The Missouri Value-Added Agriculture "Farm to Table" Grant Program provides funding for Missouri businesses to access resources for accessing and processing locally grown agricultural products for use in institutions within the state. Grant applications will be considered from small businesses for resources including, but not limited to coolers, freezers, washing equipment, bagging equipment, packing equipment, professional services for Good Agricultural Practices/Good Handling Practices (GAP/GHP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Analysis (HACCP) plan development.

GUIDELINES

The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority’s (MASBDA’s) objective for this program is to provide partial funding in the form of grants for rural agricultural businesses that add value to Missouri agricultural products, aid the economies of rural communities, and support the use of Missouri agricultural products in institutions within the state. The grants are funded 50% from the sale of tax credits, and 50% from MASBDA’s available funds.

An agricultural product is defined as: “An agricultural, horticultural, viticultural, or vegetable product; growing of grapes that will be processed into wine; bees; honey; fish or other aquacultural product; planting seed; livestock; livestock product; forestry product; or poultry or poultry product, either in its natural or processed state, that has been produced, processed, or otherwise had value added to it in Missouri.”

APPLICATION CYCLES

MASBDA will consider grant applications from Missouri small businesses to access resources for accessing and processing locally grown agricultural products for use in institutions within the state.

*To be considered for March, 2027 funding, MASBDA must receive applications no later than 3 p.m. on December 15th, 2026.

*If this funding schedule should change, applicants will be notified.

INTERVIEWS

Applicants will be notified by telephone if their applications score high enough (at least an average of 60 points on the 100-point evaluation criteria) for them to interview before the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority board. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for March, 2027. This timeline is tentative and may be adjusted.

CONDITIONS

MASBDA will not be held liable for any costs incurred by any firm for work performed in the preparation and production of a proposal or for any work performed prior to formally executing a contract.

 MASBDA reserves the right to:

• Reject any or all applications received;
• Waive or modify minor irregularities in applications received after prior notification and applicant agreement;
• Clarify the scope of this program, within the application requirements and with appropriate notice to all applicants, to better serve the interests of the State of Missouri;
• Amend the program specifications after their release, with appropriate written notice to all potential applicants;
• Approve the submitted budget on a line-by-line basis;
• Require a good faith effort on the part of the project sponsor to work with MASBDA subsequent to project completion to develop or implement the project results in Missouri; and
• Withhold any payments if contract conditions are not met.

All proposals submitted in response to a call for applications will become the property of MASBDA.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

One hard copy of the Missouri Value-Added Farm to Table Grant Applications should be mailed to:

MASBDA
P.O. Box 630
1616 Missouri Boulevard
Jefferson City, MO 65102

For additional information or questions, email or call (573) 751-2129.

PROGRAM DEFINITIONS

Eligible applicants must be a “Small Business” purchasing or processing “locally grown agricultural products” from a “small farmer.” “Institutions” in the State of Missouri must make up a “material portion” of an eligible applicant’s market. The following terms mean:

1. Agricultural Product: An agricultural, horticultural, viticultural, or vegetable product; growing of grapes that will be processed into wine; bees; honey; fish or other aquacultural product; planting seed; livestock; livestock product; forestry product; or poultry or poultry product, either in its natural or processed state, that has been produced, processed, or otherwise had value added to it in Missouri.
2. Institutions: facilities including, but not limited to, schools, correctional facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and military bases.
3. Locally grown agricultural products: food or fiber grown in Missouri or within a 30 mile radius of Missouri, produced or processed by a small agribusiness or small farm. A minimum of 50% of agricultural products processed must be locally grown.
4. Small agribusiness: a qualified agribusiness as defined in section 348.400 RSMo, and located in Missouri with gross annual sales of less than five million dollars.
5. Small farm: a family-owned farm or family farm corporation as defined in Section 350.010, and located in Missouri with less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars in gross sales per year.
6. Material portion: 10% or more of gross sales after grant funding must be institutions in the State of Missouri.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY

