, packaged, or minimally processed in Virginia) that are then distributed to food-insecure Virginians.

Budget composition limits (from the VAFAP WebGrant Application Guide):
- Direct project costs must be at least 90% of the total budget.
- Administrative costs — personnel, travel, supplies, contractual — may be no more than 10% of the total budget.
- Travel must comply with GSA regulations, and mileage may be reimbursed at prevailing GSA rates.

Match: No cash or in-kind match requirement is published.

Submit the signed VDACS OCCSP application, a Commonwealth of Virginia (COV) W-9 with original signature, a current copy of the organic certificate, and itemized certifier receipts to VDACS Division of Marketing and Development, Attn: Garrett Petro, 102 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

Garrett Petro

Grants Contact

Reimburses eligible Virginia organic growers and processors for 75% of their organic certification costs, up to $750 per certification scope/category. Funded through the USDA National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) and administered by VDACS; reimbursements are paid on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are depleted.



Virginia organic growers and processors who successfully completed or renewed organic certification from a USDA-accredited certifying agent during the program's qualifying period.

A payment that requires some percentage of matching contributions by the recipient.

Cost Share

Conservation

Research

Compliance

Reimbursement after certification, not an upfront grant. The VDACS Organic Certification Cost Share Application states: "Each Applicant will receive 75% of Certification Costs up to $750 per Scope." The most recent published VDACS round document says the OCCSP funds "will provide reimbursement to eligible organic growers and processors for 75 percent of their 2023-2024 organic certification costs up to a maximum of $750 per category of certification," for certification completed or renewed between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024, with "all paperwork" due to VDACS "no later than November 30, 2024."

Because the $750 ceiling applies per certification scope/category rather than per applicant, a producer certified in more than one scope can be reimbursed more than $750 in total. The producer covers the remaining 25 percent of certification costs; no separate match, fee, or contract term is published.

Funding is not first-in-line guaranteed: "Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until they have been depleted." Reimbursement requires itemized certifier receipts showing the total cost of services and the date of payment within the program time frame.

To apply, applicants must first complete the pre-proposal document and schedule a call with VDACS program staff using this calendly link. Following that call, the application will complete a full application. 
It is required that all VFAIF applicants attend one "How to Apply" webinar. Select one from the dates on the bottom of this page.

Successful applications will show a clear vision and plan, including a timeline and deliverables; will have a comprehensive budget; and will demonstrate a path to financial sustainability or profitability.

The Virginia Food Access Investment Fund (VFAIF) is a statewide program that focuses on equity and justice in local food systems by investing in new or expanding food retailers that address food access issues in the Commonwealth. VFAIF offers grants and loans to fund the business development, construction, rehabilitation, equipment upgrades and expansion of grocery stores, small food retailers, and innovative food retail projects in historically low-income, low-access&#x2004;communities.

Food acts as a common thread between history and culture, neighborhood empowerment and economic sustainability, and healthier lifestyles. The VFAIF program has been developed using the Equitable Food-Oriented Development model, a development strategy that uses food and agriculture to create economic opportunities and healthy neighborhoods and that explicitly seeks to build community assets, pride, and power by and with historically low-income, low-access communities.

For the purposes of this program, historically low-income, low-access communities are defined as minority or low-income, low-access, as well as those experiencing low food access. In these communities, the objectives of this program are to:

- improve access to fresh foods and reduce food deserts across the Commonwealth;

- create wealth, support leadership, and improve access to capital in historically low-income, low-access communities;

- assess, support and transform existing or potential businesses into sustainable community-owned businesses;

- foster innovative solutions that uplift and share successful food business models; and

- reduce food insecurity, strengthen food systems and improve health outcomes for historically low-income, low-access communities.



The Virginia Food Access Investment Fund (VFAIF) is a statewide program that focuses on equity and justice in local food systems by investing in new or expanding food retailers that address food access issues in the Commonwealth. VFAIF offers grants and loans to fund the business development, construction, rehabilitation, equipment upgrades and expansion of grocery stores, small food retailers, and innovative food retail projects in historically low-income, low-access communities.
Food acts as a common thread between history and culture, neighborhood empowerment and economic sustainability, and healthier lifestyles. The VFAIF program has been developed using the Equitable Food-Oriented Development model, a development strategy that uses food and agriculture to create economic opportunities and healthy neighborhoods and that explicitly seeks to build community assets, pride, and power by and with historically low-income, low-access communities.
For the purposes of this program, historically low-income, low-access communities are defined as minority or low-income, low-access, as well as those experiencing low food access. In these communities, the objectives of this program are to:
- improve access to fresh foods and reduce food deserts across the Commonwealth;
- create wealth, support leadership, and improve access to capital in historically low-income, low-access communities;
- assess, support and transform existing or potential businesses into sustainable community-owned businesses;
- foster innovative solutions that uplift and share successful food business models; and
- reduce food insecurity, strengthen food systems and improve health outcomes for historically low-income, low-access communities.

Eligible projects include the business development, construction, rehabilitation, equipment upgrades, or expansion of:
- Grocery stores that primarily sell meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, dry groceries, household products, sundries, and healthy food options
- Innovative food retail projects such as mobile markets or delivery models, including food trucks
- Small food retailers, such as small-scale stores, neighborhood stores, small groceries, farmers’ markets, or corner stores
- Small, limited resource or socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; small, limited resource or socially disadvantaged farm co-ops, community gardens, restaurants or cafes with a direct food retail component or in partnership with a qualified food retailer, food hub, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and/or farm stand
Mandatory Requirements
Projects must meet the following requirements to be considered for funding:
- Be located in the Commonwealth of Virginia
- Have a retail component where consumers can purchase fresh meats, seafood, dairy, produce, and/or healthy food options
- Directly serve residents within low-income, low-access communities
- Demonstrate a history of community engagement, work in the community, and community support for the project
- Accept SNAP benefits and offer Virginia Fresh Match incentives
- Purchase a minimum of 25% of fresh products from Virginia’s small, beginning, limited resource, Veteran, and/or socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers


- VFAIF Grant Guidelines
- Introduction to the Food Access Research Atlas
- Additional Food System Resources
- FeedVA
- How to become a SNAP retailer

Español

Native Americans

People Of Color

Women

Public Health

Historically Underserved

Prioritization will be given to projects that meet the following criteria: 
- The entity receiving funds is owned or substantially led by individuals from low-income, low-access communities, or is working in an active, ongoing partnership with these individuals, which must include shared leadership, decision-making, resources, and/or shared economic benefit
- Integrate community culture and artistic expression in the business model and/or customer experience
- Provide a path for financial sustainability and positive outcomes to the community, including education, leadership and youth development, employment of community residents, job training, or workforce development
- Demonstrate success in creating partnerships and/or efforts to leverage additional funding. 

List of Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Funding Opportunities