USDA Regional Food Business Centers new

Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) Number: 10.186
Dates: Applications must be received on or before 11:59 pm Eastern Time on January 6, 2023, through
Grants.gov. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.
Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS),
requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 USDA Regional Food Business Centers (Regional Food
Centers). The Regional Food Centers will serve as the cornerstone of USDA’s development of local and
regional supply chains. They will offer coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building support
to small and mid-sized food and farm businesses, with the goal of creating a more resilient, diverse, and
competitive food system. AMS will award cooperative agreements to regionally based partners to
support USDA’s work on regional food supply chains. USDA is using approximately $400 million in funds
authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Pub. L. No. 116—260, Division N, Title VII,
Subtitle B, Section 751 to develop and implement the program, with approximately $360 million going
directly to fund the Regional Centers.
Through this solicitation, AMS will fund at least six USDA Regional Food Centers. There are three High
Priority Areas that will each have at least one Regional Center specifically serving all or part of that area:
Colonias (counties on the US/Mexico border), high need areas of the Delta and the Southeast, and the
high need areas of Appalachia. In addition, there will be one national Tribal Center. There will also be
Regional Food Centers that serve other areas of the country beyond these High Priority areas and the
Tribal Center.
This announcement identifies the eligibility criteria for USDA Regional Food Centers, and the applica