The Business Builder Award Program is a funding opportunity led by Local First Arizona in partnership with the Arizona Department of Agriculture and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. This initiative is part of the Southwest Regional Food Business Center and is designed to support the financial needs of local farmers, ranchers, and processors in Arizona. The program aims to strengthen the state's food supply chain resiliency by offering direct funding alongside business consulting, marketing, and training support.

The program will allocate a total of $840,000 from 2025 to 2027. Individual grant awards will range between $75,000 and $100,000, providing substantial financial assistance to eligible recipients. The funding is competitive, with applications evaluated based on alignment with state priority areas. These priority areas include projects that expand access to markets for small and mid-sized producers, increase food processing capacity, develop food supply chains, and promote regional cooperatives and aggregation strategies.

Eligibility for the program is broad, though projects that are located in or directly benefit distressed or at-risk communities, as defined by the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) Distressed Communities Index, or areas categorized as socially vulnerable by the USDA Social Vulnerability Index, will receive additional consideration. While preference is given to applicants whose projects meet one or more priority areas, all qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

The application process is structured into two rounds per year. For the first round in 2025, the Request for Applications (RFA) will be released on January 6th, with the application deadline set for February 15th. A review period will follow from February 16th through March 31st. Successful applicants will begin their project period on June 1, 2025, and conclude by October 31, 2026. A second round is planned to open on June 1st, with applications closing on July 15th. Additional review and project period details for this round will be announced later.

Applicants must follow a structured submission process, which includes downloading and completing a budget template, work plan, and timeline template. These materials, along with the completed application form, must be submitted in full for consideration. The program allows applicants to save and return to their work before final submission.

For additional guidance, applicants can attend informational webinars scheduled on January 8th and January 14th, 2025. Virtual office hours will also be available weekly on Thursdays from January 9th through February 13th. Those interested in applying can reach out to Taylor La Ravia, the Southwest Regional Food Business Center Coordinator, at swrfbc@localfirstaz.com for further assistance.