The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services introduced the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, an initiative designed to enhance the robustness and sustainability of North Carolina's food supply chain. Funded in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service, the RFSI program aims to empower North Carolina's agricultural producers by strengthening the middle segments of the food supply chain.

The RFSI program seeks to build resilience within local and regional food systems, fostering economic growth and creating new opportunities for North Carolina's farmers and food producers. By providing targeted support for infrastructure improvements and equipment upgrades, the RFSI program will enhance processing, aggregation, distribution, and storage capabilities across the state in the form of grants for projects that meet these goals.

The implementation timeline for this program for the Fiscal Funding Year of 2024 is:

• Infrastructure and Equipment Only Application Opening:  May 1, 2024 
• Infrastructure and Equipment Only Application Closes:  June 15, 2024
• State Award Range for Infrastructure Grants -  $100,000- $2,000,000:  Fall, 2024
• State Award Range for Equipment Only Grants -  $10,000-$100,000: Fall, 2024

Grant applications are available here. All applicants must request a Unique Entity Identifier from SAM.gov to accompany the application. It is highly recommended to complete the UEI application in advance of completing the application form. After reading through the RFA, send questions and/or completed applications to [email protected]. Staff may also be reached at 919-707-3380.

Source: North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services