Deadline: 13 November 2024
The New Mexico Economic Development Department is seeking applications for its Healthy Food Financing Fund to develop a suite of financial tools and technical assistance for food and agricultural enterprises grow, raise, process, aggregate, distribute and sell local, fresh, healthy food through expanded retail and institutional in-state market channels in rural and underserved communities.
Priority Areas
- Project Priority Areas for Value Chain Investment:
- Increases access to food for historically under-resourced communities.
- Addresses workforce development challenges through the creation and retention of jobs in the food and agricultural supply chain.
- Strengthens and diversifies in-state market channel access for small and mid-scale food and agricultural operations.
- Advances food safe storage/aggregation, distribution and transportation in regional food supply chain networks.
- Supports the implementation of regenerative agricultural practices.
Project Categories
- Food Retail (e.g. grocery stores, co-operatives, mobile grocery projects, farmers’ markets)
- Processing/Value-added Products (staple foods: meat, fruit, vegetables, dairy, grain, etc.)
- Aggregation/Distribution/Transportation (e.g. food hubs, cold/dry storage)
- New Mexico Grown Production (e.g. farmers, ranchers, co-operatives, nonprofit production, hydroponic/aquaponic)
Funding Information
- The HFFF has $250,000 in funding for FY25. No match is required and funding is upfront.
Eligible Costs
- Predevelopment: business plans, market analysis, site plans, architectural/engineering designs, feasibility study, etc.
- Brick and Mortar Facility Development: construction, renovations, property improvements
- Equipment, supplies, furnishings
- Other costs may be incorporated into proposals for marketing, website, business process upgrades, training/certifications
Ineligible Costs
- Staffing, labor, payroll costs
- Real estate transactions, land acquisitions
- Non-durable goods
- Charitable food projects, including food banks and food pantries
- Exclusively experiential, demonstration or educational projects
- Restaurants that are primarily focused on the sale of prepared, hot foods in a restaurant or takeaway setting to consumers
- Entities wishing to lend or regrant the award funds are NOT eligible to apply
Eligible Criteria
- Political subdivisions of the state
- Indian nations, Tribes, and pueblos
- For-profit business enterprises (including a corporation, limited liability company, sole proprietor, public benefit corporation, social enterprise)
- Cooperatively owned businesses
- Tax-exempt nonprofit corporations
- Small farmers/ranchers with gross cash farm income under $250,000 are eligible. Please note that eligible production applicants must be NM Grown Approved Suppliers or in the process of obtaining this certification.
For more information, visit New Mexico Economic Development Department.
