Grant Opportunity: North Carolina Agriculture Manufacturing and Processing Initiative (NCAMPI)

— Written by Kate Nicholas | April 15, 2024 (Updated: April 22, 2024, 12:11 p.m.)

North Carolina Agriculture Manufacturing and Processing Initiative

The North Carolina Agriculture Manufacturing and Processing Initiative (NCAMPI) is to fund and promote the establishment of value-adding agricultural manufacturing and food processing facilities across North Carolina. It has been identified that there is currently a lack of capacity for value-added processing of agricultural commodities in proximity to the farms that produce those commodities, which could limit future agricultural and economic growth.

The program is intended to:

Provide support for agricultural processing opportunities that increase jobs and local property tax bases across the state and/or reduce costs and increase profit options for North Carolina farmers and growers.
Identify and assess opportunities to increase value-added processing of commodities produced in the state and fill geographic and commodity gaps across the state.
Market and recruit facilities to fill such gaps and meet such opportunities.
Support eligible entities with funding for eligible costs necessary to create or expand North Carolina agricultural manufacturing facilities and projects related to increased demand for agricultural products.

This new initiative was established in 2023 and will be administered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS). Eligible applicants include local governments or nonprofit economic development entities. NCDA&CS accepts applications on a rolling basis, subject to the availability of funds and the awards may not exceed 50% of the private investment of the project.

Eligible uses of awarded funds:
Design and construction of infrastructure, including but not limited to water, wastewater, and transportation to serve a site or sites to be used by agricultural manufacturing facilities	Site development costs that will be incurred by the applicant or private partner
Building construction or rehabilitation costs that will be incurred by the applicant or private partner	Equipment that will be used by the private partner
Other expenses necessary to carry out the purposes of the NCAMPI, not otherwise inconsistent with other provisions of law or the state and federal constitutions

Expenses NOT eligible for awarded funds:
Expenses that are not for the purposes of supporting agricultural manufacturing facilities or otherwise providing additional benefits to North Carolina farmers and growers	Expenses that otherwise could have been paid or reimbursed by other state government economic development programs, subject to the interpretation and discretion of the Department
Expenses related to shared-use facilities and/or incubators	Expenses in excess of the benefits of the project
Expenses related to a facility not to be used by a business entity as defined in N.C.G.S. 55-1-40

Additional Resources & Application

Questions?

Send an email to ncampi@ncagr.gov

Contact: Gregory Hoggard, Assistant Director (919) 707-3119