The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service recently announced a new grant program for meat processors: the Local Meat Capacity Grant (Local MCap), due on July 19th. 

This is a new grant program from USDA to help meat processors (including slaughter facilities or those conducting primary or further processing of meat and/or poultry) increase and diversify processing capacity. Processors who are currently USDA-inspected or who are planning to become USDA-inspected during the project are eligible to apply. To be eligible, processors need to be active processors and have the necessary infrastructure in place for the project. 

Projects may be Processing Expansion Projects of between $100,000 - $5 million. These projects require a 50% match and can be used for: 

• Equipment purchases and upgrades 

• Building and facility upgrades (NOT construction of new facilities) 

• Increasing processing capacity or cold storage capacity 

• Development of HACCP plans and employee training related to project 

USDA is also offering Simplified Equipment-Only of up to $250,000 to purchase equipment only. For these project types, no match is required. 

If you plan on applying, the best place to start is with federal registrations that are required to apply for federal funding. Check out our guide on how to apply for federal registrations HERE. 

Check out this video for a brief overview of the program: Overview of USDA Local Meat Capacity Grant - YouTube  

KCARD staff have also recorded a webinar to discuss what projects are eligible, who can apply, and how to get started: USDA Local Meat Capacity Grant Webinar - YouTube 

Read more about the program here: Local Meat Capacity Grant (Local MCap) | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov) 

If you have further questions or would like assistance applying for the program, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at kcard@kcard.info or (859) 550-3972.