The overall goal of the Massachusetts Food Trust Program (“MFTP”) is to increase access to healthy, affordable food as a means to improve health outcomes and to encourage innovation in healthy food retailing and distribution in nutritionally underserved communities. The MFTP will provide funding to a Community Development Financial Institution (“CDFI”) who will invest or award funding to sub- recipients to support healthy food initiatives in underserved communities. This statewide program is designed to meet the financing needs of healthy food retailers and distributors that plan to operate in underserved communities where costs and credit needs cannot be filled solely by conventional financing institutions.
Eligible Program Management Applicants
The Department seeks to award funding to a CDFI or Consortium of CDFIs with a designated lead, which demonstrates its ability to provide grants and loans across the Commonwealth which further the goals of the Food Trust Program. Eligible applicants are: Community Development Financial Institutions certified by the United States Treasury. Preference will be given to applicants that have previous experience working with food related entities that operate in underserved communities and strong finance backgrounds. Applicants should demonstrate the ability to leverage private and federal funds.
The Program Management application period is now open
MDAR seeks proposals to establish a financing infrastructure that increases access to healthy, affordable food options, with a preference for fresh locally sourced Massachusetts grown, caught or harvested healthy food and to improve economic opportunities for nutritionally underserved communities in urban, rural and suburban localities.
- Application deadline is 12:00 pm on June 12, 2023.
- For questions regarding the RFR, applicants can email Rose.Arruda@mass.gov.
- Applicants are responsible to refer to the COMMBUYS link for any changes or updates to the RFR.
Direct link: COMMBUYS - Bid Solicitation for the Massachusetts Food Trust Program.
If you are a commercial business interested in applying for funding or learning more about the MFTP please visit their website at www.massfoodtrustprogram.org.