Colorado Department of Agriculture
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Application Process

Please contact us for fund availability before applying.

 

Application Deadline and Approval
We will involve the Colorado Agriculture Commission and the Colorado Agricultural Value-Added Development Board in the application approval process.  Applications geared toward the development of value-added business projects will be considered by the Colorado Agricultural Value-Added Development Board. Those projects which are more marketing-oriented will be considered by the Colorado Agriculture Commission.

 

Applications may be submitted to us at any time; however, application approval will be considered on a schedule subject to regular meeting dates established by the Colorado Agriculture Commission and Colorado Agricultural Value-Added Development Board.  In general, applicants may expect our review process to be completed within 30-60 days following the submission of applications.  Each application will be considered on its own merits and will be evaluated in the context of resources available. 

 

Criteria utilized to evaluate applications may include:

  • Completeness, eligibility and presentation of the application;

  • Project merit and potential for success, including return on investment;

  • Applicable experience and qualifications of the project principals;

  • Projected economic benefit to Colorado's agricultural community; and

  • The levels and sources of matching funds

 

Guidelines

Applications are to be complete and include sufficient information to allow us to evaluate the application but yet be as succinct as possible. We may contact applicants for purposes of clarifying information contained in the application or to address questions about the proposed project. When applying, please consider the following:

  • No partial applications will be considered. 
  • Application packages should not exceed 20 pages, including a cover letter, the application form and any attachments, letters of intent and endorsements. 
  • Applicants should follow the provided application format with each application limited to a single project. 
  • Applicants must submit separate applications for distinctly different projects.
  • A matching contribution of cash and in-kind resources equal to at least 50 percent of the total project budget is required. We will consider the levels and sources of matching funds to be a key criterion for evaluating applications.

 

Keep in mind that we endeavor to make the best use of available resources and will give preference to applications that demonstrate applicant commitment to the project in terms of cash contribution and will allow us to maximize return on investment.

Instructions

To apply, submit

  • two hard copies of the entire application including original signed certification statements
  • Along with a $25 nonrefundable application fee to our mailing address; make check payable to the Colorado Department of Agriculture
  • Applicants are also encouraged to submit an electronic file containing all application materials at the same time that the hard copies are submitted

 

We reserve the right to reject any or all applications, as well as increase or decrease the amount of requested funding based on our findings and on the level of available funds.  Should the application review process produce a funding level less than the amount requested, our staff will confer with the applicant to determine whether the amount recommended would significantly impact the project's overall feasibility.  Prior funding of a project should not be considered precedent for funding of an apparently similar project.  Each applicant will be notified of our decision with respect to their application(s). 

 

All applications submitted are subject to the Colorado Open Records Law.