Dairy Business Innovation Alliance Grants Open August 4
Midwestern dairy businesses can prepare now to apply for a total of approximately $3 million across two direct-to-business grant programs offered by the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), opening August 4. The funding will be available to small- to medium-sized dairy farmers, manufacturers, and processors in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
The Dairy Business Builder and Dairy Industry Impact grant programs are administered by the DBIA, a partnership between the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR). Applicants interested in diversifying on-farm activity, creating value-added products, or enhancing dairy byproducts are eligible to apply for the Dairy Business Builder program. Applicants pursuing projects that could have a potential effect on the broader industry can apply for the Dairy Industry Impact grant program. Specific focus areas for the Dairy Industry Impact grants will be announced when the grant period opens. Applicants may apply to both grant programs and are eligible to receive awards of up to $100,000 from each offering.
Application materials for both grant programs will be available online at dbia.wisc.edu beginning August 4. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. (CT) on September 30. Prospective applicants are encouraged to register now for an informational webinar hosted by DBIA staff at 1:00 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday, August 5. The webinar will be recorded and accessible throughout the application period.
The DBIA is supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was created in the 2018 federal Farm Bill. Since then, the DBIA has awarded over $20 million across more than 250 grants to Midwestern dairy farms and businesses. The program also offers technical assistance to dairy farmers and processors in participating states. More information, including past project summaries and program impact, is available online at dbia.wisc.edu.