Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Business Enhancement Grant
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
$10,000–$50,000
$10,000–$50,000 grants for Vermont farms and forest-product businesses.
The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Business Enhancement Grant awards $10,000–$50,000 to Vermont farms and forest-product businesses for equipment, infrastructure, market development, research and development, and workforce training. No match is required. The 2026 application window opens October 9, 2026 and closes December 10, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., with projects starting in April 2027.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $10,000 – $50,000
- Realistic amount
- $10,000–$50,000 depending on project scope
- Deadline
- December 10, 2026 at 2:00pm ET
- Status
- upcoming
- States
- VT
Who qualifies
- Business must be based in Vermont (out-of-state applicants only if project is 100% focused on Vermont’s working landscape)
- Eligible sectors include farms producing food/fiber, logging/forestry businesses, wood-product trucking/distribution, value-added food/fiber businesses sourcing at least 50% Vermont ingredients, agricultural/wood-product trucking/distribution, and retail businesses primarily selling Vermont-produced food/fiber products
- All legal structures are eligible (sole proprietorships, LLCs, corporations, cooperatives, L3Cs, B Corps, and qualifying non-profits)
- Must be registered with the Vermont Secretary of State (or assumed business name registered for sole proprietors)
- Prior FY23, FY24, or FY25 Business Enhancement grantees are ineligible
Who is not eligible
- Cannabis, Christmas tree, equine, flower, topical-CBD hemp, and horticulture crop businesses
- Businesses that exclusively grow food/products indoors (hydroponics, aquaculture, indoor mushroom production)
- Value-added food businesses not sourcing Vermont ingredients
- Trucking/distribution/retail businesses primarily selling non-Vermont products
- Prior FY23–FY25 Business Enhancement grantees
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Equipment purchases and down payments
- Infrastructure development and construction
- Market development and branding
- Research and development
- Workforce training and technical skill development
Ineligible expenses
- Land purchases, rent, or leases
- Livestock/animal purchases
- Farmworker housing
- General business advising
- Ongoing recurring costs of doing business
How to apply
-
1
Review the Request for Applications
Download the sample RFA and application guide from the Working Lands website to confirm eligibility, project type, and required financial statements.
~1 hrs
-
2
Register in WebGrants
Create a WebGrants account at least two business days before applying. Contact Lily Bradburn for WebGrants support if needed.
~0.5 hrs
-
3
Prepare application and financials
Draft the application, including a project budget and recent profit & loss, balance sheet, and cash-flow statements. Optional business plan may be attached.
~5 hrs
-
4
Submit before December 10, 2026 at 2:00pm ET
Complete and submit the application through WebGrants by the deadline. Late applications are not accepted.
~1 hrs
-
5
Await funding decision
Decisions are announced late February/early March 2027; successful projects start around April 2027.
Ask for the minimum you need and emphasize Vermont-grown sourcing; scoring favors businesses that increase their use of Vermont wood or agricultural inputs.
Deadline & timing
Application opens October 9, 2026. Funding decisions announced late February/early March 2027; projects estimated to start April 2027 and end April 2028.
Deadline: December 10, 2026 — put it in your calendar before you close this tab.
Includes reminders one week and one day before. Verify on the official program page — funders move dates.
Not accepting applications right now — get one email when it reopens
GrantCompass tracks Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Business Enhancement Grant’s application windows in the live catalog. Leave an email and we’ll tell you the day the next window opens.
Free. One email when the window moves, deadline warnings on your watchlist, and the monthly closing-soon digest. Unsubscribe anytime.
Required documents
- Completed WebGrants application
- Project budget
- Profit & loss statement
- Balance sheet
- Cash-flow statement
- Optional business plan
- Proof of Vermont Secretary of State registration
Related programs
This program is not taking applications today — these are
Alternatives computed from the live GrantCompass catalog on August 25, 2026 — all 183 open grant programs · filter the database.
Explore more funding
Last updated August 24, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.