-  About RD                  -  Key Priorities 
              -  History 
              -  Farm Bill 
              -  Grant Awards 
              -  Careers at Rural Development 
              -  Rural Data Gateway 
              -  Leadership 
              -  Agencies                    -   Rural Business-Cooperative Service 
                -   Rural Housing Service 
                -   Rural Utilities Service 
              -  Offices                    -  Business Center 
                -  Civil Rights                       -  Civil Rights Contacts 
                  -  Equal Employment Opportunity Branch 
                  -  Program Compliant Processing and Resolution Branch 
                  -  Program Compliance and Training Branch 
                  -  Posters 
                  -  Civil Rights Training 
                  -  Limited English Proficiency 
                  -  Civil Rights Library 
                  -  Accessibility Statement 
                -  External Affairs 
                -  Innovation Center                      -  Innovation Center Divisions 
                -  Risk Office 
                -  State Offices 
                -  Servicing Office 
              -  Initiatives 
              -  Tribal Relations 
            -  State Offices 
            -  Programs & Services                  -  Programs                    -  BioPreferred Program 
                -  Business Programs 
                -  Community Facilities Programs 
                -  Electric Programs 
                -  Energy Programs 
                -  Inflation Reduction Act Programs 
                -  Multifamily Housing Programs 
                -  Single Family Housing Programs                      -  Homeowner Assistance Fund FAQs 
                -  Telecommunications Programs                      -  Telecom Maps 
                -  Water & Environmental Programs 
              -  Services                    -  For Engineers 
                -  For Water & Environmental Engineers 
                -  RUS Interest Rates 
                -  RD Apply 
                -  Rural Development Disaster Assistance 
                -  RUS Program Borrowers 
                -  Cooperative Services 
            -  Newsroom                  -  News Releases 
              -  Stakeholder Announcements 
              -  Tribal Outreach 
              -  Success Stories 
              -  Federal Funding Opportunities 
              -  Blog 
              -  Radio 
              -  Archived News Releases 
            -  Resources                  -  Acronyms 
              -  Directives                    -  Administrative Notices 
                -  Electric Sample Documents 
                -  Form Letters 
                -  Guide Letters 
                -  Handbooks 
                -  Informational Publications 
                -  Instructions 
                -  Procedures Notices 
                -  Unnumbered Letters 
              -  Disaster Assistance                    -  We Care Letters 
              -  Environmental Studies                    -  Assessments 
                -  FPEP Environmental Review Comment Submissions 
                -  Impact Statements 
                -  Environmental Guidance 
              -  Forms                    -  E-Forms 
                -  Departmental Forms 
                -  RUS Forms 
              -  Publications                    -  Brochures 
                -  Fact Sheets 
                -  Reports 
                -  Resource Guides 
                -  Publications for Cooperatives 
              -  Regulations and Guidance                    -  Federal Register Publications 
                -  Program Regulations 
                -  Guidance Documents 
                -  Bulletins 
              -  Rural Data Gateway 
              -  LINC Training Library 
              -  Lender List 
              -  RBCS How-To Apply Video Series for Applicants 
            -  Contact Us                  -  National Office 
              -  State Offices 
              -  Area Offices 
              -  Loan Servicing 
              -  Press Office 
              -  Field Accountants 
              -  Electric GFR 
              -  ReConnect GFRs 
              -  Telecom GFR 
              -  State Energy Coordinators 
              -  Civil Rights Contacts 
              -  Freedom of Information Act                    -  FOIA Reading Room 

                  - English
                  - Spanish

# Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program

**Fact Sheet

Grants.gov Posting

##             Overview          

#### MPPEP Phase 2 Comparison Chart

### 

### What does this program do?

The Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) provides grants to help eligible processors expand their processing capacity, which create new, better and more processing options for meat and poultry producers. USDA Rural Development designed the MPPEP to encourage competition and sustainable growth in the U.S. meat processing sector, and to help improve supply chain resiliency.

### Who can apply for this program?

Entities that engage or plan to engage in meat and poultry processing, including private, non-profit, tribal, cooperative, state or local government, among other entities.  Private entities must be independently owned and operated. All entities must be domestically owned, and their meat and poultry processing facilities must be physically located and operated within the U.S. or its territories.

### **How can funds be used?**

**Grant funds can be used for expenses during the period of performance of the grant award to expand processing capacity by supporting activities such as:**
                                  -  Building, modernizing, or expanding existing – processing facilities, including mobile slaughter units 
                                  -  Developing, installing, or modernizing equipment and technology  
                                  -  Ensuring compliance with packaging and labeling requirements  
                                  -  Upholding occupational and other safety requirements  
                                  -  Modifying facilities or equipment to protect food safety 
                                  -  Offsetting cost associated with becoming an inspected facility 
                                  -  Staffing or operational costs specifically tied to the proposed project  
                                  -  Supporting workforce recruitment, training, and retention  
                                  -  Posting USDA’s standard infrastructure investment signage during construction of the project  

### What is the maximum grant amount?

The maximum award amount is $10 million, or 30 percent of total project costs, whichever is less. The minimum award amount is $250,000. Projects including construction (and equipment associated with the project) are eligible for grants from $250,000 to $10 million.  Projects that only require equipment purchases are eligible for grants from $5 million to $10 million.

### What are some other requirements?

Eligible applicants must:
                                  - Process – or plan to process – one or more species subject to the  Federal Meat Inspection Act , or the  Poultry Product Inspection Act .  Additionally, if the applicant engages or proposes to engage in further processing they must include the products of slaughter from their own facility.
                                  - Have – or plan to get – a Federal Grant of Inspection through  USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service , a Grant of Inspection under the  Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program , or a federal or  state-based meat and poultry inspection program  equivalent. 
                                  - Comply with the  National Environmental Policy Act  and Section 106 of the  National Historic Preservation Act , and all other applicable state, local or Tribal laws.

### How do I apply?

Please click on the To Apply tab above.

##             To Apply          

### Additional Technical Assistance Resources

Learn more about Technical Assistance available to MPPEP grant applicants and grant-funded projects. Visit the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance webpage to learn more.

Closely review the Request for Applications (RFA): MPPEP RFA

All applicant entities must have a current and active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to file an MPPEP application. Please reference Section 4.6 of the MPPEP RFA for registration instructions.

Additional resources to help you with completing an application include.
                                  - Application Checklist
                                  - Application Template
                                  - Environmental Review Checklist
                                  - Feasibility Study Guide
                                  - MPPEP FAQs
                                  - RBCS How - To Apply Video Series for Applicants

Visit the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance webpage to learn more about Technical Assistance available to MPPEP grant applicants and grant-funded projects.

All applicant entities must have a current and active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to file an MPPEP application. Please reference Section 4.6 of the MPPEP RFA for registration instructions.

All MPPEP applications must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on November 22, 2023, through www.Grants.gov. Applications submitted after this deadline or filed in any other manner **will not** be considered for evaluation or funding.

##             Other Requirements          

There are no other additional requirements.

##             Contact          

After closely reviewing the MPPPEP RFA in its entirety, applicants are encouraged to contact MPPEP staff at mppep@usda.gov. 

All questions regarding Grants.gov technical assistance must be directed to the Grants.gov Applicant Support portal at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html.

##             Events          

### **USDA-Rural Development: Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) – Phase 2******

Rural Business and Cooperative Service is pleased to provide office hours for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP 2). RBCS staff will be on hand to address questions that you have. 
                                  - September 28 | Closed
                                  - October 12 | Office Hours Registration
                                  - October 26 | Office Hours Registration
                                  - November 9 | Office Hours Registration