Small steps toward a stronger, more resilient regional economy.
Thank you to all who applied and shared their work. We’re honored to announce our 2026 Microgrant recipients, scroll down to meet the projects shaping a more resilient future.
Big change starts small.
The Resilient Futures Co-Lab Microgrant Program supports organizations, initiatives, and individuals working to strengthen a resilient and prosperous regional economy in Western North Carolina and the greater Charlotte region.
The program offers small amounts of quick, flexible funding to help local projects take their first—or next—step. This might mean testing an idea, bringing people together, or building readiness for future partnerships and financing. We believe that supporting people and teams willing to try new ideas is essential to building resilient communities and systems.
Microgrants are designed to unlock momentum and create traction, not to fund entire projects.
About the Program
The Microgrants Program is part of the Resilient Futures Co-Lab’s broader effort to bring aligned, place-based financing into the region.
In this initial round, we are offering grants of $2,000 and $5,000 to support small but strategic actions that help promising initiatives move forward.
The Program is designed to:
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Invite new and diverse voices into regional transition efforts
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Discover initiatives we may not yet know about
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Understand emerging needs and opportunities
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Identify natural points of connection across systems
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Test how integrated, hands-on collaboration can work in practice
Why Microgrants?
The grants are small by design. They are intended to move quickly, build trust, and create space for ideas to surface – especially those that may not yet be “investment ready,” or that don’t fit conventional funding categories.
We see this phase as a way to understand what is already happening across the region, learn where the real bottlenecks and unlocks are, and begin assembling change portfolios grounded in what’s happening on the ground.
Some microgrant recipients may go on to become part of larger financing rounds later this year. Others may not – and that’s ok. The goal at this stage is learning, connection, and momentum.
Later this year, we aim to deploy significantly larger amounts of capital through blended financing structures that combine grants, recoverable grants, loans, and investment. This microgrant phase helps us do that work with much greater clarity and care.
What we are looking for
Microgrants are designed to be used flexibly. They are meant to support early-stage initiatives working towards a resilient economic system. We are inviting ideas, initiatives, and experiments that contribute to the objectives of the broader initiative – whether directly or indirectly.
Particularly, we’re looking for initiatives that work towards the following outcomes:
A resilient, locally rooted food system:
Producing more food locally while strengthening regional value chains, supporting farmers, and making healthy, affordable food more accessible.
Stable, climate-resilient living:
Ensuring people have access to secure housing and essential infrastructure—such as energy, flood protection, and connectivity—that support long-term stability and resilience.
Health, wellbeing, and everyday resilience:
Strengthening the local conditions and systems that support physical and mental wellbeing, especially in places facing gaps in care and resilience.
Circular materials and manufacturing:
Building locally rooted material and manufacturing systems—including textiles, forestry and wood products, and construction—that reduce waste, rebuild skills, and keep value in the region.
No single initiative solves the problem. Together, they might get there.
This is the kind of systems-level learning we are trying to surface — and the kind of alignment we hope to support over time.
Uses of the microgrant might include:
Early Implementation
Practical, on-the-ground projects that need a small boost to move forward
Scoping & Alignment
Early-stage concepts that require feasibility work or coordination
Systems Connectivity
Initiatives that help link rural and urban systems in new ways
Enabling Infrastructure
Work that builds the conditions for change: trust, policy, shared infrastructure, and skills.
We are especially interested in how different efforts might fit together — how one initiative’s success could unlock another’s, and how collective progress could be faster and more resilient than isolated wins.
If you are working on something that doesn’t neatly fit a category, we still want to hear from you. The “other” ideas are often where the most important insights live.
A concrete example:
Consider a regional food system challenge.
At first glance, the need might appear straightforward: farmers need better access to processing infrastructure to sell more locally. That’s true — but it’s rarely the whole story.
Through our conversations, we’ve heard that:
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Individual producers often can’t justify investing alone in shared facilities
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Trust between actors may be too low for joint ownership or co-investment
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Zoning, health regulations, or procurement rules block otherwise viable ideas
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Urban food waste is expensive to dispose of, while rural land needs organic inputs
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New farmers struggle not just with land access, but with housing stability and income volatility
A change portfolio in this space might therefore include:
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A small grant to explore a shared processing facility model
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Support for a cooperative or governance structure that enables joint investment
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Capacity-building around collaboration and conflict resolution
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A pilot that redirects urban food waste into rural soil regeneration
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Policy or advocacy work to remove regulatory friction
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Housing solutions that make farming a viable livelihood
Who Should Apply
We welcome applications from people and groups working in the region, including local organizations, community groups, small businesses, social entrepreneurs, and collaborative teams.
If you are working to strengthen the region’s long-term resilience through community wellbeing, land stewardship, local enterprise, or circular and regenerative practices, we encourage you to apply.
Projects do not need to be fully formed.
