The city of Chicago has launched a request for proposals for each of two programs intended to help build out the city as a primary food hub for the entire country.
Designed to support small food businesses and food entrepreneurs in communities with inequitable food access, the Good Food Fund and the Early-Stage Food Incubator programs hope to address disparities in the food industry and reduce the barriers faced by food businesses in communities that historically have struggled to receive investment.
In announcing the programs, Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city wants to better support its local food businesses and entrepreneurs across all neighborhoods and help provide access to communities that are experiencing food insecurity.
The goal for both programs is to provide access to capital to small food businesses on the South and West sides of the city, increase business ownership and jobs in the food industry, and create stronger and more sustainable food economies. The city also hopes to increase local sourcing and supply of locally grown and regionally produced foods.
The deadline to respond to the RFP for the Good Food Fund is September 25. The city plans to select one organization to design and manage a $5 million fund that will provide grants to businesses that work in Chicago's food ecosystem — whether that's in production, distribution, processing or retail — in communities with poor food access. An additional $2 million will be made available to fund the administration of the Good Food Fund, including supporting the operations required to offer highly-specialized food-industry-specific coaching for two years.
With the Early-Stage Food Incubator program, the city expects to select four to six community-based incubator programs that will each receive between $300,000 and $400,000 — with a total of $2 million distributed — to offer support for young food startups such as mentorship, food stall rentals, kitchen and commercial space, retail pop-ups, or co-working or office space. The deadline to respond to the RFP for the Early-Stage Food Incubator program is October 10.
The announcement comes as Chicago has seen tremendous growth in its food industry, particularly when it comes to innovation. According to World Business Chicago research, while food startups saw a decline in capital investment in 2022, more than 60% of the Chicago startups that received seed funding were developers of alternative protein or dietary-specific food options created through biotech.
