PNW Healthy Food Financing Initiative Planning Grants is sponsored by Ecotrust. These planning grants support business viability and enable access to financing for HFFI-eligible food retailers and businesses serving communities in Alaska, Washington, and/or Oregon.

Ecotrust - PNW Healthy Food Financing Initiative Projects & Partners › Current Projects PNW Healthy Food Financing Initiative Financing and business planning for Pacific Northwest food retailers and businesses.

Intergenerational wealth-building Alaska , Oregon , Washington Business development , Food systems , Racial equity Top photo credit: Tolga Ahmetler / Unsplash Ecotrust Staff & Services Ecotrust Staff & Services We are a partnership of nine organizations, including lending institutions, business assistance organizations, and place-based agencies, funded by the Healthy Food Financing Initiative Partnership Program grant.

Our vision is for all communities in the Pacific Northwest to have access to healthy food, which our Partnership supported by providing low interest loans, planning grants, and technical assistance to food businesses and retailers in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. Our application is currently closed and all funds have been awarded to projects. Stay tune for the list of awardees and to learn more about their projects.

Application for our low-interest loan and planning grants were live from September 30th, 2025 through June 1st, 2026 and accepted on a first-come first-serve basis to prioritize our applicants capacity and time. Inside the cold storage facility at Redd West. Photo credit: Shawn Linehan Kelp harvesting.

Photo credit: Emilie Chen Technical Assistance Available Technical assistance (TA) is available to help organizations and businesses improve access to healthy, affordable food in underserved communities. Through our partners—Prosper Portland, Spruce Root, and the Northwest Agriculture Business Center—we offer a range of support, including 1:1 business counseling, project planning, and financial readiness.

Whether you’re launching a new initiative or expanding an existing effort, TA can help you strengthen your approach and address challenges at every stage. Eligible Food Businesses and Retailers could apply for one or both of the grants and loans the Partnership offers. Applications were accepted on a rolling basis, but are currently closed.

These grants are to support business viability and enable access to financing down the road. Grants can be used to pay for costs associated with project planning including but not limited to feasibility studies, legal and financial consulting, business planning, and design and architecture services. 15 to 35 grants are available, depending on the size of awards.

Award requests may range from $20,000 to $50,000. Grant funded projects must be completed by June 2027. Low Interest Loans with Grants This offering is to support business viability and enable accessible and affordable financing.

Loans with accompanying grants can be used for a variety of purposes including but not limited to, purchasing inventory or supplies, operational costs including rent, utilities, insurance, payroll or contracted services, marketing and sales, purchasing equipment, and/or refinancing existing debt. 7 to 25 loans with grants are available, depending on financing requests.

Interest rate on all loans is 3% and accompanying grants will cover origination &/or closing fees to ensure borrowers receive the full loan amount. Loans are subject to each lending partner’s loan underwriting and approval process. We can not finance real estate or land purchases, or costs associated with production of hydroponics, aquaculture, or agriculture.

We can, however, cover costs associated with processing, marketing and distribution of farmed or harvested products. Please note: There may be additional charges associated with legal fees, lien filings, and credit reporting beyond this percentage. All of these costs are included in your loan and thus, not due to the lender prior to or at closing.

Our grants will help cover the cost of some of these fees. Terms and payment schedules based on project needs and financing partner Collateral required in the form of business and/or personal assets; note that grants paired with loans are meant to support this requirement Oregon: Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO) Applications for low interest loans and planning grants are closed. All funds for this project have been allocated.

If you are an awardee, you can access your portal account through the link below. The link will take you to another website. Do you have a question that is not answered here?

Feel free to get in touch with us at communitycapital@ecotrust. org . Who can apply for financing?

We can fund HFFI eligible food retailers and businesses serving communities in Alaska, Washington, and/or Oregon. The Partnership’s goal is to increase access to resources and support to underserved communities. We prioritize financing for food retailers and businesses that are marginalized due to their race, ethnicity, and/or gender, as well as rural communities, in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington.

How do I know if my project is eligible? Project eligibility is based on your business type (food retailer or business) and how your project increases access to healthy foods in low access communities. You can use this flow chart to assess your project’s eligibility or the short list below.

