In the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress directed USDA to develop a $400 million Dairy Donation Program to facilitate dairy product donations and reduce food waste.
Under this new program, eligible dairy organizations partner with non-profit feeding organizations that distribute food to individuals and families. Those partnerships may apply for and receive reimbursements to cover some expenses related to eligible dairy product donations.
Interested partnerships must apply for program participation by submitting completed Dairy Donation and Distribution Plan Form and Eligible Distributor Certification Form. See below for information on how to apply and the claim reimbursement.
Interim Final Rule
Program Forms
Please download the latest version before completing and submitting a form.
Submit the following to apply for program eligibility:
Once approved for program eligibility, submit the following to receive reimbursement:
- Reimbursement Claim Form (xlsx) - updated 3/10/2023
Submit all forms to DDP@usda.gov. In addition, for the Dairy Donation and Distribution Plan Form, please create and email a password in a separate email to DDP@usda.gov.
Sample Forms
- Dairy Donation and Distribution Plan Form - Sample (xlsx)
- Eligible Distributor Certification Form - Sample (xlsx)
- Reimbursement Claim Form - Sample (xlsx)
More Help on DDP Forms
- DDP Form Overview - Plan (pdf)
- DDP Form Overview - Certification Form (pdf)
- DDP Form Overview - Claim Form (pdf)
- Step-by-Step Detailed Explanation of DDP Forms (pdf)
The Dairy Donation Program forms were developed and tested in the Subscription Product of Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise. To make the forms as efficient and useful as possible for participants with real time feedback to the eligible dairy organizations (EDOs) regarding their reimbursement claims without utilizing macro-enabled Microsoft Excel Workbooks, some advanced features were required to be utilized that were not available in earlier versions of such software. Additionally, Reimbursement Claim Forms are correlated to approved Dairy Donation and Distribution Plan. This helps to provide integrity to the system and speed up the processing and review phase of the claims to speed the time in which reimbursement payments can be processed and executed. Nonetheless, if you do not have the version of software necessary for all features to work correctly, you should still be able to complete the forms. Some of the dropdown lists and calculations will not work properly; however, you will still be allowed to manually type in the information.
Additional Program Information and Resources
- Dairy Donation Program (DDP) Overview (pdf)
- Webinar: USDA’s Dairy Donation Program (DDP)
- Dairy Donation Program (DDP): What Do I Need to Know? - updated 7/8/2022
- What Dairy Products are Eligible for Reimbursement?
- Retroactive Reimbursements
- Quarterly Reports
- August 25, 2021 - Press Release - USDA Establishes Dairy Donation Program, Part of Continuing USDA Pandemic Assistance
- USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers
Contact Information
- Emily DeBord: 202-658-9369
Send inquiries to: DDP@usda.gov