Illinois is investing $1.8 million in local food infrastructure, and applications for the 2027 Local Food Infrastructure Grant (LFIG) program open November 2, 2026.
Illinois farmers, food businesses, food hubs, nonprofit organizations, and local governments have an opportunity to secure funding for infrastructure that helps move more Illinois-grown food from farms to communities.
The program, administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), supports investments that strengthen local and regional food supply chains, expand market opportunities for producers, and improve access to locally grown and processed food.
If you’re considering applying, now is the time to review the requirements, complete the necessary registrations, and begin preparing your project.
LFIG 2027: Key Dates and Funding
- Total funding available: $1.8 million
- Applications open: November 2, 2026
- Application deadline: January 6, 2027, at noon
- Collaborative project grants: $1,000–$250,000
- Individual project grants: $1,000–$75,000
Grant funds may be used to purchase, lease to own, rent, build, or install infrastructure related to processing, storing, aggregating, or distributing value-added agricultural products.
What Can LFIG Funding Support?
LFIG helps address infrastructure gaps that can prevent farmers and food businesses from reaching new markets or distributing more local food. Eligible projects may include investments such as:
- Refrigerated vehicles for transporting perishable food
- Livestock processing infrastructure
- Community kitchens and food processing equipment
- Cold storage and additional food storage capacity
- Equipment that improves food safety and handling
- Infrastructure for aggregating and distributing local agricultural products
These investments can help farmers, processors, and other food system businesses increase capacity, improve efficiency, and connect more Illinois-grown products with consumers.
When developing your project, consider how the proposed infrastructure will address a specific need in your operation or community and strengthen the local food supply chain.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
Eligible applicants must be Illinois residents or entities operating in Illinois that store, process, package, aggregate, or distribute value-added agricultural products, or plan to do so.
Applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
- Illinois farms with fewer than 50 employees
- Illinois cooperatives with fewer than 50 employees
- Illinois slaughter and processing facilities with fewer than 50 employees
- Illinois food businesses with fewer than 50 employees
- Illinois food hubs with fewer than 50 employees
- Illinois nonprofit organizations
- Units of local government in Illinois
Slaughter and processing facilities must be USDA- or state-licensed, or operate as custom-exempt slaughter or processing facilities.
All grant funding must be used for purchasing, leasing to own, renting, building, or installing infrastructure related to the processing, storage, aggregation, or distribution of value-added agricultural products.
Before investing time in a full application, review IDOA’s official program requirements to confirm that your organization and proposed project qualify.
Start Now: Complete Required Registrations
Don’t wait until the application deadline to get started. IDOA advises applicants to pre-register before the application window opens. Registration is required, and the process can take an average of two to four weeks.
Potential applicants should begin the required registration steps as soon as possible:
- Register with SAM.gov. Establish your organization’s registration in the federal System for Award Management.
- Register and pre-qualify through the GATA Grantee Portal. Illinois grant applicants must complete the applicable state grantee registration and pre-qualification requirements.
- Register with Euna Grants/AmpliFund. This is the online system used to submit the LFIG application.
Starting these registrations does not obligate you to submit a grant application. Instead, completing them early can help you avoid unnecessary delays once the application period opens.
Where to Find Application Guidance
IDOA provides additional information about the LFIG program, eligibility, registration, and application requirements on its website. The department has also announced plans to share additional resource slides and a podcast with application guidance in late October.
Visit the following resources as you prepare:
Check the department’s website for the latest application materials, instructions, and updates before submitting your proposal.
Building a Stronger Local Food System
Investments in local food infrastructure can have benefits that extend well beyond an individual business. More processing capacity, cold storage, and distribution infrastructure can help Illinois producers reach new customers, create stronger regional supply chains, and make locally grown food more accessible to communities across the state.
Illinois Stewardship Alliance has been gathering feedback from farmers, food businesses, and other food system partners about their experiences with LFIG. Based on that input, ISA has shared recommendations with IDOA aimed at making the program more accessible and manageable for applicants, including calls for more time to prepare applications, stronger technical assistance, and clearer communication throughout the grant process.
As the next funding round approaches, we encourage eligible farmers, food businesses, and organizations to explore the opportunity, complete their registrations early, and share this information with others who may benefit.
The deadline is January 6, 2027, at noon. Start preparing today.
Visit IDOA’s LFIG program page to get started.
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