1. Eligible applicants must be an individual(s) who is at least 18 years of age and a legal Missouri resident. Applicant may also be a group of individuals, business or organization related to agriculture whose proposed value-added agricultural business concept is based in Missouri.
2. Eligibility will not be determined or otherwise affected by any consideration of race, religion, sex, creed, color or residence, other than that the individual recipient must be a legal Missouri resident or business located in Missouri.
3. Grant recipients must be able to provide proof of citizenship; identity; residence; and enrollment in E-verify, the federal work authorization program. Please see www.e-verify.gov for more information about the program and the enrollment process.
4. Applications will be judged principally on how they conform to the grant program’s intent, objectives and criteria and the proposal’s cost effectiveness. As part of the evaluation, a meeting with applicants and/or a visit to the applicant’s operation may be necessary.
5. The grant recipient will be responsible for any federal or state taxes applicable for funds received, if awarded, and it is recommended the applicant consult their tax professional prior to submitting an application, and upon potential award.
6. Upon final grant disbursement the grant recipient will be required to submit an annual certification of continued sales of locally grown agricultural products to institutions in this state for three years. Failure to market to institutions in this state may result in the recapture of grant funds over a three year prorated basis.
7. The Authority reserves the right of inspection of the funded resources for up to three years after the final disbursement of grant funds.

PROJECT ELIGIBILITY

Applications will be considered to fund up to 90% of eligible project expenses related to accessing resources for accessing and processing locally grown agricultural products for use in Missouri institutions. Resources eligible for funding include but are not limited to:

1. Coolers
2. Freezers
3. Washing equipment
4. Bagging equipment
5. Packing equipment
6. Sorting equipment
7. Professional services for Good Agricultural Practices/Good Handling Practices (GAP/GHP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Analysis (HACCP) plan development

PRIORITY CONSIDERATIONS

Preference will be given to grant requests initiated by a group (more than one) of Missouri producers who have clear knowledge and oversight of the plan of work. Preference will also be given to innovative projects that do not duplicate projects or efforts already underway. Preference will be given to projects demonstrating the potential for near-term development of a value-added agricultural business concept that will impact multiple producers and the local rural economy.

RESTRICTIONS:

The program does not provide funds for the following:

1. Paying off existing debt
2. Substituting existing efforts or research already under way
3. Salaries or wages of grant applicant or employees of the applicant’s business
4. Agricultural product production costs
5. Operating expenses
6. Motor Vehicles
7. Operational costs such as payroll, utilities, inventory, insurance and advertising
8. Travel or mileage expenses
9. Application fee or grant writing expenses (May be included as an in-kind match)

FUNDING LEVEL

The maximum cumulative grant award to any individual, groups of individuals, businesses or organizations related to a value-added rural agricultural business concept is $200,000. Requests for funds must be justified with respect to the project scope.

Applicants are required to meet a minimum 10% cash match for a funded project. The cash match requirement may be fulfilled either by paying, in full, the 10% grant administration fee due at contract signing, or by payments made for eligible project costs.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT UTILIZATION CONTRIBUTOR TAX CREDIT

The MASBDA Value-Added “Farm to Table” Grant Program is funded 50% through the sale of Agricultural Product Utilization Contributor Tax Credits, and 50% from MASBDA’s available funds. The grant applicant is responsible for securing commitments to purchase the necessary tax credits. Agricultural Product Utilization Contributor Tax Credit Applications commitments amounting to at least 50% of the requested grant amount must have a “Commitment to Purchase” letter from a potential purchaser of the applicant’s choosing received alongside the Missouri Value-Added “Farm to Table” Grant Application.Grant awards will not be considered final and grant contracts awarded until the tax credit contribution funds are received.

MASBDA may accept Agricultural Product Utilization Contributor Tax Credit funds beginning May 1st, 2027 but no later than June 11th, 2027.

For example, if the applicant applies for a $50,000 grant that meets all the criteria and MASBDA Board of Commissioners approves the grant request, then $25,000 would come from MASBDA’s available funding and $25,000 would come from funds received from the sale of tax credits.

