The City of Madison Food Policy Council announces the 2019 SEED Grants cycle to address food access issues in our community. SEED Grants are small grants designed to support new and recently emerging projects or programs that support access to healthy food in our community.

The City of Madison 2019 Budget includes $50,000 in grant funds to be distributed by the Madison Food Policy Council. The Madison Food Policy Council is encouraging any organization, group, or agency that is devoted to making food more accessible to City of Madison residents to apply. Any proposal that improves the local food system will be considered. The maximum of any one grant will be limited to $10,000.

In the previous funding cycle (2018), the Madison Food Policy Council’s SEED Grants Work Group implemented changes to the application materials. Those changes include:

• Direct alignment of funding criteria outlined in the SEED Grants cover letter with grant application questions and the grant reviewer score sheet
• Removal of the requirement to use strategies from the Healthy Food For All Children Community Plan
  • Please note that the HFFA Community Plan is a useful resource and one that SEED Grants applicants should look over and take into consideration
• Increased transparency in points allotted per grant application section
• Inclusion of a “Frequently Asked Questions” document on the SEED Grants webpage

Interested applicants should go to the City of Madison SEED Grants webpage for the grant application guidelines and application form.
Applications are due on Friday, March 1, 2019 by 4:30 p.m., and should be submitted to George Reistad, Food Policy Director, at greistad@cityofmadison.com or mailed/hand-delivered to the Mayor’s Office at 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 403, Madison, WI 53703.
Applications submitted via standard mail must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend a pre-submittal information meeting to discuss the grant application and explore potential collaboration opportunities with other organizations in attendance. The pre-submission meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the Madison Central Library – Room 104 (201 W. Mifflin St., Madison, WI 53703).

Applications will be evaluated and funding recommendations made to the Madison Food Policy Council by the SEED Grants Work Group of the Madison Food Policy Council in April 2019. Final decisions will be announced in mid-late April 2019. Additional questions can be directed to the Mayor’s Office, (608) 266-4611.