The Local Food Security Initiatives program helps vulnerable Nova Scotians access healthy, culturally appropriate and locally produced or prepared food. The program supports projects that build organizational capacity, work collaboratively to change food ecosystems and demonstrate collective impact, and create supporting collaborations that help organize, plan or address barriers to acquiring healthy food for those who need it most.

Program Objectives

• Build capacity of organizations to provide healthy, culturally appropriate and locally produced or prepared food
• Harness benefits of working collaboratively to change food ecosystems and demonstrate collective impact
• Create food ecosystems and supporting collaborations that convene, plan or address barriers and challenges to acquiring healthy food for those who need it most

Eligible Activities

Funding must be used to:

• Buy food for distribution
• Buy equipment to increase ability to distribute food
• Collaborate on distribution of food and creation of food networks

Three Funding Tiers

Tier 1 (Requests up to $10,000):

• No cash contribution required from applicants
• Eligible activities: Purchasing food for distribution or meal preparation; bringing organizations together to build network/collaborate on services/develop joint projects (support letters required); one-time equipment purchase to improve/increase organization's ability to make, grow or distribute food

Tier 2 (Requests $10,001 to $50,000):

• Applicants must contribute minimum 25% toward eligible project costs (including minimum 10% cash from applicant)
• In-kind support can be used only when directly related to project
• Must have at least one partner with demonstrated role in project (letter of support alone not sufficient)
• Eligible costs include: professional fees (nutritionist, chef), equipment purchases to increase productivity, project personnel salary (cannot be only cost), and food

Tier 3 (Requests $50,001 to $100,000):

• Applicants must contribute minimum 25% toward eligible project costs (including minimum 10% cash from applicant)
• In-kind support can be used only when directly related to project
• Project must involve 3 or more partners in demonstrated meaningful way
• Application must include plan to make project self-sustaining
• Must address at minimum one short-term and one long-term goal

Key Requirements

• Must be Joint Stocks-registered not-for-profit society in good standing, federally registered charity/not-for-profit corporation in good standing, or Nova Scotian Mi'kmaw band
• Must contact program manager to discuss project and request application before applying
• Applications must be completed in full with defined start and end dates
• Applications must include relevant support materials such as photos and support letters