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The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) distributes grants to dairy based farms and processors in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. We currently offer 2 different grant programs; please see the brief descriptions below and click on the individual grant program page to learn more.

Dairy Business Builder : WILL RE-OPEN IN AUGUST


This grant program is targeted at small-to-medium size farmers or processors. Projects should be aimed at diversifying on-farm activity, creating value-added products, enhancing dairy by-products or export programs. Awards of up to $100,000 in reimbursable grants will be made.



Upcoming Application Timeline:

Application materials available: August 28, 2023

Webinar hosted: Last week of August 2023

Applications due: October 18, 2023 by 5PM CT

Applicants notified by: November 27, 2023

Learn more about the Dairy Business Builder grant!

Dairy Industry Impact : WILL RE-OPEN IN AUGUST


This grant program will welcome applications in targeted topic areas that have the potential to positively impact the dairy industry as a whole. In the Fall 2023 grant cycle, applications will be accepted for projects related to exporting dairy products. Applicants may apply to both the Dairy Business Builder grant and the Dairy Industry Impact grant if they have two separate projects related to DBIA goals. All export applications will be evaluated under the Dairy Industry Impact program and companies are eligible to receive awards from both programs in one grant cycle. Awards of up to $100,000 in reimbursable grants will be made.


Upcoming Application Timeline:

Application materials available: August 28, 2023

Webinar hosted: Last week of August 2023

Applications due: October 18, 2023 by 5PM CT

Applicants notified by: November 27, 2023

Learn more about the Dairy Industry Impact grant!

Previous Award Recipients

In June 2023, DBIA announced the 26 dairy businesses which were awarded over $2.3 million in funding in the Dairy Business Builder Spring 2023 grant cycle.

In January 2023, DBIA announced the 31 dairy businesses which were awarded nearly $2.5 million in funding in the Dairy Business Builder Winter 2022 grant cycle.

In May 2022, DBIA announced the 38 companies and cooperatives which were awarded over $1.7 million in funding in the Dairy Business Builder Spring 2022 grant cycle.

In November 2021, DBIA announced the 4 companies and cooperatives which were awarded over $600,000 in funding in the first round of Dairy Industry Impact grants.

In June 2021, DBIA announced the 25 companies and cooperatives which were selected to receive Dairy Business Builder grants totaling more than $1 million.

In September 2020, in its first Dairy Business Builder grant cycle, DBIA awarded $230K to farms and processors in all five DBIA states.

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