Oct
Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center Opportunities
Dairy Business Viability & Technical Assistance Grant
This grant will fund dairy processors, producer associations, supply chain businesses, and technical assistance providers in order to enhance dairy farmer and processor business operations and strengthen market opportunities. Projects funded through this program will coordinate technical assistance to benefit multiple dairy producers and processors with the goal of increasing consumption, sales, jobs, and diverse markets for regionally produced dairy products. Technical assistance services could include enhancing business plans, facility operations, marketing, distribution, processing, and product offerings.
Grants available of $10,000 – $100,000.
RFA now available. Application period: October 26 – December 7, 2021
https://agriculture.vermont.gov/dbic/activities/dairy-business-viability-technical-assistance-grant
Dairy Food Safety & Certification Grant
This grant will provide dairy farmers, processors, and/or producer associations with funds needed to take actionable steps to improve the safety of dairy products. Projects funded through this program will support increased production safety standards with the goal of accessing new markets. Projects that increase marketability of dairy products will be prioritized. Activities covered by this grant include accessing technical assistance, audits, food safety plan development, training, testing fees, and certain infrastructure upgrades.
Grants available of $10,000 – $40,000.
RFA now available. Application period: October 26, 2021 – February 3, 2022
https://agriculture.vermont.gov/dbic/activities/dairy-food-safety-certification-grant
Service providers across the Northeast are invited to submit proposals for contracts to offer localized cohort-based technical assistance for dairy farmers considering transitioning their farm to a grass-based production model, improving forage management, or other innovative on-farm practices.
Contracts available up to $150,000.
Question and comment period: October 1 – October 29, 2021
Deadline to submit proposals: November 29, 2021
https://agriculture.vermont.gov/transition-grazing-cohort-ta-contract
Northeast Dairy Processor Survey
The NE-DBIC invites dairy processors to complete a 10-minute survey by October 26 to help us better understand the landscape of Northeast processors’ marketing and branding efforts. Contractor Metro Tribal will use the results to develop case studies and toolkit resources for Northeast dairy businesses to use to improve the effectiveness of their marketing and branding activities. Survey respondents will benefit from receiving the aggregated survey results directly and could be approached to be featured in a case study.