Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) Grants Program

Previous LASA grant awardees

The LASA Grant Program provides grants that directly benefit and strengthen the local food system in Rhode Island. The program was established by the Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) of 2012 via an innovative public-private partnership between the state and three private foundations — the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, and the Rhode Island Foundation. Currently, the program is made possible by funding from the State of Rhode Island. The goal of the LASA grant program is to support the growth, development, and marketing of local food and seafood in Rhode Island.

Grant Award Amounts

The RIDEM Division of Agriculture will award up to $450,000 in grant awards this round. The maximum grant award available to a farmer, individual, business (e.g., LLC) or non-profit organization is $20,000. Overhead and/or administrative costs are limited to 10% of total budget proposal.

2025-2026 Funding Priorities

The LASA Advisory Committee sets priorities each grant year and makes recommendations to the Director of the RIDEM. Applicants are required to fulfill at least one (not all) of the funding priorities listed below.

  • Support the entry, growth, and/or sustainability of Underinvested, Beginning, Small, Women, and veteran agriculture and aquaculture producers and fishers

  • Support second-generation farmers and succession planning, including intergenerational transfer of knowledge, skills, and operations to ensure the long-term sustainability of Rhode Island agriculture and aquaculture.

  • Support climate-smart agriculture mitigation activities and Climate Change related adaptations throughout the local Food System. 

  • Support the development of new marketing, promotion, sales, and/or distribution channels, including connecting local farms and fishers with Rhode Island’s food insecure communities.

  • Support the development of new products, including value-added processing capacity.

  • Foster new cooperatives, partnerships, and/or collaborations among Rhode Island agriculture and aquaculture producers, and fishers and supporting organizations.

  • Protect the future availability of agricultural land for producers, including farm transition planning and implementation.

  • Assist with on farm Food Safety improvements, including FSMA and HACCP Compliance

  1. Ocean State Procurement Portal registration: https://ridop.ri.gov/ocean-state-procures-osp
  2. Finished Application in the GMS System
  3. Filled out budget template in eCivis GMS
  4. Necessary supporting documents (Lease agreements etc.)

Technical Assistance will be offered via a webinar hosted by the Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC) on October 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM. Register here

Additional one-on-one technical assistance will be provided by RIFPC. To request assistance, you can fill out this form. You may also contact Maggie Longo at lasahelp@rifoodcouncil.org or 401-490-5687.

Technical Assistance Webinar from Previous (2024-2025) Grant Round
Request Technical Assistance

DATES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

OCTOBER 6, 2025: Request for Applications (RFA) released
DECEMBER 5, 2025, at 11:59 PM: Application Deadline
MARCH 2026: Award Decisions Announced
APRIL 2026: Grant Agreement Execution
JUNE 30, 2026: All Grant Funds Obligated
AUGUST 31, 2028: Final Reports Due

 

Grant-related questions should be directed to DEM.LASA@dem.ri.gov or (401) 222-2781. Division of Agriculture staff are available to assist you during State of Rhode Island business hours, Monday– Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Assistance may not be available shortly before deadlines.

 

Apply Here

Past LASA Grant Award Recipients

Final Report for LASA Grant Awardees