Protecting Livestock from Avian Influenza Grant

The AGRI Protecting Livestock from Avian Influenza Grant, also referred to as the Protect Grant, helps Minnesota farmers and ranchers buy and install supplies or equipment to prevent the transmission of avian influenza on their farms. Apply by January 15, 2026.
Approximately $500,000 is available for this program. We expect to award 50 to 60 grants.You may request between $500 and $10,000 per farming operation.Only one application per operation.
A 20% cash match is required.You can use your related time and labor costs to reduce the cash match by up to $2,000.

https://www.mda.state.mn.us/agri-protecting-livestock-avian-influenza-protect-grant

Eligibility

To apply, you must:Be the principal operator of a livestock operation in Minnesota.
Produce and sell at least $1,000 of livestock products annually.

For the purposes of this grant, livestock means animals raised to produce fiber, meat, and animal by-products for sale or as breeding stock, including but not limited to beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, poultry, goats, mules, farmed cervids (deer, elk), ratites (flightless birds including emu), bison, sheep, horses, aquaculture, and llamas. Contact us with questions regarding the eligibility of other species.

Grant funds must be used to install measures to prevent the transmission of avian influenza at farms in Minnesota. Project examples include:Isolation/quarantine pens
Biosecurity signs
Throw out doors
Pest control
Update or maintenance of poultry barns including woven wire or fixing holes
Electronic animal ID systems (including readers and software)
Truck washes
Air filtration systems
Danish entry systems
Exclusion systems to help keep wild birds and vermin out of livestock facilities
Inflatables (to scare wild species away from poultry operations)
Lasers (to scare wild species away from poultry operations)
Sound machines (to scare wild species away from poultry operations)

Note:We issue payments on a reimbursement basis and not in advance.
You may only buy eligible items after grant contract agreements are signed by all parties.We expect to have contracts in place by May 2026.
Applying

Applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, January 15, 2026.Carefully read the full 2026 AGRI Protect Grant Request for Proposals (PDF) for eligibility, requirements, and priorities.
We encourage you to apply online.If you are a new user, you will need to create an account.
Once you are logged in, select “AGRI Protect Grant.”

Contact us if you need this information in an alternative format.