Farmers: Need Help Covering Your Covid-19 Business Costs?

(Español abajo)

Looking for a way to cover costs — particularly those driven by market changes —  incurred during the pandemic? The new Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program may be a good fit for you. The U.S. Department of Agriculture designed PRS to cover a very wide range of new market and health safety costs for farmers and local food systems that haven’t been covered by previous federal aid; new costs associated with farmers markets and CSAs may be a good fit. 

Who is eligible: Farmers or producers, food processors, distributors, and food hubs that meet the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) “small business” size standards; and all farmers markets

Costs covered: PRS covers costs up to $20,000, incurred between January 27, 2020 and December 31, 2021, to respond to and protect workers against the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are eligible for reimbursement. These include costs to:

• Implement workplace safety measures to protect workers against COVID-19 (e.g., personal protective equipment, thermometers, cleaning supplies, sanitizer, hand washing stations, or air filters)
• Pivot markets to protect workers against COVID–19 (e.g., developing online platforms, create a new webpage or online presence, new print materials)
• Retrofit facilities for worker and consumer safety (e.g., installing farmers market for farm stand protective barriers, heat lamps, fans, or tents)
• Provide additional transportation options to maintain social distancing for workers and consumers (e.g., new CSA costs, new packaging materials or food delivery)
• Provide health services to protect staff or workers against COVID-19 (e.g. offer or enable vaccinations or offer paid leave due to infection)

Receipts are not required at time of submission but you should have them available and be prepared for a potential audit or spot check. If you may be interested, immediately register for a DUNS number (assuming you don’t have one); it only takes a few minutes to set-up online, but approval may take several days. 

To check eligibility, get a DUNS number, view frequently asked questions, and to apply, visit: https://usda-prs.grantsolutions.gov

Application deadline: November 22, 2021, 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time

Recursos Adicionales (Recursos en Español) 

El programa de subvencion para respuestas y seguridad ante pandemias (PRS por sus siglas en inlgés) proporciona fondos para procesadores de alimentos, distribuidores, mercados agrícolas y productores para responder al Coronavirus, incluidas medida para proteger a los trabajadores contra el nuevo Coronavirus (COVID-19). 

AMS ha preparado recursos en español para solicitantes de habla hispana.  

• Documentos requeridos para aplicar – Spanish (pdf) 
• Cómo solicitar un número DUNS? – Spanish (pdf) 
• Cómo hacer una búsqueda de DUNS? – Spanish (pdf) 
• Cómo actualizar un número DUNS existente? – Spanish (pdf) 
• Hoja informativa del Programa de Subsidios de Seguridad y Respuesta a la Pandemia (pdf)

 

Much of the above content is drawn from our National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, a leading advocate for food systems changes in Washington, DC.