Food Co-op Initiative

Seed Fund Grants 2013

We will be offering Seed Grants in summer 2013. Applications will be available in July. We will offer a live webinar to answer all your questions - details on our event page.

The Food Co-op Initiative Seed Fund was created to provide early development capital to co-op organizing groups that wish to partner with us in their endeavor. In addition to the grant award, we will commit to regular follow-up and assistance with your team.

Grants are available up to $10,000 when funds are available. We depend on the generosity of other organizations to support this grant program and only a limited number of awards can be offered. The grant money must be matched in equal dollars by the newly forming co-op. These matching funds are usually raised through membership equity and other community sources.

Selection Criteria

The applicant must intend on becoming a cooperative organization and fully understand the cooperative structure, values, and principles. They should be able to articulate a clear vision, and have organized a strong, committed team to their endeavor. Priority is given to co-ops with a high likelihood of feasibility, potential for significant community impact, and evidence of strong partnerships and support. Specific criteria for grants may change from time to time and will be posted when we are accepting applications.

Past Awardees

A review of 2012 grantees is on our News page.

A full list of past awardees is available here.

Sprout Fund

The Sprout Fund program is currently being retooled. Sign up for our email newsletter to be notified of any updates.