We are looking for:
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A clear purpose
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A realistic next step for a microgrant
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A commitment to community benefit and collaboration
What you’ll gain
Beyond funding, grantees will be invited into a growing regional network of peers, partners, and practitioners. Participants may have opportunities to share learnings and insights with other related projects, as well as build new relationships and collaborations.
Key Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible, projects must:
Be based in or focused on the 59 counties within the Mountain or Piedmont regions of North Carolina
Address critical regional economic, environmental, or social challenges
Be led by individuals or teams with clear experience, community trust, or a strong local connection
Be able to receive funds through a North Carolina–registered organization (both nonprofit or for-profit organizations are welcome)
This may not be a fit if:
You are looking for full project funding (microgrants are for early steps and momentum-building)
Your work is based outside the Mountain and Piedmont counties of North Carolina
Your project does not fit with the central objectives of this initiative
Circular Economy Feasibility Study
This initiative will conduct a preliminary feasibility and concept development study to transform the west side of Innovation Barn from warehouse space into a circular economy innovation hub and microfactory. This work focuses on reducing waste, extending material lifecycles, and building local infrastructure for reuse and regeneration.
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Community-Led Affordable Housing Development
Watauga Community Housing Trust is developing new models for permanently affordable housing to ensure long-term community stability. By removing land from the speculative market and placing it in community stewardship, the organization creates housing solutions that remain accessible for generations. This project supports equitable access to housing while strengthening local resilience.
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Open-Source Mapping & Resource Platform
Mechanism is building an open-source mapping and data platform designed to support community decision-making and resilience planning. By making information about resources, infrastructure, and needs more accessible, the platform helps communities coordinate efforts and respond more effectively to challenges. This tool has the potential to strengthen collaboration across sectors and regions.
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Community-Based Support & Empowerment Initiative
Community rooted initiative focused on expanding access to health care navigation, housing support, resource dvelopment, liage to services, chronic disease management and advocacy centered around patient engagement and participation in centering their plan of care. HERS supports access to quality health, social and mental health care to sustain quality outcomes.
2026 Microgrant Recipients
Community-Led Projects Building a More Resilient Future
WNC Wildseed Library
The WNC Wildseed Library connects people to the natural heritage of the Southern Blue Ridge by providing wild, local, native seeds and information on how to grow them. This grassroots volunteer program aims to alleviate separation from the natural world while increasing wildlife habitat, improving water quality, and beautifying the landscape.
Recycled Textile Insulation Project
The Recycled Post-Consumer Textile R13 Batt Insulation project develops a high-performance building insulation product made from locally sourced post-consumer clothing, processed and manufactured into engineered fiber batts at our South Carolina facility. Designed as a direct alternative to fiberglass, the product meets key thermal, safety, and cost requirements while advancing necessary testing and certifications for market adoption. The initiative diverts significant textile waste from landfills and strengthens regional supply chains by localizing sourcing and production.
Community Seed Processing Initiative
Utopian Seed Project is designing a community-scale seed processing facility and educational hub to support seed cleaning, drying, storage, and education. The hub will serve as both critical food system infrastructure and a living demonstration of climate-resilient design, strengthening regional seed sovereignty, ecological stewardship, and community resilience.
Farm to Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program
This Project aims to facilitate local food purchasing through the High Country Food Hub to (1) improve regional food chains by enabling connections between local farmers and Early Childhood Education Centers, (2) increase access to health food for growing children, diversifying diets and creating a foundation of health for long-term wellbeing, (3) support local farmers with a new local market, facilitating more resilient supply chains.
Residential Co-Op Pilot
CrownTown Compost will install two large semi-permanent compost bins with "smart" technology enabling them to be locked normally, but to unlock when a user has a code for the bin. This is part of a set of pilots to explore how we can reduce the barriers for household and community composting.
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RAD Studios
RAD Studios creates semi-temporary, affordable studio spaces for artists and makers, supporting creative entrepreneurship and cultural vibrancy. By providing accessible space and resources, this project helps strengthen the local creative economy while fostering community connection and expression.
This project focuses on rejuvenating Stony Knob Farm’s operations to strengthen long-term sustainability and productivity. By investing in infrastructure, land stewardship, and regenerative practices, the farm is working to build a more resilient and thriving agricultural system.
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Nourished Jackson
WNC From the Ground Up is launching Nourished Jackson, a food as medicine program serving Jackson County, NC. The $2,000 award supports program development and infrastructure for a clinician referral model that delivers locally sourced food to patients managing maternal health needs and chronic conditions including diabetes and congestive heart failure. All food is sourced from 50+ regional farm partners, ensuring that improved health outcomes and stable farm income grow together.
