New Biofuels Blending Infrastructure Grants Available

ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) plans to award up to $650,000 in Biofuels Blending Infrastructure Grants this year to help spur economic growth and environmentally friendly practices in Minnesota’s biofuel industries.

The grants are part of the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Grant Program which supports the advancement of the state’s agriculture and renewable energy industries.

Minnesota-based organizations eligible for the AGRI Biofuel Blending Infrastructure Grants include for-profit businesses, local units of government, and Native American Tribal Communities which are biofuel producers, petroleum fuel blenders or distributors, or businesses where blending and supplying fuel are central to operations.

“We’d like to see projects that will develop new or enhanced markets and that will help to increase sales or provide greater access to biofuel blends,” said MDA Grant Administrator Kevin Hennessy. “The grants can be used for equipment purchases and associated installation costs. Up to 35 percent of the eligible project costs can be covered by the grant program with a maximum possible award of $199,000.”

Equipment must be installed in Minnesota, be compatible with the biofuel-petroleum blends to be mixed, stored, or dispensed, and projects must continue to operate until the expiration of the grant contract.

Applications are due no later than 4:00 pm CST on Friday, April 5, 2019. More on the grant program information is available online.

About AGRI

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Program supports the advancement of Minnesota’s agricultural and renewable energy industries. AGRI has made significant economic impacts by supporting jobs, increasing productivity, improving efficiency, and assisting in the development of agricultural products. For more information about all the grants available through this program, visit the MDA website http://www.mda.state.mn.us/grants/agri.