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Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Grants

The application period for Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grants is currently open and will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 31. See the following for more information:

A webinar was held on Feb. 15 to discuss creating a proposal and how past applicants were successful. This webinar can be viewed below.

Launched in 2008, the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin (BLBW) competitive grant program is designed to strengthen Wisconsin’s agricultural and food industries by working to reduce the marketing, distribution, and processing hurdles that impede the expansion of sales of Wisconsin’s food products to local purchasers.

Managed by DATCP, the grants can help farms and business more efficiently process, market and distribute food in local markets including stores, schools and institutions. Keeping food dollars in Wisconsin communities supports local businesses, improves farm incomes, and creates jobs.

A total of $300,000 is available in grant funding through the program; the maximum award for each project is $50,000, and grant applicants must provide a cash or in-kind match of at least 50 percent of the total project budget. Generally, qualified applicants include individuals, groups or businesses involved in Wisconsin production agriculture, food processing, food distribution, food warehousing, retail food establishments or agricultural tourism operations. Proposals can include individual projects, collaborations or partnerships.

Since its inception in 2008, over 450 applications have been submitted for Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grants, requesting a total of $13,578,964 million in funding. Of those applications, 76 projects have been funded, totaling more than $2.1 million. Administered by DATCP, the grants can help farms and businesses more efficiently produce, process, market, and distribute food in local markets including stores, schools, and institutions. Previous grant recipients have generated nearly $10 million in new local food sales, created and retained 211 jobs, and benefited more than 2,700 producers and 2,900 markets.