ITHACA, N.Y. — Applications are open for the Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition for producers of value-added dairy products. The competition supports food innovators in launching products made from dairy ingredients produced in the Northeast and gives dairy entrepreneurs, including those on organic and small farms, access to entrepreneurial and technical support. Finalists and winners […]
ITHACA, N.Y. — Applications are open for the Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition for producers of value-added dairy products.
The competition supports food innovators in launching products made from dairy ingredients produced in the Northeast and gives dairy entrepreneurs, including those on organic and small farms, access to entrepreneurial and technical support.
Finalists and winners will share in a total of $365,000 in awards that provide funding and technical support to bring value-added products to market. The initiative fast tracks products reaching the market while also increasing the utilization of milk produced in the Northeast.
“This competition provides an onramp to entrepreneurship for people passionate about meeting customer needs with high-quality dairy products,” Jenn Smith, director of food and ag startup programs at the Cornell University Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA), said in a release.
CREA is producing the competition in partnership with the Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center (NDFRC) supported by a $1 million grant from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC).
More information, including the application, is available at dairyinnovation.org.
The competition grants early-stage incubation assistance from Cornell’s business- and food-processing faculty, access to the university’s Food Processing and Development Laboratory, industry mentorship, and training on product prototyping and optimization, food safety and compliance, and business planning.
Along with access to Cornell facilities and faculty, finalists receive $20,000, and three winners receive an additional $55,000 and a spot at the Dairy Innovation Showcase at the 2023 Grow-NY Summit.
“This competition responds to a growing demand for innovative dairy products that reflect consumer preference for premium ingredients and positions the Northeast dairy community as a leader in entrepreneurship,” NDFRC Director Samuel Alcaine said.
The competition is open to all food innovators including small and organic farms, nonprofits, and dairy co-ops located in the United States that use or commit to using milk and/or dairy ingredients produced at dairies in New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont in their production.
“The high-quality milk our Northeast dairy farmers produce is an excellent ingredient for many value-added products,” NE-DBIC Director Laura Ginsburg said. “This competition, along with our specialized grants for dairy processors, creates more pathways for regional dairy processing that benefits farmers, consumers, and our regional economy.”