MADISON, WIS. – The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance will give out a total of $1 million in grant funds during its 2022 Dairy Industry Impact competition.

Designed to help dairy businesses develop ideas and/or take on challenges that could potentially advance the industry as a whole, the grant program will be open to dairy manufacturers in five Midwest states: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Following a competitive review process, reimbursable grants of up to $250,000 each will be awarded.

The Dairy Industry Impact grant competition will begin on July 11, when applications will first become available on the DBIA website. Initial abstracts will be due Aug. 31, and successful applicants will be invited to submit full proposals for consideration by Nov. 3. 

The DBIA is a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.

“Bold innovation is key to the advancement of the dairy industry,” said WCMA executive director John Umhoefer. “These grants help entrepreneurs maximize the impact of their efforts and move the industry forward by sharing what they’ve learned.”

CDR director John Lucey said: “We are excited to see new ideas that could have a broader reach than just a single company and ultimately benefit a group of businesses, a region or an entire sector of the industry.”

Companies interested in applying for the grants can contact Vic Grassman, technology commercialization manager at the Center for Dairy Research, at vgrassman@cdr.wisc.edu, or Tom Guerin, of CDR’s senior management team, at tguerin@cdr.wisc.edu.

The US Department of Agriculture funds the DBIA, created in 2018 as part of the federal Farm Bill. Since its inception, the DBIA has awarded more than $3.7 million through 79 grants to dairy farms and businesses in the five participating Midwestern states. The program also provides technical assistance for dairy farmers and processors.