Entrepreneurs encouraged to apply for beef industry grant program through May 31
FORT WORTH (May 1, 2024) – The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Leadership Development Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization committed to future generations of land and livestock stewards and leaders, announced today the opening of the first-ever application window for the TSCRA Leadership Development Foundation Working Grant Program. The program will distribute financial capital to business owners with a demonstrated interest in the beef value chain.
The program is open to entrepreneurs in Texas and Oklahoma including cow-calf operations, stockers, feeders, packing plants, large animal veterinary clinics and other segments of the beef value chain.
“Entering into any sector of the beef industry today is difficult, and I truly believe we all face disadvantages and challenges,” said TSCRA Leadership Development Foundation Chair Carl Ray Polk. “One of the greatest barriers is access to capital, and the TSCRA Leadership Development Foundation is proud to have a platform to address this challenge directly.”
The TSCRA Leadership Development Foundation Working Grant Program was designed to support individuals establishing, operating or growing a beef business.
“By investing in these entrepreneurs, we truly are investing in the future of our nation’s food supply and natural resources that are both in the hands of these stewards,” said Polk. “That’s the beauty of the program – each financial grant has far reaching impacts beyond the individual applicant.”
To be eligible for consideration for financial assistance, applicants must operate a business in an economically depressed or blighted area in Texas or Oklahoma and face disadvantages. Eligible applicants must also demonstrate the difficulty of obtaining conventional financing because of such disadvantages.
The online application will remain open until May 31 and grantees are expected to be announced no later than August 2024.
Details about the TSCRA Leadership Development Working Grant Program including the application and eligibility requirements can be found online at tscra.org/what-we-do/leadership-development-foundation/ .
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