The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) is a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) that develops and administers programs providing technical assistance as well as grants to dairy farms and businesses in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. To learn more about applying for a DBIA grant, click here.
The overall DBIA goal is to find ways to improve the profitability of
dairy farmers and processors. This goal is in alignment with the stated
objectives of the initiative.
The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill created the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative
to assist dairy farmers and dairy processors in creating new revenue
streams through farm diversification and the creation of “higher value”
food and beverage products containing a dairy ingredient. In 2019, the
USDA requested applications that resulted in the selection of three
locations as regional hosts for this initiative:
The 2018 Farm Bill lasts for five years.
For each year an award is made, the three regional centers of excellence will receive an equal amount of funding.
The terms of the award require a minimum of 50% of the funds to be distributed as grants to dairy based farms and processors.
Opportunities abound for U.S. goat and sheep cheese manufacturers to successfully compete with imported products through packaging improvements and retailer education, according to new market research released by the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA). (3/5/2024)
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The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR), announced 6 grants totaling $1.2 million for research related to dairy by-products and the bioeconomy. (1/15/2024)
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The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR), today announces 41 grants totaling nearly $4 million for farmstead operations and dairy processing businesses across the Midwest. (12/11/2023)
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The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) announced the 26 companies and cooperatives that have been selected to receive Dairy Business Builder grants totaling $2.3 million. This year’s awardees hail from all 11 states served by DBIA. (6/6/2023)
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) announced the thirty-one companies and cooperatives which, via a competitive review process, have been selected to receive grants totaling nearly $2.5 to support dairy farmers and processors. (1/4/2023)
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) today applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) direction of $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies to supplement the work of the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA). The additional $20 million in DBIA funding will support an expansion of the program’s service area to include Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio. Dairy businesses in broadened service area will also see a boost in direct-to-business grant funding available through DBIA.
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) announced the thirty eight companies and cooperatives which, via a competitive review process, have been selected to receive grants totaling over $1.7 million to support dairy farmers and processors. (5/19/2022)
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance cheered U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack’s direction of $80 million in American Rescue Plan funds to Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBII) first championed by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) in the 2018 Farm Bill. Four regional DBII programs, including the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance led by WCMA and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will be eligible to apply for up to $20 million in 2022.
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) announced the four companies and cooperatives which, via a competitive review process, have been selected to receive grants totaling over $600,000 to develop an innovative idea or tackle a challenge with the potential to advance the dairy industry. (11/8/2021)
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) announced the 26 companies and cooperatives which, via a competitive review process, have been selected to receive grants totaling $1.19 million. (7/1/2021)
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) helped pass a spending package in Congress that allocates $22 million in funding for the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives in 2021.
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) announced the 13 companies and cooperatives which, via a competitive review process, have been selected to receive grants totaling $230,000. (9/14/20)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the Center for Dairy Research and Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) have been awarded $6.13 million to support continuation of the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), serving Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. (8/20/20)
