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U.S. Virgin Islands, June 5, 2025 — The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) is pleased to announce the opening of the 2025 Equipment-Only Grant application cycle through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program, a USDA-funded initiative focused on strengthening the middle of the food supply chain in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
With up to $1 million in funding available, CFVI is inviting eligible applicants to apply for grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to support the purchase of equipment that enhances the aggregation, processing, storage, transportation, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food products.
“This funding represents a critical investment in the territory’s food infrastructure,” said Dee Baecher-Brown, CFVI President. “By targeting the middle of the supply chain, we are directly supporting the capacity of small and midsize producers to deliver local products more efficiently and sustainably. The goal is not just resilience, but also opportunity — for farmers, food businesses, and ultimately, for our entire community.”
About the RFSI Program
The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program is designed to create more and better processing options for local and regional producers. The program aims to build resilience across middle-of-the-supply-chain operations such as processing, aggregation, and distribution — the critical stages between harvest and retail. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, this includes a focus on expanding capacity and infrastructure for products such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, and other locally produced goods (excluding meat, poultry, and wild-caught seafood).
CFVI, in partnership with the USDA and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is administering the competitive grant process locally.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include: Agricultural producers and processors, Nonprofit and for-profit entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities, Local government and tribal entities, and Institutions such as schools, hospitals, or universities working to establish cooperative infrastructure.
Applicants must be domestically owned and have facilities physically located in the U.S. Virgin Islands. For-profit applicants must meet the SBA small business size standards. More information is available at the SBA’s Size Standards webpage (SBA’s Size Standards webpage).
How to Apply
Interested applicants can download the application and review full eligibility requirements at: https://cfvi.co/RFSI. You can also review the full Request for Proposals (RFP) at the following link: View the RFP.
In-person trainings will be available on St. Croix and St. Thomas, along with one virtual training session. Details are as follows:
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St. Croix - June 11, 2025 at UVI Research & Extension Center (REC) Room 133 from 4:30 - 6 pm (Register Here)
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St. Thomas - June 12, 2025 at UVI Cooperative Extension Service, Conference Room, New House Bldg from 4:30 - 6 pm (Register Here)
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Virtual - June 13, 2025 on Zoom from 1 - 2:30 pm (Register Here)
Applicants are encouraged to participate in a training session to gain a full understanding of the application process and program requirements.
Applications must be submitted via email to rfsi@cfvi.net by 5:00 p.m. AST on June 30, 2025.
Questions may also be directed to rfsi@cfvi.net. For more information, visit the AMS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure webpage.
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