Announcing the Dairy Product Trade Show Assistance Grant Awards
By Ali Boochever, Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center is pleased to announce recipients of the Dairy Product Trade Show Assistance Grant.
This grant supports value-added dairy processors by providing them with funds to showcase their regionally produced dairy products at domestic and international business-to-business trade shows. The goal is to increase brand exposure, engage with distributors, and capture new market segments.
In this round, seven dairy processors from across the region were selected for awards. The recipients represent four states, including: Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. These awardees will be exhibiting their products, offering samples, and engaging with potential wholesale customers and distributors while amplifying their brand visibility.
The grant funds cover various costs associated with attending trade shows including registration fees, booth fees, travel expenses, product samples, marketing materials, professional branding services, booth set-up, and more. Awards ranged from $5,000 to $20,000, with a total of $105,224 in overall funding.
Two Vermont businesses received awards:
Vermont Cheese Council – $8,975 to represent and exhibit Vermont cheeses at the American Cheese Society (ACS) Conference’s “Meet the Cheesemaker” event. They will also create and share information about the Vermont Cheese Summit and Vermont Cheese Week to retail and distribution buyers to drive attendance to these events.
Grafton Village Cheese Co – $18,205 to exhibit their cheeses at trade shows including the Summer Fancy Food Show, Good Food Mercantile, and the “Meet the Cheesemaker” event at the American Cheese Society (ACS) Conference. Grafton Village Cheese will target retailers, distributors, media representatives, and restaurants to reinforce brand awareness, reach new markets and customers, and promote sheep milk cheeses.
A new round of this grant is open now. Rolling applications are open from August 6 through November 28, 2024, at 2 PM ET, or until funds run out. Learn more at nedairyinnovation.com/grants/trade-show-assistance-grant
Current & Upcoming Dairy Grants
By Ali Boochever, Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
At NE-DBIC, our goal is to help dairy farms and processors innovate to become more sustainable and resilient. Whether you’re looking for funding to purchase specialized equipment, to implement an innovative practice, or to receive technical assistance, consider applying for an NE-DBIC grant. Access full details and Requests for Applications online at nedairyinnovation.com/grants
Open Funding Opportunities:
Innovation in Dairy Processor and Packaging Grant
This grant will provide funds for dairy processors, dairy producer associations, and educational research institutions to conduct research and development projects that support innovation for Northeast dairy processors of various scales. Projects funded through this program will help dairy processors gain knowledge that will allow them to make informed, long-term business investments with positive environmental and/or economic impacts.
Funded projects will focus on developing alternatives to current industry standards through initiatives that are applicable, scalable, and replicable to other Northeast dairy processors. Each project must include an educational or information-sharing component for other regional dairy processors. Projects should increase collaboration across the dairy sector to ensure the greatest number of businesses benefit.
All projects must:
- Demonstrate sustainability, scalability, and marketability at the forefront.
- Demonstrate accessibility of packaging innovation, particularly for the scale of processors in the Northeast.
- Include an educational/knowledge sharing component for the industry. This does not exclude the ability for the grantee to acquire patent protections for technologies developed within this grant project.
- Incorporate partnership across sectors (minimum of one dairy processor as a key partner, if applicant is not a dairy processor).
Priority will go to:
- Projects that support modernized packaging initiatives prioritizing sustainability, scalability, and marketability for small and mid-sized processors
- Projects that partner across the dairy and packaging manufacturing sectors and can demonstrate positive impact on multiple dairy businesses and supply chain partners.
The application deadline is October 31, 2024 at 2 PM ET. Awards range from $75,000 to $350,000, with a 25% match commitment. Approximately $1,500,000 in total funds are available this round.
Dairy Trade Show Assistance Grant
This grant will provide funds for dairy processors and/or producer associations to exhibit and sell value-added dairy products at domestic and/or international business-to-business trade shows. This grant will support established value-added dairy processor businesses and producer associations in increasing exposure and promotion of their regionally produced dairy products.
Grant funds will cover the cost of attending up to five tradeshows including registration, travel, costs of product samples, production and distribution of sell-sheets and other marketing materials, professional branding and design services, trade show booth set-up, and more. Trade shows must occur before June 30, 2025.
Applications are currently being accepted on a rolling basis until November 28, 2024 at 2 PM ET or until funds run out. Awards will range from $5,000 to $20,000 with a 25% match commitment. Approximately $150,000 total funds are available this round.
On-Farm Milk Storage and Handling Grant
This program will provide grants for dairy farmers to access funds that support the purchase of equipment and other related costs that will improve milk storage, handling, and energy efficiencies. The focus of this grant is on the purchase of specialized equipment. Applicants may select from a pre-approved list of eligible equipment. Projects funded by this grant will streamline milk pick up, create efficiencies around milk storage, and improve handling for both farmers and their processors.
The RFA will be released October 8 with an application period from October 24 to December 5, 2024 at 2 PM ET. Awards range from $15,000 to $50,000 with a 25% match commitment. Approximately $1,500,00 in total funds are available this round.