The Bluegrass AgTech Development Corp today announced the winning companies for its second round of Challenge Grant funding, supporting transformative agricultural startups that are helping reshape the future of food, farming and sustainability in Kentucky.
The Challenge Grant program, launched to attract and grow agtech and food-based businesses in the Commonwealth, received applications from more than 30 innovative companies. After a competitive review process, three were selected to receive a combined total of $300,000 in grant funding.
Bluegrass AgTech is a partnership among the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and Alltech. Its mission is to cultivate an innovation ecosystem for entrepreneurs and startups in the agricultural sector of the Bluegrass.
“Agriculture is a growing part of our county’s economy. A new study shows agriculture contributes $2.6 billion to our local economy each year. The goal of these grants is to grow that number by producing new jobs in agtech,” said Mayor Linda Gorton. “We want Kentucky and Lexington to become the international hub of agtech business.”
