Request for Proposal

Planning Grant Project Application

For Aggregation, Processing, Distribution or Storage projects

Introduction

The creation of an efficient system to connect local producers with regional food buyers is a primary goal of the NE Iowa Food & Farm Coalition. Growing the supply chain infrastructure to provide product aggregation, product processing and local-regional refrigerated storage is a key to a diverse, resilient and more secure local-regional food system is also highly important. The NIFF Coalition works to fill these gaps and identify and address key issues like supply chain infrastructure needs, access to healthy local foods, food quality standards and local-regional food branding.

The Northeast Iowa Food and Farm Coalition sees opportunity for development of local food infrastructure. Mid-scale aggregation and distribution will help NE Iowa connect to mainstream markets. Strong business plans, marketing plans, and feasibility studies are critical to taking the next steps to secure investment capital for vehicles, processing facilities, temperature controlled storage.

Regulatory policies are barriers for small-scale processing, requiring careful adherence to state and federal guidelines. Professional business planning is necessary to establish a food infrastructure that can create consistent quality, and professional marketing and processing that institutional buyers require.

To encourage planning and innovation around aggregation, distribution, processing or storage, the NIFF Coalition is offering planning grants to local farmers and entrepreneurs. NIFF will select projects that are identified as most ready for expansion and provide assistance with completing feasibility studies, business plans, and identifying funding and financing for the expansion projects.

The NIFF Coalition is part of the NE Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative (FFI). The FFI has three strategies. Each strategy has tactics and policy targets identified to guide the work. The proposals submitted for this funding will need to move our work forward toward the policy and system targets below.

  • Ensure that school district policies & practices support healthy living of children, families and community members.
  • Ensure that local, health-promoting food is available and affordable in all communities, neighborhoods and institutions.
  • Policy and System Change Target: Investment in new and existing producers who produce food for local food systems
  • Policy and System Change Target: Development/maintenance of storage/processing capabilities for local food
  • Ensure that communities have a built environment that supports abundant opportunities for physical activity and play.

What to include in your proposal? Prepare a two- or three-pageconcept paper containing the following group of required elements:

  • Separate cover page with project title, complete contact information for the applicant including mailing address, phone number and email address, dollar request and signature. Do not count the cover page as part of your page total.
  • Focus areas: How does your proposal fit within one or more focus areas (aggregation, distribution, processing, storage)?
  • Background and Description of Proposed Project. Describe how the funds would be used. Attach additional information if necessary.
  • Objectives: What do you want to achieve? Must be well defined and measurable.
  • Strategies: What activities will help you achieve project objectives? Describe by objective.
  • Outcomes: What will be the outcomes, both end-of-project and long-term, if you achieve your objectives?
  • Outreach: How (and with whom) will you share project results?
  • Regional Benefit: How does this proposal advance the regional food system work in northeast Iowa?
  • Budget estimate and brief financial explanation by calendar year, starting October 1, 2010. Project should be completed by April1, 2011. Maximum grant is $5000.
  • Estimate total expenses and itemize by:Salary/Benefits; Equipment/Supplies/Materials; Subcontracts/Consultants; Travel and Other.
  • Describe matching funds/labor.
  • Describe any assets (inventory, equipment, expertise, etc) you have in place that you will utilize for the expansion project?
  • Which of the following best describes your estimated budget? Does this change per year of your request?

FFI will provide all funding.

FFI funds are a start, but work is contingent on other funds to meet all desired outcomes.

FFI funds are filling a gap in ongoing work sponsored by other funding.

FFI funds will support completing part of the work even if funds from other sources are not received.

  • This program will run similar to the producer mini-grant program. A grant administrator will need to be secured to hold the funds until expended. NIFF Coalition staff will assist with this process.

How to submit? An electronic copy (sent via e-mail or delivered on a CD) or one hard copy must be received by 4:30 p.m. September 22, 2010.No faxes, please. Electronic version should be a .doc or .txt file or contained within the body of the e-mail. Send your copy to Teresa Wiemerslage at or Winneshiek County Extension, 911 S. Mill Street, Decorah, IA 52101.

What happens after submission?Proposals will be screened for adherence to requirements found in this RFP as well as economic, environmental, and community/social sustainability. The NIFF Coalition will notify all applicants by September 30 as to whether they received funding.

Successful applicants will be asked to provide feedback on the process and outcomes to Food & Fitness Initiative staff as part of the FFI evaluation process. Any plans that are developed will be shared with the NE IA Food & Fitness Initiative to use as educational tool for other business models. Proprietary information will be kept private. FFI staff will work with the grantee on the best way to share this information.