Roots to Rise: Community Catalyst Grants

Project Funding Priorities: 

Healthy food retail: (funds used for refrigeration/shelving, store incentives, mobile market or farmers market staff or adding mobile market stops, training, signage, staff time to connect with local food sources or support SNAP applications, Fresh Bucks onboarding, etc.)

Urban farms/gardens: funds used for farming or gardening equipment and supplies, water hookups, farmer training, costs of transportation of local food to community sites, (added during workgroup discussion: supporting local growers in growing/refrigeration/transportation needs to supply local produce to pantries, etc.)

Funding Priorities

  • Low food access- utilizing asset mapping (proximity to grocery stores)

  • Low income communities

  • BIPOC communities

  • Immigrant, refugee or asylee communities

  • High risk communities (public heath) 

  • Growers: BIPOC, Veterans, Women & Gender Non Confirming

Round 1: Food Retailers

Application Details — Round 1 May 6- 31, 2026

  • Who can apply: Farmers and food retailers selling fresh produce in Indianapolis communities

  • Grant amount: Up to $1,000 per applicant

  • Eligible uses: Refrigeration, shelving, signage, mobile market support, staff time, and other equipment and operational costs

  • Total available: $25,000

  • Application window: May 6 – May 31, 2026

  • Grant disbursement: June 22, 2026

Apply

Round 2: Non-profit growers

Application details: Round 2 June 2026— Grower Micro-Grants ($25,000):

  • Who Can Apply: For community gardens, co-ops, and farms that grow food outside of a for-profit model. Indianapolis has a vast and active network of these spaces — people growing food for their neighbors, not for profit.

  • Grant Amount: Up to $1,000 per applicant

  • Eligible Uses: Equipment for season extension, cleaning stations, lighting, rain barrels, and more, so the communities they serve can continue to benefit from what they grow.

  • Applications window: tba

Round 3: Water Access/ Cistern program

Applications Round 3 July 2026 — Cistern Grants: Many small-scale farmers across Indianapolis and Marion County struggle to get sufficient water to their growing sites. Cistern installation offers a more affordable path to a reliable water supply — enabling more local growers to participate in the food ecosystem and improving fresh food access for residents across the city.

Budget and application timeline will be announced.