The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the Meat Processing Train & Retain Grant.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/28/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Meat Processing Train and Retain Grant offers funding to partner organizations to assist small- to medium-sized meat and poultry processors with hiring and training new employees.
For this grant, they define small- to medium-sized meat and poultry processors as those that:
- Are licensed by the state of Minnesota or the federal government
- Have fewer than 150 employees.
This grant program prioritizes organizations working in partnership with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities; or whose efforts would target or serve meat or poultry processing operations that are in distressed communities, based on the Economic Innovation Group’s Distressed Communities Index (DCI).
Funding Information
They expect to award up to $350,000 using a competitive review process.
- Awards will range from $10,000 to $250,000
- No processor may receive more than $50,000 from this grant
- No employee may receive more than $10,000 through this grant.
Eligible Projects and Expenses
- Projects must:
- Aim to increase or incentivize new employee training and retention at small- to medium-sized meat or poultry processing businesses in Minnesota. For the purposes of this grant, “small- to medium-sized meat or poultry processor” means a meat or poultry processor licensed by the state of Minnesota or the federal government that has fewer than 150 employees
- Be conducted in Minnesota
- Eligible expenses include but are not limited to:
- Tuition reimbursement for programs at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
- Sign-on or retention bonuses for new hires
- Employee relocation assistance
- Employee housing cost reimbursement
- Childcare stipends
- Employee transportation cost reimbursement
- Up to 20% of the grant may be used for direct services to employees, including but not limited to translation services.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Be considered a partner organization (one of the following):
- Foundation engaged in economic development
- Community development financial institution
- Federally recognized economic development district
- Community development corporation
- Be in good standing with the State of Minnesota, including but not limited to:
- Have acceptable performance on past MDA grants
- Be registered with the Secretary of State and Attorney General’s Office, as applicable.
For more information, visit MDA.
