From left, CAP Services’ Laura West, Little Food Co owner Amanda Santoro, and Mid-Day Women’s Alliance’s Kimberly Lee celebrate Little Food Co’s grand opening Saturday, Nov. 10, in Kaukauna. CAP recognized Little Food Co as its 2018 Business Growth and Readiness Grant contest winner during the event.

CAP Services has named Little Food Company of Kaukauna the winner of its 3rd Annual Business Growth and Readiness Grant contest.

CAP Services and its partners award the $1,000 grant each year, through a competitive application process, to a local business looking to grow and expand.

Founded on the idea that babies need real food, Little Food Company makes organic, gluten-free, vegan and allergen-free baby food. It originally sold them at the Appleton Farmers Market, but recently made the leap to a modern FDA-licensed food production facility in downtown Kaukauna to allow it to expand wholesale accounts through food distributors servicing specialty grocers throughout Wisconsin.

“We’re proud of our beautiful new facility, “ said Amanda Santoro, founder of the Little Food Company, local labor and delivery nurse, and mother of four. “This provides the capacity we needed to scale up production of premium quality food to nourish growing babies and their health conscious families throughout Wisconsin and beyond.”

Little Food Company purees are now available at The Free Market in Appleton, Willy Street Co-Op’s in Madison, and through home delivery subscription plans at LittleFoods.com.

In addition to the grant, the award include over $2,500 in business coaching services, growth opportunities, and other prizes.

In June, Little Food Co received grant funding from Mid-Day Women’s Alliance, who worked with CAP to administer a $1,500 Fox Cities’ Women’s Entrepreneurship Grant Program. Additional funding has come through grants from Doyenne Group and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, as well as business loans from CAP Services and City of Kaukauna RACK funds.

Little Food Co also gained support and recognition in the start-up community through gBeta, Governors Business Plan Contest, Willy Street Co-Op’s Retail Ready Lab, and the Wisconsin Food and Beverage Industry (FaBcap).

CAP Services’ Business Development program provides services to start-up and expanding businesses, including business plan development, financial analysis and finance packaging that can include working capital and gap financing, marketing plans and one-on-one technical assistance. The services are provided free to low-income entrepreneurs or to businesses that create living wage jobs for low-income individuals.