Consider the LAMP Grant primary goals and objectives when crafting your proposal. How does your project and your project activities align with the goals of the USDA grant program?

• Connect and cultivate regional food economies through public-private partnerships;
• Support the development of business plans, feasibility studies, and strategies for value-added
  agricultural production and local and regional food system infrastructure;
• Strengthen capacity and regional food system development through community collaboration
  and creating new market opportunities for value-added and niche products; and
• Improve income and economic opportunities for producers and food businesses through job creation. To strengthen supply chain resilience, USDA has distributed funding between the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) and the RFSP to support farm to institutional markets, such as meal programs and cafeterias in university, hospital, or local, Tribal, or state government settings.

Farmer Market Promotion Program (FMPP)

Opportunity Number:
USDA-AMS-TM-FMPP-G-22-0002
Open Date: 03/01/2022
Closing Date: 05/16/2022

Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP)

Opportunity Number:
USDA-AMS-TM-LFPP-G-22-0001
Open Date: 03/01/2022
Closing Date: 05/16/2022

Regional Food Systems Partnerships (RFSP)

Opportunity Number:
USDA-AMS-TM-RFSP-G-22-0009
Open Date: 03/01/2022
Closing Date: 05/16/2022

Farmers Market Promotion Program and Local Food Promotion Program

All applicants must be domestic entities owned, operated, and located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or Tribal Governments.

Eligible Entities includes:

• Agricultural businesses and cooperatives
• Producer networks or associations
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) networks and associations
• Food Councils
• Local governments
• Nonprofit and public benefit corporations
• Economic development corporations
• Regional farmers’ market authorities
• Tribal governments

Regional Food System Partnerships

Partnerships are eligible to apply to RFSP. A partnership is an agreement between one or more eligible entities and one or more eligible partners. An application may be submitted either by an eligible entity or an eligible partner on behalf of the partnership. The partnership must specify in its application which organization(s) in the partnership are responsible for receiving and managing the award.

All applicants must be domestic entities owned, operated, and located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or Tribal Governments.

Eligible Entities includes:

• Producer
• Farmer or Rancher Cooperative
• Producer Network or Association
• Food Council
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) networks and associations
• Local Governments
• Nonprofit Corporation
• Public Benefit Corporation
• Economic Development Corporations
• Regional Farmers Market Authorities
• Tribal Governments
• State Agencies or Regional Authorities
• Philanthropic Corporations
• Private Corporations
• Institutions of higher education
• Commercial, Federal or Farm Credit System Lending Institutions

Farmer Market Promotion Program

Capacity Building (CB)

Duration: 36 months
Start Date: September 30, 2022
Completion Date: September 29, 2025
Minimum Award: $50,000
Maximum Award: $250,000

Community Development Training and Technical Assistance (CTA)

Duration: 36 months
Start Date: September 30, 2022
Completion Date: September 29, 2025
Minimum Award: $100,000
Maximum Award: $500,000

Local Food Promotion Program

Planning

Duration: 18 months
Start Date: September 30, 2022
Completion Date: March 31, 2024
Minimum Award: $25,000
Maximum Award: $100,000

Implementation

Duration: 36 months
Start Date: September 30, 2022
Completion Date: September 29, 2025
Minimum Award: $100,000
Maximum Award: $500,000

Regional Food Systems Partnerships

Planning

Duration: 24 months
Start Date: October 31, 2022
Completion Date: October 30, 2024
Minimum Award: $100,000
Maximum Award: $250,000

Implementation

Duration: 36 months
Start Date: October 31, 2022
Completion Date: October 30, 2025
Minimum Award: $250,000
Maximum Award: $1,000,000

Farm to Institution

Duration: 36 months
Start Date: October 31, 2022
Completion Date: October 30, 2025
Minimum Award: $250,000
Maximum Award: $1,000,000

Required Action: AMS Deadline to receive final application and all supporting materials
Timing to Obtain/Submit: May 16, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. [Eastern Time]

Required Action: Establish an Active SAM.gov Account (if you do not already have one) at which point you will be assigned a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) Number (if you do not already have one)¹
Timing to Obtain/Submit: 7-10 business days

Required Action: Obtain a Tax Identification Number (TIN)/Employer Identification Number (EIN)² (if you do not already have one).
Timing to Obtain/Submit: Up to 2 weeks

Required Action: Create your Grants.gov profile and registering your Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) authorization³.
Timing to Obtain/Submit: Up to 2 weeks

¹ On April 4, 2022, the federal government, including the USDA, will transition away from using DUNS numbers created through Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) as its entity identifier. To streamline and ease processes for entities doing business with the federal government, entities will use a Unique Entity Identifier created in SAM.gov. You can learn more about this transition on the GSA’s Unique Entity Identifier Update web page.

² Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Employer Identification Number (EIN) are defined as a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns to organizations. To obtain a free EIN from the IRS, visit: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-to-apply- for-an-ein.

³ To create your Grants.gov account, click on the following link and scroll down to “How to Register a Grants.gov Account”: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html.

USDA LAMP Grant Forum for the Seafood Sector

Overview: The USDA LAMP Grant Forum provided opportunities for past grantees and prospective applicants to connect, and share learned experiences to better understand, develop and implement successful Farmers Market Promotion Program, Local Food Promotion Program, and Regional Food Systems Partnerships program projects. The Forum offered support to current and prospective grantees by facilitating knowledge sharing and network building between and amongst attendees, panelists, and USDA Grants Management Specialists. Watch the recording.

Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program Webinar

Overview: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced $ 57 million in competitive grant funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) to expand direct producer-to-consumer markets and local and regional food business enterprises. Watch the recording.

Regional Food Systems Partnership Webinar 

Overview: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced $40 million in competitive grant funding for the Regional Food System Partnerships Program (RFSP) to explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products, and to encourage resilience and development of local or regional food systems. Watch the recording.

Applying for USDA Grants Workshop

Overview: Learn how to frame FMPP and LFPP grant proposals to strengthen your narrative and meet program objectives. Note that the grant objectives may have slightly changed since 2021. Review the RFA for updates. Watch the recording.

Value Added Producer Grants for Seafood Businesses

Overview: The ‘Value Added Producer Grants for Seafood Businesses’ webinar provides additional information about the USDA VAPG program. During the information session we review eligibility criteria, define value-added products, discuss eligible uses of grant funds, and address questions about the program. Watch the recording.

Check out the Grants.Gov website. This series of tips will help you prepare a solid grant application package: https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/category/learngrants/grant-writing-basics/.

Step 1: Check Eligibility

Check to see if you’re eligible to apply by reading Section 3.0 of the Request for Applications.

Step 2: Register in Grants.gov

Registering for a Grants.Gov account can take up to four weeks and involves multiple steps. Start the process early to meet the submission deadline.

Step 3: RFA Review

Read the Request for Applications (RFA) carefully to understand what documents you need to submit with the application.

Step 4: Apply

Once you have thoroughly read the RFA, know you are eligible, and understand what documents are required, you’re ready to start the application process. Visit Grants.gov’s Apply for Grants webpage to begin.

Grants 101- Guide to AMS Grant Process

For more information about grant eligibility and previously funded projects, visit the below webpages or use the contact information.

FMPP

www.ams.usda.gov/fmpp
FMLFPPgrants@usda.gov

LFPP

www.ams.usda.gov/lfpp
FMLFPPgrants@usda.gov

RFSP

www.ams.usda.gov/rfsp
IPPGrants@usda.gov