Small business finance forum set for April 22;
USDA offers value-added producer grants

A financing forum will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Friday, April 22 at the NewsBank Conference Center at 352 Main St. in Chester for small businesses looking for sources of funding.

The forum is sponsored by the Springfield Regional Development Corp and the Vermont Small Business Development Center. It is free. Whether it’s a line of credit, financing for a new piece of equipment or a major loan to re-finance debt or expand, a group of lenders will be available to answer your questions.

To register for the workshop, click here or call 802-885-3061.

USDA offers value-added producer grants

USDA Rural Development has grant funds available for agricultural producers to use in product creation and development. Deadline for grant applications is July 1.

The Value Added Producer Grant Program provides funding for planning activities and working capital to producers to generate new products and expand market opportunities. For more information on theses grants, click here.  If you have questions, call Susan Poland, business program specialist, at (802) 828-6002 or email at susan.poland@vt.usda.gov.

USDA Rural Development is also holding a VAPG Application Webinar. Rural Development staff will walk you through the VAPG application and review the scoring process. Hear application tips from the business specialist who will ultimately be scoring your application and make your project proposal as competitive as possible.

The webinar will be held from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. You can access the VAPG webinar in the Ready Talk Portal on April 21. Preregistration is not required. Questions about the webinar? Contact Pollaidh Major at (802) 828-6080 or at pollaidh.major@vt.usda.gov.