Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives Program (DBI) Fiscal Year 2026
Agricultural Marketing Service
Description
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for fiscal year (FY) 2026 from existing initiatives of the Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives Program: the California State University Fresno Foundation, the University of Tennessee, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and the University of Wisconsin.
These initiatives serve to:
• Diversify dairy product markets to reduce risk and develop higher value uses for dairy products;
• Promote business development that diversifies farmer income through processing and marketing innovation; and
• Encourage the use of regional milk production.
Approximately $12.65 million is available to fund these initiatives. In the FY 2025 application cycle, AMS funded four applications from the existing initiatives awarding a total of $11,040,000.
AMS strongly encourages DBI initiatives to prioritize subaward funding for projects that request equipment and infrastructure activities in their proposals for these FY2026 funds. See the DBI Specific Terms and Conditions for guidance on allowable equipment and construction costs. Equipment and infrastructure investments are critical to strengthening the dairy industry and overall dairy businesses capacity and DBI is currently uniquely positioned to offer such targeted funding opportunities.
Award amount
$2,300,000 – $3,450,000
Total program funding: $12,650,000
Eligibility
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 only from the existing four initiatives of the Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives program: the California State University Fresno Foundation, the University of Tennessee, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and the University of Wisconsin.
The state HOME program provides funding for housing rehabilitation, new construction, and acquisition and rehabilitation for multifamily projects; new construction and down payment assistance for single-family projects; first-time homebuyer down payment assistance, owner-occupied rehabilitation and tenant-based rental assistance programs; and predevelopment loans to CHDOs. All activities must benefit low-income renters, homebuyers or homeowners.
The HOME Program is a federal formula grant program that provides annual allocations to states to increase and preserve the supply of decent, safe, and sanitary affordable housing specifically for serving low-income [at or below 80 percent (80%) of Area Median Income (AMI)] and very low-income [at or below 50 percent (50%) of AMI] households. This NOFA is to make available unclaimed HOME 2024 NOFA Program Activities funding, on an over-the-counter basis, until the next HOME Program Activities NOFA is released or funds are exhausted. With this funding, the Department will award HOME funds to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis, in the form of loans/grants to fund Program Activities including first-time homebuyer programs, owner-occupied rehabilitation programs, and tenant-based rental assistance programs.
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for Regional Medical Libraries of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM).
Established in 1965 and organized geographically across the United States and its territories, the NNLM promotes and supports the initiatives, products, and services of the NLM and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Over the years, the network has expanded its impact through strategic partnerships with a broad array of member organizations, including health sciences, hospital, academic, and public libraries; health professionals; data organizations; and community-based groups.
The NNLM’s core mission is to enable the effective use of - and contribution to - health information and data made available by the NLM and NIH. The network achieves this by providing professional development for librarians and information specialists, and by supporting access to health information and outreach through libraries and community organizations. A central emphasis of the NNLM is increasing awareness of and engagement with NIH programs and resources.
While the NNLM has traditionally focused on promoting NLM-specific products, it is now poised to expand its reach across the broader NIH community. The network will play a vital role in disseminating research findings, fostering community engagement and partnerships, and supporting participation in local clinical research. In doing so, the NNLM will enhance public understanding of NIH’s contributions and increase the use of NIH-supported information and data resources.
The NNLM consists of three major components: 1) the Network Coordinating Center (NCC), 2) Regional Medical Libraries (RMLs), and 3) the Network Training Center (NTC). This announcement specifically pertains to RMLs, with companion NOFOs forthcoming for the NCC and NTC.
The RMLs will be responsible for generating and maintaining an active, engaged membership of organizations focused on biomedical health information and data dissemination, training, and literacy. The RMLs will work with the NCC and NTC to promote the activities, products, and services of the NLM as well as the NIH. The RMLs will work with the NCC to evaluate progress, performance, and impact of the Network, including the use of common metrics (standardized measures collected and reported), as well as proposed site-specific goals. The RMLs will collaborate with the NTC to identify training needs and execute professional development or information access programming.
The RMLs should have strong competencies in building and managing long-term partnerships with groups and organizations, deep understanding of biomedical information and data sciences, and institutional connections with a health science library.
Grant authority that allows NLM to forecast this opportunity is as follows: Medical Library Assistance Act of 1965 (MLAA, P.L. 89-291).
Arts and CultureLiteracy and LibrariesHealth and Medical
The purpose of the California Forest Improvement Program (CFIP) is to encourage private and public investment in, and improved management of, California forest lands and resources, to ensure adequate high quality timber supplies, related employment and other economic benefits, and the protection, maintenance, and enhancement of a productive and stable forest resource system for the benefit of present and future generations.
The program scope includes the improvement of all forest resources including fish and wildlife habitat, and soil and water quality. Cost-share assistance is provided to private and public ownerships containing 20 to 5,000 acres of forest land. Cost-shared activities include: Preparation of a Forest Management Plan by a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) and RPF Supervision of the following: Reforestation, Site Preparation, Trees and Planting, Tree Shelters, Stand Improvement, Pre-commercial Thinning or Release, Pruning, Follow-up (includes mechanical, herbicide and/or slash disposal follow-up), Forestland conservation practices / fish and wildlife habitat improvement Broadcast/controlled/cultural burning is not eligible for CFIP cost share.
Farming and AgricultureArts and CultureEnvironment and Conservation
Fund rice conversion projects on areas with highly organic soils in the Delta.
The goal of the Rice Incentive Program is to fund rice conversion projects on areas with highly organic soils in the Delta to 1) stop or reverse ongoing subsidence, 2) reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 3) maintain agricultural viability of land below sea level, and 4) provide overwintering habitat for resident and migratory birds. Rice projects should occur only on soils with a high percentage of carbon within the deeply subsided portion of the Delta. The Program is intended to support farmers, including historically underserved farmers, who otherwise cannot convert their fields to rice due to inability to pay or finance high upfront conversion costs. The Program will provide funding to two or three eligible entities that will work with farmers to convert their existing row crops to rice. Eligible entities include Federal, State and local public agencies including special districts and joint powers authorities and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. The selected eligible 2 entities must also provide technical assistance on rice farming, field conversion, and other related practices to enrolled farmers during the program.