New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today encouraged eligible applicants to apply to administer the New York State Grown & Certified Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Development (ITRD) Grant Program. This $5.8 million program will competitively award grants to applicants who will, in turn, administer a grant program to assist agricultural entities implementing projects to support the New York State Grown & Certified program. Qualifying ventures include investing in critical farm infrastructure, adopting state-of-the-art practices, purchasing innovative technology or equipment, or conducting cutting edge research to aid in the development of new products to meet consumer demand under the program.
This grant opportunity opened in May during Governor Kathy Hochul’s launch of Round XIII of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.
Commissioner Ball said, “The New York State Grown & Certified Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Development Grant Program will provide timely and much-needed support to help our farmers and producers invest in infrastructure and equipment, adopt innovative practices, and conduct research to help them meet the changing needs of today’s consumers. I encourage all eligible applicants to apply for this valuable statewide food and agriculture grant opportunity that will help our agricultural industry continue to thrive in New York.”
Eligible program administrator applicants for the program include counties and municipalities, local development corporations, regional development corporations, public benefit corporations, Industrial Development Agencies, regional planning councils, economic development organizations, and not-for-profit corporations. Eligible applicants will apply for a block grant for the purposes of providing grants to agricultural entities. Successful applicants will enter into a grant agreement with agricultural entities to complete individual projects.
The New York State Grown & Certified ITRD Grant Program will be overseen by the Department of Agriculture and Markets. To assist potential applicants, a recording of the 2023 New York State Grown & Certified ITRD CFA webinar may be found online at regionalcouncils.ny.gov/webinar/agriculture-and-markets-nys-grown-certified-infrastructure-technology-research-development. In addition, the Department is hosting a live webinar on Monday, July 17 at 2:00 pm to review the ITRD grant program for potential applicants. Attendees will hear an overview of the grant program, learn who is eligible to apply as a program administrator, and review what kinds of projects are eligible to receive funding. A breakdown of the scoring criteria will also be discussed.
To register for the live webinar, please visit meetny.webex.com/weblink/register/r882f93eaa9f302eddcc5faf2d87611a4.
The deadline to submit applications is 4:00 pm on July 28, 2023. All proposals must be submitted through the New York State Consolidated Funding Application.
Questions regarding this grant opportunity may be directed to the NYS Grown & Certified program at [email protected]. For more information regarding the application process, please visit page 42 of the 2023 Available CFA Resources Guide, the 2023 REDC Guidebook, the 2023 CFA Application Manual, or at https://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/, or learn more at https://agriculture.ny.gov/new-york-state-grown-certified-infrastructure-technology-research-and-development-grant-program.
About the Consolidated Funding Application
The Consolidated Funding Application was created to streamline and expedite the grant application process. The CFA process marks a fundamental shift in the way State resources are allocated, ensuring less bureaucracy and greater efficiency to fulfill local economic development needs. The CFA serves as the single-entry point for access to economic development funding, ensuring applicants no longer have to slowly navigate multiple agencies and sources without any mechanism for coordination. Now, economic development projects use the CFA as a support mechanism to access multiple State funding sources through one application, making the process quicker, easier, and more productive. Learn more about the CFA here.
About the Regional Economic Development Councils
The Regional Economic Development Council initiative is a key component of the State’s approach to State investment and economic development. In 2011, 10 Regional Councils were established to develop long-term strategic plans for economic growth for their regions. The Councils are public-private partnerships made up of local experts and stakeholders from business, academia, local government, and non-governmental organizations. The Regional Councils have redefined the way New York invests in jobs and economic growth by putting in place a community-based, bottom up approach and establishing a competitive process for State resources. Learn more at regionalcouncils.ny.gov.
