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The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking applications for the 2025 Regional Food Systems Partnership (RFSP). USDA will make up to $4.5 million available and expects to award approximately 10 awards ranging from $100,000 to $1 million each. A 25 percent cash cost share is required. Applications are due June 27, 2025.

What is the purpose of this program? RFSP’s purpose is to support partnerships that connect public and private resources to plan and develop local and regional food systems. RFSP focuses on making local or regional food economies stronger and more resilient.

Who is eligible to apply? Only eligible partnerships may apply to RFSP. A partnership is an agreement between one or more eligible entities and one or more eligible partners.

Eligible entities include:

• CSA networks or associations
• Economic development corporations
• Farmer or Rancher Cooperatives
• Food Councils
• Local governments
• Majority-controlled producer-based business ventures
• Nonprofit corporations
• Producers
• Producer networks or associations
• Public benefit corporations
• Regional farmers market authorities
• Tribal governments

Eligible partners include:

• Commercial, federal, or farm credit system lending institutions
• Institutions of higher education
• Philanthropic organizations
• Private corporations
• State agencies or regional authorities

What are the project types for RFSP? RFSP offers two project types for this funding opportunity: 1) Planning and Design Projects; and 2) Implementation and Expansion Projects.

1) Planning and Design projects support partnerships in the early stages of bringing together people and organizations, envisioning a shared future, setting goals, and finding strategies for developing local or regional food systems. Specifically, these projects support food system’s efforts to build connections between public and private groups in their regions. This allows the region to discover and promote opportunities for collaboration within the food system. Applicants should look for public and private partners that operate across the regional food economy and can access diverse financial and technical resources beyond just federal funding. Examples of eligible project activities for these partnerships include but are not limited to:

• Bringing together partners to define the scope and structure of the regional food system, share opportunities and challenges, and develop engaged approaches to address challenges and improve connection and success across the regional food system.
• Creating and conducting feasibility studies and data-driven implementation plans that achieve measurable goals for the partnership’s work in developing the regional food system.
• Researching specific market, mid-tier value chain, or infrastructure investments (including studies analyzing the capital needs or gaps of the regional food system) to help prioritize next steps at the local, regional, state, or tribal government level.
• Connecting food value chain entities with partners and funders to engage in activities that strengthen the regional food system.
• Researching and developing metrics to measure and evaluate the partnership’s early development work and establish performance benchmarks for achieving partnership goals.

2) Implementation and Expansion projects support partnerships that build on previous or ongoing efforts within a local or regional food system. These partnerships have already completed most or all the activities discussed for Planning and Design projects. Applicants should explain how the goals, objectives, and activities in the application build on previous efforts within the food system. They should also show they will engage entities that share a commitment to the regional food system and maintain a diverse network of public-private partners to further develop the food system. Examples of eligible project activities for these partnerships include but are not limited to:

• Creating value chains where producers, manufacturers, buyers, and other related actors form collaborative, transparent partnerships share a commitment to operational values and social mission goals.
• Developing processes for ongoing engagement with the community and businesses to provide a forum for ideas, concerns, and updates across the regional food system.
• Analyzing capital needs and gaps in the regional food system and identifying resources to support it.
• Helping food system enterprises find resources, providing technical assistance to partners and stakeholders, and applying for programs and resources that align with regional food system efforts, including other LAMP programs or capital investments.

What are the funding levels and match requirements? Funding levels differ based upon the RFSP project type as follows:

• Planning and Design project awards range from $100,000 to $250,000
• Implementation and Expansion project awards range from $250,000 to $1 million

The RFSP requires recipients to fund their projects, in part, with cost share funds from non-Federal sources in the form of cash contributions equal to or greater than 25 percent of the amount of Federal funds requested.

What is the project timeline? Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 27, 2025.

Planning and Design projects must be completed in 24 months; Implementation and Expansion projects must be completed in 36 months.

The full 2025 RFSP Request for Applications can be found here.

For more information on this grant or how to apply with Morrison’s assistance, please contact the Morrison Grants Team by email at grants@morrisonco.net or call us at 530-893-4764.