Executive Summary:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for the fiscal year (F) 2023 Local Meat Capacity Grants (Local MCap). This program supports independently owned meat and poultry processing businesses with funds to provide more and better processing options for local livestock producers by modernizing, increasing, diversifying and decentralizing meat and poultry processing capacity, including support for rendering.
Approximately $75 million is available under this grant program, subject to appropriations and funds availability. Awards will range from $100,000 to $5 million for Processing Expansion Projects to support a wide range of activities to increase and diversify processing capacity, including equipment purchases (including equipment-only purchases over $250,000) and building and facilities upgrades. A non-Federal match of 50% of the total proposed project cost (with a reduced match for underserved producers and business owners) is reqwired for the Processing Expansion Projects (see section 4.1).
AMS is also offering a Simplified Equipment-Only application with no matching funds requirement for projects that solely request the cost of equipment and range from $10,000 to $250,000, and do not include renovation or staffing costs. This option is designed to reduce administrative burden for the recipient.
AMS will award competitive grants to eligible applicants that submit high quality proposals that meet the purpose and program requirements for this program. This announcement provides eligibility criteria for applicants and projects, details on match requirements, and the forms and instructions required to apply for an award. Eligible entities are those engaged in meat and poultry processing, including rendering animal carcasses or byproducts. Eligible entities may be Tribes and Tribal Entities, for-profit entities, non-profit entities, and State or local government entities (more detail in section 3.1). Up to 10% of available funds may be awarded to rendering projects.
AMS will prioritize applications from applicants that engage with underserved producers. AMS also encourages applications that support smaller farms and ranches in the region, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, veteran producers, and/or underserved communities. For grants intending to serve these entities, applicants should engage and involve those individuals and groups when developing project applications.
USDA promotes climate-resilient landscapes and rural economic systems, including tools to support agriculture, forests, grazing lands, and rural communities. AMS encourages applicants to consider including goals and activities related to mitigating or adapting to climate change in their project's design and implementation
AMS offers no-cost technical assistance to meat and poultry processor applicants through its Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA). Applicants are encouraged to contact the MPPTA network of providers for broad-scope technical support from pre-application to post-award grant management, business planning and processing operational resources, supply chain development expertise, and resources specific to historically underserved USDA stakeholders. Visit www.ams.usda.gov/mppta to connect with these services.
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