Working Lands Funding Opportunity Cycle
The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) offers funding opportunities to a variety of business structures encompassing forest, farm, and food enterprises. These include producer associations, farms, food cooperatives, business assistance provider organizations and more. The amount of funds available is determined each year through the state's annual budget cycle. The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) meets each summer to decide which funding opportunities to offer for the coming year based on available funds and needs across Vermont.
July: State of Vermont Legislature and the Governor pass the state budget and approve appropriation to the Working Land Enterprise Fund (WLEF) for upcoming fiscal year.
June-August: WLEB convenes their annual symposium to strategize funding prioritization.
August-September: Agency staff conduct outreach and webinars to provide guidance on the upcoming application process.
September-November: Request for Applications (RFAs) and Request for Proposals (RFPs) open and are typically posted 3-5 weeks prior to application deadline. A group of subject matter experts and thought partners carefully review each completed application and provide a slate of recommendations to the WLEB.
November-April: WLEB makes final award decisions. Applicants are notified by email in the order that RFAs were released and closed. Unsuccessful applicants receive feedback from the WLEB on their applications.
December-May: Agency staff work with awardees to finalize grant or contract agreements for awarded projects.
Working Lands Funding Opportunities
The following grants will be available in FY 2023. Please note the same funding opportunities may not be available each year, depending on funding availability and Working Lands Enterprise Board decisions.
- Producer Association Grants - opening August 12, 2022
- Service Provider Grants - opening August 12, 2022
- Business Enhancement Grants (formerly known as Standard Business Grants) - opening September 23, 2022
- ARPA-Funded Primary Producer Impact Grant - opening late fall 2022
- Trade Show Assistance Grants - opening winter 2023