The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative

What The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative does

The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) is a Vermont state government grant program established by the Vermont Legislature in 2012 through Act 142, administered collaboratively by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation, and the Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community Development. Its core function is making strategic investments in Vermont's farm, food, and forest economy through three primary grant categories: Business Enhancement Grants ($647,320 to 19 businesses in 2026), Trade Show Assistance Grants ($30,000 to 5 businesses in 2026), and Service Provider & Producer Association Grants ($370,000 to 10 entities in 2026). Since founding, WLEI has directly invested $19.5 million across 593 projects and leveraged an additional $31.9 million in matching funds.

WLEI is governed by the 20-member Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB), which includes private sector representatives from agriculture and forestry supply chains alongside staff from six state agencies and the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. The program operates with a $1,000,000 annual base appropriation (increased from $594,000 starting FY2023) and supplements this with one-time federal allocations such as ARPA. Beyond grant distribution, WLEI has expanded into workforce and business development programming, including the Hidden Brand marketing workshop with Rival Brands and the Building Executive Business Skills (BEBS) program with Paul Frank + Collins. The initiative reaches applicants through a Vermont state website, email newsletters, Facebook and Instagram channels, and the annual Vermont Forest Industry Summit.

Demand substantially exceeds supply: the 2026 cycle received 169 applications requesting a combined $6,098,779 against approximately $1 million in available funds, illustrating both program relevance and capacity constraints. The 2025 grantee cohort collectively worked 1,524 acres, supported 146 employees, and contributed $12.2 million in sales revenue, evidencing meaningful downstream economic activity. WLEI's revenue mechanics are not commercial — it is a government grant-making entity, not a revenue-generating business, with capital sourced from state appropriations and occasional federal supplements.

Name

The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative

Legal name

State of Vermont

Website

https://workinglands.vermont.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative is a Vermont state government grant program that invests in farm, food, and forest businesses through competitive annual awards, having deployed $19.5 million across 593 projects since 2012 while serving SMBs, nonprofits, and producer associations statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Agricultural Grants

NAICS

Administration of Economic Programs (926)

akta.pro primary industry

Official Development Assistance (ODA) Program Management (BPADAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Grantmaking Agencies & Education Program Grants Administration (EDADAHAD)

Keywords

• Agricultural grants
• Forestry grants
• State grant programs
• Rural business funding
• Working lands investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpelier

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Program Funding: WLEI distributes state and federal grant funds to Vermont farm, food, and forest businesses. The program receives annual state funding ($1,000,000 base) and one-time allocations from federal programs like ARPA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) is a Vermont state government grant program that administers the Working Lands Enterprise Fund (WLEF) to make strategic investments in Vermont's farm, food, and forest economy. Since 2012, WLEI has directly invested over $19.5 million across 593 projects, distributing grants through three main streams — Business Enhancement Grants, Trade Show Assistance Grants, and Service Provider & Producer Association Grants — and offering supplemental training programs for working lands business owners.

Product overview

The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) is a Vermont state government grant program that provides funding and support services to farm, forest, and food businesses. Rather than a unified software product, WLEI operates as a portfolio of grant programs and training services including Business Enhancement Grants, Trade Show Assistance Grants, Service Provider & Producer Association Grants, and educational programs like the Hidden Brand Workshop and Building Executive Business Skills (BEBS) Program. The initiative serves as a strategic investment vehicle to support Vermont's agricultural and forestry economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Enhancement Grants Grants for Vermont farm, forest, and food businesses supporting market development, infrastructure, equipment costs, and workforce development. 2026 pool: $647,320 to 19 businesses.
• Trade Show Assistance Grants Grants supporting Vermont food and forest businesses to attend trade shows and bring Vermont products to out-of-state markets. 2026 pool: $30,000 to 5 businesses.
• Service Provider & Producer Association Grants Grants supporting producer associations and service provider organizations that work directly with Vermont working lands enterprises. 2026 pool: $370,000 to 10 entities.
• Hidden Brand Workshop A 10-week immersive brand strategy workshop for farm, food, and forest business owners, led by Rival Brands, designed to help participants uncover their brand purpose, voice, and differentiation. Participant cost: $129, subsidized by WLEI.
• Building Executive Business Skills (BEBS) Program A training and compliance series providing business owners in Vermont's agriculture, food, forest, and wood products sectors with HR skills, employment law knowledge, and management training, delivered by Paul Frank + Collins.
• Grant Navigation Course A free course assisting potential grant applicants from agriculture businesses to navigate the grant process and understand application steps.

