Baltimore County Agricultural Support Grant Program Overview
Baltimore County has allocated $500,000 from American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide $5,000 one-time awards to eligible agricultural farms in the county to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Maryland Extension Baltimore County Extension Advisory Council will administer the grant program, with specific eligibility criteria and timelines outlined. Agricultural businesses must meet certain requirements to qualify for the grant.
- Baltimore County
- Agricultural Support Grant
- Funding Eligibility
- University of Maryland Extension
- COVID-19 Impact
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Baltimore County ARPA Agricultural Support Grant February 8th, 2024 5:30 pm 7:30 pm
Overview Baltimore County has set aside $500,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to provide $5,000 one-time awards to eligible agricultural farms located in Baltimore County. Funds are intended to offset the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including decreased revenue, increased expenses, and workforce loss.
Overview Baltimore County is partnering with the University of Maryland Extension Baltimore County Extension Advisory Council (BCEAC) to administer grant funds to eligible applicants. BCEAC will distribute grant agreements and award funds at Baltimore County s discretion.
Grant Timeline February 2024 Agricultural Support Grant Program announced February 8, 2024 Information session (in-person and recorded) February 12, 2024 Information session (in-person and recorded) February 15,2024 Information session and open office hours (in-person) March 11, 2024 First day to submit applications March 22, 2024 Last day to submit applications March 2024 Applications reviewed and funding decisions made April 2024 Funding decisions announced and payments begin to be processed and distributed Dec. 31, 2024 Deadline for grantees to expend award funding
Funding Eligibility Farm must be located in Baltimore County. Must file an IRS Form 1040 Schedule F that reports profit or loss from farming. Business must be fully operational for the duration of the grant application and award period. Must have been operational prior to March 11, 2021. Have no more than 500 employees. Is in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service, the State of Maryland and Baltimore County Government (by self-attestation). Is compliant with federal, state, and local human rights laws (by self-attestation). Must have earned the majority of its gross income (51% or greater) from farming in 2020 and 2021 (by self-attestation). Are a small business as defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act, which includes, among other requirements, that the business is independently owned and operated and is not dominant in its field of operation.
Agricultural Business Definitions Baltimore County is using the following to define Agricultural Business: For the purpose of this grant, an agricultural business is a business that files an IRS Form 1040 Schedule F that reports profit or loss from farming. Agricultural businesses must produce one of the following to be considered eligible; livestock, dairy, poultry, fish, fur, fruit, nurseries and or truck farms. Wineries, distilleries, and breweries are not considered eligible businesses.
Funding Decisions We intend to fund as many eligible applicants as funds allow If the number of qualifying and complete applications received exceeds the amount of grant monies available then funding will be awarded in the order applications were received Applications will not be reviewed for eligibility until they are complete with all necessary documents/information attached.
Applying for funds The application is online and can be accessed by visiting the following page on the Baltimore County Government ARPA website: https://arp-bc-gis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/grants Application submissions will open on March 11th 2024 at 9 am Application submissions will close on March 22nd 2024 at 5 pm Applications must be submitted in one email. Applications that do not follow the above standards and/or applications that are received outside of the submission window will not be considered.
Applying for funds The application and all required documents must be submitted digitally via email as PDFs to grsigrants@baltimorecountymd.gov . Each of the supporting documents must be titled with your business name and document type. The email must submitted with the subject line Agricultural Support Grant Agricultural Business Name. Example: Attachment: Old McDonald Farm IRS Schedule F 2021.pdf Email: Agricultural Support Grant Old McDonald Farm Applications must be submitted in one email. Applications that do not follow the above standards and/or applications that are received outside of the submission window will not be considered.
Application Supporting Documents In addition to submitting your completed grant application, you must submit the below supporting documents: IRS Form 1040 Schedule F from 2020 and 2021 to verify profit or loss from farming An updated W-9 form All of these documents must be turned in with the completed ARPA Agricultural Support Grant Application for your application package to be considered complete
UEI Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Baltimore County ARPA funds are federal funds All organizations receiving federal funds are required to have a UEI number A UEI can be obtained for free at SAM.gov
Application Completion Instructions The Baltimore County ARPA Agricultural Support Grant Application is designed to be filled out online. In order to fill out the form online you will need to download the form and e-complete it. The BEAC is available to provide technical assistance including support with email, printing, scanning, etc. Please contact: Erika Crowl ecrowl@umd.edu 410-887-8090 (office) 443-807-7568 (cell)
Application Information Organizational Information Name of Agricultural Business Structure of business (Sole proprietor, LLC etc.) Address Telephone Organizational tax ID (EIN or SSN) UEI number Contact information Name of primary organization contact Role of primary organization contact (sole proprietor, owner etc.) Primary organization contact telephone Primary organization contact email
Application Questions Was your agricultural business operational prior to March 11th 2021? Yes No Is your agricultural business currently operating? Yes No Business structure: Corporation Limited Liability Company Limited Partnership General Partnership Sole Proprietorship
Application Questions Type of agricultural business: Livestock Dairy Poultry Fish Truck farm (specify) Fruit Fur Other How many employees do you currently employ: Full-time __ Part-time __ Seasonal __ Other__
Application Questions Please indicate the type of hardship you have experienced as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Select all that apply: Decreased revenue Increased business costs/expenses Difficulty covering payroll/rent/mortgage/equipment expenses Decrease in workforce Incapacity to weather financial hardship (depleted savings, reduction in business capital, etc.) Other _________________________________ In 300 words or fewer, please describe the impact Covid-19 had on your organization. How are you planning to utilize the grant funds? o Personnel costs (non-salary) o Increased personnel salaries and wages o Rent/mortgage, utilities, facilities, maintenance, and insurance o Personal protective equipment, cleaning, and other health and safety practices o Equipment and supplies o Goods and services (relevant to the maintenance and running of a farm) o Other. Please describe
Grantee Payments Awards are $5,000 and will be paid in one lump sum by BCEAC Funds must be spent by December 31, 2024
Audit Use of the grant funds is subject to audit. Be sure to keep accurate and complete accounting records. If grant funds are not spent on allowable expenses, or are otherwise misused, you may be required to pay those funds back.
Questions? Application questions: GRSIgrants@baltimorecountymd.gov Technical Support questions: Erika Crowl ecrowl@umd.edu 410-887-8090 443-807-7568
