The North Dakota Department of Commerce announced today the opening of Component Two of the Rural Food Sustainability Grant Program. Component Two will award grant dollars to support the creation or expansion projects or initiatives that aim to increase food accessibility and sustainability for entities that have developed profit loss statements and backup materials to show the expansion of the project will be sustainable.
"The response to Component One of the programs demonstrated the commitment of our communities," Commerce Community Development Liaison Emma Cook said. "We are eager to see even more impactful projects emerge with Component Two, contributing to the sustainable growth of our local food systems and fostering vibrant rural communities."
Program Objectives:
- Support communities in developing plans or feasibility studies to increase accessibility and sustainability of food access.
- Encourage collaboration with relevant organizations.
- Identify community champions to drive projects.
Timeline:
- Applications open: Tuesday, January 16
- Applications close: Friday, February 9
- Award announcement - Tuesday, February 27
Eligible applicants include nonprofits, local entities, economic development organizations, and tribal entities. The program focuses on communities with a population of less than 10,000 and encourages but does not require matching funds. Regular maintenance funding is excluded, and projects must enhance food access with a sustainable plan.
For further details, visit ndgov.link/RuralFoodGrant.