Grant Process

The GEAPS Foundation grants awards annually. Full grant award policy available for review here. A grantee agreement draft example can be viewed here.

Who is eligible?

Grant funding is available to any organization, institution or individual who can demonstrate competence and capacity for developing and delivery of eligible projects responsive to the Foundation’s mission. 

Eligible Projects:
To be eligible for funding, projects must be complimentary to GEAPS’ professional development program with respect to one or more of these core competencies:

GRAIN QUALITY involving: Quality definition and determination; Quality preservation; Quality assurance and control; Grain preparation

FACILITY MAINTENANCE & DESIGN involving: Equipment operation and performance ; Equipment and facility maintenance; Sanitation and pest control; Energy systems; Automation, process control and information technology; Facilities planning & design; Project analysis, planning & management

GENERAL OPERATIONS involving: Grain & ingredient receiving, handling, processing and shipping management; Transportation and logistics; Energy & utilities management; Material [non-grain] handling equipment/systems; Grain production & processing [Strategic Environment]; Financial management ; Marketing & customer relations; Merchandising/origination & Procurement/purchasing; Community/public relations/communications; Business ethics & trade practice law; Enterprise resource planning; Warehouse Control Systems; Warehouse Management System ; Equipment types, specifications, sizing and installation; Process flow, system analysis and optimization; Particle size reduction and segregation; Product packaging and load out

RISK MANAGEMENT involving: Risk/hazard analysis/evaluation; Risk/hazard abatement/control; Security & security systems; Emergency preparedness/action/response; Regulatory compliance; Insurance & bonding; Product/food safety and Traceability

HUMAN RESOURCES involving: Employee recruitment, hiring and retention; Leadership, supervision and performance evaluation; Motivation, incentives, promotion and advancement; Compensation administration; Training & professional development; Psychology & sociology, and team building; Labor law & regulatory compliance; Benefits and compensation

English is to be the primary language of all components of the work product funded in whole or in part by the Foundation.

The target end-users of grant-supported projects are GEAPS members and prospective members and by extension, their employers. The highest priority is filling any identified gap in needed and currently-available educational and training resources. Conversely, projects that would be considered redundant to or directly competitive with existing available resources would be considered ineligible for grant awards.

Proposed programs/projects must be accessible to GEAPS members and non-members through GEAPS.

For 2024, priority consideration will be given to projects that focus on grain quality or entry-level grain operations content. Professionals charged with grain quality management as well as new employees, especially those new to the grain industry, comprise target audiences in the GEAPS learning strategy and these topics are supported through consistent GEAPS member feedback. There is preference for any newly-developed content to be made available in more than one language, in addition to English.

Eligible project expenses/use of grant funds

  • Direct expenses only, excluding “ineligible expenses,” to include:

    • Retaining project-specific subject-matter experts for content development and peer-review

    • Retaining project-specific creative-service experts for program design and production

Ineligible project expense/use of grant funds

  • Overhead [direct and indirect] to include hiring or retaining management or administrative support staff or services

  • Equipment and facilities [acquisition, lease/rental, or cost-allocation including depreciation of assets]

  • Generally any project expense, direct or indirect, not considered “eligible” above 

Distribution of grant funds

  • The Foundation is not obligated to distribute the total grant-award “up front”

  • The Foundation will determine the timing of the grant-award distributions taking into consideration the scope of work, work plan, project budget, and other sources of project funding, if any.

  • For multiple “progress-payment” grant-award distributions, the Foundation may require substantiation of progress performance to date prior to any subsequent distribution.

  • The Foundation may require a grantee to refund all or part of any grant-award distribution for “failure to perform” with respect to the grant application.

  • Funds are considered cost-reimbursable and the Foundation may require a grantee to return unexpended grant-award funds received at end or termination of the grant-award period.

How to Apply:

This is a two-step process.

Step One – Applicant and Project Prequalification: [due June 10, 2024]

  • Applicant and proposal pre-qualification submission.

  • Applications will be reviewed, and applicants notified of the board’s decision.

Step Two – Detailed Project Description: [due October 10, 2024]

  • Step one prequalification approval is required prior to further consideration in step two.

  • Complete grant application submission.

  • Applications will be reviewed, and applicants notified of the board’s decision.

Contact Erica Venancio for more information: erica@geapsfoundation.org.