Working Lands Enterprise Initiative:Capital/Infrastructure Investment

AreaGrantee Orientation

Presentation by:Colleen Leonard, Working Lands Policy Administrator

Noelle Sevoian, Agricultural Development CoordinatorMelissa Moon, Grants Program Specialist II

2

Administrative Team

Colleen Leonard, Agency of Agriculture, Food and MarketsWorking Lands Policy Administrator

Noelle Sevoian, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Agricultural Development Coordinator

Melissa Moon, Agency of Agriculture, Food and MarketsGrants Program Specialist II

For webinar participants: since we are a small group, we’ll take questions at the end.

All materials, and a taped recording of the webinar will be made available at www.vermontworkinglands.com.

If you are having technical difficulties please email noelle.sevoian@state.vt.us.

In the event your technical issue cannot be quickly resolved, we will provide one-on-one assistance at a later date.

Welcome

Congratulations!

Now the work begins!But first…

A word from our sponsors, with a focus on the intent behind the Working

Lands Initiative and it’s overall goals…

Working Lands Grantees

Nine Goals of the Working Lands Initiative

Act 142 of the 2012 VT Legislature set forth these Goals:1. Stimulate economic development effort on behalf of Vermont’s

agriculture and forest product sectors by systematically advancing entrepreneurism, business development, and job creation.

2. Recognize and build on the similarities and unique qualities of Vermont’s agriculture and forest product sectors.

3. Increase the value of Vermont’s raw and value-added products through the development of in-state and export markets.

4. Attract a new generation of entrepreneurs to Vermont’s Working Landscape.

5. Provide assistance to agricultural and forest product businesses in navigating the regulatory process.

6. Use Vermont’s brand recognition and reputation as a national leader: in food systems development, innovative entrepreneurism, and as a “green” state to leverage economic development and opportunity in the agriculture and forest product sectors.

7. Promote the benefits of Vermont’s working lands, from the economic value of raw and value-added products to the public value of ecological stability, land stewardship, recreational opportunities, and quality of life.

8. Increase the amount of state investment in working lands enterprises, particularly when it leverages private and philanthropic funds.

9. Support the people and businesses that depend on Vermont’s renewable land-based resources and their sustainable and productive use.

Nine Goals of the Working Lands Initiative

 MISSION The Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board is an impact

investment organization whose mission is to grow the economies, cultures, and communities of Vermont's working landscape by making essential, catalytic investments in critical leverage points of the Vermont farm and forest economy, from individual enterprises to industry sectors.

VISION FOR FUTURE SUCCESS Vermont prospers and its unique sense of place thrives in large

part because of intelligent investment in the people and enterprises that comprise its farm, food, and forest based systems.

Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB)

 

FY’ 13 Projects Funded and Dollars Leveraged:

The Working Lands Enterprise Board invested over $1 million into 37 agriculture and forestry projects reaching every county in the State and leveraging an additional $1.3 million in matching funds (funded 25 ag projects and 12 forestry projects proportionate to the total number of applications received by each sector).

Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Round One (FY’13)

The Working Lands Enterprise Board received a total of 38 Capital and Infrastructure Letters of Intent for a total of $2,244,298; 26 Agriculture ($1,514,298, 67% of total requests); and 12 Forestry/Forest Products ($730,000, 33% of total $ requests).

The Board received 20 Capital and Infrastructure Investment area applications with a total request of $1,267,672.50 in funds.

The Board approved funding for 10 projects from 7 counties for a total of $495,880 in grants (3 forestry projects and 7 agriculture projects), leveraging over $1,000,000 in matching funds.

Capital and Infrastructure Grant Recipients – FY’14

7 Agriculture Grant RecipientsAddison County Vermont Livestock Slaughter and Processing, LLC, Ferrisburgh | $38,000 for a

computerized weight data and tracking system for livestockOrange County Vermont Technical College: Institute for Applied Agriculture & Food Systems,

Randolph | $75,000 for a dairy processing plant and hubWashington County Grow Compost of Vermont, LLC, Moretown | $75,000 to fund a long-range strategic

plan to assist businesses and farms to comply with the provisions of the recently enacted Act 148

Vermont Food Venture Center and Mad River Food Hub, Waitsfield | $50,000 for an Equipment Access Program for Vermont value added processors

