SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
The PVGrows Loan Fund has expanded its lending to include ALL types of local farm & food businesses in the Valley.
The PVGrows Loan Fund now has access to Healthy Food Financing Initiative funds, through our partner Common Capital. This allows us to offer very competitive terms that can be tailored to your business cash flow needs.
PVGrows can connect you to a variety of Pioneer Valley financing and business assistance resources. Our Inquiry Form is a quick way to get your project reviewed by several local lenders and organizations (listed below), all of which have farm & food enterprise expertise.
The PVGrows Loan Fund has funds available for equipment, working capital, start-up expenses, etc. and is an alternative for borrowers who may not fully qualify for more traditional bank financing. The Fund offers competitive interest rates, flexible terms and loan amounts up to $250,000. In addition, applicants may be eligible to receive business development services provided by any of the participating Partner Organizations, or through referral to additional providers.
Loans are available for a wide variety of local farm and food system-related businesses. We are particularly interested in projects that fill gaps in the infrastructure of our local food system and that expand the market for Pioneer Valley agricultural products.
INQUIRY FORM
Inquiry Forms are reviewed monthly by all nine of the Loan Fund Partners. Submit your form by the 15th of the month for the shortest turnaround time.
Loan Fund Lending Partners:
Common Capital, Inc. is a nonprofit community development financial institution which brings financial and business resources to western and central Massachusetts in order to stimulate growth and create a stronger and more stable regional economy.
The Cooperative Fund of New England is a community development financial institution (CDFI) that is a bridge between socially responsible investors and cooperatives, community oriented non-profits, and worker-owned businesses in New England.
Equity Trust is a small, national non-profit organization committed to changing the spirit and character of our material relationships. We help communities to gain ownership interest in land so as to preserve farms, create affordable housing, and protect other important local resources. We also provide opportunities for socially conscious lenders to invest in projects that balance the needs of individuals with the needs of the community, the environment, and future generations.
The FCCDC provides an opportunity for business owners to build their capacity to make sound decisions that will launch or grow their businesses. Since 1979, we’ve been growing sustainable businesses and communities by providing professional guidance and support with business development programs through business training & counseling, business lending, and business incubation. The FCCDC also operates the Western Mass Food Processing Center which helps farms and food businesses add-value to their products and expand their markets.
Loan Fund Partner Organizations:
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA)
MA Dept of Agricultural Resources
New England Small Farm Institute
Lydia B. Stokes Foundation
Solidago Foundation
About the Fund:
The PVGrows Infrastructure Finance Working Group formed in 2009 as a pilot to develop economic opportunities in the agricultural and food system sectors of the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. Small and mid-sized enterprises, particularly food-based businesses, face unique challenges in identifying suitable sources of capital and business assistance. The Working Group’s initial efforts have focused on identifying solutions for post-harvest agricultural infrastructure, developing financing options for local farm businesses and identifying business assistance and technical resources. The Working Group is a collaboration of agricultural non-profits, community lenders, government agencies, and local foundation partners exploring opportunities to strengthen farm and local food businesses throughout the Pioneer Valley.
The Working Group is part of the broader PVGrows network. PVGrows is a collaborative network dedicated to enhancing the ecological and economic sustainability and vitality of the Pioneer Valley food system.
The PVGrows Finance Working Group was inspired by Slow Money.
Future Plans:
In 2012, several of the Partner Organizations began the research phase of a project to develop an open community capital fund. The group intends to establish a new fund that welcomes all Pioneer Valley investors and offers flexible terms to borrowers in early 2013. Read more.
Follow US!