Grant Applications Now Open – Apply by January 12th
Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure and Equipment Grants
A new grant is now available for food businesses supporting infrastructure and equipment in the middle of the supply chain for the District of Columbia. Eligible projects support food aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of regionally produced food products. This program does not support growing crops or direct food sales to consumers or retail outlets.
A total of $1.4 million of RFSI funds to projects that maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency through Capital Impact Partners, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the District of Columbia Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED).
Available Grant Types
| Infrastructure Grants | Simplified Equipment-Only Grants |
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Entities Eligible for RFSI Grants
- Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors conducting middle-of-the-supply-chain processing, aggregation, or distribution of targeted agricultural products;
- Nonprofit organizations operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution of targeted agricultural products;
- For-profit entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation, or distribution of targeted agricultural products, whose activities are primarily focused for the benefit of local and regional producers, and that meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards are eligible (view SBA’s size standards).
Application Assistance & Support
Webinars
- November 21, 2024 @ 12-1pm ET | Register Here
- December 12, 2024 @ 5-6pm ET | Register Here
- January 6, 2025 @ 12-1pm ET | Register Here
In-person Office Hours – Schedule now
Hosted by the District Dept. of Small & Local Business Development at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St NW, Washington, D.C.
- December 4, 2024 @ 2pm – 5pm
- December 11, 2024 @ 2pm – 5pm
- January 8, 2025 @ 1pm – 4pm
Virtual Office Hours – Schedule now
- December 17, 2024 @ 10am – 12pm ET
- January 7, 2024 @ 1 – 3pm ET
Get in Touch
Alison Powers
Director, Economic Opportunities
703-647-2369, apowers@capitalimpact.org
Assistance for Spanish-speaking Applicants
- If a Spanish-speaking applicant would like assistance in completing the grant application, please contact Alison Powers, Director, Economic Opportunities, Capital Impact Partners, apowers@capitalimpact.org, (703) 647-2369.
- Si usted habla español y necesita ayuda para completar la aplicacion por favor conectese con Alison Powers, Directora de Oportunidades Economicas de Capital Impact Partners, apowers@capitalimpact.org, 703-647-2369.
Applicant Resources
- District RFSI Infrastructure Grant Application
- District RFSI Simplified Equipment-Only Grant ApplicationÂ
- District RFSI Request for Applications Guidance Document
- RFSI Match Verification Letter Template
- USDA RFSI Applicant Environmental Questionnaire (required for Infrastructure Grant application)
- RFSI Evidence of Critical Resources and Infrastructure Letter Template
- RFSI Budget Match Worksheet
- RFSI Program Scope and Requirements
Additional Resources
Financing, Technical Assistance, and Grants to Help DC Food Businesses Expand Economic Prosperity
Building a strong, local food ecosystem supports healthier neighborhoods, economic prosperity, and high-quality jobs in the District of Columbia, especially in communities that have experienced systematic underinvestment, poor health outcomes, and limited economic opportunities.
Launched in 2021, the Nourish DC Collaborative was created in partnership with the Government of the District of Columbia to support the development of a robust ecosystem of locally owned food businesses, neighborhood vibrancy, and health equity in DC communities, especially in neighborhoods underserved by grocery stores and other food businesses. Nourish DC provides flexible loans, technical assistance, and grants to emerging and existing food businesses in the District of Columbia, with a preference for businesses located in or owned by residents of underserved neighborhoods.
Nourish DC services support the entire food value chain and are available to a wide range of food businesses, including grocery stores, food incubators, corner stores, cooperative businesses, farmers markets, food delivery businesses, urban farms, food processors, food hubs, restaurants, and caterers.
Key Features of Nourish DC
Jump to features
Technical Assistance
Nourish DC provides a range of technical assistance services to help entrepreneurs take their new and existing businesses to the next level including: one-on-one consulting, short-format seminars/ webinars/ trainings, access to a kitchen incubator, mentoring, and cohort-based intensive training.
Through Nourish DC, food business owners in the District can access technical assistance through these partner programs:
- The Dreaming Out Loud (DOL) Ready for Entrepreneurship Accelerator Modules Program (DREAM Program) is a 16-week incubator program for low-resourced food entrepreneurs residing in Washington, DC.
- The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) Food Ventures Initiative is a bilingual program for entrepreneurs that offers training and useful connections to develop, test, and formalize a business idea in the food industry.
- Washington Area Community Investment Fund’s (Wacif’s) Ascend Capital Accelerator provides entrepreneurs the ability to accelerate business growth, access and obtain capital, and pursue government contracting opportunities.