Screamin’ Ridge Farm, Inc., East Montpelier | $50,000 for a collaborative processing facility for value-added agricultural products

Windham County Brattleboro Area Farmers’ Market, Brattleboro | $30,000 for site acquisition and

expansion of the farmers’ marketWindsor County North Hollow Farm, Rochester | $24,380 for an on-farm USDA inspected meat

processing plant

Capital and Infrastructure Grant Recipients – FY’14

3 Forestry Grant RecipientsCaledonia County Northeastern Vermont Development Association, St. Johnsbury |

$50,000 to catalyze the market for high-efficiency, fully automated wood pellet boilers in the Northeast Kingdom and to enhance associated delivery and service infrastructure

Orleans County Goodridge Lumber, Inc., Albany | $30,000 for land acquisition Windham County Ironwood Brand, LLC, Brattleboro | $37,500 to link native lumber with

prefab, high-performance construction

Capital and Infrastructure Grant Recipients – FY’14

An orientation to the your grant agreement Important sections:

Cover Page – Start/End dates, Grant amount Attachment A – Statement of Work Attachment B – Payment Provisions Attachment C – Standard State Provisions Attachment D – Other Provisions

Other rules and regulations regarding grants

To review resources available on the www.vermontworkinglands.com website.

Purpose of the Webinar:

The cover page information contains:

◦Project Title◦Start and End Dates for the grant project◦Maximum amount payable ◦Contact person

An example cover page follows…

Cover Page

Parties: This is a Grant Agreement between the State of Vermont, Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (hereinafter called “State”), and Name or Business Name with principal place of business at Address, (hereinafter called “Subrecipient”). It is the Subrecipient’s responsibility to contact the Vermont Department of Taxes to determine if, by law, the subrecipient is required to have a Vermont Department of Taxes Business Account Number.  Subject Matter: The subject matter of this Grant Agreement is Project Title. Detailed services to be provided by the Subrecipient are described in Attachment A. Maximum Amount: In consideration of the services to be performed by Subrecipient, the State agrees to pay Subrecipient, in accordance with the payment provisions specified in Attachment B, a sum not to exceed $Total Maximum Grant. Grant Term: The period of Subrecipient’s performance shall begin on Start Date and end on End Date.  Source of Funds: Federal $      or Other $Maximum Grant Total Amendment: This agreement represents the entire agreement between the parties; No changes, modifications, or amendments in the terms and conditions of this Grant Agreement shall be effective unless reduced to writing, numbered, and signed by the duly authorized representative of the State and Subrecipient. Cancellation: This Grant Agreement may be suspended or cancelled by either party by giving written notice at least 30 days in advance. Contact persons: The Subrecipient’s contact person for this award is: Name:      ; Telephone Number:      ; E-mail address:      ; mailing address:      .

START and END dates are important because…

Project work cannot begin until the grant agreement has been “fully executed” (signed by grantee and then counter-signed by the Secretary of Ag or the deputy Secretary).

Expenses cannot be incurred nor matching funds utilized until the grant has been fully executed.

Funds spent before the grant has been fully executed will not count toward project matching and will not be considered part of the project.

When Can Work Begin?

When received – carefully review, sign and return your grant agreement as soon as possible! A fully executed copy will be sent to you by the business office. Keep this in your files for guidance as your project proceeds.

Capital/Infrastructure Grants are for 18 months. Even if immediate project work ends sooner than twelve months, data collection to measure project outcomes and impact is expected for the full eighteen month grant period.

When Can Work Begin?

This contains your “Statement of Work,” what the project will accomplish, how and when, and reporting requirements (interim and final reports and financials).

This also contains your project Goals, Performance Measures and Outcomes as submitted in your application and your project budget.

Also required of all projects With your interim report:• 2 “before” high-resolution jpg images (min. 500K). One

of you, and the other of your business, farm or project site.

With your final report:• 4 high-resolution jpg (min. 500K) “after” images high-

lighting accomplishments, impacts and completed work.

Attachment A

With both interim and final reports:• 2-3 sentences highlighting work achieved via your WLEF

grant suitable for a press release.

On any documents, posters, presentations, web pages created:• Working Lands must be credited as a source of project funding.• Working Lands logo must be included.

