{"id":1318,"date":"2020-05-18T10:06:46","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T14:06:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/?p=1318"},"modified":"2020-05-18T10:06:46","modified_gmt":"2020-05-18T14:06:46","slug":"working-lands-enterprise-initiative-business-grants-funding-opportunity-for-covid-19-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/2020\/05\/18\/working-lands-enterprise-initiative-business-grants-funding-opportunity-for-covid-19-response\/","title":{"rendered":"Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Business Grants Funding Opportunity for COVID-19 Response"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>FYI<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>From:<\/strong> Schimoler, Lynn Ellen<br \/>\n<strong>Sent:<\/strong> Friday, May 15, 2020 7:55 PM<br \/>\n<strong>To:<\/strong> AGR<br \/>\n<strong>Subject:<\/strong> Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Business Grants Funding Opportunity for COVID-19 Response<\/p>\n<p>Hi, all:<\/p>\n<p>Please share this new funding opportunity with your agriculture &amp; forestry sector contacts &#8211; it\u2019s a very quick turnaround, and an exciting opportunity!<\/p>\n<p>The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) plans to award a total of $180,000 in COVID-19 Response Business Development Grants within the sectors of agriculture and forestry.<\/p>\n<p>These funds are designed to complement business\u2019s ability to maintain operations while increasing capacity to rebuild and\/or recover during this unprecedented time of need.<\/p>\n<p><strong>KEY DATES AND DEADLINES &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Request for Applications Release:<strong> May 15th, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Application Opens for Submission:<strong> May 21st, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Application Deadline:<strong> May 31st, 2020 at 11:59 PM (application closes at midnight)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Award Notification:<strong> June 15th, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Estimated Project Start:<strong> June 25th, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AWARD RANGE AND MATCH REQUIREMENT &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Grants will be awarded within the range of $5,000 to $25,000.<\/p>\n<p>Match is not a requirement for this particular funding opportunity, though match of cash or in-kind is encouraged, and applications with match will be more competitive<\/p>\n<p><strong>ELIGIBLE PROJECTS &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Applying organizations must have experienced, and be able to clearly demonstrate, negative business impacts due to COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>Eligible proposals will focus on business response, shifting marketing strategies, or other activities that may improve business recovery. Project activities eligible for funding include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Market development:<\/strong> developing marketing plans and\/or sales strategies, accessing new markets and securing new customers, brand development including website design or upgrades, institutional and wholesale market expansion, costs associated with achieving humane and\/or organic certification<\/li>\n<li><strong>Value-added production:<\/strong> transitioning to operation as a new processor or expansion as an existing processor; transitioning to new pack-size\/labeling or enhancing production and\/or manufacturing efficiencies<\/li>\n<li><strong>Research and development: <\/strong>testing new systems or technologies; developing innovative solutions to production or management issues including accounting, tracking, and\/or sales software, (e.g., E-Commerce, Home Delivery or Curbside Pick-up)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Operations logistics:<\/strong> workplace modifications to meet worker safety protocols regulations for working lands enterprises compliance, addressing labor force and public health in response to the pandemic<\/li>\n<li><strong>Growth strategy: <\/strong>new or expansion of current efforts, expanding consumer outreach and\/or expansion of existing marketing strategy, established multi-year marketing plan and growth strategy of the industry represented, with intent to sell goods out of Vermont.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here is the link to the Request For Application: <a href=\"https:\/\/workinglands.vermont.gov\/sites\/workinglands\/files\/documents\/WLEF%20FY20%20COVID-19%20Response%20Business%20Development%20Grants_.pdf\"> WLEF COVID-19 Response Business Development Grants<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Thanks so much,<\/p>\n<p>Lynn Ellen<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>Lynn Ellen Schimoler<\/p>\n<p><strong>Senior Agricultural Business Development | Working Lands Enterprise Initiative<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food &amp; Markets<\/p>\n<p>94 Harvest Lane, Williston Vermont 05495 | <a href=\"http:\/\/agriculture.vermont.gov\/\">http:\/\/agriculture.vermont.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p>802-622-4477 cell<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"http:\/\/agriculture.vermont.gov\/news_media\/agriview\">HERE<\/a> to sign up for the VAAFM Agriview E-Newsletter!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http:\/\/agriculture.vermont.gov\/&amp;t=Home\"><\/a><a href=\"\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1319\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" alt=\"\" title=\"image001-gif\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1319\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=http:\/\/agriculture.vermont.gov\/&amp;text=Home\"><\/a><a href=\"\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1320\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" alt=\"\" title=\"image002-png\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1320\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vtagencyofag\/\"><\/a><a href=\"\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1321\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" alt=\"\" title=\"image003-jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1321\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.vermont.gov\/covid-19-information\" title=\"https:\/\/agriculture.vermont.gov\/covid-19-information\"><strong>COVID-19 Updates and Resources Here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FYI From: Schimoler, Lynn Ellen Sent: Friday, May 15, 2020 7:55 PM To: AGR Subject: Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Business Grants Funding Opportunity for COVID-19 Response Hi, all: Please share this new funding opportunity with your agriculture &amp; forestry sector contacts &#8211; it\u2019s a very quick turnaround, and an exciting opportunity! The Working Lands Enterprise &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/2020\/05\/18\/working-lands-enterprise-initiative-business-grants-funding-opportunity-for-covid-19-response\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Business Grants Funding Opportunity for COVID-19 Response<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2068,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[],"tags":[1],"class_list":["post-1318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"fruit","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/author\/fruit\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4nZlV-lg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2068"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1318"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1322,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318\/revisions\/1322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/fruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}