SEGA grants available
The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA) is accepting applications for funding through its new Show-Me Entrepreneurial Grants for Agriculture (SEGA) program.
Missouri entities seeking to add value to agricultural products or provide educational opportunities to those seeking to do so should submit their application by Friday, April 28.
The Show-Me Entrepreneurial Grants for Agriculture program is open to individuals, businesses and institutions of higher education. Grants are funded by an appropriation from the Missouri General Assembly to encourage value-added agriculture innovation in the state.
The SEGA program consists of five separate parts:
- Innovation Grant Program: provides grants for the development of Missouri businesses that add value to agricultural products.
- Technical Assistance Grant Program: provides reimbursement of expenses to producers or businesses for technical assistance related to the creation and expansion of Missouri businesses that add value to agriculture products.
- Workforce Development Grant Program: provides reimbursement of expenses to Missouri producers or businesses associated with hiring, training and certifying new and/or current employees of an entity that is adding value to an agriculture product.
- Institutional Grant Program: provides grants to Missouri institutions of higher education for the creation and implementation of unique learning opportunities for Missouri producers and businesses interested in increasing value-added agriculture.
- Fee Offset Program: provides cost offsets to Missouri value-added agricultural enterprises associated with food processing and food safety laboratory services, including nutritional facts labeling, pH, water activity, microbiological services, and process authority review.
Applications must be submitted to MASBDA by 5 p.m. Friday, April 28. Grant program application forms and evaluation criteria are available online at www.masbda.com.
For questions about the Show-Me Entrepreneurial Grants for Agriculture program and financial assistance offered by the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority, please visit www.masbda.com or contact the MASBDA team by email at masbda@mda.mo.gov or by phone at (573) 751-2129.