The Agricultural Product Utilization Contributor Tax Credit Program Guidelines are available on our website for those interested in the tax credit program. For any additional information on the program, please contact MASBDA.

MULTIPLE PROPOSALS

Multiple applications from the same applicant will be considered if each application covers distinctly different value-added agriculture business concepts. Applications that have been submitted to other state or federal grant programs may also be considered, but the same activities may not be funded by multiple sources.

LETTER OF COMMITMENT or PURCHASE CONTRACT

A minimum of one letter of commitment or purchase contract from an institution(s) dated within 4 months of the application deadline must be included with the grant application.

EQUIPMENT AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICE BIDS

A written, dated bid(s) for the resource to be funded with grant funds must be included in the grant proposal. The bid(s) must include a detailed budget breakdown (equipment, materials, installation, etc.) The bid must clearly state the expiration date of the bid.

The bid for professional services (HACCP, GAP/GHP plans) must provide a detailed budget for each phase of the plan of work. Budget categories not included under a bid for professional services must be documented by a detailed plan of work. The bid must clearly state the expiration date of the bid.

Note: The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority reserves the right to contact all subcontractors directly for bid verification.

CHANGES

All changes to contracts and/or budgets as presented in the grant application must receive prior approval from MASBDA staff before payment of invoices will be approved.

FEES

The Missouri Value-Added Farm to Table Grant Program assesses two fees: one at the time of application and a second at the time of Grant Agreement signing:

1. A nonrefundable application fee will be due with each application. The fee will be $300 for grant application requests totaling $50,000 or less and $500 for requests totaling over $50,000 as shown on Attachment C, Project Budget Summary.
2. For funded grants, a MASBDA ten (10) percent grant administration fee is due as shown on Attachment C, Project Budget. The fee is due when the Grant Agreement is signed. The MASBDA grant administration fee may be included as part of the applicant’s grant request, or if paid by the applicant, it may be shown as part of the applicant’s 10% cash match.

MATCHING FUNDS

A minimum of 10% cash match is required. Cash Match is defined as cash that is contributed by the applicant specifically toward the cost of the project in categories funded by the Farm to Table Value-Added Grant as detailed in Attachment B of the application.  The Confirmation of Cash Contribution statement included on Attachment B must be completed.

There is no minimum requirement of in-kind match.  In-Kind Match is defined as a non-cash contribution such as services, property, equipment, etc. toward the cost of the entire project.” 

EVALUATION AND FUNDING CRITERIA

Proposals will be selected on a competitive basis. Each proposal will be evaluated and rated within a framework of 100 maximum points using the following criteria:

AGRICULTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL (45 points possible)

The primary objective of this program is to create a positive economic impact in rural communities through the creation, development, and operation of businesses. Sales to institutions must make up a material portion of an applicant’s gross sales. Preference will be given to proposals that provide greater benefits to Missouri’s agricultural producers or foster greater use of Missouri agricultural products. This category will be evaluated in terms of: 1) economic development potential for a Missouri rural community and direct economic impact to Missouri’s agricultural producers; 2) developing or expanding institutional markets for a Missouri agricultural product; 3) potential for creating new jobs; and 4) capital investment.

CREDIBILITY AND MERIT (25 points possible)

The qualifications of the project’s principals are critical to the success of each application, as is the scientific and technical merit of any proposed project. The Authority will judge each proposal for its perceived feasibility, both technical and commercial. The relative ability and technical qualifications of the project principals is a key consideration. An application with substantial market and near-term commercial potential, product/process development that is innovative and has commercial feasibility will be favored more than one with little perceived economic impact.

Applications and anticipated project results should demonstrate a reasonable and feasible work plan and time frame for completion. The potential for timely application of results, near-term commercial application and/or widespread use of the project results will be major considerations.

MATCHING FUNDS (10 points possible)

A minimum of 10% cash match is required. Applicants will be awarded points for any matching funds. Both cash and in-kind matches will be considered; more value will be placed on cash matches than on in-kind, above the 10% required cash match.
           
