By Ali Boochever, Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces two current or upcoming grants for cow, goat, and sheep dairy processors. Find the Request for Applications (RFA) for the grants below, plus our full funding calendar, on our NEW website: nedairyinnovation.com/grants
Existing Dairy Processor Expansion Grant
With a goal to diversify and strengthen the supply chain for dairy farmers and consumers, this grant offers existing dairy processors across the Northeast funding to acquire specialized equipment needed to increase the processing capacity of regionally produced milk and other activities to support expansion and meet demand.
The RFA for the single-stage Tier 3 application for smaller processors whose volume of milk utilized on an average production day is under 1,000 pounds, is available until the application closes on August 24, 2023 at 2:00 PM ET. Awards for Tier 3 will range from $25,000 to $250,000, with a 25% match requirement.
Dairy Packaging Innovation Grant
Northeast dairy businesses looking for sustainable product packaging solutions can now apply for the Dairy Packaging Innovation Grant. This program provides funding to support modernized, climate-forward dairy packaging initiatives that prioritize sustainability, scalability, and marketability. Eligible applicants include dairy processors that transform fluid milk, dairy components, or dairy mix sourced from the Northeast, dairy producer associations, packaging manufacturers, supply chain businesses, and educational/research institutions that partner with at least one Northeast dairy processor.
The RFA for the first round of this two-step application process is available now and pre-applications for the first round of this two-phase application process are due by August 24, 2023 at 2:00 PM ET. Following the review of pre-applications, a subset of applicants will be invited to submit a full application beginning in mid-September to mid-November.
Awards will range from $75,000 to $350,000 with a 25% (cash or in-kind) match commitment required.
For more information about these grants, contact the NE-DBIC team at agr.dairyinnovation@vermont.gov
USDA Announces Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives Funding
By Katie Spring, Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
The USDA announced a fifth round of funding for the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBII), and we’re excited to report that the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) is invited to apply non-competitively to receive $7 million to support regional dairy.
Upcoming grants through this round are expected to focus on continued support for resiliency and climate-forward dairy supply chain improvements, within three primary areas: farm investments, processing investments, and workforce development.
As USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt said, “This program is a great example of USDA’s efforts to build capacity from the bottom up and the middle out by supporting small and mid-sized dairy operations.”
The DBII was established in the 2018 Farm Bill. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets was awarded to host a DBII, and NE-DBIC received our first round of funding in 2019. To date, the center has received $38.77 million for projects extending through 2026. In Vermont, over $5.4 million have been distributed to Vermont farmers, processors, and service providers, representing 86 grant projects and contracts.
This $7 million represents the final round of funding from the 2018 Farm Bill. The upcoming 2023 Farm Bill will determine how and if the DBII continue forward in our work to increase dairy resiliency across the region.