OpportunityTitle: 2012 Farmers Market Promotion Prorgam Grants
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: 1. Agricultural Cooperative.  A group-owned or member-owned entity or business that provides, offers, or sells agricultural products or services for the mutual benefit of the members thereof.   2. Producer Network.  A producer group- or member-owned organization or business that provides, offers, or sells agricultural products or services through a common distribution system for the mutual benefit of the members thereof.  3. Producer Associations.  An organization or other business that assists or serves, represents, or serves producers or a producer network.   4. Local Government. - Any unit of local government within a State, including a county, borough, municipality, city, town, township, parish, local public authority, special district, school district, intrastate district, council of governments, and any other instrumentality of local government.   5. Nonprofit Corporation.  Any organization or institution, including nonprofits with State or IRS 501 (c) status and accredited institutions of higher education, where no part of the net earnings of which inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.  6. Public Benefit Corporation.  A corporation organized to construct or operate a public improvement, the profits from which inure to the benefit of a State(s) or to the people thereof.   7. Economic Development Corporation.  An organization whose mission is the improvement, maintenance, development and/or marketing or promotion of a specific geographic area.   8. Regional Famers Market Authority.  An entity that establishes and enforces regional, State, or county policies and jurisdiction over State, regional, or county, farmers markets.  9. Tribal Government.  A governing body or a governmental agency of any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community (including any native village as defined in section 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, 85 Stat. 688 (43 U.S.C. &#167; 1602)) certified by the Secretary of the Interior as eligible for the special programs and services provided through the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Description: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced the availability of approximately $10 million in competitive grant funds in fiscal year (FY) 2012 to be awarded through the Famers Market Promotion Program (FMPP). The FMPP competitive program is administered by the Marketing Grants and Technical Services Branch (MGTSB), Marketing Services Division (MSD) of AMS and is designed to promote the domestic consumption of agricultural commodities by expanding direct producer-to-consumer marketing opportunities. The authorizing legislation for the FMPP includes the Agricultural Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627), the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 (7 U.S.C. 3001-3006) and the recent amendment to the 1976 Act, the FMPP (7 U.S.C. 3005). The minimum FY2012 FMPP award per grant is $5,000 and the maximum is $100,000. An applicant is limited to no more than one grant in a grant-funding year. FMPP funding will be available for use beginning in October 2012. Project work should begin in October 2012 and end not later than October 2014. Matching funds are not required. NOTE: All applicants must follow the 2012 FMPP Guidelines for application instructions and requirements found on the FMPP website at www.ams.usda.gov/FMPP.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Carmen.Humphrey@ams.usda.gov
GrantorContactText: Carmen Humphrey &lt;br/&gt;Branch Chief &lt;br/&gt;Phone 202-720-8317