NJEDA Extends Food Security Planning Grant Application Deadline

Program Provides up to $125,000 to County and Local Governments to Develop Plans to Improve Food Security

On Nov 21, 2022

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has extended the application deadline for its $1.5 million Food Security Planning Grant Program to Dec. 20. This competitive program offers grants ranging from $75,000 to $125,000 to municipal and county governments, and redevelopment agencies to develop plans to improve food access and food security by leveraging distressed assets in New Jersey’s Food Desert Communities (FDCs). The application can be found at https://www.njeda.com/food-security-planning-grant/. Applications will NOT be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Today, more than 15% of New Jersey households report not having enough to eat within the past week. Additionally, out of the nearly nine million people who reside in New Jersey, approximately 1.5 million live in an NJEDA-designated FDC.

The NJEDA hosted information sessions last month for potential applicants that offered an overview of the program, a walk-through of the application, and information on how to best prepare to apply. A recording of one of those sessions can be found here.

For the Food Security Planning Grant Program, a distressed asset is defined as a commercial building or series of buildings, its attachments, and appurtenances; or vacant land that is fully or partially vacant for at least one year, that due to deteriorated condition or appearance of its exterior (because of deferred maintenance such as deteriorated paint or overgrown vegetation, boarded up door and/or windows), that can be leveraged to improve food access and food security. Distressed assets must be located within a New Jersey FDC, which can be mapped here.

Full details on the Food Security Planning Grant Program can be found here.

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