The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is accepting proposals for the annual Food Safety Education Fund grant program. With a grant cycle running from October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024, the program aims to support projects focused on food safety education and training. Funding is made possible through assessments on Michigan food establishment licenses, with up to $365,600 available for the upcoming cycle.
Grant funds will be divided into two categories: $242,500 for consumer food safety education and $114,100 for training food service establishment employees, local health department staff, and MDARD personnel responsible for ensuring food safety in Michigan. Eligible recipients include governmental and non-profit organizations, while producers, processors, marketers, and growers are excluded from this grant opportunity. Proposals involving sub-grantees will be considered.
Selection of grant proposals will be based on criteria such as improving food safety goals, addressing statewide needs and audiences, demonstrating measurable outcomes, fostering partnerships with other organizations, securing matching funds, building upon previous projects, and excluding routine training expenses like HACCP and manager certification.
To submit a grant proposal, electronic copies are encouraged and should be sent to MDA-FoodDairyInfo@michigan.gov. The deadline for electronic submissions is 5 p.m. on Friday, July 21, 2023. Confirmation of receipt will be sent via email within five business days. Alternatively, hard copy submissions must be postmarked no later than Monday, July 17, 2023, and should be mailed to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
An advisory committee will review and evaluate proposals in August 2023, ranking them based on scores and making funding recommendations to MDARD. Grant awards will be announced in September 2023, with projects commencing on October 1, 2023, and concluding on September 30, 2024. Multi-year proposals may be considered on an individual basis, subject to future funding availability.
For additional information, interested parties can contact Lori Yelton, the Food Safety Education Fund grant manager, at yeltonl@michigan.gov or 517-420-3249.
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Categories: Michigan, Business, Education