Missouri biofuel entities now eligible for $200K grant

In Missouri, the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority created the Biofuel Infrastructure Program to increase the availability of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel in the Show-Me State. MASBDA partnered with the Biodiesel Coalition of Missouri and the Missouri Corn Growers Association to stand up the grant program, which will support biofuel producers as they apply for federal infrastructure funding through USDA Rural Development’s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP).

The MASDBA Board of Directors has allocated up to $2 million statewide in grant funds that may be used to fulfill up to 25 percent of the cash match obligation required for the HBIIP. The maximum grant award is $200,000 for each business entity, regardless of the number of Missouri locations operated by that entity, selected for funding by the by HBIIP.

Eligible entities for the state BIP mirror those eligible for the federal HBIIP and include:

• Transportation fueling facilities – fueling stations, convenience stores, hypermarket retailer fueling stations, fleet facilities and similar entities with capital investments
• Fuel distribution facilities – fuel and biodiesel terminals, midstream partners and similarly equivalent operations.

MASBDA’s application for the BIP will be available soon. Applications will be considered at the July meeting of the MASBDA Board of Directors to allow agribusinesses to include the award documentation in their federal HBIIP application, which is due Aug. 13, 2020. The final amount awarded by MASBDA to each agribusiness will be contingent upon notice of funding from the USDA HBIIP, as well as a contract copy between the approved agribusiness and USDA.