The Ford Foundation has announced the selection of seven grantees for its public market initiative in a total program of $1,000,000. More than 100 proposals were received for three categories of grants. The program was developed in collaboration with the Office of Community Services (OCS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which has also awarded $1,000,000 in grants under its special public markets initiative.

Miguel Garcia, Acting Deputy Director of the Community Resource Development Unit at the Ford Foundation, had this to say about the collaborative program: "I believe all of us involved with this new initiative - PPS, HHS/OCS and the Public Markets Advisory Board - are pleasantly surprised at the degree of interest by applicants for funding. Clearly, we have uncovered a ripe investing venue for both public and private funders."

Project for Public Spaces, Inc. (PPS) is the Foundation's managing partner for the program and issued the RFP and coordinated independent review panels for the applications on their behalf.

Selected applicants are:

• Joint OCS/Ford Grants ($250,000 from OCS/$200,000 from Ford)
• Fruitvale Village Public Market, Spanish Speaking Unity Council, Oakland, CA
• Plaza del Valle/VEDC Public Market Project, Valley Economic Development Center, Panorama City, CA
• La Marqueta, East Harlem Business Capital Corporation, New York, NY
• Ford Foundation Supported Implementation Grant ($200,000)
• Global Marketplace, Neighborhood Development Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Planning Grants ($65,000)
• East Side Public Market, Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, Athens, OH
• Centerville & East Camden Markets, Camden Area Health Education Center, Camden, NJ
• Growing Self-Sufficiency in West Louisville, Community Farm Alliance, Frankfort, KY

The Ford Foundation's Request for Proposals sought projects where public markets would serve shifting sands communities undergoing demographic change. In addition, grantees were to address the creation of economically sustainable markets as well as broader community goals, including the creation of active public spaces, revitalization of adjacent communities, and spurring of job and business creation. OCS funding is focused primarily on capital grants for public markets and is designed to encourage rural and urban community development corporations to create projects intended to provide employment and business development opportunities for low- income people.

Grant awards fell into four themes that were reflected in the overall application pool. Ford wishes to allow other markets to learn from the experiences of these grantees as they explore these issues:

• Creating Networks of Open-Air Public Markets for Underserved Neighborhoods: Grantees will explore how to create sustainable networks of open-air farmers and community markets in lower income neighborhoods
• Planning Grant: West Louisville, KY; Camden, NJ
• Neighborhood Public Markets in Shifting Sands Neighborhoods: Grantees will revitalize or create new indoor/outdoor markets in urban neighborhoods undergoing demographic shifts.
• Joint OCS/Ford Grant: East Harlem, NY; Oakland, CA
• Central Markets in Shifting Sands Cities: Grantees will address how both existing and new public markets serving cities and regions can better address the needs of lower income populations as well as emerging new ethnic groups.
• Ford Implementation Grant: Minneapolis, MN
• Public Markets in Declined Strip Malls: These grantees offer an opportunity to address an emerging trend in changing communities - how to reuse strip malls that no longer work for conventional retail for indoor-outdoor public markets.
• Planning Grant: Athens, OH
• Joint OCS/Ford Grant: Panorama City, CA