Supermarkets
Learn about the national Healthy Food Financing Initiative.
Learn more about FFFI and related impact studies here.
TRF Leasing for financing options on new or used equipment.
Infill Philadelphia: Food Access, has just completed a highly-collaborative effort exploring how innovative design can improve access to fresh, healthy food in urban neighborhoods. Learn about the three resulting conceptual designs. Also read Plan Philly's article on the initiative.
TRF provides financing for supermarkets or other grocery stores that plan to operate in underserved communities where infrastructure costs and credit needs cannot be solely filled by conventional financial institutions. By improving the food landscape of underserved communities, the programs provide families with increased access to healthy fresh foods. Supermarkets and other grocery stores also make valuable contributions to the community by creating jobs and revitalizing neighborhoods. TRF currently manages supermarket financing programs in two states in the mid-Atlantic region.
New Jersey
The New Jersey Food Access Initiative is a partnership between TRF and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. The program is designed to meet the financing needs of supermarket operators that want to locate within underserved areas in New Jersey, with an emphasis on nine priority cities which include Atlantic City, Camden, East Orange, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Newark, New Brunswick, Paterson and Trenton.
For more information about the program, please contact supermarkets@trfund.com. To apply for financing through this program, begin by completing the New Jersey Food Access Initiative Pre-Application Form.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI) is an innovative program that works to increase the number of supermarkets or other grocery stores in underserved communities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Currently, all grant and loan funds for the Fresh Food Financing Initiative have been fully committed and we cannot offer funding for your project at this time. Nevertheless, TRF encourages you to send information about your project to FFFI@trfund.com as this will help us measure demand for additional program funding. TRF and its partners do not anticipate news on more funding for the program until mid 2010 at the earliest.
FFFI is supported by a partnership of TRF, The Food Trust and the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition (GPUAC). Under the leadership of State Representative Dwight Evans, who was instrumental in getting Pennsylvania to prioritize supermarket development in underserved areas, the State appropriated $30 million for FFFI. TRF has committed $90 million through private sources as well as TRF’s New Markets Tax Credits allocation. Together the contributions total an $120 million multi-faceted pool that is a one-stop-shop for financing fresh food retailers in underserved areas.
For application requirements, please review the Program Guidelines and PA Fresh Food Financing Application for Eligibility and Financing.
Healthy Food Financing Initiative
Partnering with PolicyLink and The Food Trust, TRF has spent the past year working with policymakers and advocates to push for a smart, sustainable way to invest in healthy food and good jobs in underserved communities.
The national Healthy Food Financing Initiative is a viable, effective, and economically sustainable solution to the problem of limited access to healthy foods and can achieve multiple goals: reducing health disparities and improving the health of families and children; creating jobs; and stimulating local economic development in low-income communities. This is a smart investment in the health and economic well-being of the country and its citizens. Learn more about the Healthy Food Financing Initiative.
Questions about supermarket financing? Contact supermarkets@trfund.com.