The Choose Iowa Grants exist to identify, evaluate and financially support programs and services that add value to agricultural products, enable new technologies and support alternative marketing strategies.
Donor Name: Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
State: Iowa
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/27/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
These cost-share grants leverage additional private investment and were created to assist Iowa farmers, businesses and non-profits with their efforts to increase or diversify their agricultural product offerings, expand markets and shorten the supply chain.
The Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant awards financial assistance to eligible businesses engaged in projects that do one or more of the following:
- Expand or refurbish existing milk plants or establish a new milk plant.
- Expand or refurbish existing mobile dairy processing units or establish new mobile dairy processing units.
- Rent buildings, refrigeration facilities, freezer facilities or equipment necessary to expand dairy processing capacity, including mobile dairy or refrigeration units used exclusively for dairy processing.
- Incorporate methods and technologies that reduce farm labor associated with milk production and storage, including but not limited to the use of robotics and processes or systems that operate using computerized equipment or machinery.
Funding Information
Grant funding can be for a maximum of $100,000.
- Applicants must provide a minimum of one-to-one (1:1) financial match from private sources such as cash, financing or other non-government grant funds for total project costs. In-kind contributions are not accepted.
- Additional points will be awarded to applicants that provide more than the required match amount.
- All grants will be paid out on a reimbursement basis. Preference will be given to small and medium sized businesses.
- Consult your legal or financial advisor regarding financial or tax considerations for any funds received.
Grant Examples
- Farmer A is purchasing a $120,000 rotary cup filling machine to fill his yogurt packages. Farmer A is requesting $50,000 in grant funding for his project. Farmer A must have $50,000 of his own funding with either personal cash or financing to receive the $50,000 for grant funding.
- Farmer B is purchasing a health monitoring system for $65,000. Farmer B is requesting $32,500 for her project. Farmer B must have at least $32,500 in funding with personal cash or financing to receive the $32,500 for grant funding.
- Farmer C is purchasing two milking robots for a total of $380,000 to increase his efficiency on the farm. Farmer C can only apply for a maximum grant funding of $100,000. Farmer C must provide the remaining $280,000 from his own funding with cash or financing to receive $100,000 in grant funding.
Grant Period
Projects cannot be in progress before a grant is awarded and must be able to be completed in 12 months or less.
Eligible Projects
Projects must address at least one goal or more to:
- Create new jobs.
- Create or expand opportunities for local small-scale milk producers to market pasteurized milk and milk products under private labels.
- Provide greater flexibility or convenience for local small-scale farmers to have milk processed.
- Reduce labor associated with the on-farm production and storage of milk.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- On-farm processing equipment or infrastructure such as:
- Pasteurization equipment
- Processing vats
- Packaging and labeling equipment
- Labor reducing equipment or technology such as:
- Milking robots
- Health monitoring technology or activity systems
- Automatic feed systems
- Cleaning assistance tools
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Be an individual, business, agricultural cooperative, non-profit organization or local government.
- Be in good standing with the State of Iowa.
- The business must not currently be in bankruptcy.
- Currently reside or conduct business in Iowa.
- The business must not have been subject to any regulatory enforcement action related to federal, state, or local environmental, worker safety, food processing, or food safety laws, rules, or regulations within the last five years.
- Business must be permitted by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship or in the process of obtaining a permit.
- Project must be permitted activity.
- Not be an IDALS employee or immediate family member of an IDALS employee.
- Applicant must be able to provide a one-to-one (1:1) financial match for the grant. In-kind contributions not accepted.
- Membership in Choose Iowa brand program NOT required but encouraged.
- Business must employ less than 50 individuals.
For more information, visit IDALS.
