Welcome to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
Meat & Poultry Processing Technical Assistance Program
FLOWER HILL INSTITUTE, PROGRAM COORDINATOR
QUICK LINKS
Program Overview
USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity - Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Program ensures that participants in the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Supply Chain programs and initiatives have access to robust technical assistance (TA) to support their project development and success. These supply chain initiatives—including the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) Program and the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP)—support the growth of domestic processing capacity and the ability of independent facilities to serve more customers in more markets.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is investing up to $25 million to establish a nationwide network of technical support focusing on four key areas or scopes:
Federal Grant Application Management:
Navigating federal grants processes and procedures, from pre-award application processes through post-award grant management compliance;
Business Development and Financial Planning:
Business and financial planning resources, market intelligence, and project/concept feasibility analyses;
Meat and Poultry Processing Technical and Operational Support:
Advice and resources to support the operational needs--including workforce development of processing plant development and utilization; and
Supply Chain Development:
Support for the development and maintenance of successful supply chain and marketing relationships between suppliers, processors, distributors, and customers.
In March 2022, AMS identified the following organizations to serve as TA Providers:
American Association of Meat Processors
American Meat Science Association
Agricultural Utilization Research Institute
Flower Hill Institute*
Intertribal Agriculture Council
Oregon State University — Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network
Tuskegee University
*The Flower Hill Institute will also serve as the overall Technical Assistance Coordinator for the MPPTA Program, working closely with AMS and the TA Providers to connect meat and poultry processors, USDA grant applicants, and grant-funded project managers to the resources and expertise best suited to support a project’s needs.
What Does MPPTA Offer?
Access to technical advisors located across the industry, academia, and state and federal governments.
Focused outreach to a diversity of meat and poultry processing stakeholders, including small, rural, minority-owned, Native American, and Tribal-owned businesses, and other underserved groups seeking to build or expand local and regional meat and poultry supply chain capacity.
General assistance with navigating USDA grant application and award processes, and guidance for successful post-award grant project management.
One-on-one advising, including project and proposal reviews tailored to the needs of diverse stakeholders ranging from small and very small businesses to regional concepts and established mid-sized processing companies.
Educational events, webinars, resources, and publications covering topics of interest for meat and poultry processing enterprises of all types.
Engage with MPPTA on Social Media
We recently launched four new channels of USDA MPPTA social media to increase lines of communication and information with your MPPTA network, including USDA, TAP Providers, MOUs, and meat and poultry producers.
You are all a valuable part of the USDA MPPTA program, and we invite you to be an active part of our MPPTA network.
Here’s how to take part in this growing MPPTA community:
FOLLOW our channels
COMMENT and SHARE our content
DM (Direct Message) us on Facebook when you want us to SHARE or FOLLOW YOU.
Read more in our blog.
PROGRAM FACT SHEETS
Want to Request Technical Assistance?
To request technical assistance under USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Program, please click the button below to access the form.
Note: The MPPTA Program does not offer or provide contractor services or financial capital. It does not offer grant writing or project management services, nor does the voluntary use of MPPTA guarantee the success of a grant application or the grant-funded project.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES & UPDATES
U.S. Department of Agriculture grants and loan programs for meat and poultry producers.
USDA Guaranteed Loans for Meat and Poultry Processing.
The Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program is part of USDA’s Build Back Better initiative to strengthen critical supply chains and our food system. For more information, visit: https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/12/09/usda-launches-loan-guarantee-program-create-more-market.
If you have not already, please sign up for posts and communications at:
Subscribe here for Agricultural Marketing Service Updates on Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants (MPIRG) and Meat and Poultry Processing Technical Assistance (MPPTA).
Subscribe here for Rural Development Updates on Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion (MPPEP) Grants and USDA Guaranteed Loans for Meat and Poultry Processing.
All these updates can be found at www.usda.gov/meat.
MORE RESOURCES
RESOURCE TOOLKIT
For a series of quick and easy-to-find supplementary resources and information on grants, lending programs, and meat and poultry market expertise, consider utilizing the extended MPPTA Resource Toolkit to find downloadable material to help you prepare and compile vital information for your next USDA grant application.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
In this calendar, you will find a series of information on upcoming USDA grant deadlines, industry conferences, and webinar events happening throughout the year.
DIRECTORY OF RESOURCES
Flower Hill Institute has developed a directory of individuals and companies who have expressed interest in providing services such as grant writing and feasibility assessment. Individuals and firms listed in this directory have voluntarily listed their information and credentials. No endorsement is made by Flower Hill Institute, and we cannot warrant the accuracy of this information. This is provided primarily as a contact list to help connect individuals and organizations with consultants.
RADIO & PODCAST INTERVIEWS
Flower Hill Institute has conducted a series of interviews to give an in-depth scoop on the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance (MPPTA) program and the services provided by the network of technical assistance providers nationwide. Listen to the full collection of interviews, and learn more about our efforts to provide technical assistance to US meat and poultry providers.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Grants.gov April newsletter featuring updates about Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number replacing DUNS number, grants.gov scheduled maintenance, etc.
Visit the Federal Service Desk for more answers and guidance about the federal grant application process.