Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants – Supplemental Funding

To assist eligible meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities with costs incurred in making improvements and carrying out other planning activities necessary to obtain a Federal “Grant of Inspection” under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) or the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA); or to operate as a State-inspected facility that is compliant with FMIA or PPIA under the respective Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program. The MPIRG focused on: Improving meat and poultry slaughter and processing capacity and efficiency; Developing new and expanding existing markets; Increasing capacity and better meeting consumer and producer demand; Maintaining strong inspection and food safety standards; Obtaining a larger commercial presence; and Increasing access to slaughter/processing facilities for smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, veteran producers, and/or underserved communities

Consistent with 21 U.S.C. § 473, meat or poultry slaughter or processing facilities must be conducting business and processing eligible meat or poultry products at the location seeking a GOI or CIS at the time they submit the grant application to be eligible for the program.

This was a competitive application program. Applicants were reviewed for eligibility, evaluated by outside expert panel reviewers against selection criteria published in the RFA (technical review) and finally subject to a full administrative review by federal staff prior to final award recommendations and selection.

Eligible applicants were to review the RFA for the application deadline and estimated timeframes for review and award.