The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection is creating a $27 million fund for grants to help finance innovative projects that will invest in food processing and distribution capacity. Goals include building resilience across the middle of the supply chain and strengthening local and regional food systems.

This program will award funds to projects in two categories.  Equipment grants are available in the $10,000 to $99,999 range, and infrastructure grants will range between  $100,000 and $3 million. Funding for the RFSI Program comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Eligible middle-of-the-supply-chain activities include aggregation, processing, and distribution within a local or regional food system. This program excludes meat, poultry, and wild-caught seafood from eligibility.

Grant applications are due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. For more details and to sign up for updates, visit rfsi.wi.gov.