This week we are featuring the USDA Rural Business Development Grant, the Kentucky Proud Buy Local Program, and the Kentucky Proud Promotional Grant.

Rural Business Development Grant

Deadline: April 30, 2019
Funding Amount: Range from $10,000 to $500,000 with priority given to smaller projects
Eligible Entities: Towns, communities, state and local governments, 501c3 non-profits, institutions of higher education, and rural cooperatives
Links: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-business-development-grants
Overview: Rural Business Development Grants can be used for a wide range of activities including planning, training, technical assistance, acquisition of land, construction, renovation, and equipment. Successful projects should focus on ways to improve rural community economic development. This grant is sometimes a good fit for farmers markets. Contact your local USDA Rural Development Office for more information.

Kentucky Proud: Buy Local

Deadline: On-going
Funding Amounts: Restaurants get reimbursement up to 15% of Kentucky Proud purchases; up to $8,000 per year, $36,000 lifetime cap
Eligible Entities: Restaurants and Food Service
Links: www.kyagr.com/marketing/buy-local.html; KY Proud Registration
Overview: The Kentucky Proud Buy Local Program is an incentive program to encourage Kentucky restaurants and food service providers to purchase local Kentucky Proud agriculture products. The program is a great marketing tool for farmers to use to market to chefs.

Kentucky Proud Promotional Grant

Deadline: On-going
Funding Amounts: Up to 10% of annual gross farm income, capped at $8,000 per year, $1 for $1 match
Eligible Entities: Kentucky farmers and agribusinesses
Links: http://www.kyagr.com/marketing/grants.html; KDA Promotional Grant; KY Proud Registration
Overview: The Kentucky Proud Promotional Grant is a cost share program to help Kentucky’s farmers and agribusinesses pay for advertising and marketing expenses. The award amount is based on 10% of direct farm impact, for a farmer, it would be 10% of their total farm gross sales. The applicant must be a registered member of Kentucky Proud to apply and use the Kentucky Proud logo/brand in marketing efforts paid for with program funds. Examples of eligible expenses include printed promotional materials, TV ads, radio ads, internet marketing expenses, hats, t-shirts, samples, labels, packaging, trade shows, UPC barcodes, and more.