Dairy Food Safety & Certification Grant

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the availability of funds through the Dairy Food Safety & Certification Grant program to provide grants for dairy farmers, processors, dairy brands, and/or producer associations to take actionable steps to improve the safety of dairy products. The program may address biosecurity or food safety, including written plan development, training, technical assistance, certain infrastructure improvements, special testing costs, and audits or certifications.

The grant is intended for dairy businesses that are already meeting baseline food safety and/or biosecurity standards to take steps to further reduce risks or meet standards beyond those required, such as third-party audits or other certifications. Projects can also focus on food safety or biosecurity improvements that allow for increased market access or improved marketability of products. The grant can be used for training on food safety or biosecurity, getting expert help or technical assistance, creating or improving food safety plans and programs, preparing for and completing audits and certifications, and improving facilities and equipment to reduce risk.

This grant is not for production or processing start-up, nor should it be used for ongoing costs associated with standard food safety compliance, such as routine testing or training or repair of facilities or equipment. Applicants must be able to show that they are already meeting baseline food safety standards for their current markets. Projects that increase marketability of dairy products will be prioritized, as will projects that improve food safety or biosecurity for multiple businesses.

Status: Applications for this grant opportunity are closed.

Applicants eligible for these funds must fall into at least one of the following categories:

1. Dairy farmers (producers) that are headquartered or based in the Northeast; produce milk within the Northeast; and are licensed dairy operations in compliance with all required state and federal standards.

2. Dairy processors that transform raw fluid milk, dairy components, or dairy mix into an edible product meant for human consumption; are headquartered or based in the Northeast; source or produce milk or dairy components from within the Northeast; manufacture products within the Northeast; and are currently licensed as a dairy processor either in a way that their dairy products can be sold across state lines, or to sell within their own state where the project will move them toward interstate licensing.

3. Dairy brands that market Northeast dairy products produced by a licensed dairy processor under a co-packing or other arrangement — a business that develops and markets dairy products but may not operate its own processing facilities, owning the rights to its products' recipes, branding, and distribution. Eligible if the project primarily benefits at least one dairy product for human consumption produced by an eligible Northeast processor, and a Letter of Commitment from the partner processor is included. White-label retailers who rebrand another company's products without owning exclusive rights are not eligible.

4. Producer associations that represent, support, or promote dairy products originating from the Northeast. Eligible if the project will benefit multiple Northeast dairy producers or processors; at least two Letters of Commitment or Support from benefiting dairy producers or processors are included; and the association does not receive the majority of its funds from producer check-off dollars.

Grants are available to applicants in all 11 Northeast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

• Grants range from $10,000 to $75,000

• A 25% (cash and/or in-kind) match commitment is required

• Available funds: $525,000

• Grant fund disbursement: funds are distributed over three payments across the project. Unless otherwise arranged with the grant program manager, the default structure is 40% of grant funds upfront, 40% mid-project, and 20% once the grant is complete. NE-DBIC grants are deliverable-based — claims for payment can be submitted when outcomes related to grant activities are completed.

• Project length: 6–12 months depending on the applicant's needs. Pre-award costs may be available with permission from the NE-DBIC grant program manager.

• Key dates (2025 round): RFA released February 11, 2025; application period opened February 27, 2025; application closed April 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET; applicants notified of award status early June 2025; estimated grant start July 2025; interim report due November 2025 – January 2026 (project-dependent); project end date January – July 2026 (project-dependent); final report due February – August 2026 (project-dependent).

• Funding source: the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center, made possible by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) award AM23DBIVT1018-00. NE-DBIC is hosted by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) and is one of four USDA-AMS Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives in the nation; since its inception in 2019 it has received $53 million to support Northeast projects.

Applications for this grant opportunity are closed. When open, the process is:

1. Review the full Request for Applications (RFA) for complete details on eligible projects/applicants and the full application process.

2. Register in WebGrants at https://agriculturegrants.vermont.gov/ (registration may take up to two business days; allow 1–2 business days before you can log in to start an application).

3. Complete your application in WebGrants using NE-DBIC's Application Guide (https://nedairyinnovation.com/resources/applicants-recipients/).

Applications require a project budget, project partners, Letters of Commitment and Support, and supporting documentation. Applicants who do not already have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through SAM.gov are strongly encouraged to start that process during the application period to ensure a timely start to their grant if awarded. Program questions: Ben Eldredge, Grant Program Manager, ben.eldredge@vermont.gov, (802) 522-9478, or book an appointment to talk (https://outlook.office365.com/bookwithme/user/de4f806b01054dc88b075990758c62ff@vermont.gov?anonymous&ep=plink). WebGrants technical help: Maggie Ericksen, maggie.ericksen@vermont.gov, (802) 480-1268. Support is generally available Monday–Friday, 7:45 AM – 4:30 PM ET.

• Program page: https://nedairyinnovation.com/grants/dairy-food-safety-certification/

• Full 2025 RFA: https://nedairyinnovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NE-DBIC-Dairy-Food-Safety-and-Certificaiton-FY25-RFA-1.pdf

• Resources for Grant Applicants and Recipients (WebGrants application guide): https://nedairyinnovation.com/resources/applicants-recipients/

• NE-DBIC grants index and funding calendar: https://nedairyinnovation.com/grants/