DATCP Dairy Processor Grant Application Open through January 7

 

 

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) invites Wisconsin dairy processors to apply for dairy processor grants through January 7, 2022. These grants aim to foster innovation, improve profitability, and sustain the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s dairy processing facilities.

Eligible applicants must operate a licensed dairy processing plant in Wisconsin that is engaged in pasteurizing, processing, or manufacturing milk or dairy products. Projects must increase harvest capacity or production. Funding from these grants can be used to address a wide range of dairy business needs such as food safety, staff training, plant expansion or modernization, and professional consulting services.

“Wisconsin’s dairy industry has been remarkably resilient throughout the pandemic, underscoring that America’s Dairyland isn’t going anywhere. Wisconsin’s dairy industry is our past and our present, and it’s our future, too,” said Gov. Evers. “Through these investments, we will continue to invest in industry innovation, bolster our economy, and support Wisconsin dairy farmers and producers, all while strengthening the future of Wisconsin dairy.”

“Since this program began in 2014, demands for grants have outpaced available funding,” said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “Our dairy processors here in America’s Dairyland have a healthy appetite to modernize and innovate. Governor Evers recognized this, and in the biennial budget, doubled the funding for the dairy processor grants from $200,000 to $400,000 annually.”

Grants will be awarded for projects up to $50,000 and two years in duration. Processors are required to provide a match of 20 percent of the grant amount. Recipients will be chosen through a competitive selection process.

The grant application is available at https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Growing_WI/DairyDevelopment.aspx. Applications are due to DATCP Grants Manager Ryan Dunn at ryand.dunn@wisconsin.gov by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 7, 2022. Grant recipients will be announced in February 2022.

In 2021, 15 companies received a total of $200,000 in grants. Since its inception in 2014, DATCP has received 118 grant proposals requesting more than $4.57 million. DATCP has funded 66 of those proposals totaling $1.3 million.