Whole Foods Grant for Local Food & Body Care Product Makers

Whole Foods Market^® Foodmaker Grant applications open online through May 31

Whole Foods Market Northern California stores sponsor 40 grants for area food and body care businesses

Through May 31, food and body care product makers can apply to receive a grant from Whole Foods Market to grow their business – whether they currently supply the retailer with products or not. This is the first time Whole Foods Market has offered grants for local producers. The grant application is online at localfoodmakergrant.com.

To fund the grants, on Wed., July 2, each of the company’s 40 Northern California stores will host a “5% Day” with five percent of the day’s sales going to their local grant recipient. “5% Days” typically generate between $3,000 and $6,000 per store.

The company is partnering with Working Solutions, a Bay Area based non-profit microloan agency, to administer the grants.

To qualify for a loan, producers must grow or make their product in North California or Reno and earn no more than $100,000 in annual revenue. They must meet Whole Foods Market’s quality standards and carry liability insurance in the event that the grant leads to Whole Foods Market carrying the product in one or more stores. Additional eligibility requirements are outlined on the website; no late applications will be accepted.