Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program

The RFSI Infrastructure Grant is now open for applications through Friday, June 28 at 5pm.

The Department has been funded through the USDA RFSI program to expand statewide capacity and infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of targeted local and regional agricultural food products (excluding meat and poultry products).

Using RFSI funding, AGM has partnered with Farm and Food Growth Fund, Inc (FFGF) to administer the grant program to fund projects that expand statewide capacity and infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of targeted local and regional agricultural food products (excluding meat and poultry products). Successful projects will focus on increasing the supply of New York-sourced food products available in New York and regional markets. Competitive project applications will benefit multiple producers and multiple markets.

AGM has also partnered with Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust (NEFOC) to provide technical assistance to producers and conduct supply chain coordination activities. Additionally, the Dyson Business School at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences [BH(3] will conduct an updated assessment of New York State processing infrastructure to identify barriers and opportunities for growth, as well as an analysis of the State’s institutional purchasing to provide market information to New York State producers.

Two grant opportunities will be available for New York agricultural businesses:

Infrastructure Grants: This competitive opportunity is focused on funding infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of locally produced agricultural food products (excluding meat and poultry products). Applications may be submitted for projects ranging from $100,000 - $3,000,000. Applications must include match funds of 50% or 25% for historically underserved groups.

Equipment-Only Grants: This competitive opportunity is focused on funding equipment for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of agricultural food products (excluding meat and poultry products). Eligible applicants may request awards in the amount of $10,000 - $100,000. No match is required for Equipment-Only Grants. 

Middle of the supply chain refers to the processing, aggregation, storage, wholesaling, or distribution of products.

• Support infrastructure development to expand business' capacity for processing, aggregation, storage and distribution.
• Target development of infrastructure projects to the dairy, fruit and vegetable, and organic industries to support the development of new value-added products.
• Create greater market access to intermediaries such as food hubs, aggregators, wholesalers, and distributors with the goal of increasing local food sales to institutions such as schools, hospitals, and correctional facilities.

The RFSI Infrastructure Grant is now open for applications through Friday, June 28 at 5pm.

Infrastructure Grant Amount:  $100,000 - $3,000,000.

The program requires cost sharing or matching of 50% of the project cost as a match to federal funding. For underserved farmers and ranchers, a reduced match contribution is required at 25% of the project costs.

Qualifying applicants for the Infrastructure Grant projects will self-certify their eligibility for the 25% reduced match.

Applications may be submitted through the FFGF secure portal: https://ffgf.smapply.us/ 

Applicants are invited to join the RFSI team at two open office hour events to ask questions about the program on May 29 and June 12 at 12pm-1pm. For more information and view a recorded webinar on program details and how to apply visit the Farm and Food Growth Fund: https://www.ffgrowthfund.org/rfsi

Equipment- only grants will be launched after the Infrastructure Grant Program. These awards will be $10,000 - $100,000. Equipment must be used for post-harvest aggregation, processing, packing, or distribution of eligible agricultural products.

Anticipated release in 2025 - check back for more information soon.

Eligible Applicants include:

• New York State agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors
• Nonprofit organizations
• Local government entities
• Tribal governments
• 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 middle-of-the-supply-chain activities.

Eligible Activities include:

• Construction
• Hiring term-limited personnel to assist with project implementation activities.
• Purchasing special purpose equipment to benefit multiple producers through middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution or targeted agricultural product.
• Analyzing potential facility upgrades and changes to meet regulatory requirements, obtaining design and/or architecture services.
• Planning for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) or other food safety or worker safety measures or equipment recommendations.
• Upgrades to new facilities for processing specific agricultural products, such as:
  • On-farm post-harvest processing, preservation, and storage/cold storage.
  • Post-harvest cleaning and grading.
  • Aggregator warehouse and storage, including cooperatives.
  • Purchase of freezing equipment, freezer, or cold storage.
  • Processing, canning, preserving and pasteurization.
  • Preparation and packing.
  • Drying, hulling, shelling and milling.
  • Cooking, baking, juicing, distilling, fermenting
• Retail related activities can include creating distribution channels to new retail opportunities, or expanding processing and packaging capacities, including adding product types, increasing production volumes, and supporting new retail product lines.

