The Southwest Regional Food Business Center (SWRFBC), in partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno Extension and the Nevada Department of Agriculture, is administering the Business Builder Award Program in Nevada. This program aims to support local food businesses and enhance supply chain resiliency within the state. The initiative will distribute $720,000 in funding through Competitive Awards and Technical Assistance (TA)-linked Direct Support Awards from 2025 to 2027. The program's goal is to strengthen the local food system by addressing key infrastructure and operational needs.

The Competitive Awards component will provide up to four grants of $50,000 each in Fiscal Year 2025. These awards will support projects aligned with Nevada’s priority areas, which include investment in local food processing and distribution infrastructure, development of value-added products, improvements in transportation and logistics, expansion of meat harvesting and processing, and the enhancement of cooling and cold storage facilities. While meeting these priority areas is not a requirement for eligibility, projects that align with them will receive additional consideration.

The program is designed to benefit businesses located in distressed or at-risk communities, as determined by the Economic Innovation Group’s Distressed Communities Index and the USDA’s Social Vulnerability Index. The grant aims to address gaps in the local food supply chain and create long-term sustainability for Nevada-based agricultural enterprises.

The application process for the Competitive Awards requires applicants to complete an online application form and upload a budget template and a work plan. The Request for Application (RFA) document provides detailed guidance, and all materials are available on the Business Builder main page. The application deadline for this cycle has been extended to February 17, 2025, at 5:00 PM PST. The review period will take place between February and March 2025, and awarded projects will be implemented from May 2025 through April 2026.

A separate TA-linked Direct Support Award initiative will be launched in January 2025, providing additional funding opportunities to Nevada food businesses. Specific details about this component are not yet available.

Applicants can seek support through weekly virtual office hours, held on Mondays from 2:00 to 3:00 PM PST. For additional assistance, they may contact Staci Emm, Extension Professor, or Allison Moreno, Project Manager, at the University of Nevada, Reno Extension. The Southwest Regional Food Business Center can also be reached for general inquiries.