MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) invites Wisconsin dairy processors to apply for Dairy Processor Grants by noon on September 17, 2025. Due to the ongoing success of this program in supporting innovation at dairy processors across the state, Gov. Evers and the state legislature reached a bipartisan agreement to include additional funding in the 2025-2027 biennial budget. Dairy Processor Grants aim to foster innovation, improve profitability, and sustain the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s dairy processing facilities.
Eligible applicants must operate a licensed dairy processing plant in Wisconsin that is engaged in pasteurizing, processing, or manufacturing milk or dairy products. Funding from these grants can be used to address a wide range of dairy business needs such as food safety, staff training, plant expansion or modernization, and professional consulting services.
“Our state’s dairy processors understand that, to stay at the forefront of the industry, they need to be creative and innovative, and these grants help them do just that,” said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “Gov. Evers and the Wisconsin legislature recognize processors’ vital contributions to our dairy and agricultural supply chain, and, in the latest biennial budget they increased funding for these grants to $600,000 annually.”
DATCP will choose awardees through a competitive selection process to receive grants of up to $50,000 per project. Recipients need to provide a match of 20% of the grant amount.
The grant application and more information are available at https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/AgDevelopment/DairyProcessorGrants.aspx. Applications must be submitted to DATCP by 12 p.m. on Monday, September 17, 2025. Grant recipients will be announced in December 2025.
Since the program started in 2014, DATCP has received 267 Dairy Processor Grant proposals requesting more than $11.4 million and has funded 135 of those proposals totaling $3.2 million.
