Grants / Department of Agriculture / Rural Business-Cooperative Service

RD-RBS-23-02-MPPEP: Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program - Phase 2

Closed Closed November 22, 2023 Opportunity RD-RBS-23-02-MPPEP ☆ Save

This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: MPPEP Phase 3 Invasive Wild-Caught Catfish (RD-RBS-26-03-MPPEP). Status: Closes December 7, 2026 (30 days left). It is in our archive of Rural Business-Cooperative Service notices from 2023.

• Award ceiling$10.0 million
• Award floor$250,000
• Total funding$123 million
• Cost sharingRequired
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to nonprofits, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.

Producer-owned cooperatives and corporations, Certified benefit corporations, other business types

More grants for nonprofits, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses, businesses.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Past Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program awards averaged $9.0 million; this notice allows up to $10.0 million per award.
• The notice requires cost sharing or matching funds, so you must contribute part of the project cost.

What the grant funds

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development (RD) Rural Business‐Cooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), requests applications for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program—Phase 2 (MPPEP). MPPEP is authorized under Section 1001(b)(4) of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which provides funding to make “loans and grants and provide other assistance to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency.” Pursuant to this authority, USDA is making grant funding available to meat and poultry processors for new facilities and for the renovation and expansion of existing facilities. This will promote competition and give more and better options to producers by increasing meat and poultry processing capacity. Grants to meat and poultry processors have been delivered in two phases. This RFA is for MPPEP Phase 2; a separate RFA was issued in 2022 for MPPEP Phase I. The Agency has entered into a cooperative agreement (the “Cooperative Agreement”) with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund (the “Cooperator”) to assist the Agency with the administration of the Program, including but not limited to: working with the Agency on the selection of program awards; the management and disbursement of grant funds; the servicing of grant awards; the monitoring and tracking of projects, including conducting site visits; and will perform other related matters in connection with the administration of the Program. The Agency will remain responsible for program outreach, applicant eligibility determinations, and the scoring of program applications. Pursuant to the Cooperative Agreement, the Agency has obligated funds in the amount of $123 million to the Cooperator to be made available for program applicants. The maximum award is $10 million or 30 percent of total project costs, whichever is less. The minimum award is $250,000. A cost share of 70 percent of the total project cost is required. Applicants will be required to identify sources and amounts to make up the 70 percent cost share in the application. RBCS will award competitive grants to eligible applicants that submit high quality proposals that meet the purpose and requirements of this program. This announcement provides eligibility criteria for applicants and projects, details on cost share requirements, and the forms and instructions required to apply for an award.

Category: Business and Commerce, Food and Nutrition.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, RD-RBS-26-03-MPPEP, which is open now.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.