About the MPPTA Program

Congress dedicated $1 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to expand and diversify independent meat and poultry processing capacity. One key initiative launched by USDA is the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity - Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Program, which ensures that participants in USDA’s Meat and Poultry Supply Chain initiatives have access to robust technical assistance (TA) to support their project development and success.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has established a nationwide network of technical support focusing on four key areas:

+ Federal Grant Application Management: Navigating federal grants processes and procedures, from pre-award application through post-award grant management compliance.

+ Business Development & Financial Planning: Providing business and financial planning resources, market intelligence, and project or concept feasibility analyses.

+ Meat & Poultry Processing Technical & Operational Support: Offering advice and resources to support operational needs, including workforce development of processing plant development and utilization.

+ Supply Chain Development: Supporting the development and maintenance of successful supply chain and marketing relationships between suppliers, processors, distributors, and customers.

What Does MPPTA Offer?

• Access to 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 businesses to mid-sized processing companies.
• Educational events, webinars, resources, and publications covering topics of interest for meat and poultry processing enterprises of all types.

How to Request Technical Assistance

To request assistance under USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity - Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Program, please visit tuskegee.edu/tumppta.

MPPTA TA Providers:

• Tuskegee University
• Flower Hill Institute
• Oregon State University - Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network
• Intertribal Agriculture Council
• Agricultural Utilization Research Institute
• American Meat Science Association
• American Association of Meat Processors

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.