MADISON, WI – Midwestern dairy businesses can prepare now to apply for a total of at least $2 million in Dairy Business Builder grants offered by the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), opening February 23. 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 grant program is administered by 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, enhancing dairy byproducts, or creating or expanding an export program are eligible to apply for the Dairy Business Builder program. Applicants are eligible to receive awards of up to $150,000 each from the program.
Application materials will be available online at dbia.wisc.edu beginning February 23. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. (CT) on April 22. Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit dbia.wisc.edu now to view a short “Helpful Hints” video with useful information and tips for a strong grant proposal.
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 nearly $24 million across more than 290 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.
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