The Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (SDBII), with support from USDA AMS, offers grants to dairy businesses in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico. The program provides grant awards to revitalize and spur innovation in the dairy industry across the Southeast. The Dairy Industry Impact Grant provides reimbursement funds to permitted dairy businesses located in the Southeast who are seeking funds to undertake a project that will have far reaching direct impacts for many other dairy industry stakeholders.
The Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative is currently accepting letters of intent for the Dairy Industry Impact Grant. This grant is intended to support projects that will have an impact across the Southeast (impacting consumers and or consumers in a minimum of two southeastern states). Dairy businesses that operate a licensed dairy business in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, or Puerto Rico are eligible to apply.
If you are interested in applying for an award through the Dairy Industry Impact Grant program, you may submit a letter of intent and application. Applicants to this targeted funding program may apply for up to $500,000.00 in reimbursement funds to defray the costs of a project that will meet SDBII’s goals to a) diversify dairy product markets to reduce risk and develop higher value uses for dairy products; b) promote business development that diversifies farmer income through processing and marketing innovation; and/or c) encourage the use of regional milk supply.
The first step of the Dairy Industry Impact Grant Process is submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI). The letter of intent will not be binding in itself. However, should the project outlined in the LOI be funded, the full application will be used to draft a contract between the applicant and The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The active period of the grant contract will be 12-months. After the LOI submission due date, internal SDBII personnel will review the submitted materials and the applicants who are best aligned with the grant’s priorities will be invited to provide a full proposal to be considered for funding. The Dairy Industry Impact Grant call for letters of intent is currently open and will close on February 1st, 2026 at 5:00pm/ET.
The Budget Form, Application Scoring Rubric, Allowable Cost List from the USDA are all available below.
Application Portal
Register for an SDBII applicant profile and apply HERE.
2026 Foundant Quick Start Guide
Grant Workbook Components
Those considering applying for an SDBII grant should start the process of obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) as soon as possible. Award recipients will be required to provide a UEI before the grant contract can be executed. Wait times are currently several weeks long. Register at SAM.GOV
Program Contacts
Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, & Puerto Rico
Shep Stearns, Ansley Roper, & Liz Eckelkamp: sdbiigrants@utk.edu
Kentucky, Arkansas, Virginia, & West Virginia
Tori Embry: tembry@kydairy.org
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, & Mississippi
Brittany Whitmire & Stephanie Ward: ncdairyextension@ncsu.edu
Application Portal
Register for an SDBII applicant profile and apply HERE.