One critical aspect of this work is investing in regional processing. To that end, NE-DBIC has two dairy processing grants that are open now:
Existing Dairy Processor Expansion Grant
$12 million in funding is available to help processing facilities located in the Northeast expand utilization of regionally sourced milk, with a focus on acquiring specialized equipment needed to increase processing capacity through volume expansion and existing product line expansion. Open to dairy processors in the Northeast, there are three tiers of funding available to accommodate processors of all scales.
The Request For Applications for this multi-tier grant is available now, and the first round of applications opens Thursday, March 16th. Please consider joining an informational webinar on March 15th at 11am.
Dairy Processing Research & Development Innovation Grant
$1 million in funding is available to conduct projects that support sustainability and innovation for Northeast dairy processors across a variety of scales. Open to licensed dairy processors and producer associations from the Northeast, grants will range from $75,000 to $250,000 with a 25% (cash or in-kind) match commitment required.