Quantifiable outcome

• $19.5 million invested in 593 projects since 2012, leveraging $31.9 million in matching funds
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & MarketscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Lead agency partner in WLEI collaborative, providing program administration and agricultural sector expertise
• Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Agency partner providing forestry sector expertise and coordination for WLEI program
• Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Agency partner providing economic development expertise and coordination for WLEI program
• Vermont Sustainable Jobs FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Program partner on WLEB board, providing economic development and sustainable jobs expertise
• Vermont Housing Conservation BoardminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Board member organization providing housing and conservation expertise
• Vermont Economic Development AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Board member organization providing economic development finance expertise
• Vermont Land TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in farmland access and conservation supporting Working Lands businesses
• Center for Women & Enterprise VermontminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReceived WLEF grants ($20,000 in 2019 and 2022) to support business planning programs for women-owned working lands businesses
• Center for an Agricultural EconomyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReceives grants through WLEI to support Farm Connex distribution and food hub operations serving Vermont farms
• Connecticut River Watershed Farmers AllianceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReceived Working Lands grant for agricultural plastics recycling pilot program
• Clean Economy WorksminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReceived $20,000 matching grant to help farms access REAP energy grants at no cost
• Northern Forest CenterminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvided technical assistance to help forestry businesses strengthen business plans through WLEI-funded program
• Vermont Way FoodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaboration with Vermont food hubs to distribute more Vermont food out of state
• Rival BrandsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVermont-based brand strategy business partnering to offer The Hidden Brand workshop for Working Lands businesses
• Paul Frank + CollinsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLabor and employment law firm partnering to provide Building Executive Business Skills (BEBS) program to working lands businesses
• Jasper Hill CreameryminorOthersPartner farm for Hillside Homestead supplying raw milk cheese; represents market opportunity created through WLEI investments

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): USDA-funded program offering competitive grants for sustainable agriculture research, education, and producer projects. Targets a similar grantee population as WLEI (small and mid-size farms, food enterprises) and is one of the federal programs that often complements state-level working lands grants.
• USDA Rural Development: Federal agency administering the Rural Business Development Grant, Value-Added Producer Grant, and other working-lands-adjacent programs. Operates at a much larger national scale with overlapping grantee populations (rural farm and food businesses) and serves as a complementary funding source alongside state programs like WLEI.

Direct peers

• New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets: State agency administering a portfolio of grant and incentive programs for New York farms, food businesses, and forest products enterprises. Operates at a larger scale but follows the same state-government working-lands investment model as WLEI.
• Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry: State agency administering grant programs supporting Maine farms, food producers, and forestry businesses. Like WLEI, it combines agricultural and forestry economic development under a single state authority, making it a direct functional peer.
• Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund: Vermont state-funded nonprofit that sits on the WLEB board and administers complementary programs supporting sustainable agriculture, food systems, and forest products businesses in Vermont. Directly comparable mission and overlapping grantee base with WLEI.
• Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR): State government agency administering grant and incentive programs for Massachusetts farms, food businesses, and forestry enterprises. Operates a similar model to WLEI in a neighboring New England state, making it the closest direct functional peer.
• Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE): Vermont-based nonprofit that both receives WLEI grants and operates the Farm Connex food distribution hub. Operates a similar farm/forest/food economic development mission in Vermont and serves as a direct on-the-ground implementation peer to WLEI's grantmaking activity.

Regional players

• New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food: Neighboring New England state agency administering agricultural grants and market development programs. Has structural overlap with WLEI but a smaller working-lands grant portfolio and a different governance structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VTWorkingLands
• Instagraminstagram.com/vtworkinglands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments27 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative