The purpose of this report is to highlight the activities and accomplishments of the Virginia Food Access Investment Fund (Fund) and Virginia Food Access Investment Program (Program) during Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, as required by Chapters 956 and 957 of the 2020 Acts of Assembly. Chapters 956 and 957 established the Fund and the Program to combat food inequality through a grant program aimed at encouraging grocery stores and other food retailers to combat food deserts. Chapters 956 and 957 also required the establishment of an Equitable Food Oriented Development (EFOD) stakeholder work group to develop recommendations for design elements for the Program. The first round of grants were awarded from the Fund in spring 2021. As of October 31, 2023 the balance of the Fund was $2,173,394.23.

Significant activities for the Fund and Program during this reporting period include the following:

• Administered the FY 2023 grant round, conducting extensive outreach and reviewing 27 pre-proposals and nine completed applications.

• Awarded grants totaling $175,000 in funding to four grant awardees and provided onboarding support and guidance.

• Provided ongoing technical assistance to both existing and potential grant recipients on project development and implementation.

• Created and refined systems for reimbursement requests and reporting guidelines.