- EatsPlace offers technical services such as business consulting, access to a commercial kitchen incubator, and pop-up lab space for farm and food businesses.
- CDC Small Business Finance: Small Business Advisory Services
*Complete the Inquiry Form to determine which technical assistance service is right for your business.
Join the Nourish DC Packaged Food Business Cohort
The Nourish DC Packaged Food Business Cohort is built for D.C.-based consumer packaged food goods businesses ready to grow. Eligible businesses should be producing and selling food or non-alcoholic beverage consumer packaged goods including shelf-stable and perishable packaged goods (e.g. grab-and-go meals).
This 10-week learning cohort will include in-person and virtual workshops led by Cureate, totaling 2-3 hours/week. Participants will complete workshop assignments requiring about 4 hours/week. Topics include supply chain, brand building, sales, cash flow, and more.
More information can be found on the Nourish DC Packaged Food Business Cohort Overview.
If you have questions about the cohort, attend the Nourish DC Collaborative Open House on February 29th at the Martin Luther King Library.Â
Join other food entrepreneurs and the Nourish DC Collaborative Partners at the Nourish DC Open House and learn more about the Nourish DC Packaged Food Business Cohort; Nourish DC grants, lending, and technical assistance; and the program’s impact on the food ecosystem.
Light refreshments will be served including products from local food businesses that have benefited from Nourish DC.
When: February 29th from 4 – 7pm EST
Where: Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 901 G Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Registration: RSVP on Eventbrite
Still Have Questions About the Nourish DC Packaged Food Business Cohort? Please contact Alison Powers, Director, Economic Opportunities:
Flexible Loans
The Nourish DC lending partners – Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance (CDC), City First Enterprises (CFE), EatsPlace, the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), and Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif) – are all local Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that collectively offer multiple loan products to meet the varied financing needs of food entrepreneurs of all different sizes. We know every project is different, and work with borrowers to match their unique needs with the right loan offering. Start-up and existing food businesses are eligible to apply.
Specific loan terms vary by loan size and purpose, but features include the following:
- Uses: Working capital, lines of credit, equipment, vehicle acquisition, predevelopment, real estate acquisition, renovation, new construction, leasehold or tenant improvements, refinancing
- Amount: Microloans as small as $500 to real estate secured loans as large as $10,000,000
- Term: As short as 90 days for smaller loans and up to 10 years for larger loans
- Interest Rate: Varies by lender and type of loan
- Fees: 1.25% to 3% of loan size
- Payments: May include interest-only and/or principal and interest payments on varying amortization schedules
- Amortization: Interest only, partial, and fully amortizing loans on amortization schedules up to 25 years
- Guarantees: Varies; personal guarantees required for most loans
Grants
The Keeping It Cool – Round 2 Grant Program will provide $425,000 in grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to support cold storage infrastructure and equipment needs of food businesses and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations providing food-related goods and services in the Washington, DC region. Eligible locations include Arlington, VA; Alexandria, VA; Fairfax County, VA; Montgomery County, MD; Prince George’s County, MD; and Washington, DC.
Funding for this grant has been generously provided by The Morningstar Foundation.
Nourish DC and Keeping It Cool Grants
In 2022, Nourish DC disbursed $400,000 in grants to nine food businesses in Wards 5, 7, and 8. In 2023, Nourish DC disbursed an additional $500,000 in grants to food businesses increasing access to healthy food and creating good quality jobs. Also in 2023, the Keeping It Cool – Round 1 Grant Program awarded $435,000 to twelve food enterprises to support cold storage equipment and infrastructure, which brings the total of Nourish DC and Keeping It Cool grant funds disbursed to $1.34 million in just two years.
About Nourish DC
The Nourish DC Collaborative is funded through grants from Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), and grants from the Bainum Foundation, The Morningstar Foundation, and Prince Charitable Trusts. Capital Impact Partners acts as fund manager, and Nourish DC Collaborative partners are Capital Impact Partners, Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif), the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), City First Enterprises (CFE), CDC Small Business Finance (CDC), EatsPlace, and Dreaming Out Loud (DOL). Ongoing guidance is provided by an advisory board of District agencies.
Questions about Nourish DC?
Nourish DC Impact since September 2021:
Financing
$16+ million deployed
Technical Assistance
600+ food businesses received 1:1 or group TA
Grants
$900K+ to more than 20 food businesses
The Nourish DC Catalytic Grant is important for our business because it will allow us to scale at a faster pace, provide efficiency in daily operations, and make funds available to us to purchase uniform packaging.
Flavorture (formerly Pinke’s Eats)
Nourish DC Collaborative Partners
