Michigan Healthy Food Access Grant

About this program

The Midwest Independent Retailers Foundation (MIRF) offers the Michigan Healthy Food Access Grant to help small retail and wholesale food businesses located in USDA‑designated food deserts in Michigan increase access to fresh, affordable, high‑quality foods. Awards (up to $100,000; project period up to two years) may fund capital equipment (e.g., refrigeration, processing/packaging), start‑up inventory of USDA‑FNS SNAP staple foods, space expansion, POS software, minor infrastructure, marketing, and community gardens for federally registered nonprofits; capital/building improvements are limited to $15,000 and require a 1:1 recipient match. Applicants must be located in a Michigan USDA‑designated food desert, have no unresolved public health or building code violations, be current on state and local taxes, and maintain any MLCC license in good standing; awardees must provide quarterly sales and expense reports and restrict inventory purchases to SNAP‑eligible staple foods. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis via the program website.