Closed

California state funding opportunity

2024 Dairy Digester Research and Development Program

CA Department of Food and Agriculture

  • Portal ID78174
  • Grant ID9566
  • StatusClosed
0 days — this opportunity has closed Fri, October 18, 2024
PostedJul 23, 2024 ClosesOct 18, 2024
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Competitive proposals usually start 6+ weeks out.

$8M Est. available funding
Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc. Award amount
Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc. Number of awards
50% Matching funds

Program summary

Synopsis

The California Department of Food and Agriculture's (CDFA) Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP), awards competitive grants to California dairy operations and digester developers for the implementation of dairy digesters that result in long-term methane emission reductions on California dairies and minimize or mitigate adverse environmental impacts.

The Budget Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 154, Chapter 43) appropriated $48 million from the California State Budget to CDFA for methane emissions reductions from dairy and livestock operations, which was distributed through the DDRDP and the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP). CDFA awarded half of these appropriations for the 2023 grant solicitation; the expected remaining funds from the appropriations to be made available through DDRDP and AMMP in 2024. However, the Budget Act of 2024 (Assembly Bill 107, Chapter 22) transferred the remaining half of funds for livestock methane reduction ($24 million) to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), to be allocated as $17 million in FY 2425, with an expected $7 million in FY 25-26. Given the current budget circumstances, please be aware awards and final grant agreements for 2024 DDRDP applicants are contingent upon the funding being available. If the expected $7 million is appropriated in FY 25-26, it will be applied to the 2024 AMMP and DDRDP grant rounds as originally intended. Approximately $8 million is expected to be available for the 2024 DDRDP. The AMMP will make available approximately $17.4 million, which includes additional Greenhouse Gas Reduction funds from the Budget as amended by Assembly Bill 179 to support non-digester practices that reduce methane from dairy and livestock operations. • CDFA will fund a maximum grant award of $1.6 million per project for DDRDP projects situated in dairy operations that have not received an AMMP award in the past. • Applicants who have previously accepted and successfully implemented an AMMP project are eligible for up to $1.0 million per project through 2024 DDRDP. • A minimum of 50% matching funds is required, with a limit of 25% for in-kind contributions. Please refer to the Cost Share section for more details. • The maximum project term is thirty (30) months. • The grant agreement term for awarded projects is anticipated to begin June 1, 2025, and end November 30, 2027. Grant funds cannot be expended before the start of the grant agreement or after the completion of the grant term. • CDFA may offer an award different than the amount requested. • Applicants may also be eligible for an additional funding opportunity through the Dairy Plus Program. The project site must be located on a commercial California dairy operation. Individuals and/or entities receiving grant award funds must be located in California with a physical California business address. A dairy operation is defined as an entity that operates a dairy herd, which produces milk or cream commercially, and whose bulk milk or bulk cream is received or handled by any distributor, manufacturer, or any nonprofit cooperative association of dairy producers. Existing milk producers, including California Native American Tribes, and dairy digester developers are eligible for this program. For more information please refer to the 2024 Dairy Digester Research and Development Program Request for Grant Applications.

Timeline

Key dates

  • July 23, 2024
    Opportunity posted to California Grants Portal
  • October 18, 2024
    Applications close
  • March 2025
    Expected award date

Who may apply

Eligibility

Eligible applicant types as published by the awarding agency:

  • Business
  • Individual
  • Nonprofit
  • Tribal Government
Additional info on eligibility
The project site must be located on a commercial California dairy operation. Individuals and/or entities receiving grant funds must be located in California with a physical business address. A dairy operation is defined as an entity that operates a dairy herd, produces milk or cream, and whose bulk milk or bulk cream is received or handled by any distributor, manufacturer, or any nonprofit cooperative association of dairy producers. 
Geography
The project site must be located on a commercial California dairy operation. Individuals and/or entities receiving grant award funds must be located in California with a physical California business address.

Awarding agency

Additional information

Agency name
CA Department of Food and Agriculture
Full announcement
View the full announcement ↗
Grantor contact
DDRDP Team
1-916-654-0466
cdfa.oefi_ddrdp_tech@cdfa.ca.gov

Funding

Funding source

Source
State
Funding method
Reimbursement(s)
Notes
Approximately $8 million is expected to be available for the 2024 DDRDP. The AMMP will make available approximately $17.4 million, which includes additional Greenhouse Gas Reduction funds from the Budget as amended by Assembly Bill 179 to support non-digester practices that reduce methane from dairy and livestock operations. If the expected $7 million is appropriated in FY 25-26, it will be applied to the 2024 AMMP and DDRDP grant rounds.

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