Value-Added Producer Grants

The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program helps agricultural producers enter value-added activities to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income.

You may receive priority if you are a beginning farmer or rancher, socially-disadvantaged farmer or rancher, small or medium-sized farm, ranch structured as a family farm, farmer or rancher cooperative, or proposing a mid-tier value chain.

Grants are awarded through a national competition. Each fiscal year, applications are requested through a notice published in the Federal Register and through an announcement posted on Grants.gov.

VAPG is part of the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) which is an umbrella program created under the 2018 Farm Bill. Producers can find other grant funding opportunities at the LAMP web page.

Eligibility

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Eligible applicants independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer- or rancher-cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures, as defined in the program regulation, are eligible to apply for this program.

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS
Eligible projects include planning activities or working capital expenses related to producing and marketing a value-added agricultural product.

Examples of planning activities include conducting feasibility studies and developing business plans for processing and marketing the proposed value-added product. Examples of working capital expenses include processing costs, marketing and advertising expenses, and some inventory and salary expenses.

Related Resources