Attachment A

This contains Payment Provisions• Payment plan and schedule• Requirements/reports/steps needing to be taken

before payment can be made

• Typical grant payment schedule:• 40% upon receipt of initial invoice and required docs • 40% with interim report and match documentation• 20% at end date and submission of final budget, final

report, matching verification, exit survey, and other required documents.

• Equipment and construction focused grants typically have accelerated payment schedules and different payment percentage allocations. These are developed on a case by case basis.

Attachment B

Required documents to receive first payment Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming ‘State of Vermont’ as an

additional insured. A completed W-9 form sent to the VAAFM business office

(email COI and W-9 to donna.gilman@state.vt.us). This enters your business into the state finance system as a vendor (so you can receive funds)

Verification of in-hand matching funds (more on this later) Your initial invoice on business letterhead for the amount

listed. NOTE: you do not need to submit receipts to receive initial funds.

All receipts and project financial documentation are submitted with your final report.

Optional• If you wish to have funds direct deposited into your business checking

account, complete an ACH (Automatic Clearing House) form. This form does not go to us. Send it to the Dept of Finance at the contact info listed in the bottom left corner of the form.

Attachment B

Standard requirements for all grants and contracts over $10K in the state of Vermont.

• Insurance: • Worker’s Compensation (unless you are sole proprietor)• General Liability - $1,000,000 coverage (details in grant agreement)• Automotive Liability - $1,000,000 coverage (details in grant agreement)• An insurance certificate needs to be sent to the Agency of

Agriculture business office naming the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets at 116 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602-2901 as additional insureds for liability. (Required before first payment or project work can begin)

• In compliance with regard to Vermont taxes paid• If there is a child support order, you are current and in

compliance• All records are available for audit• No sub-contracts without prior approval

Attachment C

Other Grant requirements Matching Verification• Statement showing reserved funds in the amount of

grantee match required• Checking or Savings• CD certificate• Mutual Funds• Promissory Note

• A Third Party statement of funds provision for matching purposes

• For In-Kind matching: # of hours and computed hourly rate, details of those doing in-kind work.

• Grant work cannot begin until matching funds are in-hand and have been verified.

Attachment D

Other Grant requirements Grantee Intake Survey• This survey will provide the Working Lands Enterprise

Board (WLEB) with baseline information regarding grantees’ businesses. Completion is one of your grant requirements.

• All information is collected in aggregate -- no identifying information will be connected with the data

• All proprietary information is confidential per 1 VSA Section 317, Access to Public Records.

• An end-grant survey and a one year post-grant survey must also be completed.

• Data analysis will allow us to demonstrate results toward the nine Working Lands Initiative goals .

Attachment D

Matching and grant funds must be spent at the same time (concurrently) as specified in the WLEF grant agreement

INELIGIBLE EXPENSES for PROJECT work or for MATCHING: Overhead/Indirect Costs (every day costs of doing business, i.e. phone, copiers, electricity, office rental, Internet) Food / Meals / Entertainment costs

Match Requirements

• The budget submitted with your application will be inserted into your grant agreement. This is your “original” budget.

• With the final report, you will submit your final budget and compare actual expenditures against your original estimate.

Budget

May 2014 – Grant agreements finalized and sent to Business Office for Processing

May 15 - 31st – Start date for most grants

Project work can begin!

Late May-Early June – Initial invoices processed and $$ to grantees, only after … all required documentation has been received

WLEF Grants Timeline

Late February to Early March 2015 Interim Reports are due (nine months + one week after grant “Start Date”), interim invoices (if applicable) are processed after receipt of all required documentation

Late Nov-Early Dec 2015 – Project End Dates

Eighteen months after start date. Data gathering time!

No More Than 28 DAYS after End Date – DUE: Final Report and all supporting documentation[final budget (original vs actual) and receipts, press release text, photos, final invoice, matching documentation].

WLEF Grants Timeline (continued)

Website

www.vermontworkinglands.com

All forms needed can be downloaded from the website:• W-9• Matching Verification form• Working Lands graphic file• Direct Deposit Form – note: send completed forms to

the Department of Finance and Management (per instructions on the form).

Contact Information Website: www.vermontworkinglands.com E-mail: working.lands@state.vt.us

Melissa Moon, Grants Specialist II Phone: 802 828-3828melissa.moon@state.vt.us

VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets116 State StreetMontpelier, VT 05620-2901

Q & A

Thank you very much!

We’re cheering you on!!

Clover is, too!