ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 25, 2025) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture is pleased to partner with the Northeast Regional Food Business Center to announce the launch of the first round of Business Builder sub-awards, designed to strengthen the Maryland and regional food systems by providing direct funding to small- and mid-sized farm and food businesses, including aquaculture and wild-caught marine businesses. Ten million dollars will be made available in this round, with awards ranging from $15,000 to $100,000 to support businesses in scaling their operations, expanding markets and connecting various segments of the regional food supply chain.
The Business Builder program will fund projects through three specialized funding tracks:
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Supports the purchase of specialized post-harvest equipment, such as wash-and-pack stations, refrigerated vans, cold storage units and food safety upgrades.
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Provides funding for business planning, financial guidance, supply chain analysis, food safety training, workforce development and strategy development.
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Assists businesses in expanding through new product development, market analysis, packaging supplies, kitchen appliances and software implementation.
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Applications opened Feb. 24 and will close April 7. Awardees will be announced in July, and funded projects will begin in August.
To support prospective applicants, the Center published a pre-recorded webinar and will host four live informational webinars on March 3, March 11, March 19 and March 27 to answer technical questions and provide guidance on the application process.
The Northeast Regional Food Business Center was established in 2023 and is led by a collaborative structure that includes the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the NASDA Foundation, New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry, Buffalo Go Green, Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement and various advisory councils.
For more details and to apply for the Business Builder subawards, visit the Northeast Regional Food Business Center website.
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