Regional Business Builder Program Overviews

Website: https://www.appalachiarfbc.org/

Lead Organization: Rural Action, Inc.

Contact: Info@appalachiaRFBc.org

Eligible States & Territories: OH, WV, KY, TN, Western PA, Appalachian counties in VA & MD

Business Builder Program Description: The Appalachia Regional Food Business Center will execute four rounds of competitive awards through two semi-annual parallel tracks: Planning and Development and Implementation and Expansion. Planning and Development awards (up to $29,999) enhance and expand the technical assistance and coordination efforts of the Center. Implementation and Expansion awards (up to $100,000) are intended for projects focused on regional needs and the Center’s strategic priorities. Both award types are submitted on the same RFA schedule and undergo parallel processes of competitive review, selection, and announcement. Each funding cycle will award up to $4,150,000 and up to $16,600,000 total.  

The Appalachia RFBC prioritizes projects aligned with the strategic goals of the Center to support food and farm business development, strengthen and expand market access, and strengthen processing, aggregation, and distribution infrastructure.

Website: https://deltarfbc.org/

Lead Organization: Mississippi Delta Council for Farmworker Opportunities 

Contact: admin@deltarfbc.org

Eligible States & Territories: AL, AR, LA, MS, East TX 

Business Builder Program Description: The Delta RFBC anticipates issuing approximately $8,000,000 in business builder awards. Information regarding the Delta Regional Food Business Center is forthcoming. Please check back soon for updates.

Website: https://www.canr.msu.edu/GLM-RFBC/index

Lead Organization: Michigan State University 

Contact: Julie Jesmer, jesmerju@msu.edu 

Eligible States & Territories: MI, IL, IN, WI 

Business Builder Program Description: : The Great Lakes Midwest RFBC anticipates issuing $6,875,000 in business builder awards. Information regarding the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center is forthcoming. Please check back soon for updates.

Website: https://heartlandfoodbusiness.org/

Lead Organization: University of Nebraska

Contact:  hrfbc@newgrowthmo.org

Eligible States & Territories: IA, KS, MO, NE, OK, Northwest AR 

Business Builder Program Description:

The Heartland Regional Food Business Center will offer $11.15 million in Business Builder awards via two competitive rounds of funding. The first RFA was released in 2024 and the second and final round is expected to open in Spring 2025. Eligible applicants include small food and farm businesses located in and/or serving the five-state Heartland Center region, and in 9 counties in northwest Arkansas. Awards will range from $5,000 to $50,000, with a maximum for any eligible entity not to exceed $50,000 total for the program period.

Heartland encourages projects focused on focused on expanding value-added opportunities, broadening on-farm activities, accessing new markets, and/or innovations to generate income to apply. The program prioritizes farms and food businesses producing in, sourcing from, and focused on local and regional food markets and operations that increase the supply and/or serve the demand for food that is locally grown, raised, and produced in the Heartland Center region. 

Applicants are encouraged to work with a Heartland Center Technical Assistance Provider to grow the applicant’s business capacity, and to support development of the Business Builder project and proposal. 

Website: https://www.islandsandremoteareasrfbc.com/

Lead Organization: Hawaii Good Food Alliance

Contact:  RFBC@hawaiigoodfoodalliance.org

Eligible States & Territories:HI, GU, CNMI, AS, AK, PR, USVI

Business Builder Program Description:The Islands and Remote Areas Regional Food Business Center will distribute $7.8 million in Business Builder awards through sub-region specific  programs serving  Alaska, Hawaii, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Pacific Islands Territories. Most award programs will launch in annual rounds starting in early 2025, although dates and schedules will vary across the subregion. Eligible businesses and organizations must be domestically owned with facilities physically located within the region with awards ranging from $6,000 to $100,000.

All regions of the Islands and Remote Areas RFBC will offer competitive awards. From 2025-2026, the islands and Remote Areas Center will also offer technical assistance focused on the middle of the food supply chain including processing, aggregation, and distribution.  In the US Virgin Islands and the Pacific Islands Territories, the Center will offer a cohort-based approach focusing on value-added products, aggregation and distribution, and school markets. Participants who complete the technical assistance offered through those programs will be eligible to apply Business Builder awards.

Website: https://www.indianag.org/intertribalfbc

Lead Organization: Intertribal Agriculture Council, Inc. 

Contact:  nifbc@indianag.org 

Eligible States & Territories: Serving Indian Country

Business Builder Program Description:The National Intertribal Food Business Center (NIFBC) will distribute $26 million in Business Builder awards. The Center’s Business Builder program is designed to address the unique needs of the federally recognized Tribal nations in Indian Country, each with distinct governments, laws, and jurisdictional boundaries. The Center will offer ongoing technical assistance and awards on a rolling basis. The program prioritizes small and mid-sized food value-chain businesses, rural Americans in Indian Country, and multi-generational businesses focused on workforce development.  Awards range from $25,000-$100,000. 

To receive a Business Builder award, eligible applicants must complete a minimum of five hours of technical assistance, which may include additional Center-supported opportunities (e.g. networking, mentorship, hands-on demonstrations, etc.). The National Intertribal RFBC program incorporates customized technical assistance to each participant, ensuring the projects are eligible and beneficial for their business operations. Each technical assistance program incorporates applied learning and ongoing engagement.

