Find Nonprofit and Small Business Grants

Grants of up to $20,000 to Rhode Island nonprofits, for-profits, individual producers, and producer groups to promote the development, marketing, and growth of seafood and other local food within the state. This program is intended to benefit and strengthen Rhode Island’s local food industry.

In 2019 the LASA Grant Program will prioritize projects which:
1. Support the entry, growth, and/or sustainability of small or beginning agriculture producers (including aquaculture producers) and fishermen/women, and/or
2. Foster new cooperatives, partnerships, and/or collaborations among Rhode Island producers and producer-supporting organizations, and/or
3. Support new products or new sales channels with clearly defined markets, including institutional purchasing of local food, and/or
4. Protect the future availability of agricultural land for producers, including farm transition planning and implementation and other land access strategies, and/or
5. Relate to activities identified in Rhode Island’s Food Strategy Relish Rhody

Projects/programs must serve at least one of the following purposes in order to be eligible for funding through the LASA Grants Program:
1. Assist in the marketing of Rhode Island grown agricultural products and local seafood for the purpose of sale and promotion;
2. Enhance the economic competitiveness of Rhode Island grown agricultural products and local seafood;
3. Provide financial and technical assistance support to organizations and producers for activities and programs which enhance the economic viability of local agriculture, and support the development of a locally-based, safe and sustainable food system;
4. Perform other activities necessary to facilitate the success and viability of the state’s agricultural and seafood sectors.

In addition to providing grants for projects or programs, the LASA Grants Program may also provide capital grants to small or beginning Rhode Island farmers and aquaculture producers to support the growth and sustainability of Rhode Island’s farming and aquaculture industries. Capital grants for fishermen/women are not eligible for LASA funding.