I am a food retailer or business located in Alaska, Washington, or Oregon. I am located in an eligible area or sell to a retailer in an eligible area * I accept SNAP or sell to a retailer that accepts SNAP. I sell both perishable and staple foods or sell to a retailer that sells both.

*Please use this map to view eligible areas; note that if you are located in Alaska and not eligible on the linked map, please still reach out to us. Project eligibility is based on the Health Food Financing Initiative requirements, as this funding is provided through the Reinvestment Fund’s Partnership Program grant. What are staple and perishable foods?

To increase access to culturally relevant and healthy foods, we will prioritize food retailers that sell both staple (grains, dairy) and perishable goods (vegetables, fruits, proteins). To learn more about staple and perishable goods please see SNAP staple foods site . For food businesses, we will prioritize projects that sell to retailers that carry both staple and perishable goods.

What types of financing are available? We have two types of financing available; Planning Grants and Low Interest Loans with Grants. Please see the “Grants and Financing Available” section above for more information.

How long is the application process? Each application is made up of two parts. You will first have to create an account on our portal and submit an eligibility application.

If your project is eligible, you will be invited to complete a low-interest loan or planning grant application (depending on which you selected to apply for in your eligibility application). Additionally, through our portal, you are able to invite others from your projects to support in filling out your application.

Each application is reviewed by a state-based committee who utilizes a shared set of criteria and consensus based decision making model. From eligibility to closing a loan, the process can take a month up to several months to complete. What should I expect in applying for a low-interest loan?

We’ve put together this Loan Application Process and Checklist to help answer this question. What criteria are applications reviewed on? Our goal is to increase access to resources and support to underserved communities.

We prioritize financing for food retailers and businesses that are marginalized due to their race, ethnicity, and/or gender in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington.

Priority Demographics : BIPOC, women-led, and rural-based businesses (population under 50,000) Improved Access : Increases community access to healthy food Community Impact : Addresses an identified community need Project Readiness : Demonstrates strong planning and feasibility Community Engagement : Shows a history of partnership within the community Is grant funding available? Yes, both of our financial offerings include grants.

Please see the “Grants and Financing Available” section above for more information. Our CDFI partner in Washington, offering loans through this Partnership. Point of contact: Toni Stinnett Microenterprise Services of Oregon Our CDFI partner in Oregon, offering loans through this Partnership.

Point of contact: Nicci Walker Our Native CDFI partner in Southeast Alaska, offering loans and technical assistance through this Partnership. Point of contact: Abbey Janes Northwest Agriculture Business Center Our Technical Assistance partner in Washington, offering technical assistance through this Partnership.

Point of contact: Maxime Etilé America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative Our project is a recipient of the Partnership Program grant. America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) aims to build a more equitable food system that supports the health and economic vibrancy of all Americans. Our Public Entity partner in Portland, connecting Portland applicants to one on one technical assistance through this Partnership.

Point of contact: Yvonne Smoker King Conservation District Washington community and outreach partner; also serving on the decision making committee. King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Washington community and outreach partner; also serving on the decision making committee.

Point of contact: Michael Lufkin Public Health Seattle and King County Washington community and outreach partner; also serving on the decision making committee. Point of contact: Elizabeth Kimball Photo credit: Roland Dahwen Ecotrust Project Team & Services Want to learn more? Check out the full Ecotrust Staff & Board and all of our Tools for Building Collective Change .

Director of Community Capital VP of Social Enterprise & Community Capital Cultivate leaders and assist with funding sources. Program dev & implementation Build and deliver mission-aligned projects in partnership. Contribute tools, analyses, and frameworks that move projects forward.

Learn about cash flow & loans From Grow America, a non-profit that invests capital to craft equitable, vibrant futures. What happens after you get a loan From Grow America, a non-profit that invests capital to craft equitable, vibrant futures. What to expect when applying for a business loan From Grow America, a non-profit that invests capital to craft equitable, vibrant futures.

PNW HFFI Eligibility Flowchart This resource includes definitions for a food retailer and business, plus a hand flowchart to determine eligibility. PNW HFFI Loan Application Checklist This resource includes an overview of the loan application process and checklist of necessary documents to complete. Last updated June 8, 2026 Radical, practical change starts with you.