Grants/Federal funding

[ccasey23]

Good morning.  The Loudoun coop extension office directed me to you.  My husband and I found literature regarding grants for installing beehives and were looking for additional information on how to apply. The woman I spoke to said you all may be familiar with the grants from VTech. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

[Matt Gaillardetz]

Hey there!  The State of Virginia approved grant monies to promote beekeeping and encourage residents to take up the hobby.  You can find informaiton about the program on Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) website.  http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/plant&pest/hivegrant.shtml

If you are interested in hobby beekeeping, I would encourage you to read about, and consider attending, the 7-week Basic Beekeeping for Beginner's class sponsored by Loudoun Beekeepers Association (LBA) held each February in Leesburg.  Details are available on the LBA website.  http://www.loudounbee.org/classes.html/

Also consider joining LBA as it is a club with a wealth of resources to help you along your beekeeping path.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Matt Gaillardetz

[Michael Lauer]

Good luck with getting any of that grant money.  I completed the forms and applied for the grant money back in May 2015, and have yet to hear anything back regarding it.

[Matt Gaillardetz]

I have heard mostly positive responses from those that have taken advantage of the beehive grant.  I'm not aware of the state exhausting its grant money, but it's possible.  Many applicant get rejected for incomplete or missing requirements.

If you haven't already, you might consider emailing the contact for the grant.  VABees@vdacs.virginia.gov

[Michael Lauer]

Matt,  thanks for the advice.  I have an online account with VABees, so I went online and checked the status of my application.  The current status simply said "submitted."  I assume they still have not processed it.  I sent them an email anyway.  I am awaiting a response.

[Pete]

I applied earlier this year. At that time, they had a significant backlog of applications to process. Several hundred, I believe they told me.

[Michael Lauer]

Yes, I just received the following email from the Grant program regarding the backlog:

The Beehive Grant program has been extremely popular. More than 4,000 applications have been entered into the Online Application and Registration System (OARS). Applications are being reviewed in the order they were submitted. The high volume of grant requests has impacted the time at which individuals applications are reviewed. Applicants should receive an automatic email reply upon submission of an application. A similar response will be sent upon completion of a review of an application. Individuals may check on the status of their Beehive Grant application through the online application and registration system used to submit an application.

 

The applications received to date may exceed the state budgeted amount for the Beehive Grant Fund. For this reason, we cannot guarantee that funds will be available to cover grant requests in the current fiscal year. In the event that the amount of funds requested exceeds the amount of funds available during the fiscal year when a request is made, such grants shall be paid in the next fiscal year in which funds are available.

 

 

Sincerely,

Keith Tignor

Office of Plant Industry Services

Virginia Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services

[Donna and Mike Kropotkin]

Has anyone received a check for 2015 yet? We applied online around July and didn't hear anything until Decemeber when we were advised that our W9 (?) filed on the site needed a signature. I sent the W9 by postal mail around that time and haven't heard anything since.

 

Mike

[Michael Lauer]

I got a letter in the mail last week from the Beehive Grant program stating that $142.00 had been approved for me.  The letter went on to say that I would receive the money soon, provided that "funds are available" from the total amount budgeted for this year.  It said that if funds are not available, then I would receive my money next year, out of the money budgeted for 2017.  I interpret this as meaning that my name continues to move up the list, but when exactly I will receive my money remains a mystery.  BTW - I applied for the grant money in July 2015.

[Matt Gaillardetz]

Thanks for the update, Michael!

[Michael Lauer]

Anytime Matt

[Bonnie Creech]

Thanks for the updates on this, everyone. I put in my first application in February 2015. I received a notice in June 2016 that it was approved and am still patiently waiting for payment as more grant money becomes available. I guess patience and perserverance really do apply to all parts of beekeeping! :-)

Bonnie

[Kristina]

I submitted my application in February 2015, too. Since then I haven't gotten any response. When I log in it still says my application is in process.  I just looked at the VDACS website and found this:

 

"Due to budget reductions, VDACS is unable to make payments from the Beehive Grant Fund for fiscal year 2017.

In 2012, the Virginia General Assembly created the Beehive Grant Fund for the purpose of promoting the establishment of new beehives in the Commonwealth.

Individuals interested in applying for a Beehive Grant should review the Beehive Grant Fund Guidelines and Requirements. Application instructions are included in this document. Applicants must submit a valid receipt(s) for the purchase of qualifying equipment and a completed Commonwealth of Virginia Substitute W-9 form.

Grants are awarded in the order in which each completed application to the Beehive Grant Program is received. In the event that the amount requested from the fund exceeds the amount of funds available, such grants shall be paid in the next fiscal year in which funds are available."

 

I guess we won't see any money this year either and have to wait until the "next fiscal year in which funds are available"...

This is the link: http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/plant-industry-services-beehive-grant-program.shtml

I am left wondering in what order they process the applications though, since it seems that Michael Lauer applied in July 2015 and already got approved?

[BeckyNowlin]

Thanks for sharing the information.