USDA AMS Meat and Poultry Processing Technical Assistance Program

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The United States Department of Agriculture established the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity - Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Program to ensure that participants in USDA’s Meat and Poultry Supply Chain programs and initiatives have access to excellent scientific and technical assistance. These supply chain initiatives include the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) Program and the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) and support the growth of domestic processing capacity for meat and poultry.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provided funding 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.

What Does MPPTA Offer?

• Access to highly-skilled and experienced technical advisors located across 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.

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.

The Flower Hill Institute is the overall coordinator for the MPPTA project.  The Flower Hill website has additional information and the ability to sign up to receive updates and newsletters related to the MPPTA project.  https://flowerhill.institute/usda-mppta