VAPG Funding Awarded, Finalizing Clients for Upcoming VAPG
The United States Department of Agriculture announced the grant awards for the Value Added Producer Grant last week and Morrison was blessed to assist five clients in securing a collective $873,914 in grant funding.
Included among the five Morrison clients who were awarded funding was Challenge Dairy Products, a California cooperative that will use the grant funds to assist with marketing costs associated with the release of their new cream cheese products. Michigan Blueberry Growers was also among the list of successful Morrison applicants, receiving grant funding to assist with processing costs of their value-added blueberries at a new processing facility in Georgia. The full award list is available here.
The Value Added Producer Grant aims to help individual farmers and ranchers, agricultural cooperatives, and agricultural producer groups expand value-added activities. Generating new products, creating and expanding marketing opportunities, and increasing producer income are the end goals of this program. Applicants this year applied for up to $200,000 to support direct marketing opportunities and up to $75,000 for marketing planning projects.
Since 2002, Morrison has helped food and agriculture clients earn a combined $11.7 million in grant funding through the Value Added Producer Grant, with a 90+% success rate overall through this program. Most federal grant programs only see a 20% to 25% success rate. Morrison clients that receive grant awards through the Value Added Producer Grant program see awards that are 88% higher than the national average ($244,625 vs. $130,000).
Morrison is beginning to finalize our client list for the next round of funding for the Value Added Producer Grant. Based on conversations with USDA, we expect the application period to open by the end of the calendar year, likely this Fall. To help us increase our ability to serve our clients more efficiently, we are offering a new discounted rate structure this VAPG round for all work completed prior to the official grant announcement.
We will reach maximum capacity well before the grant program is announced, and as such, encourage you to reach out to us immediately if you are interested in the program. Please feel free to contact the Morrison Grants Team by email at grants@morrisonco.net or call us at 530-893-4764 and we will be happy to chat with you about the VAPG program and the opportunities the program offers for your business.
About Morrison
Morrison provides business valuations, business planning (including budgeting, cash flow forecasting, strategic planning), feasibility studies, interim executive CFO services, competitive grant writing, recruitment, and special projects that don't fit into any conventional category. Contact us here for more information.