Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives Program (DBI) Fiscal Year 2023

Background
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 from existing initiatives of the Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives program: the California State University Fresno Foundation, the University of Tennessee, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and the University of Wisconsin. These initiatives serve to diversify dairy product markets to reduce risk and develop higher value uses for dairy products, promote business development that diversifies farmer income through processing and marketing innovation, and encourage the use of regional milk production.

Grant Details
Initiatives are expected to perform projects from FY 2023 through FY 2026. Initiatives are also expected to submit a noncompeting application for each fiscal year in which the DBI Initiatives are appropriated funds. Approximately $23 million is available in FY 2023 to fund applications under this solicitation. AMS encourages Initiatives to benefit small dairy farm businesses, underserved dairy producers, veteran dairy producers, underserved communities, and partner and/or collaboratives with Minority Serving Institutions that have the expertise and can provide direct or indirect technical assistance to dairy businesses. The USDA promotes climate‐resilient landscapes and rural economic systems, including tools to support agriculture, forests, grazing lands, and rural communities. AMS encourages applicants to consider including goals and activities related to mitigating or adapting to climate change in their project’s design and implementation.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants are current initiatives at: The California State University Fresno Foundation, The University of Tennessee, The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, and The University of Wisconsin. These initiatives were competitively selected in FY2019 (TN, VT, and WI) and FY2021 (CA) to fulfill the purpose of the program. An applicant may subcontract or subaward with partners and collaborators.

Period of Performance
The period of performance for these awards is 3 years. The project period must begin no later than September 30, 2023 and end no later than September 29, 2026.

Grant Value
$23 million is available in FY 2023 to fund applications under this solicitation.