The Precision Technology and Management Grant provides reimbursement funds to permitted dairy farm businesses located in the Southeast.
Donor Name: The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/01/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Dairy businesses in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico are eligible. Applications must be submitted by current licensed dairy businesses only. For the purposes of evaluating eligibility, dairy businesses are considered to include companies that are engaged in the production and/or processing of milk for commercial consumption and are permitted to do so by state and federal authorities. Eligible businesses may be involved in the production or processing of milk from cattle, sheep, goats, water buffalos, camels, and other dairy species. Projects that involve investments related to the sale of raw milk for human or pet consumption are not allowed.
Funding Priorities
The purpose of awards in this category will be to support the utilization of precision technologies and management strategies to make dairy operations more sustainable and competitive in the Southeastern US.
Request For funds under this RFP should relate to one of the following areas and offer a justification for how the selected technology will:
- Improve animal health, wellbeing, and/or performance
- Enhance labor efficiency
- Reduce energy costs or environmental impact (i.e. carbon-footprint or GHG emissions) by making production activities more efficient
- Increase utilization of the farm’s land base.
- Note: Requests must also include justification for why the particular technology is being included.
Below is a listing of possible projects that could be eligible for this funding:
- Wearable technologies (animal movement trackers, estrus detection devices)
- GPS-enabled technologies including service contracts
- Crop planting/harvesting
- Manure application
- Virtual fencing for grazed cattle
- Technology driven pasture, forage, and feed management systems
- Equipment to support automation and robotics for farm processes including (but not limited to):
- Automated feeding of youngstock
- Automated manure and nutrient management or application
- Technology-supported animal housing/cow comfort improvements, particularly as it relates to heat abatement
- Implementation of biotechnologies that can improve herd performance and longevity
- Genomic testing programs
- Technology and equipment that supports improved milk quality and production through automation of the milking process and milk prep procedures including:
- Teat prep technologies,
- SCC monitoring
- Automated/robotic milkers
- In-line milk metering and testing systems
- Business management improvements
- Inventory and financial analysis tools.
Funding Information
- $150,000 maximum award; 25% matching funds requirement; $1,500,000 available to award; At least 10 awards are expected to be made.
Applicants must provide a cash match of at least 25% of the requested grant funds. For instance, a grant application requesting $100,000 would require $25,000 in matching expenses. Please note that a 25% match on requested funds is the same as 20% of the total project cost. To illustrate this, they can see that $25,000 (the match) equals 25% of $100,000 (the request), and 20% of $125,000 (the total project cost). In some cases, it is easier to calculate the required match against the total project cost rather than against the request amount. Matching funds must be drawn from allowable grant expenses and therefore may not include costs for construction or labor from personnel employed by the grant applicant.
Eligible Applicants
Dairy businesses that operate a licensed dairy farm in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, or Puerto Rico are eligible to apply.
Eligible applicants may not have an immediate family member (i.e., parent, sibling, spouse, or child), working as an affiliated staff or faculty member with the SDBII, or serving on the award review committee.
Priority will be given to the following:
- Entities that received direct technical assistance through SDBII
- Dairy businesses with limited access to other forms of assistance
Previous awardees of SDBII grants may apply. Past awards and corresponding project completion will be taken into consideration when evaluating applications.
For more information, visit UTIA.
