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Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Grants

Applications for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin (BLBW) Grants are due September 15, 2025, at 12 p.m. (noon) Central Time.

FY 2026 BLBW Request for Proposals
Grant Application

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. Keeping food dollars in Wisconsin communities supports local businesses, improves farm incomes, and creates jobs.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) administers the grants, which can help farms and business more efficiently process, market, and distribute food in local stores, schools, and institutions.

The maximum award for each project is $50,000, and grant applicants must provide a cash or in-kind match of at least 50% of the total project budget. Generally, qualified applicants are 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, 607 applications have been submitted for BLBW grants, requesting a total of more than $21.03 million in funding. Of those applications, 128 projects have been funded, totaling $3.227 million. Previous grant recipients have generated over $14.7 million in new local food sales, created and retained more than 540 jobs, and benefited more than 5,600 producers and 5,500 markets.