Website: https://www.northcentralrfbc.org/

Lead Organization: Region Five Development Commission

Contact: Candice Zimmermann, czimmermann@regionfive.org

Eligible States & Territories:  MN, ND, SD

Business Builder Program Description:The North Central Business Builder program will award $3,000,000 in funds to small and mid-sized food value-chain businesses with projects focused on regional needs. The Center will offer five rounds of funding from 2024-2027 annually or bi-annually with projects awarded evenly across the region’s three states. Awards range from $35,000 to $50,000. 

North Central RFBC’s Business Builder program prioritizes the following: 

• Groups or consortiums of small to mid-sized local food value chain businesses that source locally grown/raised commodities;
• Projects seeking to expand markets to institutions;
• Projects that address a specific market bottleneck;
• Applicants within or serving areas within the states or those zip codes identified as distressed;
• Distribution of awards across the 3-State region; and
• Projects that align with the RFBC Program outcomes. 

Business Builder awards may be used for: staff time, business planning activities, software implementation, product development, marketing, strategy development to identify supply chain gaps, and supply chain coordination, innovation, and analysis. Business Builder funds may be used for special purpose equipment such as food safety, processing, and/or packaging equipment.  

Website: https://www.nasda.org/northeast-regional-food-business-center/ 

Lead Organization:  National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Foundation

Contact:  NortheastRFBC@nasda.org

Eligible States & Territories: CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, DC

Business Builder Program Description:The Northeast Regional Food Business Center’s Business Builder program provides small-and mid-sized farm and food businesses with funding to catalyze expansion and innovation across regional supply chains. The Northeast Center will distribute $16 million through two rounds of competitive Business Builder awards offered in early 2025 and 2026. The program offers funding through three tracks: Special Use Equipment ($20,000-$50,000), Business Development ($15,000-$25,000), and Product & Market Expansion ($50,000-$100,000).

The Center prioritizes awards that: 

• Focus on regional needs throughout the supply chain;
• Enhance or expand business capacity in a manner that directly contributes to increased levels of food production and distribution in the Northeast region; 
• Increase food and farm business and financial acumen, particularly among small- and mid-sized operators; and
• Award funds to entities who have not previously received more than $25,000 in USDA grants.

Eligible recipients include small- and mid-sized farm and food business in urban and rural areas that operate along the local and regional food chain, including aggregators and distributors. Funds may be used for post-harvest projects that support regional food supply chains and markets and use products that are locally or regionally produced, including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, grains, and dairy for human consumption.

Website: https://nwrockymountainregionalfoodbusiness.com/biz-builder/

Lead Organization: Colorado State University 

Contact: NWRM Business Builder Contact Form

Eligible States & Territories:  WA, MT, OR, ID, WY, CO

Business Builder Program Description:The Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center Business Builder program will distribute $6,755,000 in awards from 2024-2027. The Center has designed its Business Builder program to address regional priorities and support the unique characteristics of its six-state area. Business Builder awards will strengthen business viability, expand market access, and strengthen local and regional supply chains. Awards range from $3,000 to $50,000. 

The Center offers award opportunities for a variety of theme- and state-based programs with distinct eligibility, focus areas, and program requirements. Awards 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. 

Across all award programs the Northwest Rocky Mountain RFBC prioritizes:

1. Small- and mid-sized farm, ranch, fish/seafood, and value-added food businesses producing in, sourcing from, and focused on local and regional markets
2. Food processors, aggregators, and distributors that source locally and/or regionally, serve multiple small- and mid-sized food and farm businesses, and focus on local and/or regional markets.

Website: https://rgcolonias.org/

Lead Organization: Texas A&M AgriLife

Contact:Rgcolonias@ag.tamu.edu

Eligible States & Territories: TX, NM

Business Builder Program Description:The Rio Grande Colonias Regional Food Business Center will distribute $6.7 million through multiple rounds of Business Builder awards from 2025-2027. 

The Center offers two distinct award programs: Frontera Farm and Food awards that require businesses to receive technical assistance and competitive Business Builder Farm and Food Awards. Frontera Farm and Food Awards (max. $50,000) are open to farms and food businesses operating or serving markets within Colonias counties, and both new and existing enterprises are eligible. Awards. Business Builder Food and Farm Awards (max. $100,000) are open to farms and food businesses operating anywhere in the Rio Grande Colonias RFBC service area that have a direct impact on local and/or regional supply chains and have at least two years of operating history.

Website: https://southeastrfbc.org/

Lead Organization:  Locus/Georgia Minority Outreach Network

Contact: ldesimone@locusimpact.org

Eligible States & Territories: VA, NC, SC, GA, FL

The Southeast RFBC anticipates issuing $6,000,000 in business builder awards. Information regarding the Southeast Regional Food Business Center is forthcoming. Please check back soon for updates.

Website: https://swfoodbiz.org/

Cooperator & Key Business Builder Organization:  University of California

Contact:https://swfoodbiz.org/contact-us/ 

Eligible States & Territories: AZ, CA, NV, UT

Business Builder Program Description: The Southwest Regional Food Business Center will distribute $4,000,000 in Business Builder awards across California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona from 2024-2027. Awards range from $5,000 to $100,000.  Each state offers competitive award programs with distinct priorities, timelines, eligibility, and technical assistance. California, Nevada, and Utah also offer individualized technical assistance as an eligibility requirement for some awards. Eligible projects support the goals of the Southwest RFBC to strengthen the viability of small-and mid-sized farm and food businesses in expanding access to markets, increasing farm revenue, and diversifying food supply chains. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Business planning, feasibility studies, market analysis
• Brand development and marketing materials
• Product development, labeling, and packaging
• Food safety compliance, training, and planning
• Value-chain coordination