What Are the Business Builder Subawards?

Grants up to $100,000 for small- to medium-sized farms and food businesses. (More details below under General Information.) There are two types:

• General (Implementation and Expansion)
  • $5,000 – $100,000

• Directed (Planning & Development)
  • $5,000 – $30,000
  • Technical Assistance Required

What You Need to Apply

1. EIN: Every business will need an Employer Verification Number (EIN) to apply for a Business Builder Subaward. An EIN is free and quick to obtain from IRS.gov.
2. Sign up for a Submittable Account: You will need to create a free Submittable account or sign in with Google or Facebook credentials to submit your Business Builder Subaward application and associated forms.
3. UEI: Everyone who receives funding from a Business Builder Subaward is required to have a Unique Entity ID (UEI)  through SAM.gov. Prepare to receive a reward ahead of time by securing your Unique Entity ID now (or renewing your UEI if necessary!). A quick start guide can be downloaded here and a video outlining the process can be found here.
4. Connect with us: A Letter of Support from one of our Center Technical Assistance Providers (C-TAPs) is required or encouraged in order to apply for a BBS. If you don’t yet have a relationship with one of our Partner Organizations, please consider learning about which organization could best support you and your work.

General Information

• Timing: There will be 5 cycles of grant funding. Each cycle will award approximately $3 million.

• Maximum award: $100,000 per entity (both for profit & non-profit entities are eligible)
• BBS can be used for: staff time, business planning activities, software implementation, the purchase of specialized equipment (such as food safety or processing equipment), value chain and supply chain coordination, product development, marketing, supply chain analysis and strategy development. Additionally, projects focused on developing shared use kitchens and processing spaces, alternative forms of retail (such as a co-operative), food aggregation or distribution and other mid-tier food-related projects that will serve or are based in a distressed community are also encouraged to apply.
• BBS cannot be used for: purchasing or leasing land, buildings, or real estate, the construction, renovation, demolition, or rehabilitation of any building, structure, or land, non-specialized equipment such as tractors, trucks, or trailers. 

• Gross Sales Cap: Entities earning less than $1 Million in gross sales as reported on their most recent tax return are eligible for this round of BBS funding.
• BBS Funds are reimbursable: Funds will need to be spent first and will be reimbursed 30 days after reimbursement request.
• No matching funds required.
• BBS are taxable as income.

Questions? Contact us

Santiago Figaredo, ASD Regional Food Business Center Project Manager
Office: 276.623,1121
Cell: 276.451.5346
sfigaredo@asdevelop.org

There’s also a list of FAQs on the USDA website, here.

Resources

• Application Submission Checklist
• Application Packet
• BBS Tracks: Find Your Fit
• Terms Glossary
• C-TAP Providers
• Get Your EIN
• Submittable Account Creation
• ASD Business Builder Subawards Press Release
• Appalachia Regional Food Business Center website
• Non-Discrimination Statement

Technical Assistance Categories and Associated Providers

Technical Assistance Examples

• Research Support: Capacity Analysis; Gap Analysis; Feasibility Studies; Impact Analysis; Participatory Research; Food System Database + Map; Ecosystem Evaluation + Research
• Processing Aggregation and Distribution: Distribution Network Development + Support; Food Hub; Transportation + Logistics Support; Aggregation; Infrastructure Provision; Workforce Development
• Value Chain Coordination: Agriculture Cooperative Development Training; Capacity Building Training; Operations + Organizational Health; Systems Analysis + Change; Farm-to-School + Institution Services
• Market Access Support: Market Readiness Training; Farmers’ Market Development; Marketing Access; Market Research
• Financial Training and Assistance: Agriculture Financial Training; One-on-One Assistance; Financial Statements; Agriculture Credit + Capital Access; Early-Stage Production Grants
• Business Development: Business Planning Support; Marketing Support; Management Plans; Outcomes Reporting; Project Management Training
• Land Access: Land Access Technical Support

Center Technical Assistance Providers (C-TAPs)

• Agrarian Trust – agrariantrust.org
• Appalachian Resource Conservation and Development Council – arcd.org
• Appalachian Center for Economic Networks – acenetworks.org
• Appalachian Sustainable Development – asdevelop.org
• Black Soil – blacksoilky.com
• Coalfield Development – Refresh Appalachia – coalfield-development.org/refresh-appalachia
• Community Farm Alliance – cfaky.org
• Community Food Initiatives – communityfoodinitiatives.org
• New Roots Community Farm – newrootscommunityfarm.com
• Northwest Tennessee Local Food Network – nwtnlfn.org
• Partner Community Capital – partnercap.org
• Rural Action – ruralaction.org
• The Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation – craft.chatham.edu
• Economic Development Greater East, Inc – edge-us.org
• Grow Ohio Valley – growov.org
• Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development – kcard.info

Questions? Contact us

Santiago Figaredo, ASD Regional Food Business Center Project Manager
Office: 276.623,1121
Cell: 276.451.5346
sfigaredo@asdevelop.org

Our Purpose: The Appalachia Regional Food Business Center will support a more resilient, diverse, and robust food system throughout all of Appalachia. Our Center will support producers by providing technical assistance to access local and regional supply chains, tap into new opportunities, and assist small- and mid-sized producers in overcoming barriers to market access, with a focus on underserved farmers and food businesses.

Our Services:

• Technical Assistance: We will offer a variety of training, consulting, and educational opportunities to help farms and food businesses in honing their skills, and finding strategies that can help them thrive.
• Business Builder Subawards: Access over $16 million of Business Builder Subawards of up to $100,000 to assist farms and food businesses achieve their goals and become long-lasting drivers of community health and wealth.

Our Service Area: Our service area is shown below. If you live outside the region pictured here, you can still apply for a BBS grant. To find your Center, click here.

Questions? Contact us

Santiago Figaredo, ASD Regional Food Business Center Project Manager
Office: 276.623,1121
Cell: 276.451.5346
sfigaredo@asdevelop.org