During National Small Business Week, the City of Madison’s Economic Development Division is highlighting the numerous programs and resources available to local business owners through the Office of Business Resources. One such program is the Healthy Retail Access Program, which provides funding to businesses that aim to improve access to affordable, healthy, and culturally appropriate food. This funding can be used for new services, equipment, building improvements, or programs that enhance a business’s ability to provide healthy food, particularly in areas identified in the City’s Food Access Improvement Map.
The Healthy Retail Access Program focuses on investing in areas where it can have the greatest impact. For instance, Bombay Bazaar, a grocer located on S. Gammon Road that offers a variety of food items from India and Southeast Asia, participated in the program last year and received over $98,000 in funding. In 2024, the City of Madison has allocated $250,000 for Healthy Retail Access Program projects. These funds will be used for capital and infrastructure grants to promote healthy food access, technical assistance for organizations working towards this goal, data collection initiatives to gather feedback from business owners and residents for targeted program outreach, and program evaluation.
If you are a retailer or organization striving to improve food access in Madison, you are encouraged to apply for funding through the Healthy Retail Access Program. To learn more about this program and eligibility criteria visit the City’s Healthy Retail Access Program page.