Food businesses can get up to $100,000 in funding from the New Mexico Healthy Food Financing Fund. Applications will be accepted for Fiscal Year 2026 grant awards until the end of the day on November 19, 2025. Food retailers, producers, processors, distributors, and others in the food industry are encouraged to apply.
The New Mexico Economic Development Department created the Healthy Food Financing Fund to strengthen the local food system supply chain capacity and increase market opportunities for farmers and agricultural producers, manufacturers, and food enterprises. Money will directly support the capacity of small- and mid-scale food and agricultural enterprises to grow, raise, process, aggregate, transport, and distribute local, culturally preferred foods to meet current and increasing demand.
Eligible projects include:
- grocery store infrastructure upgrades proposed to improve the availability and quality of healthy food
- establishment/upgrades of farmers’ markets, farm stands, food cooperatives, community gardening projects and mobile food markets
- land-based food production and agricultural operations, controlled environment food production operations and value-added operations
- food aggregation, processing and distribution projects, including hub distribution projects proposed to benefit local food producers and to improve food retailer access to fresh produce and healthy food
Grant money can be used for expenses such as those relating to:
- Site acquisition and preparation
- Equipment, fleet, supplies and furnishings
- Associated and relevant infrastructure
- Working capital for first-time inventory and start-up costs
- Business process/technology upgrades
- Brand development and marketing.
A taped webinar is available to help applicants understand the grant and its goals, enabling applicants to prepare their application accordingly.
Fiscal Year 2025 grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 were awarded to eight organizations across the state, from Questa in the far north to Chaparral in the south. Awards went to meat and grain processing companies, distribution hubs, and farms, among others. Entities ranged from for-profit to nonprofit organizations.
Learn more about NM Economic Development Department programs, and read details and criteria before applying for a grant from the Healthy Food Financing Fund.