Cash Match:  “Cash that is contributed by the applicant specifically toward the cost of the project in categories funded by the Value-Added Grant as detailed in Attachment B of the application.” The Confirmation of Cash Contribution statement included on Attachment B must be completed.

In-Kind Match: “Non-cash contributions such as services, property, equipment, etc. toward the cost of the entire project.” 

Applications with matching funds from other sources must show the source’s approval before MASBDA will release grant funds. Grants may be contingent upon proof that matching funds have been allocated to the proposal.

MERIT (20 points possible)

Each authority commissioner may award up to 20 additional points per proposal. These points are based largely on individual judgment of a proposal’s likely success.

APPLICATION EVALUATION AND GRANT AWARD PROCESS

The authority will review, evaluate and award grants on a timetable to be set by the authority. The application deadlines will be announced by MASBDA each year. All applications that have been received since the previous review will be considered. No partial applications will be considered. All applications will be screened for completeness and eligibility upon receipt by MASBDA staff.

The authority will consider each application individually. Each application will compete for limited funds. All proposals must include sufficient information to allow the funding criteria to be evaluated.

The authority reserves the right to decrease the amount of requested funding based on its findings and on its level of available funds. Should the process produce a funding level less than the amount requested in the application, MASBDA staff will confer with the applicant to determine whether the amount recommended would alter the project’s feasibility.

Each applicant will be notified of the authority’s decision. The decision is binding and not subject to review or appeal. At the applicant’s request, grant applications which receive at least the minimum written and interview average of 60 points but are not awarded funding may be reconsidered during the next immediate evaluation period without an additional application fee. Updates to the original application will be accepted prior to the deadline date.

MASBDA reserves the right to audit the applicant’s books and records relating to project performance during and up to three years following the project’s completion. MASBDA also may recover grant funds not used per the contract or if a misrepresentation should occur. The grant recipient is required to submit an annual certification of continued sales of local grown products to institutions in this state for up to three years following the grant award.

Grant recipients must enter into a contract with the authority. Once the applicant and MASBDA staff agree to a contract, it will be considered for final approval by MASBDA’s executive director.  MASBDA program staff will monitor and evaluate each funded project. The contract will establish an approved project plan of work and budget and will list responsibilities of project personnel.

Principals of an organized business (such as an LLC) awarded a grant will be personally responsible for the approved project plan of work, project budget, and responsibilities of project personnel.

Grant recipients may be reimbursed for approved expenditures upon receipt of invoice and proof of payment such as a cancelled check and receipt of payment. Grant funds may be paid directly to the supplier of equipment or services upon receipt of an approved invoice.

The cash match commitment must be documented by proof of payment in each approved budget category as “Contributed Cash Match” as shown on Attachment C Project Budget Summary before the final grant funds can be disbursed.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Interim Report

Interim reporting requirements will be based on the project’s duration, nature, cost and approved work plan. Interim reports will include detailed coverage of project activities and expenditures and include goals for work to be completed prior to the next scheduled report. MASBDA reserves the right to modify the reporting requirements during the course of the project.

Final Report

At a minimum, an original of a comprehensive final report will be required within 60 days following project completion. The final report shall include program and fiscal summaries. The program summary shall include the following:

1. A brief description of the original intent of the project, including grant purchases
   1. The perceived economic impact to Missouri’s agricultural producers
   2. The perceived economic impact on the Missouri rural community
   3. A summary of how the project achieved one or more of the following:
      1. Job creation
      2. New capital investment
      3. New or expanded uses of Missouri’s agricultural products
      4. Number of institutions and meals/persons served
      5. Portion of gross sales to institutional markets
      6. Listing of type and quantity of locally grown products marketed to institutions as a result of grant funding.
2. An evaluation of project results and benefits, including how they met original expectations
   1. Future projections that may result from receiving grant funds
   2. Other appropriate information related to the project

Failure to submit required reports in a timely manner will result in delay of invoice reimbursement and possible grant termination.

In addition to the final project report, MASBDA reserves the right to conduct a follow-up survey of funded projects to determine long-term economic impacts.