, promise to promote certified South Carolina Grown products, provide evidence of supporting local (menu, social media, promotions) and work with the Small Business Development Center as needed (There are no charges involved for these services)
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Restaurants and other food service participants will be eligible for a 25% reimbursement on South Carolina grown items. An overview of the category descriptions and examples of eligible products is provided in the next section of the application.
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There is a $1500 cap on each funding period. Funding periods are created on the basis of current funding availability. Awardees will be notified of future funding availability and offered opportunities to continue in the program.
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Participants must complete a pre-program survey, post-program survey and may be interviewed on the impact of the award on the business.
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Eligible applicants for the grant program include: South Carolina based foodservice businesses who currently purchase or desire to purchase and serve locally grown food products in their establishment.
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Eligible Products: Any SC produced raw food products meant for human consumption.
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Program participants may make purchases directly from local farmers by the end of the grant period June 30, 2023.
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All invoices must be legible and include the Vendor/Farmer’s Name, Date of Sale, Business Address, Item Description, Quantity, and Total Sale Amount.
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Vendors must be able to substantiate the level of direct farm impact and provide guidance on the processor and/or farms from which the products originated.
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Participants may purchase products through wholesalers, food hubs, and other third party suppliers with the requirement that the verification of the local farm is included.
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Requests for reimbursements are ongoing but must be submitted by the June 30 ,2023 deadline. Any purchases made prior to the grant award notification will be ineligible for reimbursement consideration:
o 2023 Period 1 (January-June purchases) due by June 30, 2023.
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All invoices and reimbursement documentation submitted by the Choose Local Food participant will be reviewed quarterly and determinations made by ACE staff on the appropriate payment to all parties. Documentation can be submitted to
acebasingrowers@gmail.com•
Products not further prepared by your business as part of your menu offering and simply offered for resale through your gift shop or storefront are not eligible for the program.
Ace Basin Growers reserves the rights to approve or deny application requests based on eligibility criteria defined above and availability of funds.
