The UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology & Southwest Regional Food Business Center will provide financial assistance through Non-Competitive Business Builder (BB) awards of up to $5,000 per participant to support projects focused on meeting regional needs and increasing capacity among food and farm businesses working toward their expansion in local and regional food markets. This project cohort will launch in March and end in November 2025
Applicants eligible to apply are small food and farm businesses (reporting less than $250k in income last year) who have been operating for more than 1 year and less than 5 years. In addition we are seeking applications who are either located in or serving the following two subregions: North Central Coast (Mendocino, Sonoma, Contra Costa, Solano)and South Central Coast (San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, & Ventura). Other technical assistance providers are focused on the Bay Area and Central Coast subregions of our efforts.
Business Builder Awards 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.
Business Builder Awards 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.
Learn more and apply at https://ucsantacruz.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0H640aTEYYDOWxM. Applications are due on February 28, 2025.
