Case Study: Appalachia Regional Food Business Center Launches $16M Grant Program with Submittable

How the Appalachia Regional Food Business Center distributes $16M to build a resilient food economy

The Appalachia Regional Food Business Center needed a way to launch its Business Builder Subawards program for small and mid-sized food producers across a largely rural region. As one of the first 12 USDA-supported Regional Food Business Centers, it had to build a grant process from scratch, meet USDA requirements, and support applicants who were often unfamiliar with federal grants. It used Submittable to manage the program.

With Submittable’s grantmaking platform, ARFBC created an accessible application flow with an eligibility quiz, UEI verification, reviewer training support, and a single portal for applications, reimbursements, and reports. The center awarded over $16 million through five competitive cycles, submitted 179 applications in the first cycle, and became the 3rd USDA-supported Regional Food Business Center to successfully launch both operations and funding initiatives.

Appalachia Regional Food Business Center

Abi Kapelewski

Business Support and Education Program Manager