Value-added agriculture product market development grants - AG innovation cntr

The Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service Washington Office Rural Business Cooperative Services awarded a $997,784 Project Grant under the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (CFDA 10.782) program to the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center, Inc. (ESEC), a non-profit community development corporation. The funding supports ESEC's initiatives to provide entrepreneurial technical assistance and programs enabling innovation and technology commercialization in the agriculture, aquaculture, and environmental sectors. Key activities include operating a tech accelerator, revolving loan funds, and value-added product market development programs for innovative, high-growth, and scalable small businesses in rural areas. This award builds on ESEC's prior success in delivering federal grants focused on rural entrepreneurship, minority-owned business development, food systems infrastructure, and agriculture technology commercialization.