U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced in a March 25 press release that the USDA has extended the application deadline for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) to May 11.
The decision to extend the deadline comes after Rural Development heard directly from applicants about challenges with System for Award Management (SAM) registration, which must be completed before filing an application.
“The new deadline should ensure that all interested and eligible meat and poultry processors have ample time to complete their applications," Vilsack said in the release.
In accordance with the American Rescue Plan Act, USDA Rural Development will make $150 million in financing available through the MPPEP, which currently provides funding to increase the capacity of meat and poultry processing facilities.
The USDA is currently awarding $25 million grants to boost processing capacity through a range of operations such as facility construction and expansion, as well as the purchase of equipment.
These grants are intended to assist rural, tribal and low-income communities by promoting infrastructure improvements for economic development, housing, community facilities; public safety, medical services and high-speed internet access.
Application resources are accessible at rd.usda.gov/mppep or on Grants.gov; all applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 11.
Applicants are encouraged to visit the MPPEP website for further information and to submit questions through email to MPPEP@usda.gov.
