The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Food Access and Retail Expansion (FARE) Fund was established through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and is designed to support healthy food access in both rural and urban communities across the U.S. New Venture Advisors is proud to be an approved Technical Assistance (TA) provider for the FARE Fund, offering support to eligible organizations in planning and development efforts that strengthen local food systems.
As a TA provider, New Venture Advisors is part of a national network of experts selected to help eligible food retail and supply chain projects overcome barriers and clarify pathways toward implementation. Technical assistance is available to applicants who may need additional planning, analysis, or development support to move forward. Through this role, New Venture Advisors can be selected by grant recipients to provide support in areas such as community engagement, business and strategic planning, governance, financial management, food retail operations, equitable food systems, and predevelopment analysis. Our team brings deep expertise in rural and Indigenous food systems, alternative business models like co-ops and food hubs, and the full range of planning services—from feasibility studies to architectural design assistance.
In this post, we’ll break down the two available funding tracks, help you assess which option best aligns with your project goals, and outline what you’ll need to prepare a strong application. And of course, if you’re selected to receive technical assistance, we’d be honored to partner with you to help bring your vision to life.
Overview of the HFFI FARE Fund
Reinvestment Fund, serving as the National Fund Manager for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative under the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service, launched the FARE Fund in 2024 with plans to distribute $60 million in loans, grants, and technical assistance to support food retail and supply chain projects. The first three funding cycles each include at least $9 million for implementation grants, $1.5 million for technical assistance, and $16 million or more in loans. The final dates for 2025 have been announced; future rounds of funding starting in 2026 are unknown at this time.
The purpose of the HFFI FARE Fund is to:
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- Support food supply chain resiliency
- Improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas
- Create and preserve quality jobs
- Revitalize low-income communities
The Reinvestment Fund will achieve this by providing financial and technical assistance to eligible fresh, healthy food retailers and enterprises, helping them overcome higher costs and initial barriers to entry in underserved areas. Eligible projects must:
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- Expand or preserve access to staple and perishable foods
- Focus on retail operations that accept SNAP benefits
- Demonstrate sustainability, community involvement, and innovation
- Fall within an eligible Underserved Area
The Three FARE Programs
If your project meets the previous criteria, the table below outlines the three different options.
| Technical Assistance | Implementation Grant | Loan | |
| Amount | Up to $100,000 | Up to $250,000 | $500,000 to $5,000,000 |
| Due Date | Rolling (Before September 1, 2025) | 3rd Round: Inquiry due August 18, 2025. If invited, applications are due October 10, 2025 | Rolling |
| Purpose | Support for organizations planning or developing a food retail outlet or food enterprise that seeks to improve access to healthy food in underserved areas | Funding for projects that support the creation, expansion, or retention of a food retail or food enterprise business model | Capital support for enterprises processing, distributing, and selling affordable healthy foods to underserved areas |
| Types of Projects | Community food assessments and other community engagement activities | Predevelopment soft costs like appraisals, design assistance, training, and consulting for shovel-ready projects | Projects addressing a clearly defined problem and proposed solutions, with operating projections supported by market analysis and/or community assessment and industry metrics or historical financials |
| Activities include market research, feasibility studies, financial analysis, business/strategic planning, etc. | Brick-and-mortar facility development, including land or building acquisition and construction costs | ||
| Predevelopment soft costs like site location analysis, appraisals, and design assistance | Equipment and other capital needs such as technology, software, or a one-time investment in inventory | Types of loans: predevelopment, acquisition, bridge loans, construction, NMTC source loans, equipment, working capital, and other capital needs |
Are you ready to apply? A checklist
Whether you are thinking of applying now or waiting until future rounds, this checklist will help you prepare to submit a well-thought-out application for the different programs.
➔What is the need that this project is addressing?
- How is your project building the local economy or improving food access for low-income families and high-needs communities? Make sure you can tell a story that connects your proposed solution to the challenge that aligns with the stated Reinvestment Fund priorities in the RFA.
➔Who are your project partners/stakeholders – who will be involved?
Qualifying projects should include diverse and relevant partnerships and reflect the input of stakeholder communities and targeted beneficiaries. Partners should consist of a combination of the following types of entities:
- Food-Related Businesses: Those that will contribute to a key component of the project and those that make up the food environment landscape and support food access.
- Community Organizations/Nonprofits: Those that provide direct service and access. They often provide insight into neighborhoods, demographics, and specific groups.
- Public Officials: Those with authority to utilize government resources and play a key role in policy advocacy, economic development, and implementing public initiatives.
- Education Institutions (schools, universities, training programs): Those that provide related education, technical assistance, and workforce development.
- Funders/Foundations: Those that provide financial resources and want confidence their money will be effectively invested.
- Users: Those who will utilize the facility in some capacity (food entrepreneurs, farmers, buyers, shoppers, etc.).
- Public: Those who will be indirectly impacted by the project (e.g., live in the community where a facility is built, customers, service providers, beneficiaries, etc.).
- Food System Expertise: Consultants, like New Venture Advisors, who can provide the technical assistance you need to plan and develop your project.
➔What are the intended outcomes? Do they respond to community needs?
- Your proposal should include metrics you will attain that meet the HFFI’s desired outcomes and directly address the stated community need.
➔Is this a model that can be replicated?
- HFFI seeks innovative approaches that offer a framework that can be replicated in other communities.
➔What is your organization’s capacity to implement a grant award?
- Large federal grants require more time than you might expect to meet project timelines, stay within budgets, complete activities, submit reports, and fulfill stated outcomes. Make sure that your organization can implement the project and, if needed, build the personnel into the proposal budget.
Other resources
Want to learn more? We’ve gathered some resources and tools (some of which we created) to help you further develop your idea and proposal.
- HFFI posted recordings of past webinars on their website
- Previous recipients: Visit HFFI to review prior awarded projects for Round 1
- Widgets: Visit NVA’s Toolsite for widgets that can help you refine your plan, e.g., evaluate profitability potential or how well-suited an existing facility might be to your vision
- Blog: NVA created a Readiness Rubric, a framework to help you create a directional map of your strategy, capacity, partnerships, funding, etc., that will feed right into your grant application
- Blog: Visit NVA’s blog for many helpful articles about food hubs and small-format grocery store models
Blog updated July 2025 Photo courtesy of PR Image Factory via Stockphoto
