Semiannual Performance

OMB No. 0581‐NEW

REGIONAL FOOD CENTERS

Biannual Performance Report

A Biannual Performance Report must be received within 60 days after the end of the first six months of the date of the signed grant agreement and 60 days after the end of each six-month period until the expiration date of the cooperative agreement. These performance reports illustrate the progress made toward the completion of each project within the agreement.

The report must cover the most recent six-month project performance period. The performance report must be typed, single‐spaced, in 11‐point font. Provide answers to each question below, or answer “not applicable” or “no results available yet” where necessary.

Cooperative Agreement Number:

Recipient Organization Name:

Representative Name:

Representative Email and Phone:

Report Date Range (e.g., October 1, 2017 -September 30, 2018):

Date Report Submitted:

Understanding challenges and successes at the center and network level.

1. Describe the progress and/or accomplishments on project activities. Highlight the impact on the project’s beneficiaries.

2. Describe challenges or developments.

   1. Describe the steps project changes taken or that will be taken to address those challenges.

   2. Describe how the USDA might assist with any challenges, to the extent it is able.

3. Describe any significant changes to the region’s food system (weather-related challenges, new distributors or retail outlets, new organization playing a significant role, etc).

Looking Forward:

1. What activities/impacts do you hope to accomplish in the next three months? Include information about anticipated community impact and outreach, new technical assistance, and any other information you’d like to share.

Describe technical assistance needs of the region.

1. What technical assistance are new food businesses seeking from the Regional Food Center?

Select all that apply:

• Value chain coordination, including networking and peer-to-peer sharing.

• Market development, including market research, access, and marketing support.

• Navigating and managing financial resources from third parties, including federal, state, tribal, and other sources.

• Minor business development, including planning, financial literacy, legal and regulatory awareness, succession planning, and record keeping.

• Other, please specify

1. Of those, what categories or types were you able to provide?

1. What technical assistance are existing food businesses seeking from the Regional Food Center?

• Value chain coordination, including networking and peer-to-peer sharing.

• Market development, including market research, access, and marketing support.

• Navigating and managing financial resources from third parties, including federal, state, tribal, and other sources.

• Minor business development, including planning, financial literacy, legal and regulatory awareness, succession planning, and record keeping.

• Other, please specify

1. Of those, what categories or types were you able to provide?

1. How many technical assistance providers is the Regional Center working with?

2. How many food businesses have been served via the technical assistance providers?

   1. What are the demographics of these businesses? How many are BIPOC-owned? How many serve underserved communities?

   2. How many food businesses have the technical assistance providers reached?

3. How many subgrants have been distributed? (may be not applicable during some reporting cycles)

   1. How many subgrant applications were submitted?

   2. What technical assistance was provided for subgrant applicants?

   3. How many subgrant recipients accessed other sources of capital?

Outcome: Strengthen regional food systems networks and partnerships in response to hardships and vulnerabilities exposed by recent national emergencies, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic,

1. Number of partnerships and/or collaborations established through Regional Food Center activities

   1. Of those, the number formalized with written agreements (i.e., MOU’s, signed contracts, etc.)

   2. Of those, the number of partnerships with underserved organizations

   3. Of those, the number of partnerships between producers and institutions

   4. Of those, the number of partnerships serving underserved communities

   5. Of those, the number that reported:

      1. higher profits

      2. more efficient use of resources

      3. increased access to institutional consumers

      4. and/or other mid-tier value chain enhancements (such as improved capacity to transport products to market)

2. Number of new/improved distribution systems developed.

   1. Of those, the number that

      1. stemmed from new partnerships

      2. increased efficiency

      3. reduced costs

      4. expanded customer reach

      5. increased online presence

3. Number of stakeholders that gained technical knowledge about resources within the regional food system

4. Number of stakeholders that gained knowledge about more efficient and effective distribution systems

5. Number of stakeholders that adopted best practices or new technologies to improve distribution systems

6. Number of stakeholders trained on how to develop or maintain a direct-to-consumer enterprise

7. Number of stakeholders that connected with a USDA office or personnel as a result of Regional Food Center activities.

8. Amount of non-Federal financial, professional, and technical assistance resources secured because of project activities, measured in dollars

   1. What other types of capital have been leveraged? Provide examples.

9. How do the new partnerships and networks affect local and regional supply chains? Provide at least two examples.

Outcome: Create more and better markets and increase market awareness and access, ensuring small and mid-size producers have the opportunity to gain access to distributors, retail outlets, and institutions.

1. Number of partnerships and/or collaborations established between producers/processors and market access points

   1. Of those, the number formalized with written agreements (i.e., MOU’s, signed contracts, etc.)

   2. Of those, the number with and/or between underserved organizations

   3. Of those, the number that reported

      1. higher profits

      2. increased access to institutional consumers

      3. other mid-tier value chain enhancements (such as improved capacity to transport products to market)

2. Number of producers/processors who increased production to meet increased demand

3. Number of market access points that gained knowledge about how to procure or access local foods

   1. Of those, the number that were

      1. farmers markets

      2. roadside stands

      3. agritourism

      4. grocery stores

      5. wholesale markets/buyers

      6. restaurants

      7. agricultural cooperatives

      8. retailers

      9. distributors

      10. food hubs

      11. shared-use kitchens

      12. school food programs

      13. community-supported agriculture (CSAs)

      14. other

4. Number of new strategies developed to improve local/regional food processing, distribution, aggregation, or storage

   1. Number of stakeholders trained to use new strategies

5. Number of market access points that reported increased or improved processing, distribution, storage, and/or aggregation of regionally produced agricultural products

Outcome: Increase food and farm business and finance acumen and the number of new food and farm businesses and viability of existing businesses.

1. Number of new food businesses

   1. What types of businesses

      1. Food hubs

      2. Distributors

      3. Producers

      4. Retailers

      5. Restaurants

      6. Other, please list.

2. Number of feasibility studies developed

3. Number of feasibility studies conducted

4. Number of projects

   1. deemed viable after conducting feasibility study

   2. deemed not viable after conducting feasibility study

5. Number of business development plans created

6. Number of strategic plans developed

7. Amount of non-Federal financial, professional, and technical assistance resources secured because of the developed plan(s), measured in dollars

   1. What other types of capital have been leveraged? Provide examples.

Additional: What else would you like the USDA to know?

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