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.
Amount available
Approximately $250,000 is available for this program. We expect to award 25 to 35 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.
Eligibility
To apply, you must:
- Be a resident of the state of Minnesota, a business entity authorized to farm in Minnesota, or a unit of Tribal government.
- Be the principal operator of a livestock operation in Minnesota.
- Hold an appropriate feedlot registration when applicable.
- Sell at least $1,000 of livestock products annually or normally would sell at least $1,000 of livestock products in a typical year.
- Meet the requirements of the Pre-award Risk Assessment.
NOTE: For this program, 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.
Project examples
- 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)
- Security systems
- Personal protective equipment (barn specific boots, coveralls, boot washing station, etc.)
- Cleaning and disinfected equipment and tools
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 2027.
Applying
Applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
- Carefully read the full AGRI Protecting Livestock from Avian Influenza Grant 2027 Request for Proposals (PDF) for eligibility, requirements, and priorities.
- Apply for the AGRI FY27 Protecting Livestock from Avian Influenza Grant using our online application system.
- If you're a new user, you need to create an account first.
- Once logged in, select "AGRI FY27 Protecting Livestock from Avian Influenza Grant."
- After you've submitted your application, you should receive a confirmation email. If you don't, contact us.
Contact us if you need this information in an alternative format.
Review process
A review committee evaluates all eligible applications based on the Project Evaluation Profile in the Request for Proposals (RFP). The commissioner of agriculture considers the committee’s recommendations and makes award decisions. The process may consider geographic distribution, type of operation, applicant’s history as a previous grantee, and capacity to perform the work.
