Utah Food Security Grant
The Utah Food Security Grant Program strengthens Utah's food supply chain through strategic investments in agricultural production, processing, storage, distribution, market access, and local food promotion. By supporting grant projects across the food system, from farm to consumer, the program helps expand opportunities for Utah producers, strengthen rural communities, and increase the availability of Utah-grown and Utah-raised food.
Funding is provided through the Rural Health Transformation Program in partnership with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Year 2: upcoming application cycle January - February 2027
Grant funds will be made available on a competitive basis using three grant tracks. Applicants must review the RFA to select the appropriate track for their project's primary objective. Each project may submit only one application, though applicants may submit separate proposals for distinctly different projects. Award range: $10,000 - $1,000,000.
| Track | Objective | Total Available |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment and Infrastructure | Increase the production, processing, storage, aggregation, distribution, or handling of Utah-grown food. | $6,580,000 |
| Market Development and Food Access | Expand markets for Utah-grown food, connect producers with buyers, and increase consumer access in rural communities. | $1,880,000 |
| Education and Technical Assistance | Build knowledge, skills, and technical capacity for producers, food businesses, and organizations. | $940,000 |
How to apply for the upcoming application cycle
This grant is open to individual producers, cooperatives, for-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, local governments, schools, and other organizations aligned with the purpose of the grant.
Eligible applicants must
- Be headquartered in Utah with project activities occurring in Utah.
- Produce food or beverages for human consumption using at least 51% Utah-grown agricultural products.
- Produce products intended for commercial sale or distribution beyond personal or household use.
- Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, licensing, and permitting requirements.
- Sell or distribute, or demonstrate that the proposed project will result in the sale or distribution of at least 25% of project-related products to rural Utah (counties other than Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, or Weber).
- Be in good standing with any loans provided by the department; applicants with loans in default will be considered ineligible and applicants with delinquent loans may be ineligible.
Before you apply
These are steps we encourage you to take if you anticipate applying for the next round of funding. Please be aware that UDAF staff cannot expedite Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) processing or consider applications missing a UEI. Additionally, SAM.gov is a federal government-wide website that is not maintained by or affiliated with UDAF.
Year 1 timeline
- Applications opened: July 21, 2026
- Application close date: August 31, 2026 at 11:59pm
- Application review period: September 2026
- Awards provisionally announced: by the end of October 2026
- Contracts signed and completed: October/November 2026
- Project start date: October/November 2026
- Funds must be spent and related expenses must be in-hand by September 30, 2027
Contact Information
Allison Ross
Kate Wheeler
Utah Food Security Grant Team Email
This webpage is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $50,000,000 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CMS/HHS or the U.S. Government.
Funding for the Utah Food Security Grant was awarded through the Centers for Medicaid Services, through the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. These funds are part of the Rural Health Transformation Program. Depending upon continuation of funding, this grant will be extended yearly through 2031.