Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program (FY26)

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (the “Department” or “IDOA”) is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to provide grants through the Local Food and Infrastructure Grant Act [505 ILCS 92] and Administrative Code Title 8: Agriculture and Animals Chapter I: Department of Agriculture Subchapter m: Marketing Programs Part 340 Local Food Infrastructure Grant. The purpose of this program is for the development of local food processing, aggregation and distribution. (a) The General Assembly finds that the following conditions exist in this State: (1) Small fruit, vegetable, and livestock farmers are vital to the health and wealth of Illinois communities, yet Illinois does not currently have infrastructure in place to support local food farmers or to feed Illinois communities. (2) An estimated 95% of the food consumed in Illinois is purchased from outside of our borders, resulting in the export of billions of food dollars outside our State rather than the enhancement of our local food economies. (3) A shift of just 10% toward local food purchasing by Illinois individuals, families, schools, institutions, and State agencies could generate billions in economic growth for our State. (4) For Illinois families, businesses, schools, and institutions to shift their purchasing practices, Illinois must invest in supporting critical local food infrastructure needed to bolster processing, aggregation, and distribution of local food. (b) The General Assembly determines and declares that there exist conditions in the State that require the Department to issue grants on behalf of the State for the development of local food processing, aggregation, and distribution. (505 ILCS 92/10) Sec. 10 (a) and (b). All grant funding provided under this Act must be used for purchasing, leasing to own, renting, building, or installing infrastructure related to the processing, storage, aggregation, or distribution of value-added agricultural products.

This grant program is utilizing state funds appropriated by Public Act 104-0003, Section 205 and Section 210. Total amount of funding expected to be awarded through this NOFO is $3,600,000. Awards will range from $1,000 to $250,000.

Each Grantee is expected to complete the indirect cost rate proposal process every fiscal year, based upon Grantee fiscal year-end (not State of Illinois fiscal year-end). The Grantee will select their indirect cost rate election within the State of Illinois GATA Grantee Portal (GATA Grantee Portal) (https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/). The applicable indirect cost rate(s) negotiated by the organization with the cognizant negotiating agency must be used in computing indirect costs (F&A) for a program budget. The amount for indirect costs should be calculated by applying the current negotiated indirect cost rate(s) to the approved base(s). For more information about Indirect Cost Rates, please visit the GATA Indirect Cost website (https://gata.illinois.gov/indirect-cost/centralized-indirect-cost-system.html).

GATA Prequalification - Have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); - Be registered in SAM.gov, the Government's primary registrant database; - Provide your UEI number and TIN on your application; and - Maintain an active SAM registration with current information throughout the application review period and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period.

FAQs: View LFIG Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): https://agr.illinois.gov/assistance/illinoisfarmprograms/lfig/lfig-faq.html Questions: Questions may be submitted via email at agr.lfig@illinois.gov. The deadline for submitting questions is 4:00 PM (CST) on March 20, 2026. Responses to substantive and nonrepetitive questions will be posted pursuant to the timeline listed below. Direct responses will not be provided for questions that are answered in the posted responses. Questions may be paraphrased or edited in responses to reduce duplicative content and preserve personal and private information. View posted responses: LFIG Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) https://agr.illinois.gov/assistance/illinoisfarmprograms/lfig/lfig-faq.html and CSFA Notice of Funding Opportunity ‘Questions Submission Information’ section https://il.amplifund.com/Public/Opportunities/Details/482c857e-6783-47bb-b473-9de57fbe7024. Question Response Timeline: • Responses to questions received by February 25, 2026 at 4:00 PM (CST) will be posted on March 2, 2026 by 4:00 PM (CST). *The CORRECTED LFIG Response Round 1 3-5-2026 file has replaced the previous Round 1 Response posted on March 2, 2026.* • Responses to questions received from February 25, 2026 after 4:00 PM (CST) to March 4, 2026 at 4:00 PM (CST) will be posted on March 9, 2026 by 4:00 PM (CST) • Responses to questions received from March 4, 2026 after 4:00 PM (CST) to March 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM (CST) will be posted on March 16, 2026 by 4:00 PM (CST). *The CORRECTED LFIG Response Round 3 3-20-2026 file has replaced the previous Round 3 Response posted on March 16, 2026.* • Responses to questions received from March 11, 2026 after 4:00 PM (CST) to March 18, 2026 at 4:00 PM (CST) will be posted on March 23, 2026 by 4:00 PM (CST) • Responses to questions received from March 18, 2026 after 4:00 PM (CST) to March 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM (CST) will be posted on March 26, 2026 by 2:00 PM (CST)

