21—52.23(159) Scoring criteria.

1. 52.23(1)  Application scoring. A scoring committee will be established by the department to evaluate applications on a scale of 0 to 100. Projects receiving a score below 70 will not be considered.

2. 52.23(2)  Scoring criteria. The department will use the following criteria to evaluate each application:

   1. a. The extent to which the project addresses the goals of the program to increase the sale of Iowa agricultural products, increase market access, diversify markets, or increase processing capacity: 20 points.
   2. b. The extent to which the project benefits Iowa including the potential to impact many farmers, both short-term and long-term impacts, and the possibility of creating jobs and investments: 20 points.
   3. c. The ability of the applicant to demonstrate sound business management, financial aptitude, and stability: 15 points.
   4. d. The sufficiency of the project’s budget and financing structure: 20 points.
   5. e. The sufficiency of the project’s proposed work plan and timeline including a detailed description of the steps the applicant will take to complete the project as well as estimated dates: 15 points.
   6. f. The extent to which measurable objectives can be determined that demonstrate the proposed project’s benefit to the agriculture community: 10 points.

[ARC 6552C, IAB 10/5/22, effective 11/9/22; ARC 7037C, IAB 5/31/23, effective 7/5/23]