Rhode Island Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI)

The purpose of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) program is to develop and administer state-coordinated initiatives to build resilience across the middle of the State's food supply chain for food crops. Funds will support expanded capacity for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food products, including specialty crops, dairy, grains for consumption, aquaculture, and other food products, excluding meat and poultry. DEM will work in partnership with USDA to make competitive sub-award investments in middle of the supply chain infrastructure (Infrastructure Grants) to domestic food and farm businesses and other eligible entities.

Entities eligible for Infrastructure Grants made by states will be:

• Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors

• Nonprofit organizations operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution of targeted agricultural products

• Local government entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution of targeted agricultural products

• Tribal governments operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution of targeted agricultural products

• Institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or invest in equipment that will benefit multiple producers

All applicant businesses and organizations must be domestically owned, and applicants' facilities must be physically located within the borders of Rhode Island.

Equipment Grant: The maximum funding request for an equipment grant is $100,000. No match is required for equipment grants.

Infrastructure Grant: There is no maximum funding request for an infrastructure grant. However, the State of Rhode Island will be administering a total of $1.5 million in grants. Infrastructure Grant Recipients are required to contribute 50% of the total proposed project cost as a match to federal funding. For historically under-served farmers and ranchers, or for other businesses that qualify under SBA categories of Small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, or veteran-owned small business, the required match contribution or cost share is reduced to 25% of the project cost.

Simplified Equipment-Only option: Equipment-only projects offer a simplified application to fund smaller grants between $20,000 and $100,000 for equipment purchases. The Simplified Equipment-Only option is a Fixed Price Grant, meaning it will fund only equipment purchases (and not associated facility upgrades, staffing, or other costs), and the amount awarded will be equal to the cost of the equipment up to $100,000. No match is required for this grant type.

For questions about the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI), please email DEM.RFSI@dem.ri.gov. Visit the RFSI website for additional information and resources at www.ams.usda.gov/rfsi.