Finance Development

Contact Info:

Erin Ortigoza & Jayme Chester (EDD)
Julie Cranston (VMC)

Email: hfff@edd.nm.gov
Phone: 505-819-8914 (Please leave a voicemail and someone will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.)

Mailing address:
P.O Box 20003
Santa Fe, NM 87504-5003

Healthy Food Financing Fund (HFFF)

This grant program is the cornerstone of a strategic phased approach to developing a suite of financial tools and technical assistance for food and agricultural enterprises grow, raise, process, aggregate, distribute, and sell local, fresh, healthy food through expanded retail and institutional in-state market channels in rural and underserved communities.

HFFF has $250,000 in funding for FY25. No match is required and funding is upfront.

HFFF FY25 Grant Cycle and Eligibility Info

Important Dates:

Application window opened Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 9 am MST.
Application window extended through Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 11:59 pm MST.
FY25 informational webinar will take place on Tuesday October 22, 2024, at 11 am MST

FY25 HFFF Grant Resources:

Project Priority Areas for Value Chain Investment:

Increases access to food for historically under-resourced communities.
Addresses workforce development challenges through the creation and retention of jobs in the food and agricultural supply chain.
Strengthens and diversifies in-state market channel access for small and mid-scale food and agricultural operations.
Advances food safe storage/aggregation, distribution and transportation in regional food supply chain networks.
Supports the implementation of regenerative agricultural practices.

Eligible Entities:

Political subdivisions of the state
Indian nations, Tribes, and pueblos
For-profit business enterprises (including a corporation, limited liability company, sole proprietor, public benefit corporation, social enterprise)
Cooperatively owned businesses
Tax-exempt nonprofit corporations
Small farmers/ranchers with gross cash farm income under $250,000 are eligible. Please note that eligible production applicants must be NM Grown Approved Suppliers or in the process of obtaining this certification.

Project Categories:

Food Retail (e.g. grocery stores, co-operatives, mobile grocery projects, farmers’ markets)
Processing/Value-added Products (staple foods: meat, fruit, vegetables, dairy, grain, etc.)
Aggregation/Distribution/Transportation (e.g. food hubs, cold/dry storage)
New Mexico Grown Production (e.g. farmers, ranchers, co-operatives, nonprofit production, hydroponic/aquaponic)

Eligible Costs:

Predevelopment: business plans, market analysis, site plans, architectural/engineering designs, feasibility study, etc.
Brick and Mortar Facility Development: construction, renovations, property improvements
Equipment, supplies, furnishings
Other costs may be incorporated into proposals for marketing, website, business process upgrades, training/certifications

Ineligible Costs:

Staffing, labor, payroll costs
Real estate transactions, land acquisitions
Non-durable goods
Charitable food projects, including food banks and food pantries
Exclusively experiential, demonstration or educational projects
Restaurants that are primarily focused on the sale of prepared, hot foods in a restaurant or takeaway setting to consumers
Entities wishing to lend or regrant the award funds are NOT eligible to apply

Finance Development

Healthy Food Financing Fund (HFFF)

HFFF FY25 Grant Cycle and Eligibility Info

CONTACT US

505-827-0300