Ineligible Activities include:

• Acquiring real property, or any interest therein.
• Projects focused on meat and poultry processing or other ineligible agricultural products.
• Activities that have received a Federal award from another Federal award program.
• Claim expenses that have been or will be reimbursed under any Federal, State, or local government funding.
• Projects which have already received funding from another federal grant or subaward program.

Ineligible Products include:

• Meat
• Poultry
• Wild caught seafood
• Exclusively animal feed and forage products
• Fiber
• Landscaping products
• Tobacco
• Cannabis
• Dietary supplements
• Alcoholic Beverages (eligible for equipment-only grants)

Unique Entity ID

1. Obtain a federal Unique Entity ID

Sub-awardees are required to obtain a UEI in SAM.gov prior to being issued a subaward.  This process can take multiple weeks in some instances, so it is important to start the process now. For information on how to register with SAM.gov and get a UEI number, visit https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration. It is free to register in SAM.gov.

2. Get your project shovel ready!

RFSI applicants will need to have shovel-ready projects because of the relatively short-timeline of the grant (projects must be completed by February 2027.) Make sure you know if you will need any local permits for your project.

3. Explore options for matching funds.

• NYS Community Development Financial Institutions (“NYS CDFI Coalition” website)
• NYS Small Business Credit Initiative website (“State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) | Empire State Development (ny.gov)”)

NYS Job Development Authority Agriculture Loan Fund web page (“JDA Agriculture Loan Fund | Empire State Development (ny.gov)

Q: CAN AN INDIVDUAL PRODUCER OR SOLE OWNER APPLY TO RFSI FOR FUNDING?

A: Individual producers and/or sole owners are eligible to apply.  Individual producers and sole owners are eligible to apply. However, those entities must be able to demonstrate that their proposal provides benefits to multiple producers and/or markets.

Q: WHAT RETAIL RELATED ACTIVITIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING?

A: Eligible retail related activities can include creating distribution channels to new retail opportunities, or expanding processing and packaging capacities, including adding product types, increasing production volumes, and supporting new retail product lines.

Q: ARE FOR PROFIT ENTITIES, SUCH AS FOOD HUBS OR DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES, ELIGIBLE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT FUNDS?

A: For-profit entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, or distribution of targeted agricultural products, whose activities are primarily focused for the benefit of local and regional producers, and that meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards are eligible.

For-profit entities must meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards matched to industries described in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information on these size standards, please visit SBA’s Size Standards webpage. For a quick check on whether your business qualifies, please use the Size Standards Tool.

Q: DOES THE RFSI PROGRAM REQUIRE COST SHARING OR MATCHING?

A: Yes, Infrastructure Grant Recipients require a match. The program requires cost sharing or matching of 50% of the project cost as a match to federal funding. For underserved farmers and ranchers, a reduced match contribution is required at 25% of the project costs.

Q: HOW SHOULD AN APPLICANT DOCUMENT IF THEY QUALIFY FOR REDUCED MATCH?

A: Qualifying applicants for the Infrastructure Grant projects will self-certify their eligibility for the 25% reduced match to 25%. Please review the Infrastructure Grant Template for more information on self-certification.

For more FAQ's, please click here.

If you are a potential applicant, please review the following documents:

• USDA-AMS Program Scope and Requirements
• USDA-AMS General Terms and Conditions
• USDA-RFSI- Program Specific Terms and Conditions
• USDA-RFSI-Frequently Asked Questions
• USDA-Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers
• Small Business Administration (SBA) Size Standard Tool
• Small Business Administration Table of Size Standards
• Build America, Buy America (BABA) Requirements
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Citizen’s Guide
  • USDA AMS Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment
• Obtain a Unique Entity ID (UEI) through System for Award Management (SAM.gov)