MOFGA Technical Assistance Grant

MOFGA’s Technical Assistance (T.A.) grant — unavailable for 2024.

Fiscal Year 2023 Request for Applications

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) is pleased to announce this grant opportunity to help farmers, processors and food entrepreneurs access technical assistance for their business. These funds are to be used for professional consultation and services for business planning, financial analysis or recordkeeping development, market research to assess new markets, legal consultation for succession planning or incorporating, branding and logo design, and similar technical support work.

Equity Statement

MOFGA is committed to creating a food system that is just and equitable for all. We look to design and utilize our farming programs, including this grant fund, as a tool to help farmers overcome barriers such as access to land, capital and education. MOFGA is committed to ensuring that access to this grant fund is available to individuals of all races, ethnicities, backgrounds and gender identities.

Is there any reason that access to this program or application is not accessible to you? For example, are you an English Language Learner, pre-literate or vision-impaired, or is there another reason that it is particularly difficult or culturally inappropriate for you to use this format? If yes, we will help you; Please call or email Nicolas Lindholm: 207-505-5752 or [email protected], or mail an inquiry to MOFGA, ℅ Nicolas Lindholm, PO Box 170, Unity, ME, 04988.

Funding Source

This round of the MOFGA Technical Assistance Grant is funded by the Agricultural Viability Alliance through a Northern Border Regional Commission sub-award, and has particular restrictions detailed below.

Eligibility and Description

1.) Farms, processors and food businesses in Maine are eligible except those in York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc and Lincoln Counties, as they are not considered to be part of the Northern Border Region covered by our current funding source. 

2.) Applicants must be one of the following:

      • Certified organic business
      • Organic under the small farm exemption
      • Alumni of past MOFGA farm training program (i.e., Farm Beginnings, Maine Farm Resilience Program, Apprenticeship or Journeyperson program)
      • Able to show that business is actively transitioning to certified organic production or processing
      • Food business or processor who utilizes organic and/or local sustainably grown ingredients

3.) Previous recipients of MOFGA’s TA Grant are not eligible to apply for another TA Grant at this time.

4.) Awardees should be prepared to answer the following questions at the open and close of their project:

    • What was your net operating income for 2021 and for 2022 (i.e., your profit or loss from operations — does not include the sale of capital assets)?
    • What was your net worth on December 31, 2021?
    • What was your payroll for 2021 and for 2022?

We will assist you with these reports, which will be shared in aggregate with the Northern Border Regional Commission to help them track their economic impact.

Available Funds

Individual grants will range from $1,000 to $2,000 and are capped at $2,000 per applicant. MOFGA will award up to $8,000 during this grant round.

Allowable Costs

Funding can be used to pay for professional technical assistance that addresses such needs as business planning, enterprise assessment, marketing, legal fees, production analysis — or a myriad of other technical assistance needs — often to address a significant point in a business’ evolution. Examples of past uses of TA Grant funds include enterprise budgeting, setting up a QuickBooks chart of accounts, designing linked inventory tracking spreadsheets, branding and logo development, website or social media development, legal services for business restructuring and succession planning, new product testing and development, and market research. We can assist you in determining if your planned project meets these criteria, and help identify consultants and technical assistance providers. If you have questions, please contact Nicolas Lindholm: 207-505-5752 or [email protected].

Unallowable Costs

Grants can not be used for supplies, packaging, label printing, equipment and infrastructure, or for grant writers.

Maximum Award

Applicants can apply for a maximum grant award of $2,000. No matching funds are required, but you must show where additional funds will be available if your project budget is greater than the requested grant amount.

Project Lengths

Grants will be awarded in November 2022 for projects that can be completed by June 30, 2023. Projects must be completed by that time.

Technical Assistance

We encourage applicants to contact Nicolas Lindholm ([email protected] or 207-505-5752) if you need to be connected with consultants, technical assistance providers or program partners, or for assistance while developing applications or during implementation of projects.

Deadlines

All applications must be submitted by November 15, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. 

Applicants will be notified or can expect to hear back regarding award decisions starting December 2, 2022.

Deadlines

MOFGA prefers completed applications to be sent via email to [email protected].

If this is a hardship or not an option, then hardcopies can be mailed to:

MOFGA
C/O Nicolas Lindholm
P.O. Box 170
Unity, ME 04988
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