An applicant for grant funding under this Act must be an Illinois resident. Eligible grant applicants shall include any one or more of the following entities that store, process, package, aggregate, or distribute value-added agricultural products or plan to do so: Illinois farms with less than 50 employees; Illinois cooperatives with less than 50 employees; Illinois processing facilities with less than 50 employees; Illinois food businesses with less than 50 employees; Illinois food hubs with less than 50 employees; Illinois nonprofit organizations; and units of local government in Illinois. There are five grantee pre-award requirements 1) Authentication 2) Grantee Registration 3) Grantee Pre-qualification 4) Fiscal and Administrative Risk Assessment (ICQ) 5) Programmatic Risk Assessment These grantee pre-award requirements are mandated by Federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA). Grantees must complete these requirements prior to receiving a grant award from the State of Illinois. For technical assistance or questions about pre-award requirements, contact AGR.LFIG@illinois.gov. 1. Authentication The Grantee Portal utilizes the Illinois.gov Authentication Portal. A personal or business email address is required to establish an account. Authentication verifies the relationship between an individual and the organization they represent. Authentication is performed once for each individual associated with a registration. To obtain an account click the “Create a new account” link below the “Sign in” button. For help with the Illinois.gov Authentication Portal please click the 'Can't access your account' link below the sign in button. 2. Grantee Registration All grantees must be registered with the State of Illinois. Grantee Registration is completed by browsing to https://grants.illinois.gov/portal and associating your Illinois.gov account with your organization. New accounts must enter the organization’s information on the Registration screen. Existing accounts must click the “Edit” button next to the organization name on the Main Menu. 3. Grantee Pre-qualification All entities must: A) Be qualified to do business with the State of Illinois. To be qualified for a grant award, an entity must be registered in the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/, at the time of grant application. The portal will verify that the entity: • Has a valid FEIN number (https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number) • Has a current SAM.gov registration (https://sam.gov). SAM.gov registrations must be marked as “public” to allow the GATA Grantee Portal to expedite the review of the federal information • Has a valid UEI number (https://sam.gov) • Is not on the Federal Excluded Parties List (verified at https://sam.gov) • Is in Good Standing with the Illinois Secretary of State, as applicable (https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/business_services/corp.html) • Is not on the Illinois Stop Payment list (verified once entity is registered in GATA Grantee Portal); and • Is not on the Department of Healthcare and Family Services Provider Sanctions list (https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/oig/Pages/SanctionsList.aspx) Entities on the Illinois Stop Payment List and/or the Federal Excluded Parties List at time of application submission will not be considered for an award. An automated email notification to the entity alerts them of “qualified” status or informs how to remediate a negative verification (e.g., not in good standing with the Secretary of State). A federal Debarred and Suspended status cannot be remediated. At this time, federal memo M-21-20 allows entities to apply for grant awards without a valid UEI number. The UEI number must be obtained prior to grant execution. The State of Illinois has adopted this guidance for the issuance of state awards also. B) Register on IL.amplifund.com. 4. Fiscal and Administrative Risk Assessment (ICQ) Entities must complete an Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ) as the Fiscal and Administrative Risk Assessment. The ICQ is completed once, annually. All state agencies will utilize the results of the ICQ. The entity can access the ICQ from the grantee portal. 5. Programmatic Risk Assessment A Programmatic Risk Assessment is completed by the awarding agency based on the program and entity information. Programmatic risk assessment inform specific conditions in the grant agreement as necessary.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure - must be signed by the authorized signatory before submission. Can be printed, signed (wet/digital), scanned, uploaded into Euna Grants. Mandatory Disclosure - must be signed by the authorized signatory before submission. Can be printed, signed (wet/digital), scanned, uploaded into Euna Grants.

For more information about Illinois Department of Agriculture Local Infrastructure Grant. Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau of Marketing, Promotion and Grants State Fairgrounds P.O. Box 19281 Springfield, IL 62794-9281 AGR.LFIG@Illinois.gov

This notification will include the amount of funding for which the grant administrator has determined the project is eligible. The Notice of State Award (NOSA) will specify the funding terms and specific conditions resulting from the pre-award risk assessments. The NOSA must be accepted in the GATA Portal/AmpliFund by an authorized representative of the grantee organization. The NOSA is not an authorization to begin performance or incur costs. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Grant Uniform Requirements: The Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (30 ILCS 708/1 et seq.) (and its related administrative rules, 44 Ill. Admin. Code Part 7000), was enacted to increase the accountability and transparency in the use of grant funds from whatever source and to reduce administrative burdens on both State agencies and grantees by adopting federal guidance and regulations applicable to those grant funds; specifically, the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200). Reporting Grantees funded through this NOFO are required to submit in the format required by the Grantor, at least on a quarterly basis, the Periodic Financial Report and Periodic Performance Report electronically. Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.328, Periodic Financial Reports shall be submitted no later than 30 calendar days following the period covered by the report. Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.329, Periodic Performance Reports shall be submitted no later than 30 calendar days following the period covered by the report. Any additional reporting requirements will be disclosed in the NOSA. Grantees are required within 60 calendar days following the end of the period of performance to submit a final closeout report in the format required by the Grantor (See 2 CFR 200.344; 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.440(b)). Monitoring and Access to Information. Grantee must monitor its activities to assure compliance with applicable state and federal requirements and to assure its performance expectations are being achieved. Grantor will monitor the activities of Grantee to assure compliance with all requirements, including applicable programmatic rules, regulations, and guidelines that the Grantor promulgates or implements, and performance expectations of the Award. Grantee must timely submit all financial and performance reports, and must supply, upon Grantor’s request, documents and information relevant to the Award. Grantor may make site visits as warranted by Program needs. 2 CFR 200.329; 200.332. Audits. Grantee is subject to the audit requirements contained in the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (31 USC 7501-7507), Subpart F of 2 CFR Part 200, and the audit rules and policies set forth by the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. 30 ILCS 708/65(c); 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.90.

For more information contact: Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau of Marketing, Promotion and Grants State Fairgrounds P.O. Box 19281 Springfield, IL 62794-9281 AGR.LFIG@Illinois.gov