PUBLIC NOTICE: RFA # 202403069 2024 Maine Farms for the Future Phase 2

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry sent this bulletin at 04/08/2024 09:12 AM EDT

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Agricultural Resource Development

PUBLIC NOTICE: RFA # 202403069
2024 Maine Farms for the Future Phase 2

Maine Farms for the Future Phase 2 RFA # 202403069 is now open.

The Maine Farms for the Future (FFF) program is a competitive grant program that provides selected farms with business planning assistance and investment support. The FFF Phase 2 RFA requests applications from eligible applicants seeking an investment support cash grant of up to $25,000 and/or the opportunity to apply for a subsidized 2% interest rate loan from the Department’s Agricultural Marketing Loan Fund. To be eligible for a FFF Phase 2 investment support cash grant and/or the low interest rate through the Agricultural Marketing Loan Fund, an Applicant must:

1. Have been awarded a Phase 1 Business Planning grant between January 2020 and December 2023, but not have been awarded a Phase 2 implementation grant in that timeframe,
2. have completed a Business Plan (as defined in the RFA), and
3. satisfy all other eligibility criteria and matching contribution requirements listed in the FFF Phase 2 RFA.

In addition, implementation support cash grant component of this RFA is only available to Applicants who own at least 5 acres of land in agricultural use and who agree to sign a 7-year Farmland Protection Agreement.

A copy of the RFA, as well as the Question & Answer Summary and all amendments related to the RFA, can be obtained at Division of Procurement Services. Search for: RFA # 202403069.

Key Dates:

  • Questions must be submitted to the RFA Coordinator, Mariam Taleb, via e-mail at: mariam.taleb@maine.gov. All questions must be submitted via the Submitted Questions Form provided in the RFA package and must be received by the RFA Coordinator no later than 11:59 p.m., local time, on April 9, 2024.
  • Applications must be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services, via e-mail, at: Proposals@maine.gov. Application submissions must be received no later than 11:59 p.m., local time, on April 22, 2024. Applications will be opened the following business day. Applications not submitted to the Division of Procurement Services’ aforementioned e-mail address by the aforementioned deadline will not be considered for award.