Choose Iowa Grants for Value-Added Agriculture and Dairy Innovation
Choose Iowa offers grants for value-added agriculture and dairy innovation.
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. 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.
Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant
The new 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.
Highlights
- $750,000 available funding
- The grants will be awarded to producers to purchase labor reducing technology for their dairy farm and/or on-farm processing equipment.
- Max up to $100,000 per grant awardee
- Producer must be able to provide a 1:1 match for the grant. In-kind contributions not accepted.
- Can be a mix of labor reducing technology and on-farm processing equipment but cannot exceed $100,000.
- Grant funds are paid out as reimbursement after grant project(s) are completed.
Producer requirements
- Must be located in Iowa.
- Business must be permitted by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
- Business must employ less than 50 individuals.
- Membership in Choose Iowa brand program NOT required.
The application period for the Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant closed at noon on Feb. 23, 2024.
Full details and requirements: Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant Guidelines
Choose Iowa Value-Added Grant
Choose Iowa Value-Added Grants increase sales of Iowa agricultural products by increasing production capacity or expanding market access for value-added projects.
Highlights:
| FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | |
| Funds available to award | $248,000 | $463,000 | $463,000 |
| Total funds requested | $1,308,150 | $1,286,217 | TBD |
| Projects awarded | 13 | 28 | TBD |
| Value of awarded projects | $860,956 | $1,413,952 | TBD |
Applications accepted:
- Mid-Oct. through mid-Dec. for Value-Added Grant
- (anticipated) mid-Dec. through end of Jan. or early Feb. for Dairy Innovation Grant
Contact
ChooseIowaGrant@IowaAgriculture.gov
How to apply for a Choose Iowa Grant
- Create an account
- Log into your account
- Click on the Grants tab
- Select the grant program
Other grants administered by IDALS:
Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program (RFIP)
Iowa Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI)
Other Iowa agriculture grant opportunities:
Butchery Innovation and Revitalization Program
Farmers Market Promotion Program
Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation grant resources
Iowa State University Extension & Outreach Funding Opportunities for Local Food Producers
HFFI Local & Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program - America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative
- Maximum awarded up to $25,000 per grant awardee
- Producer must be able to provide a 1:1 match for the grant. In-kind contributions not accepted.
- Grant funds are paid out as reimbursement after grant project(s) are completed.
- Projects cannot be in progress until a grant is awarded and must be able to be completed in 12 months or less.
- Membership in Choose Iowa brand program NOT required.
Full details and requirements: Choose Iowa Value-Added Grant Guidelines