What You Need to Know: Get a jump on grant applications across the Great Lakes Midwest Webinar
June 21, 2024 Jamie Rahrig, Julie Jesmer
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EmailPlease note that this resource now includes out-of-date information. Per the USDA announcement on July 15, 2025, the Regional Food Business Centers program was terminated, prior to its original end date of July 2028. Because of this, the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center halted operations on September 15, 2025 and was unable to responsibly launch the Business Builder Subaward and assistances programs. Please see our related press release. Resources intended to help food and farm businesses will remain freely available on this website and additional resources can be found at foodsystems.msu.edu/resources.
On June 20, 2024, the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center hosted a webinar aimed at helping food and farm businesses navigate federal grant applications. The session, titled "Get a jump on grant applications across the Great Lakes Midwest: What you need to know," provided crucial insights for business owners preparing for upcoming funding opportunities.
The webinar featured experienced producers Dan Cornelius of Yowela Farms and Aje Elliott of Workin' Roots Farm, who shared their firsthand experiences with obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through SAM.gov, a prerequisite for many federal grant applications. Their practical tips and strategies offered attendees a roadmap for success in this critical process.
Jamie Rahrig and Julie Jesmer from the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems also presented information on upcoming assistance and funding opportunities. Information was shared about the Business Builder subaward program, set to launch in late 2024. This initiative will distribute over $10 million in awards and technical assistance across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin over the next four years, providing significant support to regional food and farm businesses.
Additional instructions for obtaining a UEI are available on this two-page summary highlighting key points from the webinar along with this recording from the U.S. General Services Administration. Las instrucciones están disponibles aquí en español.
For those who missed the live event, a recording of the webinar is now available here:
For additional support, check out this resource sheet
For more information about future events and resources, interested parties can visit glm-rfbc.msu.edu or email glm-rfbc@msu.edu.
About the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center
The Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center was dedicated to offering coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building opportunities for farmers, producers, and other food business owners in support of a more resilient and competitive food system. Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems (MI) coordinated the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center comprised of network coordinators – Chicago Food Policy Action Council (IL), Northwest Indiana Food Council (IN), Food Finance Institute of the University of Wisconsin System (WI), and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Food Systems – who sought to take a transformational, rather than transactional, approach. Learn more at glm-rfbc.msu.edu.
Support for the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center came from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service Regional Food Business Centers Program. The 12 USDA Regional Food Business Centers support all 50 U.S. States and Territories, and are inclusive of all types of agricultural products produced locally or regionally.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. USDA Non-Discrimination Statement
