USDA Rural Development announced the availability of $123 million in grant funding for meat processors through Phase 2 of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program—aka MPPEP II.
This program’s goal is to expand capacity for small- to medium-sized meat processors—so more animals can be processed more quickly, closer to where they were raised. If you currently harvest livestock under USDA or state inspection, or if you plan to, this grant program could be your ticket to accessing funding.
Below are some highlights drawn from USDA, including the MPPEP II Request for Application (RFA):
TIMELINE
- Released August 23, 2023 by USDA Rural Development
- Application Submission Deadline: November 22, 2023
HIGHLIGHTS
- Minimum Award Amount: $250,000
- Maximum Award Amount: $10,000,000
- Applicant’s Required Match: 70%
- USDA may reimburse up to 30% of a project
- Applicants will need to demonstrate an ability to fund the remaining 70%
- Project Completion Deadline: 4 years
ELIGIBILITY
- Engaged in commercial slaughter or commercial slaughter & processing
- Operating or planning to operate under USDA or state inspection
- You may apply for MPPEP II even if you applied for the USDA’s Local Meat Capacity or Indigenous Animals Grants, but you will only be allowed to accept one grant award—no double dipping
ALLOWABLE USES OF MPPEP II GRANT FUNDING
- Facilities: Building, Updating, Expanding, or Modifying
- Equipment & Technology
- Upgrading Your Facility’s Inspection Status
- Safety Equipment & Training
- Labeling & Packaging Compliance
- Staffing/Operating Costs
- Employee Recruitment, Training & Retention
- Note: All funded items must increase your facility’s slaughter capacity
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After a day of harvesting, butchers use a hoist and meat rail system to transfer quartered beef carcasses from their Friesla Mobile Harvest Unit into The Meating Place Butcher Shop in Hillsboro, Oregon. -
Butchers from Bear Mountain Beef in Hawk Springs, Wyoming, lower a knocked sheep onto a skinning cradle using a cable winch from their Friesla Mobile Harvest Unit. -
A meat processor transfers half of a beef carcass into the Drip Cooler of a Friesla Mobile Meat Harvest Unit. -
An exterior view of a Friesla Modular Meat Processing System, owned and operated by BRK Meats, a USDA-inspected meat processor in Carthage, Texas. -
Butchers prepare a freshly-harvested beef carcass for transfer on the meat rail to the hide removal station in a Friesla Harvest Module. -
Carcass Aging Cooler: Chilled carcasses are moved here for extended dry aging and staging prior to breakdown. -
A butcher from MTXBeef in Mason, Texas, arranges beef carcasses on the meat rail in their Friesla Carcass Aging Cooler Module. -
Cut & Package Module: Outfitted with all of the processing equipment needed for carcass breakdown, cutting/fabrication, and packaging under USDA inspection. -
Butchers break, cut, and package beef carcasses in a Friesla Cut and Package Module. -
Butchers fabricate a beef carcass into steaks and roasts on fully welded, polytop cutting tables in a Friesla Cut and Package Module. -
Finished Goods Freezer: Packaged meat is chilled to freezing temperatures by a self-contained refrigeration cooling system. -
Packaged meat is chilled to freezing temperatures by a self-contained refrigeration cooling system in the Finished Goods Freezer of The Producer Partnership’s Friesla Modular Meat Processing System in Livingston, Montana. -
A butcher from BRK Meats discusses meat processing operations with Friesla’s Founder & President Bob Lodder in a Friesla Primal Breaking Module. This Primal Breaking Module—where chilled carcasses are broken down and fabricated into primals prior to being placed into totes and shipped off site—is a key component of the Friesla Modular Meat Processing System owned and operated by BRK Meats, a USDA-inspected meat processor in Carthage, Texas. -
A butcher from MTXBeef in Mason, Texas, performs HACCP checks inside their Friesla Harvest Module.
QUALIFYING FRIESLA SYSTEMS, EQUIPMENT & SERVICES
- Mobile Harvest Units—known by USDA as Mobile Slaughter Units
- Mobile Harvest & Processing Units
- Meat Harvest Modules
- Carcass Aging Coolers
- Cut and Package Modules
- Finished Goods Freezers
- USDA HACCP Plans & Training
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLYING
- Slaughter is required; further processing is optional
- Must demonstrate that your project increases capacity for slaughter
- Some applicants may be required to submit a feasibility study as part of their application. See Section 4.2.3 of the RFA for details about when a feasibility study is required.
- Must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
- Must have a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
- Must be registered in SAM.gov (System for Award Management)—see Flower Hill Institute’s webinar for more info
- For more detailed info, watch Flower Hill Institute’s MPPEP Phase II Grant Program Applicant Webinar below:
FREE GRANT SUPPORT FOR MEAT PRODUCERS & PROCESSORS
- USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity—Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Program helps meat producers and processors with navigating federal grants, business planning, feasibility studies, and more. This free support can be accessed via USDA’s Technical Assistance providers. They range from Flower Hill Institute to the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN).
- As the MPPTA Coordinator, Flower Hill Institute has a contract with USDA to help processors locate technical assistance for feasibility studies and grant writing. To schedule a no-cost initial consultation with Flower Hill, complete their Technical Assistance Request Form.
- Even if you don’t plan to work with Flower Hill Institute, it may be helpful to register with them to stay up-to-date on grant opportunities and informational webinars.