Northeastern Dairy Product
Innovation Competition
Supporting entrepreneurs in the development of new dairy products using milk and dairy ingredients produced in the Northeast
The Northeast’s tradition of producing exceptional quality milk and dairy products has a strong regional and national reputation, and as local and artisanal products are mainstreamed and requested by consumers, the market potential for Northeastern dairy grows. Both at-home and institutional consumers are craving new versions of dairy products and as a result, dairy entrepreneurs, including organic and small farms, need business and technical support to pursue value-added enterprises.
The Competition
The Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition ran in 2023 to support innovators developing new value-added dairy products using milk and/or dairy ingredients produced in the Northeast.
In this competition, 10 finalists received $20K in participant support, as well as business incubation services such as product prototyping and optimization, food safety and compliance training, and help developing a business plan for bringing products to market. Three finalists were selected to receive an additional $55K and given a presence at the Dairy Innovation Showcase at the 2023 Grow-NY Summit.
Competition Timeline
January 30, 2023
Applications Open
(Applications close
March 31, 2023)
April 2023
Participant Selection
(up to 10)
May – July 2023
Mentoring & Business Trips*
August 2023
Winners Selected
(up to 3)
November 2023
Winners featured at
Grow-NY Summit
(November 14-15, 2023)
* Includes stops at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Food Processing and Development Lab
Business Development and Mentoring
As part of an eight-week accelerator experience leading up to an in-person pitch competition, the 10 finalists received mentoring from industry leaders, along with Cornell’s Entrepreneurs in Residence, with support from Cornell CALS Food Science faculty. In addition, finalists did product development work at the university’s Food Processing and Development Lab (FPDL), a licensed New York State dairy plant equipped with a wide selection of pilot-scale equipment.
Eligibility
The Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition is open to all startups located in any state in the United States that are pre-formation or early-stage, have a viable product and scalable business model, and are ready to commit to scaling their products if they are selected as finalists, utilizing milk and/or dairy ingredients produced in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont in their production.
Judging Criteria
- Dairy Product Concept and Execution
- Dairy Product Innovation or Improvement
- Viability of Commercialization and Business Model
- Use of Dairy Ingredients
- Consumer Value
2023 Judges
John Chrisman
CEO,
American Dairy Association North East
Sue Miller
Co-owner,
Birchrun Hills Farm and cheesemaker
Anson Tebbetts
Secretary,
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
Winners
A panel of judges selected three winners who received an additional $55K in funding and continued technical support to execute their go-to-market strategy.
This program is generously funded by the USDA’s Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
