Annapolis, MD – December 17, 2019 – The Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) has announced a grant funding opportunity to encourage Maryland’s agricultural producers to engage in value-added activities and pursue financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Value Added Producer Grants Program (USDA-VAPG). The USDA-VAPG is a highly competitive nationwide grants program with approximately $37 million available for distribution in 2020. These federal grant funds, which can range up to as much as $250,000, can be used for planning ($75,000 max) or working capital expenses ($250,000 max) in accordance with USDA regulations. Eligible purposes include feasibility studies or business plans, working capital for producing and marketing value-added agricultural products, and for farm-based renewable energy projects.
MARBIDCO is making available Maryland Value Added Producer Matching Grants (MVAPMG) of up to 15% of the amount of a USDA-VAPG award to help an eligible applicant meet the one-for-one non-federal financial matching requirement (with a cap of $25,000). All applicants that meet the MARBIDCO requirements will receive a commitment of matching funds to be included with their federal USDA-VAPG application. A MVAPMG monetary award from MARBIDCO will only be provided to an applicant that is selected to receive USDA-VAPG funding.
The application submission deadline for the national USDA-VAPG program is March 5, 2020. Questions regarding the USDA-VAPG can be addressed to the Maryland/Delaware Office of USDA-Rural Development at 302-857-3629, or visit USDA’s website for more information.
Applicants seeking to receive a commitment of matching funds from MARBIDCO must submit an application at least two weeks prior to the federal submission deadline. The deadline for the submission of hand-delivered MARBIDCO applications is Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. (or by mail, postmarked no later than Monday, February 17, 2019).
Please visit the MARBIDCO website for more information and to download the MVAPMG application form: marbidco.org.
Questions about the MVAPMG may also be addressed by contacting MARBIDCO Financial Programs Associate Daniel Sweeney at 410-267-6807.