Funding to Boost Pennsylvania Food Supply Chain and Markets

By Blake Jackson

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the NASDA Foundation’s USDA Northeast Regional Food Business Center, has launched a $10 million Business Builder sub-award program.

This initiative aims to strengthen Pennsylvania's and the broader Northeast's food systems by providing direct funding to small- and mid-sized farm and food businesses, including those in aquaculture and wild-caught marine sectors.

Awards ranging from $15,000 to $100,000 will support businesses in scaling their operations, expanding markets, and enhancing regional food supply chain connections.

“Pennsylvania’s prime location near four of the 10 largest U.S. markets, coupled with our outstanding transportation infrastructure gives our agriculture businesses an edge, with access to the customers and markets they need to reach,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said.

“Investing to strengthen those markets and supply chains makes sense for agriculture. This partnership with the NASDA Foundation’s USDA Northeast Regional Food Business Center multiplies the impact of the investments Governor Josh Shapiro’s Administration is making to strengthen Pennsylvania agriculture and increases our vitality as a regional food system.”

The Business Builder program offers three specialized funding tracks:

• Track 1: Equipment Acquisition ($25,000 - $50,000): This track supports the purchase of essential post-harvest equipment, such as wash-and-pack stations, refrigerated vans, cold storage units, and food safety upgrades.
• Track 2: Business Development ($15,000 - $25,000): Funding is provided for business planning, financial guidance, supply chain analysis, food safety training, workforce development, and strategic planning.
• Track 3: Product & Market Expansion ($50,000 - $100,000): This track assists businesses in expanding through new product development, market analysis, packaging supplies, kitchen appliances, and software implementation.

Applications opened on February 24 and will close on April 7. Awardees will be announced in July, with funded projects beginning in August.

To support applicants, the Center has published a pre-recorded webinar and will host live informational webinars on March 11, March 19, and March 27.

The USDA Northeast Regional Food Business Center, established in 2023, is a collaborative effort involving the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the NASDA Foundation, and other state agencies and organizations.

The NASDA Foundation, dedicated to enhancing American food and agricultural communities, plays a crucial role in this initiative.

For more information visit, https://www.nasda.org/northeast-regional-food-business-center/

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