Seeds of Migration Farming Collective
Transplanting Traditions Community Farm (TTCF) has launched the pilot phase of Seeds of Migration Farming Collective, a fee for service based model designed to strengthen farmer independence while ensuring the long-term financial and operational sustainability of the services that TTCF offers to farmers. Through the collective, each farm maintains its own business, while TTCF manages shared services such as accounting, shared infrastructure, customer service, and CSA logistics, dramatically reducing overhead and administrative burden for small farms.
Locally Rooted: River Cane Propagation for Resilient Streams
River cane was once widespread in the Southeast, but has been reduced to <3% of its original range. This is a concern for at least three reasons: 1) Its roots form dense networks that reinforce streambanks during floods; 2) it provides cover for wildlife; and 3) it provides raw material for Cherokee artisans. There is strong desire to restore river cane which is hampered by a lack of plant material. RiverLink seeks to develop growers who will propagate river cane at scale for restoration of this versatile plant in nature, where it can be sustainably harvested while maintaining resilient streambanks.
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Rooted Resilience: Building Local Food Capacity in WNC
Rooted Resilience strengthens Western North Carolina’s local food economy by investing directly in small farms and community growing spaces that supply Bounty & Soul’s no-cost community produce markets. Through durable cold storage infrastructure, shared tool access, seed and fertilizer support, and seedling production, this initiative expands local food production capacity while increasing community access to healthy food. The microgrant will unlock immediate, practical steps that build long-term farm/garden resilience, deepen community participation, and strengthen locally-rooted food value chains serving neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
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Rural Transportation and Local Food Survey
The mission of Hospitality House is to rebuild lives and strengthen community by providing a safe, nurturing, healthy environment in which individuals and families experiencing homelessness and poverty-related crises are equipped to become self-sufficient and productive.
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Seeds of Migration Farming Collective
After a very successful 6 month pilot, NEST is now continuing our Plaza Midwood neighborhood food waste collection/composting program, with a goal of expanding the number of participating households and upgrading the level of service by transitioning to advanced technology collection bin enclosures.
Foodshed Cultivator
The Foodshed Cultivator is a venture studio for nurturing the food ecosystem in WNC. The first cohort launches in June 2026 with 4-6 food hub leaders spanning Buncombe, Madison, Haywood, McDowell, Henderson, Mitchell, and surrounding counties. The cultivator will be an immersive experience to build the relationships and shared capacity needed to increase institutional purchasing, strengthen regional food system infrastructure, and develop business models that are self-sustaining rather than dependent on grants or subsidies, all while keeping money circulating locally.
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Uncle Zev's Kudzu Bitters
“Eating the vine that ate the South”—Uncle Zev’s Kudzu Bitters transforms one of the region’s most abundant invasive plants into a high-value herbal product while creating well-paid, values-aligned work rooted at Earthaven Ecovillage. By establishing a culture of harvesting and using kudzu, the initiative helps reduce ecological harm while demonstrating how this overlooked plant can support viable livelihoods. Revenue from bitters production will drive a kudzu products supply chain, helping to establish additional kudzu-based enterprises—foods, medicines, fibers, and materials—serving as an early model for a regenerative kudzu economy in the Southeast.
Readiness Support for Institutional Buying Transformation
WNC Food Coalition is building a cross-industry institutional buying network to shift food procurement patterns from national distributors toward local, Western North Carolina grown and produced food. Our partners include food aggregators, councils of government, and health care centers. Together, we will build a thriving local food economy and improve local health outcomes.
FAQs.
Applications open: January 19, 2026
Applications close March 6th, 2026.
Grant recipients will be announced by early April 2026.
Projects should be completed within 12 months.Applications are submitted through a short online form and typically take 20–30 minutes to complete.
Applications are reviewed by a regional committee made up of members of the Metabolic team and local partners with deep experience in place-based economic development, circular economies, environmental stewardship, and collaborative work.
Each application is assessed based on:
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Relevance
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Community value
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Readiness
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Learning potential
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Feasibility
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Yes. All applicants will receive a brief note about the outcome, along with general insights from the review process.
Grantees will receive a simple agreement and be asked to share a short reflection on how the funds were used and what was learned. Reporting is intentionally light. Optional learning or networking sessions may be offered.
Micro-grants cannot support:
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Purely commercial activities without community benefit
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Major capital purchases (e.g. vehicles)
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Large equipment or ongoing salaries
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Political campaigning or lobbying
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Questions can be directed to:
If a microgrant just doesn’t seem like a fit, we are working towards larger pools of grants and impact investments that may be more relevant later in the year. You can let us know what your needs are and what you’re up to via this simple form so you’re on our radar.
Missed This Round of Microgrants?
Even if you didn’t apply this time, we’d still love to learn about the work you're doing. We’re building toward larger grant pools and impact investments that may better align with your work later in the year.
In the meantime, take a few minutes to complete our short, simple form so we can learn more about your initiative and what support would be most helpful. It’s quick to fill out and ensures you’re on our radar as new opportunities emerge.